Frequently Asked Questions

Wastewater is a combination of used water that comes out of homes, schools, businesses, restaurants, car washes and industries.

During business hours call: 863-534-0146 

After hours Call: 863-534-0159  or  863-534-5034

• Oil and grease are very detrimental to the sewer system and can clog up the pipes and cause plugged lines.
• Never put any harmful chemicals down the drain.
• The only thing flushed down the toilet should be tissues, never paper towels.
• All substances put down the drain should be biodegradable.

First verify that the issue is on the entire house and not just one sink. If so, call 863-534-0122 to report your issue. Please provide your address and a return phone number. We will check our sewer main and jet-rod it if necessary. If the problem turns out to be the property owners, you will need to call a plumber.

Run fresh water in all sinks to fill traps inside the house. If this does not cure the problem, check the toilet, and make sure it’s firmly attached to the floor, the wax seal around the toilet may be compromised. If this does not work call 863-534-0122 and we will send someone out to assist you with the problem. It may be a situation where you will need to call a plumber immediately.

If the sewer line (service lateral) is broken, then notify the Public Works Department, 863-534-0122. The City is responsible for the structural integrity of the sewer main and sewer main blockages.

Stay away from the water and call 863-534-0122 immediately to report the problem. Please have the address including cross streets or an approximate location within the street.

Call 863-534-0122 to report your issue. The City of Bartow Public Works Department may currently be working on another issue and jet-rodding the sewer lines near your property.

The manhole in your backyard is an access point for the sanitary sewer and in most cases cannot be moved. The most likely reason that it’s in your back yard is the terrain.

A lift station is basically a pump that moves sewerage through the system. Sewerage is gravity fed into a main line, and those lines will be pumped at the lift station from that location to another location, and then downstream to the treatment plant.

The City of Bartow operates the Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 2505 East Wabash Street Bartow, Florida 33830.

There are many reasons to treat the wastewater before discharging back to the environment. Untreated wastewater can consume oxygen that is available for plants and animals and cause them to suffer and may even kill them which would be damaging to marine life and aquatic habitats. Untreated wastewater can affect swimming, sport fishing, boating, picnicking etc., by imparting undesirable color and unpleasant odor to the receiving water. Untreated wastewater can cause disease causing microorganisms to enter receiving water that we may use for drinking and recreation.

The type of wastewater treatment used in Bartow is called the “Sequencing Batch Reactors” Activated Sludge Process. This is a biological process in which naturally occurring living microorganisms (bacteria, protozoa, tiny plants, and animals) are maintained at a very high population level. They quickly consume the dissolved and suspended organic material carried over from the primary treatment of the incoming wastewater as a source of food. This process promotes the formation of biological masses that clump together by adhesion.

The final effluent is monitored daily. In-house laboratory staff performs sampling and analysis for process control and FDEP compliance.