Services Provided
Sewer Service Crews
	The District has an on-call service crew who responds to sewer trouble any time, day or night. District staff usually responds within one hour to customer calls and will come out free of charge to inspect the public sewer main. If a problem is found in the public main, the District will correct it as soon as possible. If no problem is found in the public main, the property owner will be informed that the problem is probably in the sewer lateral, which is the homeowner's responsibility.
Locating Sewer Cleanouts
	The District staff will come out free of charge to help you locate your sewer cleanout. All homeowners should know where their sewer cleanout is located, if they have one. Many older buildings do not have a cleanout. Sometimes, simply removing the cleanout cap can stop a backup into a home.
Sewer Cleaning & Maintenance
	District staff clean and maintain the sewer main lines on a daily basis in a variety of ways. Power rodders remove roots and other obstructions using a machine that spins various cleaning tools through lines; highly pressurized water trucks clean grit and grease accumulation from sewer mains; and a high volume vacuum truck removes grit and debris from sewer lines. The frequency of cleaning these sewers is determined by their cleaning history with the goal of preventing sewage overflows. The homeowner is responsible for maintaining the sewer lateral.
Closed Circuit Television
	This is a video camera that is placed in sewer lines to evaluate their condition. District staff may inspect lines that range in size from 4" to 48". Closed circuit TV inspections help to determine preventive maintenance and cleaning schedules, repair needs, and acceptance of newly installed pipe. This information is also used for the District's sewer main capital improvement and replacement program.
Construction
	Construction crews are able to make sewer main line repairs in the streets and easements using heavy equipment and hand tools.
Pollution Prevention Program
	District staff educates commercial customers about how to prevent or reduce pollutants at the source through a combination of process controls and management practices to keep pollutants from entering the sewer system. For example, information is provided during the inspection of automotive facilities. Such inspections have reduced the amount of heavy metals (copper, mercury, lead and zinc) from vehicle service facilities by over 98 percent since 1995. Businesses that comply with other local, state and federal environmental regulations as well as pollution prevention requirements are eligible to become a member of the Contra Costa County's Green Business Program. A window sticker identifies such businesses.
Sampling and Inspection
	District staff collects discharge samples, monitors and inspects significant industrial discharges as well as commercial businesses to ensure that they are complying with federal, state and local regulations. Staff also monitors the characteristics of sewage from various geographic locations in the District, looking for changes as part of the Source Identification Program. Staff investigates the cause of significant increases in pollutant concentrations.