Homeowner FAQ

DCSD is a political subdivision of the State of Missouri, and is not a department or division of the County or City. Because DCSD service area was established to serve geographical drainage areas, DCSD boundary lines do not coincide with any County or City boundary lines. Generally speaking, DCSD serves an area which could be described as the southern half of the Golden Triangle. (The Golden Triangle is an area roughly bounded by Highways I-70, I-64/US 40-61, and the Missouri River.) However, there are some areas south of I-64/US 40-61 and one are north of I-70 that are also served by the District. The District Engineering Department can answer questions regarding specific service locations. Click here to view the DCSD boundary map which shows the District’s major service area.

No. DCSD maintains the publicly dedicated sanitary sewer mains only. The smaller pipe which connects an individual house to the public main is referred to as a ‘house sewer lateral’, and is owned by the individual home-owner. Correction of problems with a sewer lateral is the responsibility of the individual homeowner. However, in the event of any sanitary sewer problem, DCSD will always check the public sewer main in the area of the problem. If the problem is identified with the lateral, the homeowner should check if they qualify for the lateral repair program provided by most municipalities and DCSD.

DCSD maintains records of where the public mains are located, and in most cases, the same records may show where individual house laterals are supposed to be located. (DCSD does not inspect the installation of house laterals, so the map records may not be accurate in all cases.) The public is welcome to visit the DCSD Offices, located at 3550 Highway K or contact the DCSD Engineering Department by telephone at (636) 441-1244 or fax (636) 441-8150, to ascertain sewer locations. Engineering personnel are available between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday to assist the customer in determining this information. Sewer main locations also may be flagged upon request to the Inspection Department.

Yes. All connections to the system require DCSD permission to connect on. Connection agreement(s) and connection fee(s) are required for all connections. However, in a lot of instances such as new subdivision construction, the subdivision Developer or home builder may have already obtained permit/permission to connect the home to the District’s system. The homeowner is urged to contact the District office if not sure if sanitary sewer connection fees have been paid. In all instances, however, the District must be contacted when occupancy occurs or ownership changes.

At this time, DCSD sanitary sewer connection fees for normal single-family residential connections are $800.00 per home. There are residential areas that pay a higher connection fee to compensate for higher levels of treatment. DCSD sanitary sewer connection fees for ‘non-residential’ (i.e., commercial) connections are based on water meter size. Please call the Engineering Department at 636-441-1244 for details.

Sewer district inspectors must check all sanitary sewer main construction, repairs to the sewer mains and connections made directly to the sewer main pipes. House sewer lateral construction and house plumbing is typically checked by the Building Department personnel from the respective municipal governmental entity, i.e., City or County Building Department.

It is the individual homeowners’ responsibility to keep their septic tank system in compliance with City/County Building Department codes. If a homeowner wishes to connect to the DCSD public sewers, it is the homeowners’ responsibility to secure applicable DCSD plan/permit & connection approvals, initiate construction of private and/or public sewer extension(s), easement acquisition, etc. The homeowner is encouraged to contact DCSD Engineering plan review personnel to discuss details.

Please do not put Fat, Oil, or Grease, (FOG) in your sinks or drains. Fat, oil and grease are a major cause of drain blockages and sewer backups. All fat, oil and grease should be poured into a sealed container and disposed of with your trash. Not only can pouring FOG into the sewer system cause problems for the person doing it, but it can also cause problems in the District’s lines which could also flood your neighbor’s.

Disposable/flushable wipes should not be flushed down your toilets. Although there is a low chance that wipes will clog a toilet, there is a very high probability that wipes will cause problems in the pipelines and pumping systems that are a part of your sewer system. These problems can cause sewer backups that flood you and your neighbors. Wipes should be considered as solid waste and disposed of with your trash.

A chart, prepared by the Water Environment Federation (WEF), will help you establish the most effective means of disposing most typical hazardous wastes used around your home or garden.

Click HERE to access the WEF Household Hazardous Waste Chart