Official FAQs / Q & As

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INSTRUCTIONS:
FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions
Q & A = Questions & Answers
The FAQ / Q & A helps locate specific tips or directions to help you get things done (e.g. “trash collection?”, or “dog license?”– exclude quotation marks.

1. Click in the white box.
2. Type your word or phrase.
3. Click “Ask FAQ” button. Next, you’ll see a page listing common, related questions and answers.

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• Who is responsible for the working / functioning / operability of a homeowner's sewer?
  
  
• I'm building a new home or business-- who do I call about water or sewer hook-ups and Permits?
  
  
• Can I use a fire hydrant to fill my swimming pool?
  
  
• The Sewer & Drainage Division office is open business hours... what about problems during off-hours or late nights or weekends?
  
  
• Whom do I pay my Water Bill or Sewer Charges to?
  
  
• Who is responsible to pay Water Bills and Sewer Charges?
  
  
• Arriving home after a vacation or business trip, I smell a strong, foul stinky odor... what do I do?
  
  
• I see there is sewerage backing up in the street, recognized by its foul stinky odor, oily surface, or presence of toilet tissue waste... yeecch, what do I do?
  
  
• During or after a rain or storm, water is seen gushing or flowing OUT of a storm drain or street grating or gutter... whom do I tell?
  
  

• Who is responsible for the working / functioning / operability of a homeowner's sewer?
  
  By City Ordinance, the Sewer & Drainage Division is only responsible for the sewer main line in the street. All homeowners and businesses must maintain their own sewer lateral lines, from the main connection into their buildings or dwellings.
  
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• I'm building a new home or business-- who do I call about water or sewer hook-ups and Permits?
  
  Request information through the City of Burlington Construction Code Official's Office by calling
  609-386-0200 ext. 141.
  You will be given information on City Ordinance-approved materials, who is eligible to perform the work, and required Permits.
  
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• Can I use a fire hydrant to fill my swimming pool?
  
  No. It is imperative to avoid pressure loss in case of an emergency. Plus, all water used by homeowners must pass through and be accounted for by your home's water meter. Use a garden hose.
  
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• The Sewer & Drainage Division office is open business hours... what about problems during off-hours or late nights or weekends?
  
  The water department operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with someone on duty at all times. Call the Sewer & Drainage Division at 609-386-0035.
  After-hours calls are answered by the Water Division, which will dispatch someone to the problem.
  
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• Whom do I pay my Water Bill or Sewer Charges to?
  
  The Office of the Collector - Water & Sewer bills and collects charges. Please see their web page for rates, contacts and billing information.
  
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• Who is responsible to pay Water Bills and Sewer Charges?
  
  Utility charges are ultimately the liability of the property owner.
  
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• Arriving home after a vacation or business trip, I smell a strong, foul stinky odor... what do I do?
  
  If the smell is overpowering, leave immediately, and call for assistance from a remote phone- you could be overcome in extreme circumstances. The stinky odor is a natural by-product of sewerage. The "S"-shaped pipes under your sink drains prevent foul-smelling methane, or "sewer gas", from entering your home. Try running a few seconds worth of water into each sink, and flush each toilet. Open windows. If the odor persists, call the Sewer & Drainage Division at 609-386-0035. After-hours calls are answered by the Water Division, which will dispatch someone to the problem.
  
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• I see there is sewerage backing up in the street, recognized by its foul stinky odor, oily surface, or presence of toilet tissue waste... yeccch, what do I do?
  
  Call the Sewer & Drainage Division at 609-386-0035.
  After-hours calls are answered by the Water Division, which will dispatch someone to the problem.
  When home, business or industrial sewerage problems arise, the Sewer & Drainage Division responsibility ends at the City-owned main line, as mandated by ordinance 18-3.13A.1. The Division is NOT responsible for home sewer laterals, that is the line from the dwelling to the City-owned sewer main. The homeowner is responsible for correcting any problems occurring from the main to their fixtures. However, when a problem begins we advise you to first contact the Division. While checking the City's main to insure it is not causing the problem, the Division often extends the courtesy of attempting to correct the problem at the clean-out or trap. In so doing, homeowners may avoid the expense of calling a plumber.
  
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• During or after a rain or storm, water is seen gushing or flowing OUT of a storm drain or street grating or gutter... whom do I tell?
  
  Call the Sewer & Drainage Division at 609-386-0035. After-hours calls are answered by the Water Division, which will dispatch someone to the problem.
  
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MORE TIPS ON USING FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Use “Ask FAQ” at left to search out solutions among all Categories.
• See “FAQs by Category” above to browse solutions offered by a particular Dept. or Division, (e.g. “Housing” for questions about “building permits”).
• Try “Ask a Question” to pose your question about subjects not presently covered. This form will appear after an unsuccessful “Ask FAQ” search.