How to Pay Your Lafayette County Solid Waste Bill

If you live in Lafayette County, Mississippi, you receive weekly garbage collection services from the county’s Solid Waste Department. This service is paid for through a monthly solid waste fee billed to each residential and commercial property. Paying your solid waste bill on time is important to keep your account in good standing. This guide will explain how the Lafayette County garbage bill works and how to pay it.

Overview of the Solid Waste Fee

Lafayette County contracts with a third party billing company, Three Rivers Planning and Development District, to handle solid waste billing services. Each property is charged a monthly fee that appears on your utility or tax bill.

The monthly rate is set by the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors. As of 2023, the rate is $12 per month for residential properties. Commercial property rates start at $12 and go up based on the property’s size and usage.

This monthly garbage fee pays for your weekly curbside trash pickup service along with operation of the Lafayette County Landfill for disposal. It covers the costs of equipment, employees, fuel and other expenses to provide this service across the county.

When Solid Waste Bills Are Mailed

The solid waste fee will show up as a line item charge on your regular utility or tax bill each month.

• If you pay your bill through the City of Oxford, it will be included on your monthly Oxford Utilities statement.

• If you have a well and septic tank, it will appear on your annual property tax bill from the Lafayette County Tax Assessor’s Office.

Check your regular bill each month for the solid waste fee charge and pay it along with your other utilities or property tax payment.

How to Pay Your Lafayette County Solid Waste Bill

You have several options to pay your monthly garbage bill. Choose the most convenient method for you:

• Pay online through the Three Rivers customer payment portal at http://trpdd.com/billing. You will need your account number.

• Pay by phone – Call the Three Rivers Solid Waste Billing Division at 662-489-2415 to pay with a debit/credit card over the phone.

• Pay by mail – Detach the solid waste portion from your bill and mail a check or money order to Three Rivers Planning and Development District, PO Box 690, Pontotoc, MS 38863. Write your account number on the check.

• Pay in person – Take your payment to the Three Rivers office located at 75 South Main Street, Pontotoc, MS.

• Auto bill pay – Set up recurring monthly payments through your bank’s online bill pay system. Your bank will mail a check on your behalf each month.

Always pay your solid waste fee by the due date to avoid late fees or penalties. Make sure your account number is on the payment so it gets applied correctly.

What to Do if You Have Past Due Balance

If you fall behind on paying your solid waste bill, it’s important to get your account up to date. Here are some tips:

• Call Three Rivers at 662-489-2415 to set up a payment plan for your past due balance. They can break it into smaller, more manageable payments over several months.

• If you’re facing financial hardship, ask about options for reducing your monthly fee temporarily until you can get back on your feet.

• Make a deal with yourself to cut back spending in other areas of your budget so you can allocate more money to catch up on garbage bills.

• Don’t ignore past due notices or your balance will be sent to collections. This damages your credit and can lead to further fees.

• Keep the lines of communication open with Three Rivers on your situation and efforts to get paid up.

Having garbage service disconnected due to non-payment causes much bigger headaches, so do everything you can to keep your solid waste account current.

What Happens If You Don’t Pay

The Three Rivers Solid Waste Billing Division will pursue collection of unpaid solid waste fees through the following steps:

• 30 days past due – Reminder notice sent asking for payment

• 60 days past due – Phone call made to try to collect payment

• 90 days past due – Disconnection warning notice sent giving 10 days to pay before suspension of service

• 100 days past due – Garbage collection service suspended until balance is paid in full, including late fees

• 120 days past due – Account sent to a professional debt collection agency

• 180 days past due – Lien placed on the property for the past due solid waste fees

As you can see, the consequences escalate quickly when solid waste bills are ignored. It will cost you more in the long run if your account goes to collections or gets a lien. Avoid getting into this situation by paying on time every month.

Changes to Your Solid Waste Service

If you need to make any changes to your solid waste service with Lafayette County, contact Three Rivers directly:

• Closing your account (moving out of county)
• Adjusting your monthly rate
• Changing billing name or address
• Requesting additional carts

Reaching out to Three Rivers, instead of the county office, ensures the change is made in their billing system. This prevents errors or confusion on future bills.

Tips for New Residents

If you just moved to a new home in Lafayette County, here are some solid waste billing tips:

• Contact Three Rivers immediately to open a new account in your name. Provide your move-in date.

• Expect your first bill to arrive within 2 months as it takes some time to get into the billing cycle.

• Find out your weekly garbage pickup day for setting carts out.

• Request a garbage cart if the previous owner took theirs. There is no charge for your first cart.

• Sign up for paperless billing to get solid waste bills emailed instead of mailed.

Taking these steps right away will setup smooth garbage collection services at your new address.

Solid Waste Billing Contact Info

For any questions about your Lafayette County solid waste bill, contact the billing department:

Three Rivers Planning and Development District
PO Box 690
Pontotoc, MS 38863

Phone: 662-489-2415
Email: [email protected]

Their team can answer billing questions, take payments, and update your account information. Reach out right away if you see any errors on your monthly statement so they can be fixed promptly. Staying on top of your garbage bill helps avoid major headaches down the road.