TriCo Regional Sewer Utility

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Where should I mail my payment?

Mailed payments should be sent to:

TriCo Regional Sewer Utility
P O Box 40638
Indianapolis, IN 46240-0638

Where do I make a payment in person?

We are located at 7236 Mayflower Park Drive, Zionsville, IN 46077.

We also have a payment drop box outside the front of our building that is available for check or money order payments at any time. Please do not place cash in the drop box.

What payment options are available for my sewer bill?

The bill payment options we have available include:

• Check or money order by mail or in our drop box which is found outside in front of our office
• Cash inside our office during normal business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday)
• Credit card payments are accepted over the phone, inside our office during normal business hours, or on our website https://ipn.paymentus.com/rotp/trsu . A convenience fee will be charged, currently $1.65, and will be displayed prior to processing the payment. Once the total amount is shown, you will have the option to cancel the transaction.
• Automatic deductions from your checking or saving account
• Online through your bank's online bill pay option, if available

Can my bill be paid online?

Sewer bills can be paid online with a third-party provider. A small convenience fee is charged for the payment and will be shown prior to processing the payment. Once the total amount is shown, you will have the choice to cancel the transaction. Online payments are limited to a maximum of $300. Your sewer bill may also be paid online through your bank's online bill pay system.

Can the Utility make automatic deductions from my checking account?

You can sign up for Auto Debit to have your bill automatically withdrawn from your bank account at no cost. Please contact us to request a secure auto-debit form via the customer portal, phone, or by sending email to customerservice@trico.eco.. Drafting may begin with the current bill or if the bank file has been transmitted, it will begin the following bill cycle. Please include an email address and we will send confirmation with the date of the first draft. You will continue to receive your statement every month, either by mail or e-mail and it will show that the amount due will be deducted from your account on the 20th.

PLEASE NOTE: If you need to cancel your auto debit, please contact our office as soon as possible. If the bank file has been transmitted, it may be the following bill cycle for the cancellation to take effect.

Along with auto-debit, you may wish to enroll in the e-bill option. You can simply check the box on the form marked "both". With this option, you will no longer receive a mailed paper bill but rather will receive your monthly statements by e-mail. 

BILLING AND RATES

When is my bill due?

Your sewer bill is due on the 20th of the month. After the 20th, a late fee will be added of 10% of the current balance only. The billing is for the prior month as we bill in arrears and is based on a 30-day billing.

How is my bill calculated?

All residential customers with private wells as their water source pay a flat rate of $36.33. It will increase to $37.03 on July 1, 2025. Residential customers with water services pay a base charge of $14.28 and a use charge of $3.15 per 1,000 gallons based on their annual balanced consumption usage. This rate will be $3.25 per 1,000 gallons on July 1, 2025. The increases will be reflected in the bills due August 20^th.

Commercial customers with private wells as their water source pay a flat rate based on the property use. Commercial customers with water service provided by Citizens Water or Carmel Utilities pay a base charge applicable to the size of the meter(s) at the service location and a use charge of $3.15 per 1,000 gallons of water consumed, increasing to $3.25 per 1,000 gallons on July 1, 2025. Please refer to the current Sewer User Rate Ordinance for a complete list of charges.

What is residential balanced billing?

Residential balanced billing is a consistent monthly sewer bill based on a residential customer's average water usage in the winter months. Winter water usage is used to calculate the monthly average since these are typically the low usage months with no irrigation. A customer's average usage is determined in August and used for sewer billing for the next 12 months. Residential balanced billing provides a consistent monthly bill amount.

What are the advantages of residential balanced billing?

• Residential balanced billing will provide a consistent bill amount over 12 months.
• Each customer receives a balanced bill based on their winter metered water usage.
• Balanced billing eliminates the monthly fluctuation that often occurs from using estimated water meter readings.
• Summer lawn watering and other outdoor usage are excluded without the necessity of an irrigation meter since the balanced bill consumption is based only on winter meter readings.

What happens to my balanced bill when my consumption goes up or down?

The balanced rate consumption amount for each account is set in August and is used for the next 12 months. Any change in consumption amount affects only future bills. There are no extra charges or credits at the end of the 12-month period.

I am on city water. When will you read the meter?

TriCo does not read water meters since these are provided by the water utilities. TriCo receives your meter reading from the water utilities. If you have questions regarding your meter readings, you should contact your water provider, either Citizens Water at 317-631-1431 or Carmel Utilities at 317-571-2442.

The water company has billed me for 8 units of water. How does the Utility calculate a billing of 6 units?

Cubic foot meters bill in 100 cubic units or 750-gallon units. TriCo bills in 1,000-gallon units rounded to the nearest tenth. From the example above you would need to do the following:

8 X 750 gallons (CF unit) = 6000

6000 / 1000 gallons (TriCo unit) = 6.0

Does the Utility offer E-billed statements?

TriCo does provide E-billed statements. To receive your bills by e-mail, you can click here to request E-billed statements directly from our website. Or you can make the request along with the Auto Debit option by checking the box marked `Both' at the top of the Auto Debit form. Once set up, you will no longer receive a paper statement. You will receive an e-mail from TriCo-NoReply@APSEmailDirect.com. You may want to add this e-mail address to your contacts to prevent the notification from going into your spam folder. The bill will come as a PDF format so you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.

My water utility has given me an adjustment on my bill. Will my sewer bill also be adjusted?

TriCo may make an adjustment if the water utility adjustment affects the sewer bill. For a residential customer with balanced billing, if the adjustment affects some or all of the months that are used to calculate the average winter consumption, then the average and the affected bills may be adjusted. For a commercial customer, the bill may be adjusted in accordance with the water utility adjustment. Please advise our Customer Service department if you have received an adjustment from your water company.

Can I view my bill or account information online? You do have the option to view your statement through the Customer Service Web Portal of our website. The first time you visit the site, you will need to set up an account. Once set up, you will have access to your current bill and bill history. Your bill statements will be available on or after the 5th of the month.

SERVICE ISSUES

What should I do if none of my toilets flush and my internal building drains are stopped up?

Check your exterior cleanout. Cleanouts are normally installed on your service lateral within three (3) feet of your foundation. It should have a white threaded cap on it and is probably close to level with the surrounding grade. Cleanouts often have landscaping around them, so check your foundation planting beds. With water running in your home or business, take off the cap and use a flashlight to see if any wastewater is flowing past the cleanout. If it is not flowing, it's likely a problem with your house plumbing that a plumbing contractor will need to fix.

If there is no obvious flow or the cleanout is full of standing water, it may mean a problem with your service lateral between your cleanout and the tie-in point with our main. Or it could be caused by a blockage or failure in the main sewer line. In either case, our staff will want to investigate to determine a possible cause. Contact our office during normal business hours (8 to 4:30 Monday through Friday) at 317-844-9200. After business hours, contact our Emergency Service at 870-9136 and describe the problem. Our staff will respond by phone or onsite.

Once the problem has been identified, responsibility for any repairs can be determined. TriCo is responsible only for the main line. If the problem is in this area, TriCo will make sure it's resolved in a timely manner. If the problem is found to be in the service lateral or in the internal plumbing, it would be the homeowner's responsibility.

Why is there a heavy sewer odor inside my property?

This is usually caused by the presence of a dry trap in a sink or floor drain that has not been used in a while. Pour water into the drain to fill the trap. This acts as a block between the normal organic odors in your sanitary plumbing and the living areas of your property.

Another potential cause is a blocked roof vent. Each bathroom should be vented beyond the roofline to allow the plumbing system to operate properly and dissipate normal sewer gases to the atmosphere. Birds may find your vents an attractive nesting site and that can be a prime cause of vent blockage. Keep those vents clear and you will eliminate one potential source of sewer odors. 

How do I report a sewer or manhole that is overflowing?

An overflowing sewer or manhole constitutes an emergency for TriCo so please call our office immediately at 317-844-9200. 

Try as we might, to prevent them, situations do arise that cause sewer blockages that result in overflows. Cooking grease, garbage disposal debris or other foreign objects can accumulate in sewer lines and create restrictions. Please be sure to keep children and pets away from a suspected sanitary sewer overflow as contact with untreated wastewater can be hazardous to your health. If there is contact with untreated wastewater, wash immediately and thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap.

What should I do if I have come in contact with wastewater?

Common symptoms of illness associated with contact with wastewater may include diarrhea or nausea. If you have been in contact with wastewater and feel that you need help, please contact appropriate medical and health care professionals.

How do I identify your employees when they come to my property?

You can expect to see someone in a TriCo vehicle and wearing clothing with our logo. If you have doubts that someone is a TriCo employee, please ask them for their picture identification as well. Report any problems to the Utility Director at the main office.

How do I know where the sewers are located when I need to excavate on my property?

"Call Before You Dig!" Indiana law requires two full working days (48 hours) notice to utilities before underground excavation can occur. Call Holey Moley (the Indiana Underground Plant Protection Service) at 1-800-382-5544 and give them the information on where and when you plan to dig. As a member of Holey Moley, TriCo will be notified for excavations in our service area and mark the locations of sewer mains in the public right of way. Laterals on private property will not be marked as they are the property owner's responsibility. If you would like a copy of the inspection report on file for your property, please call our main office at 317-844-9200.

START/STOP SERVICE OR ACCOUNT CHANGES

How can I make changes or ask questions regarding my account?

For any change to your account, you can call our office at 317-844-9200 to make your request. We are open Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Or you can use the back side of the payment stub to make changes to your account. You can also email us at customerservice@trico.eco.

Am I able to make changes to my account online?

No. Please email us for account changes at customerservice@trico.eco Or, select the link Submit Billing Questions or Provide Feedback Online. In the online portal, you will have access to your current bill, bill history and payment options. Your bill statements will be available on or after the 5th of the month.

Am I able to request new service or cancel my service online?

To request new service or to stop an existing service, you can request a Start or Stop Service Request and that request will be forwarded to the Utility staff to make the change. PLEASE NOTE: If the property is changing ownership, the Utility requires an Inflow and Infiltration (I & I) Inspection. If you are not sure whether the property has had the inspection, please call our office at 317-844-9200 or Submit Billing Questions Online to inquire if the inspection has been completed.

What is an Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) Inspection?

The implementation of an Inflow/Infiltration (I/I) reduction program provides for inspection of and certification of compliance for all properties connected to the Utility's sewer system. The program is a step towards a more efficient sewer system by reducing the amount of clear water that enters our system. This inspection will verify that:

• Downspouts are not connected to the sanitary sewer.
• The sump pump is not connected to the sanitary sewer.
• Cleanout caps are in place and watertight.
• No yard drains are connected to the sanitary sewer.
• There are no sinkholes or other indications that the sewer lateral is leaking.

If no deficiencies are found, the Utility will issue a certificate of compliance which will be good for five (5) years. If deficiencies are found, the property owner will be notified and must make corrections immediately. The property owner will need to schedule a follow-up inspection. Although there is no fee for the first inspection, there is a $100 re-inspection fee. The program also requires that at the time of the sale of a property that the property is in compliance with the Utility's I/I standards. If the property for sale does not already have a certificate of compliance on file with the Utility, the owner must notify the Utility and schedule an inspection. A sale of the property after five (5) years would require a new inspection and certification.

A sewer surcharge of $20 per month will be assessed and added to the sewer bill under the following circumstances:

• If a certificate of compliance is not issued within 30 days of the change of ownership.
• If an inspection is not scheduled within 30 days following a notice of scheduled neighborhood inspection.
• For a non-compliance issue or failure to make the necessary repairs of a failed inspection.

If you have any questions concerning this policy, please do not hesitate to call the office at 317-844-9200.

Am I able to sign up for E-billed statements online?

To enroll in the E-Billed statement option, you can submit an online request by clicking here for the E-Bill Enrollment Form.

Is it possible to submit billing questions online?

You can contact us online regarding a billing question by clicking here to Submit Billing Questions Online.

Am I able to request automatic deductions from my checking account online?

Yes. Please contact us at customerservice@trico.eco or by calling 317-844-9200 to request a ShareFile link to securely submit your Auto Debit account information. You can read more information about the Auto Debit Process on our website.

Am I able to make changes to my automatic deductions online?

No. If you are changing bank account information, we will need a completed Auto Debit Form with the new bank information via secure ShareFile link. Please contact us to make changes at customerservice@trico.eco or by calling 317-844-9200. We will send you confirmation once the Auto Debit has been updated on your account.

·         If you wish to cancel your automatic deductions, you can Submit Billing Questions Online to make that request. Or you can call our office at 317-844-9200 to cancel.

·         You can read more information about the Auto Debit Process on our website.

·         PLEASE NOTE: If you need to cancel your Auto Debit, you must contact our office to cancel by the 10^th of the month for the Auto Debit to be removed from your account for the next billing cycle.