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Sanitary Sewer Maintenance
Sewer Collection System
The City operates and maintains 84 miles of gravity sanitary sewer pipelines that serve the majority of parcels within the 6.6 square mile City limits. Operations, maintenance, and repair activities include sewer line cleaning, root removal, manhole maintenance and repair, sewer line video inspection, and sewer lateral maintenance, repair, and replacement. The City’s wastewater collection system conveys untreated wastewater to Orange County Sanitation District’s (OCSD) trunk sewer system via 35 separate connections. OCSD conveys, treats, and disposes of the City’s wastewater flows via OCSD treatment plants. The City is responsible for maintaining the gravity sanitary sewer pipelines within its limits.
Additional Information
If you need to report a sewer overflow during regular City Hall hours, please call (714) 993-8131, and 911 after hours.
Establishment of the Sewer Enterprise Fund
On April 26, 2002, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board ("RWQCB") issued Board Order ("Order") No. R8-2002-0014, which prohibited the discharge of untreated sewage to any surface water storm or drainage system. This Order included numerous provisions, including the requirement for every agency to prepare a Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) to address all requirements of the Order. On March 15, 2005, the City Council adopted a sanitary sewer fee via Ordinance No. 2005-04 and established the Sewer Enterprise Fund to meet the increased costs and comply with the Santa Ana regulations RWQCB.
Sewer Enterprise Fund: What does the City's Sewer Fee pay for?
The City utilizes the revenues from the fees for the operation and maintenance of the City's sewer system in compliance with State and Federal regulations. All revenue and expenditures related to the sewer services provided by the City are contained in the Sewer Enterprise Fund, which is separate from the City's General Fund and other funding sources.
The City's Sewer Fee is separate from the charge that property owners see on their property tax bill. This charge is from the Orange County Sanitation District and is for treating the sewage collected by the City's sewer system. None of that revenue goes to the City.
2025 Sewer Cost Recovery Analysis
The operation and maintenance of the City’s sewer system is funded through the Sewer Enterprise Fund which is separate from the City’s General Fund. The City has not adjusted the sanitary sewer fee rates since 2021. Since that time, the Sewer Enterprise Fund has provided sufficient budget for routine maintenance but not for critical capital improvements. Without a sanitary sewer service fee adjustment, the City’s Sewer Enterprise Fund will not have adequate revenues to cover operations and maintenance of the sewer system and conduct necessary capital improvements and repairs.
The analysis was presented to the Sewer Utility, Refuse, and Recycling Ad-Hoc Committee (SURR Committee) at their June 10, 2025 meeting. Staff presented their recommendations and proposed an updated sewer rate structure. Upon a thorough review, the Committee provided Staff direction and recommended that the rates be forwarded to City Council for consideration.
On July 15, 2025 Staff presented to City Council a summary of the cost analysis and recommended rate structure during a public Study Session. After reviewing, Council recommended initiating the Proposition 218 process to establish the rate structure which will formally be considered during a public hearing scheduled for October 7, 2025. The City will ensure notices are mailed out by August 22, 2025, meeting the 45-day minimum noticing requirement. The proposed rates are shown below.
| Proposed Six-Year Sewer Rate Schedule ($/ccf) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
User Class | Current Rates FY 25-26 | Proposed FY 25-26 | Proposed FY 26-27 | Proposed FY 27-28 | Proposed FY 28-29 | Proposed FY 29-30 | Proposed FY 30-31 |
Single-Family Residential | $0.81 | $0.55 | $0.55 | $0.55 | $0.55 | $0.55 | $0.55 |
Multi-Family Residential | $0.92 | $0.89 | $0.89 | $0.89 | $0.89 | $0.89 | $0.89 |
Commercial/ Industrial | $1.08 | $1.05 | $1.05 | $1.05 | $1.05 | $1.05 | $1.05 |
Institutional | $0.59 | $0.58 | $0.58 | $0.58 | $0.58 | $0.58 | $0.58 |
Government & Public | $0.81 | $0.55 | $0.55 | $0.55 | $0.55 | $0.55 | $0.55 |
CIP Residential Fee* |
| $10.00 | $12.00 | $12.00 | $12.00 | $12.00 | $14.00 |
CIP Multi Family (per unit)* |
| $10.00/unit | $12.00/unit | $12.00/unit | $12.00/unit | $12.00/unit | $14.00/unit |
CIP Non-Residential Fee* |
| $30.00 | $30.00 | $30.00 | $30.00 | $30.00 | $30.00 |
*The CIP fee is applied monthly
Links to the findings of the 2025 analysis, frequently asked questions (FAQs) and a copy of the Public Hearing Notice can be found below. Please contact the public works department with any other questions at 714-993-8131.
2020 Sewer Cost Recovery Study
In 2019, the City contracted with SCI Consulting to conduct a cost recovery study of the City’s Sewer Maintenance Enterprise Fund. This study was a comprehensive analysis of the City’s costs of operating and maintaining its sewer system and providing sewer service. The rate study addressed several key factors, such as the financial plan and revenue requirements, funding of capital projects to fix the City’s aging sewer system, recommended reserve targets for operations and capital replacement, and accounting for the cost of inflation.
Current Fee Structure
On Tuesday, July 6, 2021, the City Council held a public hearing to consider increases to the City’s sewer service rates. The City Council held a study session on March 16 and April 20, 2021, to review the 2020 Sewer Cost Recovery Study and proposed rates. On May 4, 2021, the City Council adopted Resolution No. R-2021-20 and directed City staff to initiate the Proposition 218 proceedings and set the public hearing date to consider the proposed rates. The City mailed out notices to all affected property owners on May 21, 2021.
On July 6, 2021, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. O-2021-07, which established new sewer rates including multi-year rate adjustments effective August 20, 2021, and thereafter July 1 for 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. The sanitary sewer fee is based on the use of the sewer system as it correlates to the consumption of water by different users. The user class fees are per-100 cubic feet of water (CCF). Below is the approved fee structure.
| User Category | Effective on August 20, 2021 | Effective July 1, 2022 | Effective July 1, 2023 | Effective July 1, 2024 | Effective July 1, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-Family Residential | $0.72 | $0.74 | $0.76 | $0.79 | $0.81 |
| Multi-Family Residential | $0.82 | $0.84 | $0.87 | $0.89 | $0.92 |
| Commercial | $0.96 | $0.99 | $1.02 | $1.05 | $1.08 |
| Industrial | $0.96 | $0.99 | $1.02 | $1.05 | $1.08 |
| Institutional | $0.53 | $0.54 | $0.56 | $0.58 | $0.59 |
| Government & Public | $0.72 | $0.74 | $0.76 | $0.79 | $0.81 |
Sewer System Management Plan
The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted Order Number 2006-0003-DWQ, which requires all publicly owned sewage collection systems that have more than one mile of developed pipeline to implement and fund a Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) which establishes the minimum requirements under which a public collection system must be operated and maintained.
The City conducts regular inspections and maintenance of the sewer system. Maintenance activities include annual line flushing of the entire system and closed-circuit television inspections (CCTV) to determine pipeline conditions and identify damaged sections.
Reports & Reference Documents
2018 Sewer Master Plan
In 2018, the City completed a Sanitary Sewer Master Plan (Master Plan) under a contract with Dudek Corporation. The Master Plan evaluated the capacity and condition of the City’s sanitary sewer system and outlined recommendations and improvements to provide adequate hydraulic capacity and improve the reliability of the collection system. The Master Plan identified a Sewer Capital Improvement Program (Sewer CIP) consisting of seven (7) capacity-related CIP projects, three (3) pipeline condition-related rehabilitation projects, and one (1) manhole rehabilitation project with an estimated cost of $15,972,000. A copy of this Master Plan can be accessed at the link below: