Frequently Asked Questions

No, Baldwin County Sewer Service (BCSS) is not part of Baldwin County or any other governmental entity. BCSS is a private utility company.

No, we do not offer garbage pick-up, water service or any other utility service. You may need to contact Baldwin County Solid Waste about garbage pickup, and this list of Baldwin County utilities with contact information can be helpful.

Visit this site for all information on transferring sewer service into or out of your name, or reconnecting, disconnecting or installing sewer service.

BCSS has servicemen on call 24/7 for existing BCSS customers and to address sewer service emergencies and repairs on our system. Additional charges can apply to sewer service calls after hours, which is explained by our answering service before after hours service calls are scheduled. We do not offer septic tank pumping 24/7. After hours calls are considered after the following office hours: Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The standard residential service fee does not fluctuate with water usage since we do not provide water service. The monthly sewer treatment fee for a single-family home is $60.50, and a small franchise fee or tax may be added if the property is in certain areas of the county. There can be different fees for commercial buildings, additional structures on properties, RV parks, mobile home parks, etc. Please contact the office to confirm a monthly fee for anything besides a standard single-family residence.

Since BCSS does not provide water service and monitor fluctuations in water usage, we charge flat residential rates and flat standard commercial rates for sewer treatment. BCSS provides sewer service to thousands of customers across many areas of a very large county that encompasses several different water service providers. Our fees, including treatment fees, impact fees and tap fees, are based on various factors. BCSS maintains and pays for every aspect of our system, treatment plants, equipment, employees and more. Unlike many municipal utilities, we are not supplemented by government funding. It is important to consider that transporting wastewater away from properties is a crucial service, and  fees for luxuries such as cable, internet and cell phone services can be more expensive.

Customers’ monthly sewer service bills are charged to transport and treat all of the wastewater away from the property. The wastewater (sewage) is all of the used water from sinks, showers, baths, toilets, and laundry. Monthly sewer service treatment payments cover costs to operate and maintain the sewer system. It does not include sewer system repairs on customer’s property that aren’t covered under warranty.

BCSS charges a one-time, non-refundable application fee or new customer fee to new customers who have never previously set up an account and paid the fee. It helps to cover administrative and software expenses of managing accounts.

We bill in arears. After you have officially purchased a property connected to our sewer service, complete the online New Customer Application here. BCSS uses the property/ home closing date as the date that the account is transferred into a new name. If you closed between the 1-15th of the month, you will be sent the next bill around the 19th of the month. If you closed between the 16th- last day of the month, the seller will be responsible for that months bill by the 15th of the following month. After you have officially sold a property with our sewer service, please complete the from on this site.

We greatly sympathize when customers struggle to pay bills. We do everything we can to help customers with unanticipated fees, such as grinder pump repairs, which we offer to divide into smaller monthly payments on your bills. However, we have to treat all of our customers the same and cannot make exceptions of not paying bills. If you have trouble paying your bills due to emergencies or unexpected circumstances, there are great nonprofit organizations in Baldwin County that offer assistance with utility bills. Please contact the organization closest to you to learn more about their guidelines and how they may be able to help. Visit our Payment Options page for their contact information.

BCSS does not provide a formal septic system inspection while pumping the septic tank. The Baldwin County Health Department is an option for a formal inspection, and they can be scheduled by calling (251) 947-3618. Our septic tank pumping crew can arrange to meet inspectors on site.

BCSS allows tenants to add their names to accounts and pay bills, but ultimately, it is the owner’s responsibility since we don’t want to disconnect sewer service at an owner’s property (if there is recurring nonpayment by tenant) without their knowledge. In addition, if renters suddenly move away from a property, we may not know of this, and an outstanding balance could be on the account. BCSS sends notices to tenants and owners so that both parties are informed of the account status.

Sanitary sewer overflows (SSO) happen for various reasons, most commonly because of sewer lines being cut during construction activities and heavy rain infiltrating the system. BCSS is continually updating vulnerable areas of main sewer lines, lift stations, and other parts of our system to prevent SSOs. Please visit our Safety site to read about our protocol for handling an SSO.

A septic system is a type of onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS), consisting of a septic tank that collects all the (wastewater) sewage. The sewage separates into a solid (sludge) that settles to the bottom, and a liquid effluent that flows into a leach field for final treatment by the soil with its natural bacteria. There are different types of septic systems, as described by the EPA’s septic system glossary. Read more about septic systems on the EPA’s Septic Smart website. A sanitary sewer system collects wastewater (sewage) from homes, businesses, and many industries, and deliver it to wastewater treatment plants for treatment by an intricate process involving either chlorine or ultraviolet disinfection. In summary, a conventional septic system treats (cleans) wastewater onsite, or within the soil on personal property, and typically, a [public] sewer system removes wastewater from a property through pipes and pumping systems to a wastewater treatment plant where it is treated and then discharged back into the  environment. Read more here.

Contact us at (251) 971-3022 or by email to discuss your options. BCSS provides special discounted pricing with our Environmental Enhancement Program, in addition to flexible financing.

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