Frequently Asked Questions

• The waste from toilets, washing machines, sinks, and other drains flows from homes, businesses, parks, etc. to one of two treatment facilities.
• A sewer collection system is a network of pipes, pumps, and other equipment that is designed to collect and transport wastewater and sewage from homes, businesses, and other sources to a treatment plant for processing.
• The sewer collection system consists of underground pipes that are typically made of materials like concrete, PVC, or clay. These pipes are connected to each other and to homes and buildings through lateral sewer service lines. The wastewater flows by gravity or is pumped through the pipes to a treatment facility.
• The sewer collection system plays a critical role in public health and sanitation by safely and effectively removing human waste and other pollutants from the community. Proper operation and maintenance of the sewer collection system are essential to ensure that the wastewater is transported and treated correctly, and to prevent backups, overflows, and other issues that can lead to health and environmental problems.
• Overall, the goal of a sewer collection system is to safely and efficiently transport and treat wastewater to protect public health and the environment, and to make the most of our valuable water resources.

Wastewater that is generated south of W 92nd Avenue flows southeast to Metro Water Recovery. Wastewater that originates north of W 92nd Avenue goes to the City's Big Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility. This wastewater can be treated again during the summer months for irrigation water and is part of the reclaimed water system.

In order to provide you with access to the city's sewer system for the disposal of your wastewater, a developer/contractor/or the City may extend the buried utilities to the property line. One reason to extend buried utilities to the edge of the road's right-of-way is to avoid having to dig up the road and disturb the pavement once it has been constructed. By installing the utilities before the road is paved, the City or a contractor can avoid costly and disruptive construction work later on.

Even though the City installed the sewer service line to the edge of your property, you are still responsible for maintaining and repairing the portion of the line that runs from your property to where it connects with the City's sewer system, which is usually further out in the road's right-of-way. This is because, as the property owner, you are responsible for the proper functioning of your sewer service line and for ensuring that it does not cause any damage or disruptions to the City's sewer system or to other properties.

At this time, the City does not offer financial assistance to repair private sewer services.

The City's wastewater team conducts regular cleaning and inspections of our sanitary sewer system. Crews run a closed-circuit camera through City pipes, looking for any problem areas. If the wastewater worker sees excessive roots at your service tap, they will give you a letter advising you to get your sewer service cleaned. After you do that, you will need to call us back because many plumbers just push the roots into the City's piping. We would need to send out a crew to re-clean the pipe to make sure the debris doesn't hinder any other customers.