Sanitary Sewer Reimbursement Districts

Under the program, the city installs public sewers to each lot within an established reimbursement district. At the time an owner connects to public sewer, the owner would be responsible to pay:

• A connection and inspection fee
• Fair share reimbursement amount
• Plumbing modifications to connect to the public sewer
• Septic system disconnection and permit fees in accordance with DEQ and WA County regulations

There is no requirement to connect to the sewer or pay any fee until connection is made.
   

The amount the owners pay to the city for is a fair share cost of the final construction amount. These amounts, however, can vary greatly from project site to project site due to depth of sewer, geophysical material encountered and many other site specific variables.  

 
*Fees effective July 1, 2021.  Fees are subject to change and typically increase July 1 of each year.
 

To promote the program, the city offers an incentive to those owners who connect to the sewer within three years. The incentive limits the amount an owner is required to pay to $6,000, if that share amount falls between $6,000 and $15,000. If the fair share amount exceeds $15,000, the owner would be responsible for paying all actual costs that exceed $15,000 and the initial first $6,000. In effect, this incentive is a city subsidy that contributes up to $9,000 ($15,000-$6,000) for each owner within the district.
 
Below is an example of possible payment schedules:

When a septic system fails, it is usually the drainfield that is the culprit. The drainfield lies outside the septic tank and is made up of perforated pipes buried in gravel trenches. The drainfield allows the fluid material to leach into the ground (see image below). Generally failure occurs when these pipes become clogged with solid matter and material is unable to percolate into the surrounding ground. Once a drainfield fails, a new drainfield needs to be  constructed elsewhere on the property and lots are seldom of sufficient size to accommodate a new drainfield.

Septic systems are regulated by Washington County.  If you are interested in repairing or changing your septic system, you must first obtain county approval. 

Let the realtor or your prospective buyer know about the reimbursement district, the costs which the new owner might have to incur if the current system fails, and the date the district is scheduled to expire (15 years after construction).  Advise them that a title search may show a lien on the property, but it is not a lien and there is no requirement for anyone to connect to the sewer unless the system fails and the county declines approval for new septic system.
 

Reimbursement districts are created in accordance with Chapter 13.09 of the Tigard Municipal Code.  Section 13.09.090 provides that:           

The City Recorder shall cause notice of the formation and nature of the reimbursement district to be filed in the office of the County Recorder so as to provide notice to potential purchasers of property within the district.  Said recording shall not create a lien.

Furthermore, there is no requirement to connect to a sewer constructed through a reimbursement district or pay any fee until connection is made.  Each property owner’s fair share of the public sewer line is not paid until the owner decides to connect. 

At that time, the owner would also be required to pay a connection fee.  Additional costs incurred by property owners would include those for disconnecting their existing septic system according to Washington County rules, installation of the private line as well as payment to the contractor.