Residential

RESIDENTIAL

West County Wastewater is dedicated to the community we serve and the customers we support. We provide 24-hour emergency response, maintain and clean public sewer mains, and offer assistance in locating meeting sale of property requirements, obtaining sewer permits and preventing sanitary sewer overflows.

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EMERGENCY RESPONSE

WCW’s on-call service crew is available to respond to sewer emergencies, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. WCW typically responds within one hour to customer calls and will inspect the public sewer main, free of charge. If a problem is found in the public main, WCW will correct it as soon as possible. If no problem is found in the public main, the property owner will be informed that the issue is most likely in the sewer lateral, which is the homeowner’s responsibility.

Call (510) 222-6700, option 1, to report an emergency.

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WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

SEWER CLEANING & MAINTENANCE

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WCW’s team of dedicated staff clean and maintain public sewer main lines on a daily basis. The frequency of cleaning sewers is determined by their cleaning history, with the goal of preventing sanitary sewer overflows.

Property owners are responsible for maintaining, cleaning, and repairing all internal plumbing and pipes, and the sewer lateral that connects the home to the public sewer system. In the event a backup occurs in your pipes, the sewer cleanout on your property may be used by a plumber to access your sewer line. A sewer cleanout is a covered pipe that provides easy entry to a home’s sewer line. Sometimes simply removing the cleanout cap can stop a backup into a home. All homeowners should know where their sewer cleanout is located, if they have one. Older buildings may not have a cleanout.

MORE INFORMATION ON SEWER OVERFLOWS

SALE OF PROPERTY

Residents who are selling or transferring a home within the WCW service area are required to obtain a Certificate of Compliance (sewer lateral compliance) prior to sale.

Cleaning, testing, inspection and repair (if needed) of the building’s sewer and sewer laterals are necessary in order to obtain the certificate. This ensures the lateral is not defective and that the property meets WCW codes and ordinances, such as:

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The sewer/sewer lateral is free of roots, grease, deposits and other solids that may impede or obstruct the transfer of sewage.
There are no illegal connections to the building sewer or sewage lateral (such as roof or yard drainage facilities)
The sewer/sewer lateral is free of structural defects, cracks, breaks or missing portions and that the grade is reasonable uniform without major sags or offsets
The building sewer or sewage lateral is equipped with at least one cleanout located within five feet of the building footprint and with a required backflow protection device.
No other defective conditions exist.

Property owners must notify WCW at least 24 hours in advance of testing. Testing must be conducted with video inspection. WCW will review the final video inspection for compliance. Property owners are responsible for all repairs or replacements deemed necessary by WCW after the inspection. A sewer permit is required for repairs or replacements outside of the building. When all conditions are met, WCW will issue a Certificate of Compliance to the property owner.

WHY IS A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE REQUIRED?

Left unrepaired, damaged sewer lateral lines can create local contamination issues, damage the environment and allow excess rain or groundwater to enter and potentially overwhelm the treatment system. WCW requires testing prior to the sale of property to minimize these harmful effects.

CLEANING, TESTING, INSPECTION ORDINANCE

BACKFLOW PREVENTION ORDINANCE

SEWER PERMIT

All sewer system and sewer lateral connections, installations, repairs, or replacements require a permit from WCW before work can begin. The process and fees to obtain a permit varies depending on the type of customer. To apply for a permit or learn more about the process, please click the link below.

Have a question? Email permits@wcwd.org or call (510) 222-6700.

MORE INFORMATION ON SEWER PERMITS