Sewer Fees
All costs associated with the City’s sewer system and the Burbank Water Reclamation Plant (BWRP) are funded by the Water Reclamation and Sewer Fund (Fund 494), also known as the Sewer Enterprise Fund. The Fund’s primary source of revenue is the Sewer Service charge paid by residents and businesses for sewer services. The Public Works Department administers the Sewer Enterprise Fund.
All fees associated with the City of Burbank’s sewer system are set in the City of Burbank Fee Schedule, which is amended annually by the City Council (BMC Title 8, Chapter 1, Section 108).
All structures in the City of Burbank with plumbing fixtures or piping that convey sewage or liquid waste must be connected to the sewer system (BMC Title 8, Chapter 1, Serction 104B). Buildings and structures are connected to the City’s sewer mainline by sewer lateral lines.
To connect to the City’s sewer mainline, the property owner must obtain an excavation permit and a sewer connection permit from the Permit Section.
For sewer construction entirely on private property, the owner must obtain a plumbing permit from the Building Department and an excavation permit from the Permit Section.
Sewer Connection Permits are issued for construction of sewer connections from private property to sewer main lines (BMC Title 8, Chapter 1, Article 3).
Visit Financial Services for the current application fee ifor sewer tap (saddle) connection plus any applicable excavation permit costs.
For repair of lateral or regular "Y" connection in the public right-of-way or within a public utility easement, see excavation permit costs.
The Sewer Service Charge (SSC) is a monthly fee for services charged to all users of the sewer system (BMC Title 8, Chapter 1, Section 703). The SSC is structured so that each user is placed in one of six categories based on the type of building occupancy and the amount of wastewater generated. The SSC for each category is set forth in the City of Burbank’s Fee Resolution as amended annually by the City Council (BMC Title 8, Chapter 1, Section 704).
Residents in the City of Burbank are categorized as Group I Residential and pay a flat rate every month dependent upon whether the residence is a single-family or multiple-family residential dwelling. Current rates can be found on the City's annual fee schedule. Sewer and Refuse Assistance Programs (pdf) are no longer available.
The Group I Residential SSC is not based on water usage. Instead, it reflects the actual costs associated with providing sewer services. The difference between the SSC and the water charge reflects the fact that it costs more to collect and treat wastewater and sewage than it does to deliver clean water to a residence. Federal and state regulations regarding environmental protection and public health and safety prohibit the City from dumping untreated sewage into the ocean and other waterways, and cleaning wastewater and sewage is a costly process.
There are five other categories for commercial, industrial, and institutional users:
- Group II Commercial/Industrial includes businesses such as retail stores, professional offices, hospitals, warehouses, and theatres.
- Group III Commercial/Industrial includes businesses with higher wastewater strength such as hotels, repair and service stations, and manufacturing industries.
- Group IV Commercial/Industrial includes businesses with the highest wastewater strength such as bakeries, restaurants, and supermarkets.
- Group V Institutional includes schools, social service halls, and membership organizations.
- Group VI Large Volume Users includes all users whose wastewater discharge quantity is more than 25,000 gallons per day on an annual average basis.
Unlike the flat fee paid by Group I Residential, the customers in these categories pay a SSC based on the type of business/industry and strength of the wastewater produced.
The Sewer Facilities Charge is a one-time charge imposed on all newly constructed or expanded structures and for increases in occupancy of an existing structure or parcel of land (BMC Title 8, Chapter 1, Section 802). This charge is an investment in the capacity necessary in the sewer system to receive the wastewater generated by these structures. It assures that current customers are not unfairly burdened with the cost of future capacity. The Sewer Facilities Charge equitably distributes facility costs to future users based on their demands on the wastewater system and varies according to user category and the needed sewer capacity.