City of Olympia - File #: 16-1106

• File #: 16-1106
• Version: 1
• Type: recommendation
• Status: Filed
• File created: 9/27/2016
• In control: Utility Advisory Committee
• Agenda date: 10/6/2016
• Final action: 10/6/2016
• Title: Wastewater Topics (Side Sewer Ownership, Septic to Sewer, S.T.E.P. Permitting)

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
10/6/2016	1	Utility Advisory Committee	recommended for approval

Title
Wastewater Topics (Side Sewer Ownership, Septic to Sewer, S.T.E.P. Permitting)

Recommended Action
Move to recommend staff pursue a change in regulations regarding ownership of side sewers, septic to sewer program and S.T.E.P. system permitting and forward to Council for consideration.

Staff Contact:
Eric Christensen, Engineering and Planning Manager, Public Works Water Resources, 360.570.3741

Background and Analysis:
Side Sewer Ownership
The Olympia municipal Code (OMC) 13.08.040 states:
..... The property owner is responsible for all costs and expense incidental to the installation, connection and maintenance of a side sewer, including that portion within the city right-of-way or utility easement. The City shall not be liable for any damages or costs incurred by reason of blockage or deterioration of a side sewer, up to and including its connection with the public sewer main.

This has sometimes been problematic for the City because repairs often take many months or even years to complete due to disputes with property owners about responsibility. Problems with side sewers have involved sink holes, sewage releases, or deposits of soil material into the sewer. Expedient repair is occasionally important for public health and safety. Therefore, the utility is exploring other options for ownership.

In Olympia, the average side sewer is 40 years old with some as old as 100 years. Many side sewers exceed 8 feet in depth and most extend under public streets making maintenance and repairs difficult and expensive. This has led to disputes with property owners about what has caused a break in the side sewer, exactly where the break is located, and whether they are required to make the repair and pay for it. Extensive staff time has been spent ensuring property owners make needed repairs. The City pursues repairs of side sewers when there is evidence (a sinkhole or soil entering the sewer main from a side sewer) of a structural defect. More than once, the situa...