Important Information for Commercial Developers

The earlier that District staff can review and comment on your preliminary plans or a written description of your proposed project, the better able we are to expedite and simplify the final approval of your plans. There may be changes required that represent a significant expense to you.

Below are a few topics that deserve special emphasis:

Pretreatment of Waste

Most food and/or beverage service operations require pretreatment of their waste discharge to protect the sewage collection system from grease, which could cause blockages and spills. The appropriate sizing of grease interceptors/grease traps is approved on a case by case basis by the District's Inspectors.

Automotive service operations, such as service stations, garages, body shops and car washes also require pretreatment of waste, usually in the form of a sand/oil separator. Again, the size and type of device must be approved by the District.

Backflow Protection

State law and District Code require facilities that may have unprotected cross-connections which have the potential to contaminate the public water supply to have approved backflow protection assemblies on domestic and fire connection lines.

Sewer Capacity

The amount of sewer capacity needed for a particular project is determined by the nature of the business and the application of the District's Schedule of Units. This determination of sewer capacity dictates the initial connection fee charges (due at plan approval) and the ongoing sewer charges once the project is hooked up. District staff can furnish a Schedule of Units for you, assist you in determining the sewer capacity needs for your project, and calculate the fees.