ECUA Phones Overloaded As North Santa Rosa Residents Sign Up For Solid Waste Service

December 12, 2014

The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority said Thursday that there telephone system is being overloaded by residents of north Santa Rosa County calling in to sign up for solid waste services before the end of the year.

To avoid long wait times on the phone, customers may obtain information on services at http://www.ecua.fl.gov/santa-rosa.  To sign-up, residents may email customer.service@ecua.fl.gov to request any of the solid waste services, or go to http://www.ecua.fl.gov/santa-rosa/contact to request service online by December 26.

When making a request for service, customers are asked to include their name, service address and a daytime telephone number.  When applying for a new account, customers should be prepared to present some form of identification (for example: driver’s license, military ID card, Florida ID card or student ID card).

To contact ECUA regarding an emergency only, such as a water outage or to report a broken main, call (850) 494-7350.

The Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners has entered into an inter-local agreement with the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority to provide single-family residential solid waste collection north of the Yellow River beginning Friday, January 2. No other large truck provider will be able to provide service in the franchise area after December 30.

The new north end Santa Rosa ECUA services are $51.27 per quarter and include:

  • Garbage pickup: twice a week in a wheeled, 95-gallon container
  • Recycling pickup: on request by resident once a week in a wheeled, 95-gallon container, residents should request recycling service when signing up for service
  • Yard debris pickup: every two weeks
  • Bulky waste pickup: service on request via phone call from resident
  • Side door collection service for the disabled at no extra charge, Non-handicapped side door collection service, additional containers or bear-resistant containers at an additional cost.

ECUA will begin delivering new garbage and recycling containers to Santa Rosa customers this week. It is important that residents do not use the new containers until after their last scheduled pickup date with their outgoing provider, either December 29, 30 or 31; as ECUA will not start service routes until January. Please leave your old empty containers at the curbside for pickup by the previous provider.

Citizens utilizing residential curbside collection in the north end of the county that do not live the city of Milton, town of Jay or NAS Whiting Field, will now have one solid waste provider assigned to their area.  The franchise agreement does not impact business or commercial dumpster accounts or residents living south of the Yellow River.  Residents in the Holley, Navarre, Midway or the city of Gulf Breeze will have no change in solid waste providers.

The residential curbside solid waste service is not mandatory.  Individuals who do not signup for service will be responsible for transporting their household waste, recyclables, yard debris and bulk waste items to the Central Landfill in Milton or the Jay Residential Drop Off Station in Jay.  Additionally, the commission chose to grandfather in the small providers. Residents may choose a provider that is currently permitted and utilizes trucks that weigh 15,000 lbs. or less.

Comments

7 Responses to “ECUA Phones Overloaded As North Santa Rosa Residents Sign Up For Solid Waste Service”

  1. M in Bratt on December 12th, 2014 2:56 pm

    To clarify for ?, the name of Escambia County Utilities Authority was changed to Emerald Coast Utilities Authority on June 29, 2004

  2. M in Bratt on December 12th, 2014 2:40 pm

    To ? and Jake; The ECUA was formed back in the early 80’s as Escambia Utilities Authority by a special act of the Fl. Legislature. The Board Members were and still are elected by the voters of Escambia County. I think the main reason for it’s formation was getting the debt of the old stinky Main Street treatment plant (which was brand new at the time) off the shoulders of the City of Pensacola and on the shoulders of Escambia County at large. If they can provide enhanced services in the North end of Santa Rosa because there is competition, why don’t we do away with franchises, and let the free market dictate the price and level of service for garbage pick up in both counties?

  3. Nathalie Bowers, ECUA Public Information Officer on December 12th, 2014 2:30 pm

    The difference between the cost of ECUA service in Escambia County vs. that of the service to Santa Rosa is primarily a function of the tipping fee charges at the respective landfills. Escambia County’s Perdido Landfill charges $45.06/ton while the cost of tipping at the Santa Rosa Landfill is $32.00/ton.

    I hope this helps to clarify why there is a small difference in the rates.

  4. ? on December 12th, 2014 1:00 pm

    (M in Bratt) did you notice that it is Emerald Coast Utilities Authority not Escambia County’s Utility Authority. It has always been Emerald Coast.

  5. Jake on December 12th, 2014 7:53 am

    They want more business, so they expand. They have this price and this specific service so they can compete with the 3 other garbage services. If they were to charge this price for once a week pick up, they wont survive out here on the north end.

  6. M in Bratt on December 12th, 2014 6:00 am

    Does anybody notice that Escambia County’s Utility Authority is providing a higher level of service in Santa Rosa than it does at home? Twice a week pick up, plus recycling, and we only get once a week. What’s up with that Dr. Walker?

  7. ???? on December 12th, 2014 5:49 am

    This is the same ECUA I have and we pay more and only get service once a week here in eacambia county. They also have to drive further to North Santa Rosa. I’m a little confused.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News