water department

The water department office is located at City Hall, at 203 College Street. For your convenience there is a drive through window for water payments during business hours, a secure overnight drop box beside the drive through window, and we also offer the option of signing up for automatic bank draft.  Please note that we can only take payments for City of Florence Water, and that there is a processing fee for credit/debit card payments, whether they are made online or in person at our office.

Mail water payments/correspondence to:

City of Florence Public Works

PO Box 187

Florence, MS 39073

Phone: (601)845-5638 or (601)845-3542

Emergencies: call Aaron Maines at 601-919-5726

City of Florence garbage pickup is contracted through Rankin County and picked up by Waste Management.

Household waste guidelines:  Customers are asked to have all household waste placed in containers or bags no greater than 35 gallons in capacity.  Containers or bags should not weigh more than 50 lbs.  All waste must be out by 7 am and placed within 5 feet of the curb in front of the residential unit being serviced.  Containers larger than 35 gallons in capacity may be used if waste is placed in bags and tied. 

Yard waste guidelines:  Yard waste will also be collected by Waste Management and should be in bags, containers or bundled and placed at the curb on the 2nd service day.  Tree trimmings and branches must be cut to lengths of no longer than five (5) feet and be no greater than eight (8) inches in diameter and not weighing more than sixty (60) pounds.  Yard waste and tree trimmings must be placed directly on the curb in the same location as your household garbage.  Grass clippings, leaves and pine straw must be bagged or containerized.  Limbs cut by a tree service contractor will not be collected, the contractor is responsible for removal. 

The fees will be $25.00 per household or $20.00 if the account holder is 65 years of age and over or is 100% Disabled.  An application is available at City of Florence Public Works office if you quality for the rate reduction.  A copy of the letter from Social Security stating 100 % disability or a copy of driver’s license will be required for the application.

The City of Florence, working with Rankin County, is happy to be able to provide the two day collection service that has been requested for many years from a majority of the citizens of Florence. 

If you have any questions, please contact City of Florence Public Works at 601-845-3542.  

We would like to take a few moments of your time to update you on what is happening in your city.

The recent low temperatures we experienced caused a computer failure, which in turn caused spills to occur at two of our water wells. The repairs to the water wells will exceed $13,000.00.

The brown water some of you are experiencing has been an issue for over 31 years. Approximately 15 years ago the City conducted a non-binding referendum election which gave the citizens of Florence an opportunity to vote on whether or not citizens were willing to have an increase in the cost of service in order to begin a water clarification project. The referendum was voted down.

As a result of much research we found it will cost approximately $250,000.00 per well to install a filtration system. This does not include the routine maintenance for each well. 

The cost of your water/sewer service was increased under the last administration. A portion of the revenue derived from the increase will be used to install a filtration system on one well. Dependent on positive results from this project, we will propose to budget one (1) filtration system per year for the next three years, which will ultimately cover the entire City of Florence area. Keep in mind we should have five (5) water wells by the year 2021. 

The following projects are budgeted for the year 2018:

1. Water clarification Project  $250,000.00

2. Smoke Test Lines Project $25,000.00

3. Upgrade water meters $125,000.00

4. Eagle Post Water Project $522,000.00

5. Eagle Post Sewer Project $647,000.00

6. West Side Water Well Project $670,000.00

Revenue Bonds and utility collections may be used to fund the above referenced projects, which expenditures are regulated by State Law. These funds are prohibited from being used in any area other than water/sewer maintenance and infrastructure projects.

We are working diligently to make Florence a better place for all to live, work, and play. While we do not have the revenue to instantly solve all the problems of one of the fastest growing communities in Rankin County, we are moving forward at this time to ensure a bright and promising future for all.

If at any time you would like to leave a message for the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, please call (601)845-1749. Please speak clearly and leave your name and phone number, and we will return your call. If you would prefer it, please feel free to come by the Mayor’s office for a visit.