Public Works revises sewer billing policy
Published 4:57 pm Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Pierce County will cease collecting sewer connection fees from builders of unfinished new homes that are not ready to be occupied.
Per code, the county has been billing for sewer service 60 days after builders connect new homes to the system. At $25.72 plus taxes per month, this presented little inconvenience when the economy was booming. By the time the first sewer bill arrived, a newly-constructed house was on the market or even sold.
Today, builders have a surplus of homes that have not been completed. But builders were being obligated to pay for service they were not using since sewer hookup occurs early in the construction process.
Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, which oversees operation of the sewer utility, conducted a review of Title 13, the county code responsible for the billing practices. Together with the Planning and Land Services Department (PALS), they have implemented a revised interpretation of the code that postpones billing until a home is complete and ready for occupancy. Under the new interpretation, official notification of the sewer connection will not occur until PALS issues the final Certificate of Occupancy for newly constructed dwellings.
“This means that billing will not start until the building has passed final inspection and is ready to be inhabited,” said Public Works and Utilities Director Brian Ziegler. “It’s a small but important change that can save builders and future homeowners some money.”
The updated billing policy is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2009. Builders who would like a refund of charges since the first of the year should contact the Public Works and Utilities Department at 253-798-4683.
