Sewer Connection Program

About the Sewer Connection Program

Aging or malfunctioning septic systems require costly repairs and pose health risks to you and the environment. 

This year, the Pierce County Sewer Connection Program has about $642,000 available to assist property owners within our sewer service area to connect to the public sewer system.

Contact

Carla Vincent
Planner 3
(253) 798-2467
[email protected]

Application Information


Eligibility

Eligible applicants include individuals, homeowner associations, cities, utilities, non-profits, towns, and private and public developers. Project must be located within Pierce County’s Sewer Service Area (how to use the Service Area map).

The Sewer Connection Program can be used for:

  • Development and construction costs associated with providing sewers to areas with failing septic systems. 
  • Extending and improving sewer pipelines for economic development, with priority given to those projects where the applicant can provide matching contributions.
  • Improving a water body listed by the Department of Ecology as impaired by fecal coliform bacteria under federal Clean Water Act Section 303(d). 

Timeline

The 3-month application period opens on Monday, April 3, 2023. Applications must be submitted online by 4 p.m. on Friday, June 30, 2023. 

All applications will be reviewed and scored by Pierce County Sewer staff, based on the project size, economic development impacts, and health and safety improvements. The recipients will be selected and approved by the Pierce County Council in the summer/fall of this year.

Approval letters will be mailed in December 2023, and funds will be distributed starting January 2024.

Application Process

This is a competitive application process, and funding is not guaranteed to all applicants. 

For public sewer extension projects, please use the Commercial application and indicate the expected land use(s) in the newly serviced area.

Individuals or their agents can apply for assistance to connect a primary single-family residence to the sewer system due to a failing on-site septic system or by order of Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Applications for vacation homes, rental units, or secondary or accessory dwelling units will not be accepted.

Ties of overall total points in the evaluation of the project are broken by considering health and safety benefits. If the tie remains unbroken, readiness to proceed will be considered. 

Sewer Connection Program Application

Online Application

The online application is available below or can be opened in a new window. 

Applications must be submitted online by 4 p.m. on Friday, June 30, 2023.  

Note: You cannot save and return to a partially completed electronic application. We recommend you review the PDF version then complete the electronic application. 

PDF Application

You may also download and print the PDF application. Once completed, please mail the paper application by June 30, 2023, to: 

Pierce County PPW Sewer Division
Attn: C. Vincent
9850 64th St. W
University Place, WA
98467-1078

Single-Family Residential Application

 Commercial | Industrial | Multi-Family | Mixed Use Application

Background

The Pierce County Council established a Failed Septic System Connection Fund in 2007 using 14% of the rate increase proposed by the Sewer Utility that year. The fund was created to assist with  sewer connections in areas within the service area with failing septic systems.

In 2010, the Council expanded the use of the funds with Ordinances 2010-56s and 2010-77s to also support economic development and to protect waters impacted by bacteria from on-site septic systems.

To meet these directives, the Sewer Division started the Sewer Connection Program.

The Pierce County Sewer Service Area is a 117-square-mile basin serving the urbanized incorporated and unincorporated areas of Pierce County. Currently the Planning and Public Works Sewer Division provides wastewater collection to 40% of this service area.

How to Use the Service Area Map

Follow the steps below to find out if you are within the Pierce County Sewer Service Area:

  1. Open the Service Area map on the Pierce County Public Geographic Information System.
  2. Type in your address in the box in the upper right-hand corner and hit enter to zoom in to your parcel.
  3. Use the legend or click on your parcel then through the results.
  4. Use the white left or right arrows in the results box to find out if you are within the Pierce County Sewer Service Area.service-area-map-gfx