County Sanitation is responsible for environmental compliance and the collection of wastewater (sewage) within three Sanitation Districts and five County Service Areas (CSAs). County Sanitation also supplies clean drinking water and recycled water to one district serving the community of Davenport.
View the locations and service areas of these Districts and CSAs here: Sanitation Districts & CSAs
Drinking water and recycled water services are only provided for the Davenport area. If you reside within the City of Santa Cruz or the surrounding unincorporated areas not located in the mountains, your water is likely to be provided by City of Santa Cruz or Soquel Water. There are some smaller water companies who service rural areas within Santa Cruz County.
Sanitary sewer system agencies covered under the Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements (Order 2022-0103-DWQ) for Sanitary Sewer Systems, are required to report all spills for which their agency has responsibility to the State Water Resources Control Board's Sanitary Sewer Spill database. This data is available to the public, agencies and interested stakeholders. Interested parties may view the reports here: California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS).
Do you have questions about connecting to sewer OR converting from an existing septic treatment system? Start by viewing our interactive map to identify which Sanitation District or CSA you reside in, how close your parcel is to a sewer main, and which local agency to contact for guidance on next steps.
Please note: County Sanitation does not provide sewer service to those residents who reside within the Santa Cruz city limits, Watsonville city limits, or Scotts Valley city limits. Questions on sewer or water service in these city limits should be directed to their respective public works departments.