I have a strong sewer odor in my house. What should I do?
Turn on all water sources in your house or business and pour water in any floor drains to ensure that the traps are full of water. If this does not help the situation, call a plumbing company to check out your plumbing system immediately.
Where can I dump the holding tank for a recreational vehicle (RV)?
The Max Rhoads West Reclamation Facility at 1201 Ewing Road accepts RV sewage. There is no charge associated with this service.
How can I get my water turned on or report a water problem?
In Owensboro, call OMU at (270) 926-3200.
For your county water service, call:
- East Daviess County Water District at (270) 281-5187 or (270) 281-5709
- Southeast or West Daviess County Water District at (270) 685-5594.
What personal hygiene items should NOT be flushed down the toilet?
In order to best protect our environment and public health, RWRA requests that every citizen properly dispose of sanitary and personal hygiene items. These items include feminine hygiene products (i.e., sanitary napkins, tampons and applicators), condoms, cotton swabs, cotton balls, band-aids, facial wipes, disposable diapers, nursing pads, baby wipes, dental floss, paper towels, kleenex, etc. These items should be disposed of in trash cans. They do not belong in the sewers. They can cause blockages in the sewer lines, damage to pumps and other equipment and create pollution in our streams and rivers.
How can I dispose of paint, used oil, anti-freeze, etc.?
Do not put any of these in the sewers – they cause severe damage to the water reclamation processes and possibly cause EPA permit violations, which can cost the community unncessary expenses.
Paint is best disposed of by: 1) using it up, or 2) removing the lid from the container and allowing the paint to completely dry up (protect the open container from children and pets), and then disposing of it in the garbage. Used oil and anti-freeze should be recycled. Call your local automotive service center or auto parts store to see if they accept recycled materials.
How is wastewater treated?
For an interactive explanation of how wastewater is treated, click here.
When there is a rain event, wastewater backs up into my drains. What can I do to prevent this?
Situations like this tend to occur in the combined sewer system of communities. If this occurs, you may contact RWRA’s customer service for options to eliminate or significantly reduce the potential for such events. RWRA Customer Service (270) 687-8450.
What do I do if a storm sewer structure is damaged?
Storm sewers do not belong to RWRA. Please call the Engineering Department of the City of Owensboro (270) 687-8641 or Daviess County (270) 685-8456.
What do I do if the streets are flooding?
Storm sewers do not belong to RWRA. If you are experiencing flooding on a street resulting from a rain event, you need to call the Engineering Department of the City of Owensboro (270) 687-8641 or Daviess County (270) 685-8456.
Does RWRA give rebates for filling up swimming pools?
No.
Why?
Water from swimming pools comes in contact with the human body and is, therefore, considered contaminated and should be treated before re-entering the environment. Therefore, the Kentucky Division of Water, along with RWRA, agrees that rebates should not be given for water discharged into the environment and not into the sewer system. When the pool is drained at the end of the season, the spent water should be drained into the sanitary sewer for treatment.
What if I have a problem with my bill?
Send an e-mail detailing your problem to Billing@rwra.org or call (270) 687-8440.