FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, April 23, 2020
COVID-19 UPDATE: ReWa continues to support local, state and national efforts to flatten the curve of virus
Offices remain closed to the public, but full services and support remain available to customers
GREENVILLE—Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) is continuing to monitor and support all local, state and national efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Although our offices remain closed to the public until further notice, our entire staff has been mobilized to ensure safe and consistent operations, from the continuous management of our collections, maintenance and treatment efforts, to customer support.
This developing situation calls for immediate and careful action. Here’s what our customers need to know:
- Our facilities and offices are closed to the public.
- There is no evidence that COVID-19 survives the disinfection process for drinking water and wastewater, according to the CDC.
- We can always be reached at (864) 299-4000 during normal business hours, or, after-hours, at (864) 299-4004. We will also post updates to our website at rewaonline.org.
- All tours of ReWa facilities have been postponed.
- ReWa will not disconnect any customer’s service for non-payment, in order to give customers experiencing financial hardship extra time to make payments. Customers should pay what they can to avoid building up a large balance that will be harder to pay off later.
- ReWa will continue to respond to sewer-related emergencies. During normal business hours, please call (864) 299-4000. For after-hours questions or concerns, please call our 24-hour hotline at (864) 299-4004.
- Customer service is continuing to issue sewer permits. Sewer permits can be paid via credit card or check in the mail.
- All development projects currently under construction are still being worked on and will continue following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s safety guidelines, including social distancing.
- Through a carefully planned process, ReWa has directed employees who are not involved with critical functions and wastewater operations to work from home, where possible.
- If ReWa staff needs to interact with customers in-person in response to potential sewer-service emergencies, they will follow the CDC’s safety guidelines, including social distancing.
- Services and meetings that are not urgent or time-sensitive but require in-person customer contact by ReWa employees, will be rescheduled. ReWa will contact customers to reschedule those appointments.
- Be aware of scammers, who continue to target customers by threatening disconnection of service and asking for immediate payment over the phone. ReWa will never ask for personal information over the phone or demand payment using money orders or gift cards.
- Visit rewaonline.org for complete customer information related to wastewater services, including answers to frequently asked questions. We will post customer-related updates to our homepage. You may also visit our social media platforms to get quick updates on Facebook and Twitter.
As the situation evolves, we also encourage our customers to also visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information on the virus.
ABOUT RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES (ReWa):
Since 1925, Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) has been committed to providing high-quality wastewater treatment services to the Upstate of South Carolina while promoting a cleaner environment, protecting the public health and water quality of the Upstate waterways and developing the necessary sewer infrastructure to sustain our community and growing economy.
With nine water resource recovery facilities and nearly 400 miles of pipe, we serve a broad geographic area, including Greenville County and portions of Anderson, Laurens, Pickens, and Spartanburg Counties up to the North Carolina border. Each day an estimated 42 million gallons of water passes through our trunk lines and reclamation facilities before being cleaned and returned to our area rivers and streams. To learn more about ReWa, visit www.rewaonline.org.