ECUA Raises Water, Sewer And Trash Rates

September 30, 2017

Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) customers will see an increase in their water, sewer and sanitation pickup rates.

The ECUA board voted to raise sanitation collection fees by 5 percent, from $21.31 a month to $22.38 a month for the average residential customers for weekly collection of recycling, yard waste and bulk waste items.

Water and sewer rates will increase by 3 percent — just over $2 a month more for the average 6,000 gallon residential user.

Comments

19 Responses to “ECUA Raises Water, Sewer And Trash Rates”

  1. Michele Rigdon on October 4th, 2017 10:15 pm

    we have had no issues with ECUA… if they have missed or not completely emptied our cans, then they are usually here within 24 hours to empty it… I’ve even had the driver stop when he was going in the opposite direction ask me what was wrong one day when he saw me looking and breaking free the stuff in our can… only half had emptied due to something we put in jamming up the stuff… he told me to bring it across the street and he would empty it… he even waited to make sure it was empty before leaving.. the price increase isn’t bad really… we are a family of 4 and have no issues with having one trash can and one recycle can ..and with only once a week pick up.. yes they are the only company in our area, but we have never had an issue in the 4 years we have lived here…Thank you ECUA for doing a great job!

  2. Ponderosa hill on October 2nd, 2017 10:42 pm

    I sure remember the service we had before ECUA. I quit
    them because poor service etc. started taking to dump
    myself…..got nail in tires 3 times & long wait @ check-in.
    I’ll stick with ECUA. They ain’t perfect but neither is
    my in-laws.

  3. Lynn on October 2nd, 2017 12:57 pm

    If you don’t pay your bill with these people they will take away their service. BUT if they forget to come pick your trash up they will not reimburse any money. You are just out of luck. So they can legally rip you off with no way for you to do a thing about it other than take your own trash to the dump. This has happen with me at least 12 – 15 times since we started service with them in the North end of the county.

  4. Wilykyote on October 2nd, 2017 8:00 am

    To: Bristol park
    Don’t know why your service is so different from ours……our Rep.
    Larry Walker has always been available when needed. Remember they are elected officials and can be voted out next time. I’d suggest call yours &
    remind them of it .

    .

  5. John on October 2nd, 2017 5:32 am

    Still would like to no how ECAU can charge us the us more the Santa Rosa County. We have pickup once a week, compared to twice a week in Jay area. Jay pick is twice a week . Just signed a new contract. Are we footing the bill for other counties. Ask and was told that the county commissioner jacked up the dump fee, which was increased some , but not that much. I suppose the new contract over their already has the new few added in. This is being ripped off just like the bus system that hauls no one that u can see going down Hwy 29.

  6. Bristol Park on October 1st, 2017 11:04 pm

    The drivers are leaving yard waste on my street too. Too lazy and in a big hurry to get off work is what I think. The limbs and sticks are within the policy, but not picked up. I move it into the street for the next week. How can they miss that. It’s a hazard to cars driving along the street, so they have to pick it up. I don’t want my lawn turning yellow and brown because they didn’t pick up the yard waste.

    The rates are increasing because we are now paying for the recycling employees to sift through the garbage and decide what is recycle and what is not. I put everything in one can and the H*** with it. I’m too old to be dealing with all this mess. They don’t do a great job of picking up the garbage, because sometimes only half the can is emptied. So I don’t care what’s in my can, including leaves and limbs. Last year I put our Christmas tree at the curb and it was missed that week. I cut the tree in thirds and for the next 3 weeks I put the pieces in my garbage can. Addios tree ! As for not picking up the garbage several times. I called and told customer service that my garbage was missed. She put me hold for about 5 mins to come back and tell me I had unauthorized items in my can. I said like what? She said you have kitty litter in the can. I said I do not. I have a kitty litter bag with trash in it. I said don’t go through my garbage again and make accusations before you really check it out. Amazing: they are going through the trash cans.

    I can vote out the Escambia Utilities Commissioner Cantonment (District 5).

    And for you WilyKyote- Not everyone receives Top Grade service as you do.

    @ Dan – just throw everything in the garbage can and don’t worry about recycle.

    @ Rich – you are exactly right. Several of my neighbors have large families and their garbage cans are overflowing every pickup date. It’s the nastiest smelling crap hanging out the top and over the sides. By the time the truck finally decides to pick up the can, there are huge flies everywhere.

    From what was told to me, ECUA uses LNG for their trucks which is saving money from using gasoline. The current price for LNG now is $2.05.

    I’m eventually stopping my garbage service and will use several of my neighbors cans.

  7. Rich on October 1st, 2017 12:29 pm

    I literally use services for 2 weeks out of 2 months. I pay the full price. The last two times I have stayed at that house my cans were skipped. Like you can’t pick up every can? My yard waste sat there for nearly a month. One run a week is ridiculous as well. A family of four easily needs 2 runs. But for the amount they charge it shouldn’t matter the price of fuel or anything. $22 a month per home? That’s a ridiculous amount of money.

  8. DD on October 1st, 2017 11:06 am

    Years ago, when the price of fuel increased, ECUA cut back their pick up to “save money” to 1 day a week. When charges for fuel went down, that was never passed on in garbage collection, yet you can get your garbage picked up twice a week at an additional cost. Regarding the wonderful job they are doing with picking up the sanitation, there are no competitors because they basically “forced” them out, or acquired them. No competition. Why are the rates increasing? Sad that an ECUA worker can make more money than a teacher in this county.

  9. retired on October 1st, 2017 8:05 am

    i wish they would come though and install sewage i my area

  10. Dan on September 30th, 2017 7:44 pm

    Pathetic… a neighbor of mine and I both had our recycling bins “confiscated” without warning or notice without explanation… After calling multiple times, eventually the explanation was that we “probably put unauthorized items in the bin(s)” but they had no way of verifying why or what was “unauthorized”! My neighbor nor I received any warnings or notifications before or since, only told service is typically suspended for one calendar year! Unfortunately they don’t care about “Customer service” bc you can’t exactly go to their competition. It’s a legal monopoly

  11. Ensley Resident on September 30th, 2017 4:59 pm

    I have a similar problem like Lisa, although it’s with the recycle pickup! I am often missed (as my neighbors) and it seems like it’s at least three days before they can “get to the work order” for the missed pickup! A complaint falls on deaf ears! And now an increase for terrible service! Sounds about right for Escambia County!

  12. Daniel on September 30th, 2017 3:43 pm

    I find it slightly unfair to those as myself that have no bulk items or yard waste for pick up. At least they dont have excessive fees like though on my gas bill….

  13. Renee on September 30th, 2017 1:59 pm

    Sadly, I doubt the increase will provide better customer service. Calling them always sounds like it’s an inconvenience. The website has gotten better, shouldn’t cost us more though. The complaints about the pick ups are valid from what I’ve noticed.
    Rates go up, hopefully the quality of service will too. Maybe a training session at Chick-fil-A??

  14. Anne on September 30th, 2017 8:35 am

    REMEMBER, if you are a “Senior Citizen” and have only a small amount of garbage to dispose of each week, you can get ECUA to provide a smaller green container for you.
    These smaller plastic cans for Senior Citizens have a LOWER Monthly Fee than the huge sized ones.
    Save $ $ $ $ where you can.

  15. gatorbait on September 30th, 2017 8:30 am

    Good luck contacting the board members at ECUA, I sent multiple e-mails and
    multiple calls to board member Elvin Mc Corvey. He never returned my calls and did not answer my e-mails. The citizens have no representation at ECUA

  16. J.Larry Seale on September 30th, 2017 6:40 am

    There went my SS increase that
    I suppose to get in Jan………………………….

  17. Wilykyote on September 30th, 2017 5:34 am

    Have to commend ECUA ……….they really do a great job. We’re out in
    Molino with only trash pick-up service. They pick-up the garbage,recycle,
    and yard debris etc. Larry Walker our rep. & wish there were more like him.
    $22 a month for what they do is good govt. @ work.

  18. M in Bratt on September 30th, 2017 5:15 am

    We all need to ask our ECUA Board members that are elected from ESCAMBIA County why they are able to provide twice a week garbage service for almost $7.00 a month less in Santa Rosa County. They just agreed to provide service in Jay for $17.75 per month. Sounds to me like Escambia County residents are being forced to subsidize garbage service in Santa Rosa so the the ECUA can grow their monopoly.

  19. Lisa Watson on September 30th, 2017 3:13 am

    That kind of sucks considering I have yard waste they haven’t picked up for 4 months… It’s not too big, nothing wrong with it… They just don’t feel like picking it up!

    They do that to many folks, I hear, and see. A neighbor waited about 6 months one time, for them to feel like picking up her yard waste… It’s frustrating when they pick up every house’s yard waste but yours, as if to single you out for some punishment, though you’re unaware of the crime you committed to get ECUA mad at you…

    Then, one day, months after you’ve put the waste there, after you have had to mow around it, hand-weed through the spaces, so the limbs show as more than weeds… it gets picked up. But someone else is now singled out to be “the one”.

    It’s like some kind of lottery, only the winner gets to watch their cuttings and limbs pile up, get overgrown with weeds, and be unable to add to the limbs past a certain point, because one is not allowed too much yard waste!

    And they raise rates? SMH