Sewer or septic: who takes your wastewater?

A sewer charge on your bill points to public sewer but does not prove a connection, so ask the sewer utility for your parcel and the local health department for any septic record.

Revised November 4, 2026

Why a bill alone can mislead

A charge shows you are billed, not that the house drains to a main. In Tacoma, the city says a property within 200 feet of a public sewer line could count as having service available, and you are likely already paying a monthly sewer charge even if not connected. That is Tacoma's rule, but it shows why a parcel check beats a guess.

Where the records are kept

The answer sits in two offices, the sewer utility and the health department. In Pierce County, the county's page says sewer mains appear on its public GIS map under Utilities and Sewer, and that septic as-builts and water well records are held by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. University Place lists 253-798-6470 for the department's septic line.

The state Department of Health says septic systems are underground treatment structures that you own and operate, and that your local health agency can help you locate one and provide a list of certified pumpers. In Kitsap County, go to Kitsap Public Health. In Federal Way, go to Public Health, Seattle & King County.

A record beats a hunt in the yard. If you must dig, read how the 811 call works first. Do not lift a tank lid to settle the question: that is our own advice, explained under caring for septic on the peninsulas.

What happens when sewer becomes available

Each jurisdiction words this differently, and Tacoma's are the plainest rules we found. If a parcel inside the city directly abuts a public sewer in a right-of-way or easement, Tacoma treats service as available, and you can connect once fees are paid and permits are obtained. If a septic system fails and sewer is available, you must connect. The Septic Amnesty Program cuts hook-up fees by 50%, up to $10,000, for two years after service becomes available.

Pierce County says new on-site septic systems are not allowed in urban areas where sewer is available. Lakewood's January 2020 FAQ for Tillicum and Woodbrook says modified properties or those with failed septic systems must connect immediately. Elsewhere, ask the sewer utility what applies.

Who treats the water after it leaves

Treatment often happens in another jurisdiction, so the plant name will not tell you who your utility is.

• Tacoma's Central plant serves Tacoma, Fife, Fircrest and parts of unincorporated Pierce County. Milton's flow also goes there, by that city's account.
• The county's Chambers Creek plant is in University Place and treats South Hill's flow.
• Lakehaven lists two plants, Redondo and Lakota.
• The South Kitsap Water Reclamation Facility in Annapolis is jointly owned by Port Orchard and West Sound.

The pipe between building and main is the subject of who answers for the side sewer, and sellers need the septic sale paperwork. The sheets for University Place and the Key Peninsula show how far the answer moves within one county.