Indications of a sewer stoppage include plumbing fixtures that do not drain, sewage backing up into tubs, showers or toilets, or if a sewer cleanout pipe exists next to the home, sewage may be seeping from the sewer cleanout. If any of these occur, please call the District at 360-750-5876, 24-hrs a day, 7 days a week.

When a stoppage occurs, the customer should contact the District immediately at 360-750-5876; this number is monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

Maintenance personnel will come out to the site and assess the stoppage to determine if the blockage is on the District’s side of the sewer line or the homeowner's side of the sewer line (i.e., private property side or street right-of-way side). If the sewer line isn't in the street, it may be within a “Public Utility Easement”. The jurisdiction of a Public Utility Easement is determined by the distance of the blockage from the District’s “Mainline”.

The District will clear any blockage that occurs in the “District’s Sewer Main”. The District is responsible for sewer laterals from the Sewer main in the street to the “Property Line Cleanout.”

Customers are responsible for blockages that occur in the private side sewer located between the house and the property line cleanout. If there is no property line cleanout, the District may use the homeowner’s cleanout next to the home to clear the line or determine responsibility.

Most sewer backups happen because the pipe is plugged with debris. However, backups can be caused by several factors, including the condition of the sanitary sewer system itself, natural phenomena such as earth movement or roots, and the incorrect usage of the system by the public.

Some common backup causes are:

• Solids / Debris – Typical solids that build up in the pipe and cause backups are fats, oil, grease (FOG), dirt, hair, bones, sanitary products, paper towels, kitty litter, diapers, broken dishware, garbage, concrete, and debris.
  When oil or grease is discharged into a sewer system, they will solidify and, after a while, they can build up and plug drain lines in your building or complex. They can also plug the sewer lines and clog pump stations owned by the District, thus increasing the maintenance cost to the customers. Plugged sewers can cause flooding of nearby private homes and businesses.
• Tree Root Infiltration – Tree roots are attracted to sewer lines because of the sewer waters’ warm temperatures and food nutrients found in the sewers. Tree roots can cause backups. Roots can infiltrate the pipe system and clog the wastewater flow.

If there is damage from a sewer backup or overflow and you believe that it is the District’s responsibility, let the Maintenance personnel responding to your backup know. Please then ask the personnel on-site for the claims paperwork. Fill out the claims for damage form, sign it and return it to the District as soon as possible. Determination of fault is reviewed by the Risk Manager and the Adjuster representing the insurance company. The claims forms can also be downloaded here:

• Claim for Damages Form: Vehicle and Personal Injury
• Claim for Damages Form: Property

Yes, the District has copies of most sewer permit drawings. Please contact our engineering department via email or phone at 360-993-8812, and we’ll provide you with a copy.

Step and Grinder systems rely on power to operate the pumps. In the event of a power outage the pumps will not operate and effluent levels in the tank will increase with use. In the event of a power outage, please limit yourself to “light” usage of the system. It is recommended that you do not use the washing machine, dishwasher or take baths and or extended showers. Most systems will have a limited amount of reserve or emergency storage. But, extended use during a power outage could cause a sewer backup. For more information, please see the STEP or Grinder System Resources pages.

More about about STEP and Grinder systems

FOG comes from many sources both residentially and commercially. In the food industry, "grease" often refers to fats and oils derived from animal and vegetable sources. These include meats, cooking oils, nuts, cereals and beans, as well as waxes and paraffins.

More about about pollution prevention and FOG

Sewer capacity constraints are frequently caused by improper materials, including fats, oils, and greases being introduced into the sewer system by residents and businesses. The grease will build-up in the sewer pipes, limiting capacity and can ultimately cause a sewer back-up.

More about about pollution prevention and FOG

Approximately 50-70 percent of all sanitary sewer system overflows are caused by accumulations of fats, oils and greases discharged to it from the preparation and serving of food.

More about about pollution prevention and FOG

The District’s Maintenance department has implemented a preventative maintenance program of sewer cleaning and condition assessment of the entire sewer collection system. The periodic cleaning and televising of the sewer lines in your neighborhood greatly reduce the risk of any grease buildup and/or overflows. Information obtained from the condition assessment is used in the District’s R&R (Restoration & Replacement) program.

More about the District's R&R program

The District is responsible for our sewer system only. For questions regarding your water service, please contact your local water service provider.

• Clark Public Utilities (CPU): if you are in unincorporated Clark County. They can be reached at 360-992-3000 or via the web at www.clarkpublicutilities.com.
• City of Vancouver: residents within Vancouver may contact Public Works at 360-487-7130 or via the web at http://www.cityofvancouver.us/publicworks/page/aboutcontact-public-works.
• City of Ridgefield: residents within Ridgefield may contact Public Works at 360-887-8251 or via the web at http://www.ci.ridgefield.wa.us/departments/publicWorks.htm.
• City of Battle Ground: residents within Battle Ground may contact Public Works Operations via the web at http://www.cityofbg.org/index.aspx?nid=69 or phone 360-342-5350
• City of Vancouver, Washington solid waste staff is available to answer your questions and concerns about garbage, recycling and solid waste services in our community and may be reached at 360-696-8186.

AutoPay, direct debit from your checking account, is the most affordable and efficient way of payment. The District also offers other convenient methods of paying your bill, including online, over the phone, or in person. The District currently accepts cash, check, cashier check, money orders, Visa and MasterCard. For a complete description of all the options available to you, please see the Payment Options page.

More about payment options

If the bill is due today, we must receive payment by the end of business hours today. You can put it in our drop box located at our office, 8000 NE 52nd Court . Payments in the drop box that are retrieved the first thing in the morning will be date stamped for the previous day.

Effective January 1, 2013, the Clark Regional Wastewater District charges a flat fee of $35.00 per month for one (1)ERU. An ERU is a sewer term for an “Equivalent Residential Unit” and represents the average flow for a residential household. Please note that Residential customers are billed bi-monthly, every other month, for two months of service. Commercial and industrial customers are billed monthly based on the corresponding usage of the system. Depending on your location, additional sewer service charges or fees may apply. For more information visit our Rates and Charges page or contact the District via email or phone at 360-750-5876.

This requires our Customer Service department to access your account. Please contact the District via email or phone with your account number for more specific information.

Yes, residential customers can simply call 360-993-8800 to use our SelfPay system, which will process your Visa and MasterCard debit or credit card or electronic check payment over the phone. Customers may also contact a customer service representative who will gladly process your payment over the phone., We must receive payment by 5 PM on the date noted on the letter. For your convenience, there is a drop box at our office located at 8000 NE 52nd Court where payments may be securely left for processing.

Sewer service is billed based on the availability of service. and the sewer system is still being operated and maintained whether a property is occupied or vacant. Due to public health reasons, and legal and operational considerations, sewer services cannot simply be turned on or off.

The sewer bill is a lien against the property that has received the service, not an individual that occupied the property.

The District is responsible for our sewer system only.

Information on septic systems can be obtained from Clark County Public Health, which is located at 2000 Ft. Vancouver Way in Vancouver, Washington. You may also contact them via telephone at 360-397-8215 or fax them your questions at 360-397-8424.

You must obtain a sewer permit:

• Anytime you are modifying an existing sewer line that is outside of the building.
• If you are installing a new sewer line and connecting to sewer.

In addition, if you are changing the use of your building, additional sewer connection fees may be required. Please refer to the Connect to Sewer page for a copy of the sewer permit and for more information

You will need to have the Sewer permit number, address, lot number and subdivision (if applicable), contact name and phone number.

Inspection request form

Requests for inspections can be taken only after the complete connection to the sewer line is made and before the trench is backfilled. Inspections will be done within 24 hours of the request. You may email inspections@crwwd.com or call 360-993-8836 24 hours per day/7days a week to schedule an inspection.

Inspection request form

When you are requesting an inspection of your sewer line, please post the sewer permit in a visible area, near the inspection site. If you have a County building card that needs to be signed off, post it with the sewer permit.

The cost to connect to sewer varies depending on property location and type of use. Connection fees consist of several different parts, some or all of which may be due prior to connection of your property. These include:

• permit fees
• the General Facilities Charge (GFC)
• a Local Facilities Charge (LFC)
• or a Latecomer Reimbursement Charge.

These fees do not include any work that would need to be done on your property, such as laying pipe from a house to the public sewer, or abandoning the current septic system. In addition, if the sewer is not immediately adjacent to your property, construction costs within the public right-of-way may be necessary. (See Current Fees)

To learn more about these fees or to inquire about a specific property, complete a Connection Fee Quote form, or contact our Engineering department at 360-993-8812.

Review preliminary ULID information provided in this brochure. You can also contact our Engineering department at 360-993-8813.

We do not recommend side sewer contractors. The District does maintain a “small works roster” which is a listing of contractors who are interested in working with the District For more information, please contact our Engineering department via email or phone at 360-993-8812. You can also view the small works roster online if you are interested.

The District has financing programs available for some of the costs associated with connecting an existing residential home to sewer. We do not finance any costs associated with new residential construction or commercial projects. Before we can extend financing, the homeowner must pay for a title search on the property. If financing is approved, the financed amount becomes a lien against the property. For more information on financing options, please contact the Finance department via email or phone at 360-750-5876.

• Installment Payment Agreement
• Side Sewer Assistance Program Loan Agreement

To find out if sewer service is available to your property, please complete a Sewer Availability Request form or contact our Engineering department directly via email or phone at 360-993-8812 .

AutoPay, direct debit from your checking account, is the most affordable and efficient way of payment. The District currently accepts cash, check, cashier check, and money orders from Business and Multi-Family property owners. For a complete description of all the options available to you, please see the Payment Options page.

More about payment options

We must receive payment by 5 PM on the date noted on the letter. For your convenience, there is a drop box located at our office, 8000 NE 52nd Court, where payments may be securely left for processing.

If the bill is due today, we must receive payment by the end of business hours today. You can put it in our drop box located at our office, 8000 NE 52nd Court . Payments in the drop box that are retrieved the first thing in the morning will be date stamped for the previous day.

When you are requesting an inspection of your sewer line, please post the sewer permit in a visible area, near the inspection site. If you have a County building card that needs to be signed off, post it with the sewer permit.

Effective January 1, 2013 the sewer service charge for 1 ERU is $35.00 per month. Depending upon your location, additional charges and fees may apply. Monthly billings for commercial accounts are based on the number of ERU’s for type of business establishment the proposed use. The Commercial Flow Calculation Form and associated tables provide formulas to convert commercial uses into Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs). For each account, the minimum bill is for 1 ERU of service.

For questions on how your bill is calculated, please contact Marie LaManna, Engineering Technician (Development), at 360-993-8812.

For questions related to your commercial billing account, please contact Kelly Solomon, Finance Specialist, at 360-993-8803.

You may also visit the Rates & Charges page for more information

More information is available on the Tenant Improvements page. Generally, we will need the following items to be submitted:

• Commercial Flow Calculation Form
• Pre-Treatment Application Form and fee
• Floor/Site Plans
• Plumbing Plans or Isometrics
• Plan Review Fee
• View Connection, Permit, & Inspection Fees

Prior to the District giving Final Occupancy, any comments from the review need to be addressed and applicable connection fees (if any) need to be paid.

If you have questions related to this process, please contact Marie LaManna, Engineering Technician (Development), at 360-993-8812.

You must obtain a sewer permit:

• Anytime you are modifying an existing sewer line that is outside of the building.
• If you are installing a new sewer line and connecting to sewer.

In addition, if you are changing the use of your building, additional sewer connection fees may be required.

How much will it cost to connect to sewer?

The cost to connect to sewer varies depending on property location and type of use. Connection fees consist of several different parts, some or all of which may be due prior to connection of your property. These include:

• permit fees
• the General Facilities Charge (GFC)
• the Regional Facilities Charge (RFC)
• a Local Facilities Charge (LFC)
• or a Latecomer Reimbursement Charge
• View Connection Charges, Permit, and Inspection Fees

These fees do not include any work that would need to be done on your property, such as laying pipe from a house to the public sewer, or abandoning the current septic system. In addition, if the sewer is not immediately adjacent to your property, construction costs within the public right-of-way may be necessary.

To learn more about these fees or to inquire about a specific property, contact our Engineering department at 360-993-8812.

We do not recommend side sewer contractors; we only have lists of contractors who have been placed on small works rosters for certain District projects. For more information, please contact our Engineering department at 360-993-8812.

Sewer availability depends on many factors. To find out information related to sewer service for your property, please contact our Engineering department at 360-993-8812.

The District maintains an archive containing information on the sewer system in our service area. You can contact our Engineering department at 360-993-8812.

Fees vary based on the type and extent of development. If you have questions about fees and deposits for a current or potential development, please contact our Engineering department at 360-993-8812.

Connection fee calculation methods for commercial businesses are set forth in the Commercial Flow Calculation Form. Fees are based on the type of business and which treatment facility the waste will flow to. At a minimum, each building must have paid for 1 ERU. You can contact our Engineering department at 360-993-8812.