Find answers to frequently asked questions below
Wayfinding
How do I get to the Operations Building?
See our campus map & wayfinding page for directions to the Operations Building. Please enter Gate 1 (off South Towne Drive) and follow the route marked on the map to access this building.
Visitors to the plant must check in at the Operations Building front desk.
How do I get to the Maintenance Facility?
Directions for navigating to Maintenance Facility may depend on the purpose for visiting the plant. View our wayfinding page for help accessing buildings on the Nine Springs Treatment Plant campus.
Note that most plant visitors should first navigate to the Operations Building for check in before proceeding to the Maintenance Facility. Visitors for Commission meetings or select appointments with staff at the Maintenance Facility may enter Gate 4, which is the westernmost gate off Moorland Road.
How do I get to Shipping & Receiving?
Shipping & Receiving is located in the Maintenance Facility. Deliveries should enter through Gate 4 and proceed through the plant to the Maintenance Facility. Drive to the back (north) side of the building and find the door marked “Shipping & Receiving” to check in and make your delivery. However, some deliveries may need to enter through other gates. View our wayfinding page for more information.
The hours for Shipping & Receiving are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
How do I get to Shop One?
Shop One is located near Gate 2. For events at Shop One, this gate will open to allow visitors to directly access this building. Refer to our wayfinding page for directions.
Sewer issues
I have a sewer backup in my basement. What should I do?
If you are experiencing a sewer backup, stop running water and report the backup immediately by contacting your municipality’s sewer operations division or designated sanitary sewer emergency contact. Find your local contact on our Owner Communities page.
Your municipality’s emergency maintenance crew will first check the public sewer main. If the public main is blocked, the crew will remove the obstruction to restore service. The crew will notify the property owner or resident when service has been restored.
If the public main is operating normally, indications are that your property’s private sewer is the cause of the sewer backup. The emergency crew will notify the property owner or resident.
Also, be aware of electrical and shock hazards. If there is standing water in your basement where you have electrical appliances, contact your local utility company before entering the area.
Visit our handling sewer backups page for more helpful information.
How do I report an overflowing manhole?
If a manhole is overflowing, you should not attempt to get close as the overflow is possibly untreated wastewater. Contact your local municipality to report the overflow. The agency will identify the proper owner and take appropriate actions.
Not all manholes in our service area are owned by the District; any manhole owned by the District has “Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District” stamped on the manhole cover.
How do I report a loose or missing manhole cover?
Loose or missing manhole covers should be reported to your local municipality immediately, which will determine what entity owns the manhole cover and will notify the correct agency.
Please call 911 if the cover is impeding traffic or creating a hazardous situation that could cause bodily harm or property damage.
How do I report sewer odors?
Contact the municipality that owns the manhole or pumping station the odor is coming from. The name of the responsible entity is typically stamped on the manhole cover or is shown on signage near the station.
To report sewer odors from a Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District manhole or pumping station, please contact us by completing this form or calling us during business hours at 608-222-1201. Once the report is received, we will send staff to investigate the issue and respond accordingly.
If you are concerned about a sewer odor within your home, please call a licensed plumber.
An item of value went down my drain. Can you retrieve it?
If an item of value, such as money, a wedding ring or other jewelry, was flushed or falls down into the sewer system, there is almost no chance we can retrieve it. Unfortunately, the likelihood of something surviving the journey through our collection and pumping systems and then being found at the treatment plant is extremely small.
For items that fall down the sink drain, you can check the drainpipe of your sink as there is a chance it may settle in the elbow of a pipe. For the toilet, the lateral is the best chance. Stop using water and call a plumber or drain cleaning company; they may be able to look in the lateral with a camera and possibly retrieve the item.
For developers and municipalities
Who can I speak to about sewer service connections or easements?
New connections to District-owned facilities may be permitted by staff. Please contact our engineering technician to coordinate.
The District maintains over 145 miles of sanitary sewers and force mains that are installed in rights-of-way and easements throughout the District’s service area. Use the link above to send questions about District easements to our engineering technician.
I need to see if a property has any unpaid connection charges. Who do I speak with?
Use our Paid Areas Viewer tool to check on connection charges status. Type the address or 12-digit parcel number in the search bar to navigate to the parcel. Blue shaded areas indicate that charges have been paid; red shading denotes unpaid charges.
How do I get approval for dumping discharge water from construction dewatering?
Contractors, consultants, municipalities and property owners needing to discharge water from construction dewatering to sanitary sewer should complete and submit a temporary discharge approval form. Due to the higher volume of requests during construction season, please plan ahead and submit the form at least two weeks prior to the start date of the discharge.
Questions on construction dewatering and unique wastes may be directed to our pretreatment coordinator.
Sewer bills and rates
Who do I speak to about sewer bills and rates?
Contact the municipality that issued the bill. Note that the District does not bill households directly. Instead, we bill the municipalities that we serve; they then use that information to determine local sewer billing. Most municipalities add charges for the costs of local wastewater and/or water service.
Municipal staff can contact the District about their specific community’s billing.
I have a question about my sewer bill or I need to stop my service. Who do I talk to?
Contact the municipality you live in for assistance. The District does not bill individuals for sewer or water use, nor do we handle starting or stopping service.
Human Resources
How do I contact your Human Resources department?
To contact HR, please submit your inquiry through our contact page.
How do I apply to work at the District?
Information about available jobs or the District’s hiring process can be found in our Careers section.
Please note that when you submit an employment application, you will receive an automated email confirmation. If you received this confirmation email, we have received your information and it is not necessary to follow up. If you do not receive the email, then you have not completed the application process.
Pretreatment, septage receiving and pollution prevention
Who do I contact about disposing of unique waste(s)?
Please contact our pretreatment coordinator regarding unique wastes.
Additional information and relevant forms can also be found on our Pretreatment Program & Permits page.
Can I dump household products down the drain?
Only water should go down a drain, and only water and the 3 Ps – pee, poo and toilet paper — should be flushed down the toilet. For resources and information, visit our Nonflushables page.
For information on properly disposing of household waste, visit Dane County Clean Sweep webpage. For information on responsible pharmaceutical options, visit the MedDrop Dane County webpage.
Do you allow RVs to dump at the plant, and how do I do this?
RV owners are welcome to use our septage receiving station between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. There is no charge for RVs to dump graywater and blackwater. Please call the operator at 608-225-8470 for assistance using the septage receiving area.
RV owners enter the plant through Gate 1 and follow the route on this map to get to septage receiving.
Miscellaneous questions
I need to have sewer pipes located on a property. How do I do that?
Contact Diggers Hotline. To file a request, visit the Diggers Hotline website or call 811 or (800) 242-8511.
How do I reach your Accounting department?
For accounting-related questions, please email acct@madsewer.org.
Does my well qualify for free testing by the District?
Each year during the summer months, the District tests a representative number of residential wells located adjacent to Metrogro application sites. Contact our biosolids specialist to see if your property is eligible. If you have received well testing in the past and have questions about your results, contact our lab manager.
I’m a volunteer dropping off a watershed monitoring sample. Where do I go and what should I do?
Bring samples to the Operations Building. In the vestibule just inside the lab/operator entrance to the building, there is a small refrigerator where samples should be placed. To alert lab staff that a sample has been dropped off, press the small white call button, which is just to the left of the fire alarm.
Samples are accepted Monday through Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where can I find information about District Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Bid (RFBs)?
All information for requests for bids (RFBs) and requests for proposals (RFPs) are available in our Contracting Center.
Who is on the Commission, and how do I contact them?
Learn more about our governing board on the Commission section of our website. To contact our Commissioners, please complete this form.
Where can I get more information about the District’s budget?
The District adopts a budget each year in October. The District’s draft Capital Improvements Plan is developed in the summer to identify capital spending needs before budget development. Budget discussions are part of public Commission meetings. See the Commission page for meeting schedules. Copies of draft and final budgets are available on the Budget & Finance page.
How do I make an open records request?
To make an open records request, please visit our Records Request page and complete the form. Per Wisconsin law, the District will fill or deny a request “as soon as practicable and without delay.”
