MWB - Frequently Asked Questions

View All FAQs

1. When does the Water & Wastewater Board meet?
2. Where are you located?
3. What are your business hours?
4. Who are your Board Members?
5. I am a Senior Citizen, is there a discount I can receive on my water bill?
6. I have a problem with my trash pick up, who do I call?
7. What is the cost to have a second meter installed for outside water usage only?
8. What must I do to get a building permit for construction of a new house?
9. How can I get a water and sewer construction specifications manual?
10. What must I do to get approval of a new subdivision, final plat, site plan or certified plat?

11. Who is responsible for the stormwater sewer system?
12. How do I get information on the water or wastewater treatment provided by the Water & Wastewater Board?
13. When will my driveway / sidewalk be repaired?
14. Is sewer available in my area?
15. Why is there paint in my yard at the curb, or in the street?
16. What is the water pressure in my area?
17. Should I install a pressure regulator?
18. What size is the water main in a certain area?
19. When will my easement be repaired?
20. How can I find out what is in my water?
21. How can I prevent calcium deposits?
22. How can I remove air or discolored water from my lines?
23. What to do if my water has a bad taste or odor?

1. When does the Water & Wastewater Board meet?
The Water and Wastewater Board meets on the first and third Monday of each month at the Water Board Office located at 101 Ray Sanderson Drive.

back to top

2. Where are you located?
We are located at 101 Ray Sanderson Drive, approximately 1 mile from Sullivan St. on Palmer Road across from Sherman Concrete.

back to top

3. What are your business hours?
Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

back to top

4. Who are your Board Members?

Chairman	Terris Tatum
Vice Chairman	Steve Haraway
Director	Danny Garcia
Director	Mike Hubbard
Director	Larry Vannoy

back to top

5. I am a Senior Citizen, is there a discount I can receive on my water bill?
Senior Citizen discount schedule: Currently - 15%, April 1, 2008-13%, April 1, 2009-10%. The discount will be deducted from residential water and sewer bills of customers who are 65 years of age if application has been made for the discount and they are the primary resident of the property being served. The maximum discount on wastewater including summer discount is 30%. The discount shall not apply to a secondary meter account. Application to be processed which requires verification of birthday date.

back to top

6. I have a problem with my trash pick up, who do I call?
If you are having problems with your household garbage pickup please call Madison County at 532-3718. If you are having problems with you bulk items trash pickup please call City of Madison Public Works Dept. at 772-8490.

back to top

7. What is the cost to have a second meter installed for outside water usage only?
The cost for a 5/8-inch meter tied to the existing service line is $297.00 plus a water availability fee of $448.00. A 5/8-inch tap to the main line is $547.00 plus a water availability fee of $448.00. A 1-inch meter tied to the existing service line is $367.00 plus a water availability fee of $1120.50. A 1-inch tap to the main is $617.00 plus a water availability fee of $1120.50. To apply you will need to come into the billing office located at 101 Ray Sanderson Drive to make application.

back to top

8. What must I do to get a building permit for construction of a new house?
You must apply for water and sewer service in person and pay the applicable fees. Once the fees are paid you can take your receipt to City Hall - Planning, Engineering & Building Department to apply for a building permit.

back to top

9. How can I get a water and sewer construction specifications manual?
You can pick up a water and sewer construction specifications manual at the Water Board Office. The manual costs $10.00.

back to top

10. What must I do to get approval of a new subdivision, final plat, site plan or certified plat?

To better serve our customers we have combined our turn in and review process with the City of Madison Planning, Engineering and Building Department. The following procedures should be followed to submit subdivision plats and site plans. Items submitted for review will not be placed on the agenda until the steps outlined below have been completed.

1. Submit nine (9) copies of the complete plans to the Secretary of the Planning Commission, Gina Guffey, 30 days prior to the regular scheduled Planning Commission meeting. The nine (9) copies will be distributed by the Planning Division to the following for review:

Planning Division
Engineering Department
Fire Department
Police Department
Public Works Department
Madison Water & Wastewater Board

2. The Water & Wastewater Board reviews all plans for compliance to Water and Wastewater Board Specifications. Drawings are marked up and returned to Gina Guffey for Technical Review at the City.

3. The Technical Review Committe meets at 9:00 AM in conference Room 311A on the lower floor of City Hall, 15 days prior to the Planning Commission meeting. This time and place are subject to change so when you submit your project, you should check with staff to verify them. All projects are discussed in detail at this meeting and applicants will be given the opportunity to discuss any issues discovered during staff review. Applicants will be given a list of corrections that are required in order for the project to comply with City regulations and ordinances.

4. The issues discussed in the Technical Review meeting must be resolved and corrected drawings must be submitted 7 days after the Technical Review meeting. The applicant must submit 3 full sets of the corrected plans and 11 sets of the plan page (or in the case of a site plan, the site plan page) to the Secretary of the Planning Commission, Gina Guffey.

5. Applicants are responsible for sending their own certified mailings for projects that are subject to a public hearing. The staff can assist you with procedures if you desire.

6. Failure to follow these procedures, or to submit corrected drawings on time, or to resolve issues discussed by the Technical Review Committee by the deadline may result in the removal of the applicant's project from the Planning Commission agenda.

7. After the project is approved at Technical Review it will be placed on the Water and Wastewater Board agenda. The Water and Wastewater Board meets on the First and Third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Water Board Conference Room, 101 Ray Sanderson Drive, Madison, Alabama.

8. The Planning Commission of the City of Madison meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 100 Hughes Road, Madison, Alabama. Please contact Gina Guffey, Planning Commission Secretary at (256) 464-8427 or gina.guffey@madisonal.gov for specific meeting and turn in dates.

back to top

11. Who is responsible for the stormwater sewer system?
City of Madison Public Works Department 772-0000.

back to top

12. How do I get information on the water or wastewater treatment provided by the Water & Wastewater Board?
Contact us at (256)461-0845 ext. 115 or email us.

back to top

13. When will my driveway / sidewalk be repaired?
A temporary patch is made immediately following work which required the road to be cut. Permanent repairs are done every 3 months.

back to top

14. Is sewer available in my area?
To find out if sewer is available in an area, you should contact Mark Hobbs at 461-0845 or by email.

back to top

15. Why is there paint in my yard at the curb, or in the street?
Utilities use temporary paint to mark the location of buried lines and pipe before digging for repairs. Blue paint is for water lines, green is sewer lines, red is electric lines, yellow is gas lines, orange is communications lines, and white is proposed excavation area. The paint will wash away in a few days.

back to top

16. What is the water pressure in my area?
Call 772-0253 or e-mail us at Click Here or install a water pressure gauge on your outside water faucet.

back to top

17. Should I install a pressure regulator?
It is recommended that you install a pressure regulator if the pressure in your area is 85 psi or above. The regulator installed should have a pressure rating of 50-200 psi. The service is provided by local plumbing companies.

back to top

18. What size is the water main in a certain area?
To find out the size of the water main in a certain area, call 772-0253 or e-mail us at Click Here.

back to top

19. When will my easement be repaired?
Easement repairs are made in the order of occurrence. Depending on weather, most easement repairs are completed in 2-3 weeks. You may call us at 772-0253 or e-mail us at Click Here.

back to top

20. How can I find out what is in my water?
Parameters and levels are found in the annual water quality report that is mailed to each customer and is also on this website. You may also call 256-461-0845 ext. 115 or email us at Click Here .

back to top

21. How can I prevent calcium deposits?
Lower the temperature setting on the water heater, drain and flush the water heater annually.

back to top

22. How can I remove air or discolored water from my lines?
Flush the highest location or farthest point to remove air and flush the lowest point or farthest location to remove discolored water.

back to top

23. What to do if my water has a bad taste or odor?
Flush any point available near area of problem. Flushing time may vary from 1 minute to several minutes to completely exchange the water in the plumbing. If the problem persists, contact the Water Board office at 772-0253 or e-mail us at lwalters@madisonwaterboard.org

back to top

FAQs:

Events & Announcements

Kids' Corner!
Oxy, Hydro, & Gen teach you all about water and water treatment!

Report a Leak
If you have a leak or any other problem that needs our attention, please contact us.

Pay Online