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SouthWest Water Company takes pride in delivering superior utility operations to the customers of the Riverview Water Resource Recovery Facility and Collection System (aka Riverview Utility). Located in north Shelby County/south Jefferson County, southeast of Birmingham, Alabama the system which was acquired by SouthWest Water in 2008, serves about 4,000 customer accounts.
Riverview Utility Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Customer Service
How Can I Reach Customer Service?
For inquiries regarding the WATER portion of your bill: Contact the Birmingham Water Works Board.
For inquiries regarding the SEWER portion of your bill:
| Email: | RiverviewCustomerService@swwc.com |
| Telephone: | 205-987-8352 or Toll Free 800-844-8350 |
| Fax: | 205-987-8337 |
| Mail: | 728 Volare Drive Birmingham, AL 35244 (View a map of our office location) |
If you choose to email us with your questions or request, please allow us 2 business days to research your issue and respond. However, if you have submitted a request for a Private Meter Adjustment please allow two bill cycles for the adjustment to appear on our Birmingham Water Works Board bill.
To help expedite our response, please include the following in your correspondence:
- Account Name as it appears on the BWWB bill
- Account Number appearing on the BWWB bill
- Service Address about which you are inquiring
- Detailed description of your request or issue
- Phone Number where you may be reached between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
What are SouthWest Water Company’s business hours?
| Hours of Operation: | Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed most nationally recognized holidays |
| After Hours Service Emergencies: | 205-987-8352 or Toll Free 800-844-8350 Our 24/7 answering service will take your information and contact a service technician. |
Visit Birmingham Water Works Board’s website regarding its hours of operation.
Billing and Payments
How Can I Pay My Bill?
Customers of the Riverview Utility are billed by SouthWest Water Company’s billing agent, Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB). Visit the Birmingham Water Works Board’s website for payment options.
When Is My Payment Due?
Your payment for sewer charges is due on the same day payment for your water charges is due.
To Whom Do I Make My Check Payable?
Please make your check payable to Birmingham Water Works Board.
Can I Set Up Recurring Or Automatic Payment? (ACH)
Please visit the Birmingham Water Works Board’s website for available payment options.
Rates
What is the Sewer Demand Fee?
Your monthly sewer charge is comprised of two components: a Sewer Demand Fee and a Consumption Fee.
The Demand Fee is based on the amount of treatment capacity that has been reserved for a particular home or business, rather than how much is used. A treatment plant has a finite capacity of wastewater that can be treated in a day. Your reservation of a certain amount of treatment capacity guarantees that the treatment facility can safely and effectively treat that amount of wastewater from your home or business. The treatment capacity is reserved for your home or business for whenever it is needed, whether or not it is actually used.
The Consumption Fee is based upon the amount of water measured by the property’s water meter.
Is this a public or privately owned utility?
This utility is privately owned by SWWC Utilities, Inc., a subsidiary of SouthWest Water Company.
Who Determines The Wastewater Treatment Rates And What Are They Based Upon?
The monthly wastewater treatment rate structure for the Riverview Utility was set by prior ownership. Rate adjustments are allowed only under strict requirements set by the asset purchase agreement of the Riverview Utility and are monitored by the North Shelby County Sewer Rate Review Board. Rate adjustment requests which are submitted for approval are for the purpose of recovering specific costs experienced by the utility. The rate structure ensures that the system can operate efficiently and that vital repairs and improvements can be made to the infrastructure in order to provide reliable service.
Since Your Company Owns More Than One Wastewater Treatment And Collection System In Shelby County, Why Are The Rates Not The Same For All Customers?
In general, sewer rates are based on the cost of building, managing, operating, and maintaining the collection and treatment system, and are subject to strict rate controls. Every wastewater collection and treatment system is built differently for various reasons including, but not limited to, the imposition of varying environmental regulations, and therefore each has different costs associated with it. However, each customer within a given collection system pays the same sewer rates as every other customer in the same system.
General Service
What Is A Grinder Pump System?
If your home has a grinder pump system, please refer to the Residential Grinder Pump System page for more information.
Wastewater Questions and Adjustments
What Billing Adjustments Are Allowed For Wastewater?
Adjustments are considered for billing/calculation errors, annual pool credit, water leaks not entering the sewer system, and annual or semi-annual private meter adjustment. A request for an adjustment to sewer charges must be submitted in writing along with any required documentation to Riverview Customer Service. Also, be sure to include:
- Account Name as it appears on the BWWB bill
- Account Number appearing on the BWWB bill
- Service Address about which you are inquiring
- Detailed description of your request or issue
- Phone Number where you may be reached between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Annual Pool Adjustment
A letter on company letterhead from your pool service company stating the service address, the number of gallons the pool holds, and the date filled must be provided to process a request for an annual pool credit. The adjustment will be reviewed and processed once the pool usage is reflected on your account. You may submit the request and required document via email.
Voluntary Private Meter Adjustment (Residential Customers Only)
Single family residential sewer customers of SouthWest Water Company’s (SWWC) Riverview sewer system receive an automatic 15% discount each month on the volumetric portion of their sewer bill. The volumetric portion is based on the volume of water purchased from the Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB). In lieu of receiving the automatic discount, a customer may submit a request for a Voluntary Private Meter Adjustment.
Upon validation of the existence of the installed private meter at the service address provided, SWWC will modify the customer’s account to remove the automatic discount and an adjustment/ credit will be applied based upon VALID private meter reading data provided by the customer. Private meter adjustments are allowed on an annual or semi-annual basis only. Submissions for a period greater than one year will be void, and any consideration for a credit will be limited to a calculation of 15% based upon the most recent 12 months of actual volumetric use as recorded by BWWB.
It is the customer’s sole responsibility to submit the form with a 12 month period to receive an adjustment.
Leak Adjustment
A copy of the invoice for the leak repair must be provided to process a request for a leak adjustment. The invoice must show the service address where the repair was performed, the repair date, and a brief description of the work performed. If the leak is on an irrigation system which has an existing private meter, no additional adjustment will be made.
Water Bill Questions/Adjustments
For questions regarding the water portion of your bill or meter reading, please contact the Birmingham Water Works Board.
