We're here to help 24/7! Before you call a plumber, call MetroConnects at 864.277.4442.

What’s up with my Water Bill?

October 6, 2022

Map of MetroConnects service area now includes Marietta, Berea, Parker, Gantt, Wade Hampton and Taylors.
In July 2022, MetroConnects (Metro) began serving more than 25,000 new customers and taking care of 500 more miles of sewer line. If you are new to Metro, you may be wondering who we are and why there have been some changes to your water bill.

Who We Are

Metro was established in 1969 by the South Carolina General Assembly to provide sewer collection services in unincorporated areas of Greenville County. Metro is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners who are recommended by Greenville County Council and appointed by South Carolina’s Governor for four-year terms. Our mission is to provide all of our customers around-the-clock, safe and reliable wastewater collection. In the coming months and years, you will see Metro crews hard at work performing proactive maintenance and rehabilitation of our sewer lines to protect public health and keep our community’s environment clean.

Monthly Billing

One major change that came with MetroConnects is a monthly charge on your water bill for our wastewater collection services. If you are a new Metro customer, If you are a renter, we suggest sharing this info on to your landlord so they might consider passing their cost savings on to you. then your wastewater collection services were previously provided by an entity in your local district. Charges for their services showed up on your property tax bills (home and vehicle). For example, if you live in the Taylors  Call Metro at 8642774442 if you would like help walking through your bill and comparing it to your property tax charges area, you were charged both a sewer tax and a sewer fee by Taylors Fire and Sewer District (a special purpose district) on your annual Consolidated Property Tax Bill. When you receive your tax bill later this month, you will notice that this tax and fee have been removed. Now, you are paying your sewer fee monthly on your water bill.

Keep in mind, each special purpose district works slightly differently and not every customer will see the same savings on their property tax bills. In some districts, sewer and fire taxes may have been combined as a single charge. Any reduction of that tax or millage will be at the discretion of your special purpose district. However, any sewer-only fees that may have been collected should be removed from your tax bill.

Why Three Charges?

In the past, when you opened your water bill, you likely would have seen charges from two entities: Your water service provider and Renewable Water Resources (ReWa). Your water service provider maintains your drinking water and the pipes that bring it to you. ReWa is responsible for cleaning the wastewater or “gray water” that is flushed down your toilet, or goes out through your drains from your shower, sink and washing machine, at their wastewater treatment facility or water resource recovery facility (WRRF).

MetroConnects charges include a base fee of $11.72 and a volume fee of $1.65 for every 1,000 gallons of water used. See www.metroconnects.org/customers/calculate-my-rate to estimate your monthly payment.Now that Metro handles your wastewater collection, you will also see the charge from us on your water bill (see “Monthly Billing” above). This pays for the maintenance, rehabilitation and operation of the pipes that carry gray water from your house to the wastewater treatment plant or WRRF. If you are interested in learning more about what service lines Metro maintains, see “Understanding Your Lateral: Why it Matters to You.” You can also find information on our Web site about customer programs that could help you save money on your water bill.

Investing in Your Future

Metro is invested in your future. We concentrate on preventative maintenance today, to save you expenses tomorrow. We actively seek federal and local grants to contribute to much-needed infrastructure improvement projects to help save you costs on the front end.

Currently, Metro is conducting major capital improvement projects in the historic Wade Hampton and Gantt Districts, making use of two $500,000 Rural Infrastructure Authority Grants we pursued and were awarded. The Greenville County Council awarded MetroConnects $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used to rehabilitate sewers in Mills Mill and Dunean Mill Villages, and we are pursuing $20 million more in South Carolina Infrastructure Improvement Program grants. Keep an eye on Metro’s blog for more on these projects and join our newsletter to stay up to date!

If you find that your water bill is an undue financial burden, remember, there are programs available to help. Financial assistance is available through Sunbelt Human Advancement Resources at (864) 269-0700 or through the Salvation Army Help to Community Program at (864) 235-4803.

Serving the Community, Serving You

Most importantly, Metro’s priority is serving you. One major benefit of having Metro as your wastewater collection service is that we will take care of any maintenance issues that occur on our end of the pipes. This can result in substantial savings. For example, if roads or sidewalks need to be torn up to reach a blocked pipe, we will fix the pipe and cover the street repairs. If you are having a sewer issue, be sure to call us first before you call a plumber so we can assess the situation.

We can be reached at (864) 277-4442. Emergency service is available 24/7. Join our newsletter to stay up to date on our latest projects and to learn more money saving tips and tricks!

Every Drop Counts

Keep some of these techniques in mind to conserve water and help lower your bill — a win-win for everyone!

  1. Check Your Pipes. Dripping faucets, running toilets and broken sprinkler heads can waste gallons of water per month, adding unnecessary costs to your water and wastewater bills.
  2. Go Low Flow. Installing low-flow shower heads can reduce water flow by up to 60 percent, potentially saving you a bundle!
  3. Turn it Off. Shutting off the faucet while brushing your teeth can save up to four gallons of water a minute.
  4. Keep it! Collect running water while you are waiting for it to warm up or cool down. You can use this to water plants or put it in the fridge to drink later.
  5. Make it Count. Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full. This can save thousands of gallons of water a year.

Visit Water: Use it Wisely for more than 100 cost-savings tips.