Stacks of plastic trash cans sit in a field near Wrightsboro Road as Augusta gears up for the newly extended garbage service routes. CHRIS THELEN/STAFF

Garbage trucks - on order from Atlanta by city haulers - motor into Augusta each day in preparation to serve an additional 23,000 city garbage customers.

''As far as we're concerned, we are getting ready for Augusta,'' said Kester Uzochukwu, the president of CSRA Waste, the sanitation company that picked up 70 percent of the extended trash service. ''Everything is in order so far.''

While haulers such as CSRA Waste are working furiously in the field toward an Aug. 3 starting date for extended garbage service to parts of south and west Augusta, telephone calls are streaming into the offices of city employees and local sanitation companies.

''It's a nightmare for everyone,'' said Jeff Washington, general manager for BFI Waste.

The city's Augusta Cares hot line estimates having received more than 1,000 queries this week.

With the help of Augusta Cares, the Department of Public Works, private haulers and the city attorney's office, The Augusta Chronicle found answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about city garbage collection.

Common questions

The most frequently asked questions about the new garbage service include:

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Q: How can I find out whether I'm going to be part of the city's extended trash service?

A: Anyone slated to start receiving city garbage service will be notified in his next water bill. You can also visit the county's Web site at augusta.co.richmond.ga.us and The Augusta Chronicle online at www.augustachronicle.com to see maps of the areas included for city trash service. Also, you can find out whether you'll be affected by calling the Department of Public Works at 796-5040 or the Augusta Cares hot line at 821-2300.

Q: Can I pay monthly?

A: No. The $195 fee for trash pickup will be levied annually on your property tax bill.

Q: Do I have to pay for a full year of service this year?

A: No. If you are slated to start receiving city garbage service beginning Aug. 3, you'll pay for a prorated cost of service, which at $16.25 a month works out to a charge of $81.25. If you're already receiving city garbage service, you'll pay the cost through your property taxes as usual.

Q: Why isn't my neighborhood included?

A: Your commissioner had to identify your neighborhood for inclusion in the garbage pickup area. If he believed there was not enough demand for trash service, you were likely left out.

Keep in mind, however, that you might receive city trash service in the near future. An additional 17,000 customers are slated to be added to city trash pickup beginning early next year.

Q: What if I am included but I don't want garbage service?

A: If you're in the garbage collection area, service is mandatory. The resolution adopted by the Augusta Commission does not allow customers to opt out, with the exception of commercial and multifamily residential complexes that currently use trash bins. Churches also are exempt.

Q: Why didn't we vote on whether or not we wanted garbage service? Isn't that illegal?

A: It's perfectly legal. The commission has the authority to set up service districts without having to put a referendum before voters. Garbage collection is considered a solid-waste collection service district.

Q: How many receptacles will I get?

A: One 95-gallon container for household waste and a recycling bin. Yard refuse must be placed in plastic bags on the curb to be collected, and there can be no more than 30 bags per pickup.

Q: When do I get my new cans?

A: On Tuesday, customers will start receiving their new garbage receptacles.

Q: What days will my pickup be?

A: Schedules for pickup will be written on a flier, which will be delivered with your trash can.

Q: Is there a senior citizens' discount?

A: No. Everyone will pay the same cost for the service: $195 annually.

Q: Is there anything the city's hauler won't pick up?

A: Yes. Hazardous materials, such as oil, chemicals, paint and batteries are not permitted for pickup.

Q: Who is my carrier?

A: Your carrier will depend on where you live, but everyone will receive the same service: two days of regular household waste pickup, one day of yard waste collection and one day of bulky waste collection.

Q: When will service start?

A: Trash service is set to begin Aug. 3. Customers not scheduled to receive Friday pickup will see service start on the first regular pickup day of the next week.

Q: What do I do with my old garbage can once I get the city's new one?

A: Private haulers will be responsible for collecting cans from canceled customers. This process is expected to take several weeks and might result in customers having multiple cans on their properties.

If you have multiple cans, make sure to use only your city receptacle after Aug. 3. Most private haulers will not collect trash when repossessing old cans.

Q: How do I cancel my old service? And what if I've already paid in advance for private trash service?

A: You'll need to contact your existing hauler. Please note, individual haulers likely will not be able to tell you with certainty whether you need to cancel service.

Here's a list of the major haulers in Richmond County and a phone number where they can be reached:

A-1 Sanitation Service: 793-0806

Augusta Disposal & Recycling: 860-2208

BFI/Southland Waste Systems: 860-7010

Berry Smith Sanitation Service: 724-2001

CSRA Waste Disposal: 860-3431

City Disposal Service: 868-5600

Delco Sanitation: 592-1058

Economy Sanitation: 798-8187

Lewis Disposal Service: (706) 547-9995

Mann Environmental Services: 736-6266

Metropolitan Waste: 798-2807

O&H Sanitation: 790-4526

Waste Management: 724-7200

City garbage defined

Household waste: Anything that gets thrown away in your home, with the exception of hazardous materials. Collected twice a week from a designated 95-gallon container.

Yard waste: Grass clippings, leaves and tree and shrubbery trimmings. Collected once a week from the curbside. Clippings should be contained in plastic bags, not to exceed 30 in number; limbs - not larger than four inches in diameter - should be stacked in piles not to exceed five feet.

Bulky waste: Furniture, appliances and tires. Collected once a week from the curbside.

Hazardous waste: Motor oil, chemicals, paint and batteries. Will not be collected.

Research by Staff Writer Heidi Coryell.

Reach Heidi Coryell at (706) 823-3215.