Contact the CCU Business Office and a field representative will visit your home to see if a new meter pit and tap are needed. If a new tap is needed, a tap charge will apply.

If you reside within the City limits, there are probably water and sewer facilities available to your property, but sometimes there are exceptions. Recent annexations or old property subdivisions sometimes create “pockets” where extensions are required.

The CCU will work with you in extending facilities to your site if this is the case, but extensions can take time. If you suspect that facilities are not available, it would be to your benefit to contact the CCU Engineering department as soon as possible.

After it has been determined that facilities are available to your property, the next question to answer is whether or not assessments are due on the property.

Assessments are fees charged by the Utilities to assist in the payment for the pipes adjacent to your property. The rates are set by local ordinance and cannot be modified by staff. The assessment rates are multiplied by the property dimension that abuts, or lies next to, the water or sewer line. Staff has authority to apply certain adjustments to oddly shaped parcels that do not readily fit this rule. The rate for sewer lines is $13.10 / abutting foot. Many newly created parcels belong to developments where the water and sewer lines have been built by private developers and not by the CCU. In these cases, there are no assessments charged the customer.

In addition to assessments you will also be expected to pay connection charges to the Columbus City Utilities. These fees reimburse CCU for the labor and materials spent in providing the service. For water services a normal residential service (5/8″ x 3/4″) will cost $1865.00 If a meter pit or vault has already been set then the charge will be $500. For residential water services, there is a $990.00 System Development charge. For larger services the actual costs are tabulated by the distribution crew and the customer is billed. For commercial connections requiring fire service lines or large meters, the builder provides all but the actual tap to the public main which is made by distribution crews and billed to the owner. For sewer services the fees are considerably less since they are only intended to reimburse the Utilities for the costs associated in inspecting the sewer connection to the public main. Fees for residential taps are $70. Industrial taps have fees of $70 associated with them. An important distinction is that while an application for service must be made by the eventual customer, it is the excavator who will be making the connection that must obtain the sewer tap permit.

Residential:
For water services, a normal residential service (5/8” X 3/4” meter) will cost $1,865.00.  This includes the cost of the meter pit or vault, the meter, as well as labor, and material costs.  If your property already has a meter pit or vault available, the cost for a normal residential service is only $500.00, which covers the cost of the meter. For residential water services, there is a $990.00 System Development charge. System development charges vary for larger meters. For larger services, the actual cost for labor and materials are calculated and billed to the customer on an individual basis.

Commercial:
For commercial water services, the builder is responsible for providing everything but the actual tap to the public main.  CCU will make the tap and bill the customer for all labor and material costs.

Taps:
For a sewer tap, the cost is $70.00, which is a reimbursement to CCU for the cost of inspecting the sewer connection to the main.

Please note, while the application for services must be made by the eventual customer, the excavator is responsible for obtaining the sewer tap permit and making the actual connection.