Northeast Tacoma, Browns Point and Dash Point

The Tacoma city line decides your sewer and permit office here: Tacoma inside it, Pierce County for unincorporated Browns Point and Dash Point, where we could not confirm the water supplier from an official source.

Sheet revised November 4, 2026

Is my address in Tacoma or in the county?

Check your sewer bill or the county's parcel map, because every office below depends on it. Browns Point and Dash Point both appear on Pierce County's list of unincorporated sewer areas, but a parcel near the edge needs looking up rather than guessing.

Water: a proposal on Marine View Drive

Not every property in Northeast Tacoma has Tacoma Water service yet. Tacoma Water and the city have prepared a proposal, at owners' request, to extend a 12-inch main along Marine View Drive from 4170 Marine View Drive to Heron Ridge Drive NE, funded through a Local Improvement District. A connection would not be compulsory, but if the district passes, all properties pay the assessment. On November 4, 2026 it was still a proposal.

Tacoma Water's service-area map labels neighboring purveyors, including Lakehaven Water & Sewer District, though its text does not settle individual addresses. Inside Tacoma, the pipe up to and including the meter is TPU's; everything on the property side is yours. Elsewhere, use the supplier lookup and ask your supplier where its responsibility stops.

Two side sewer rules, either side of the line

Each side of the line has its own wording, and neither carries over. In Tacoma, the line from the house to the city main is the owner's to maintain. The city looks after the main, with its tees, wyes and risers. Right-of-way repairs need a bonded contractor licensed for Tacoma.

In the county, the FAQ says that if you own the home you own the side sewer, with maintenance from the building to the public main on the owner, and the county maintains the main including the tees. Only a contractor on the county's sewer registry may do building sewer work there. Side sewers compared has more detail.

Slopes and the shoreline

If your lot is steep or on the water, the city or county answers those questions, depending on your side of the line. Start with bluffs and shorelines, and see Federal Way's sheet for the neighboring King County rules.

On a slope or in a trench, leave the digging to a contractor who holds the registration or license your side of the line demands. Call 811 first, whoever digs.