A steady stream of people filed into Sea Coast Disposal this week to pay garbage bills ahead of Wednesday’s cutoff.

Last week, Sea Coast president Matt Brigance told the Selma City Council that about a third of the city’s households would have their garbage service stopped due to nonpayment.

Since then, the number of delinquent homes has decreased from 32 percent to 26 percent.

“It’s steadily dropping each day. The line was wrapped around the corner today [Tuesday], so people have been responding really well and trying to take care of their debt,” said Steven Hendrieth, the city of Selma’s waste accounts coordinator.

Starting Wednesday, customers who still owe will have their carts picked up. As of Tuesday, the company had collected more than $17,000 over the past three days but was still owed about $95,000 in fees.

Sea Coast services 4,872 customers in Selma. Of those, 844 senior citizens meet guidelines for payment exemption.

The company has started using an automatic telephone service to call people who are behind and created a Facebook page to give customers information about how to make payments. They also opened the office on Saturday.

“Everyone on that list is getting a call letting them know it’s time to pay your bill,” Hendrieth said.

Councilwoman Angela Benjamin asked about several residents who wrote on the Sea Coast’s Facebook page that they never received a bill. Sea Coast Manager Terry Hendricks said the company uses a standard billing service in the industry.

“Our billing system is one that is used throughout the private companies that are picking up trash. The billing system works,” Hendricks said.

According to Hendricks, bills for the next quarter are being printed and will be mailed out within the next week.

“If anyone for any reason does not receive a bill by the first of October, please contact our office, and we will check your account and find out why you did not receive a bill,” Hendricks said.

Hendricks said people could pay for 12 months, quarterly or monthly but that bills are only sent quarterly.

City Councilwoman Bennie Ruth Crenshaw said her neighbor didn’t receive a bill but still knew to call Sea Coast and correct the error.

“They knew they were supposed to pay it … you’ve got some people who know they owe the money,” Crenshaw said. “Just pay your garbage bill. Get a garbage can. There are no excuses.”

The Selma City Council passed an ordinance in 2002 that requires all residents to have garbage service. Code enforcement has cited about 20 residents for never signing up for service. Mayor George Evans said people who don’t have service would be brought to municipal court for the code violation.

“The ones that refuse to sign up will have to go to court,” Evans said.