Employees of the Public Works Department read meters around the 15th of each month and bills are mailed the last day of the month, with payment due by the 15th of the following month (i.e. October 15 through November 15, mailed November 30 and due December 15). A 10% penalty will be assessed on any unpaid balance on the 16th of the month at 8:00 a.m. Utility bills not paid by the 20th of the month will be assessed an additional late fee charge of $35.00 and water and sewer service will be disconnected without notice on the 21st of the month at 8:00 a.m. (If the 21st is on a weekend or holiday, disconnect will be the following business day).
Ways to Pay Your Utilities Bill
In Person
Residents of Frostproof have the option to pay their utility bill which includes water, wastewater, solid waste and storm water fees in person at 111 West 1st Street, Frostproof or use the drop box at the east end of City Hall.
Online
The City of Frostproof is now offering a convenient, no stress way for you to make your utility payments online! Please go to this link https://frostproof.billingdoc.net/login and register today if you’d like to make your water bill payments online! Payment may be made using a credit or debit card for one-time payments and bank transfer for auto pay. There is a 3% fee added for this convenience payment system.
Over the Phone
The City also offers a 24/7 phone service for customers to obtain account information or make a payment using debit/credit card. Each account is assigned a web ID which is located on their utility statement along with the phone number to call 833-873-7688. There is a fee to use this service.
Garbage
The City of Frostproof uses Dundee-based business, Trash Taxi. They provide curbside removal of garbage, yard debris, and bulk items. There is no recycling program.
Each utility account is allotted two bins. One additional bin is available for $70. Please call the Utilities Department at 863-635-7855 to place your order.
Dumpster service is available for commercial properties.
An annual clean-up is held twice a year, in the spring and in the fall.
Scheduling
- Residential (bins) pick-up is every Friday. Please have your bins on the street by 6:00 am.
- Commercial (dumpsters) pick-up is every Monday and Thursday for those with service twice a week and every Thursday for those with service once a week.
- Pick-up for yard debris and bulk items is every Monday and Friday. If the pile is too large or the truck is full, the pile will be tagged and picked up the following route day.
- Please call the Utilities Department at 863-635-7755 to alert for bulk item pick-up.
- Major holidays may necessitate a delay in pick-up.
Expectations
- Bins must be placed in the right-of-way, away from low-lying power lines.
- Dumpsters must have a 15’ clearance.
- Any garbage that does not fit in the bin must be bagged and secured. Loose garbage will not be picked up.
- Limbs must be cut in lengths that are 5’ or smaller.
- Loose leaves and grass must be bagged and secured.
Additional Costs
Garbage rates are based on average waste volumes. When a customer cleans out a vacant home, clears a property after receiving a code enforcement violation, or repeatedly throws away bulk items, this is considered excessive use of the garbage services provided. It causes extra trips to the dump, additional dump fees, and time away from the route. For this reason, there are certain fees imposed on the customer.
- House cleanout $250
- Excessive yard debris $150-300
- Excessive bulk item pick-ups $150-300
- Contaminated pick-up (ineligible items found in the garbage) $150-400
Efforts are made to contact the customer before the pick-up occurs, but sometimes this is not possible. Ultimately, the customer is responsible for the selection of waste placed at the curb and any additional expense that results from pick-up.
Ineligible for Pick-up
- Vehicular batteries
- Engine oil
- Construction debris (drywall, ceiling tiles, insulation, plumbing fixtures, PVC, blocks, roofing materials, etc.)
- Paint and paint cans
- Refrigerators and other items with freon
- Landscape timbers
Water
Frostproof’s source of water is from three local wells drilled into the Floridan aquifer system. The latest water report, conducted in 2023 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, is available online at [insert hyperlink]. A hard copy of the report can be picked up at City Hall during business hours.
For more information on the Floridan aquifer system, visit https://cfwiwater.com/value_of_water.html
Lawn Watering Restrictions
Odd addresses Wednesday and Saturday before 10:00 am / after 4:00 pm
Even addresses Thursday and Sunday before 10:00 am / after 4:00 pm
If you use a well to irrigate your lawn, you are still subject to the watering schedule.
Low-volume watering of plants and shrubs (micro-irrigation, soaker hoses, hand watering) is allowed any day and any time.
There are no specific restrictions on fountains, car washing, and pressure washing. However, these and other water uses should be conducted as efficiently as possible, such as using a shutoff nozzle on each hose to adhere to the general restriction prohibiting wasteful water use.
New Lawns
On the day of installation, watering is allowed on any day of the week, at any time. Afterwards, new lawns and plants have a “30-30” establishment period:
•During the first 30 days, watering is allowed on any day during the allowable hours.
•During the second 30 days, watering is allowed three days per week: even-numbered addresses may water on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday; odd-numbered addresses may water Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; and locations without a discernable address may water on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.
Excessive Water Usage
The average water consumption per person in the United States is about 70 gallons per day, so a two-person household might expect to use upwards of 3000-4000 gallons of water per month. Typical water usage is for drinking, cooking, household appliances, bathing, toilets, and brief use of the hose.
If your water bill reflects a significant leap, by thousands and thousands of gallons, you should consider the following reasons before contacting the Utilities Department:
•additional people in the home for an extended period, particularly during the holidays
•leaving the hose or sprinkler on overnight
•an irrigation system that operates too frequently
•filling a pool
•recent construction work that may have resulted in a broken pipe on your property or in the house
•a faucet that drips, either indoors or out
•a toilet that runs for too long
•an aging washing machine or hot water tank
If you cannot attribute any reason for the jump in water usage, please call the Utilities Department at 863-635-7855. A Work Order will be issued for someone from Public Works to run a Leak Indicator on your meter and generate a Data Usage Table (DUT). A Data Usage Table displays the amount of water used each day over the last 90 days. It helps to identify whether the water usage is due to a one-time event (e.g., filling a pool) or a regular, alternating use of water (e.g., using an irrigation system).
If there is no evidence of a malfunction or break on the City side of the meter, the responsibility rests on you to find the source and have it repaired.
Adjustment
In some circumstances, an adjustment can be made to help offset the expense of the bill. To qualify for an adjustment, the customer must
•report the high usage within 60 days of the relevant meter reading (taken on the 15th of each month);
•identify the cause of the high usage;
•repair the problem causing the high usage; and
•provide documentation (photos, copies of receipts) that the problem has been resolved within 30 days of requesting either a Leak Indicator and/or Data Usage Table.
In the Utilities Department, an adjustment will be
•initiated when a Leak Indicator and Data Usage Table confirm the existence of a problem;
•calculated within 60 days of the receipt of documentation to ensure the whole high usage issue has been accounted for in the monthly readings; and
•credited to the relevant utilities account.
During the adjustment period, a customer may be exempt from penalties and fees. However, when the adjustment is complete, the customer must pay the balance in full or be subject to all penalties and a disconnect.
NOTE: Only one adjustment may be made within a calendar year.
Irrigation Meters
If you do not have a private septic system, your house is billed for water in (Water) and water out (Sewer). The rate for Sewer is nearly four times that of Water. This can amount to a shockingly high utilities bill each month if you are in the habit of irrigating the lawn, maintaining a pool, or keeping livestock.
To reduce this monthly cost, you may wish to have an irrigation meter installed. An irrigation meter is a separate meter with a dedicated purpose of providing water for external use: e.g., the lawn, the pool, the livestock. Because it provides only water, there is no Sewer rate.
An irrigation meter is not a substitute for a household meter.
For more information, please call the Utilities Department at 863-635-7855.
For more information on how to save water and reduce your costs, visit
https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/residents/water-101/homeowners
at the Southwest Florida Water Management District website.
Contact Information
Kimber Pepper, Utility Billing Manager
863-635-7850
Utilities@cityoffrostproof.com
