Mission council adopts ordinance requiring connection to sewer lines within 60 days when improvements fall within 80 feet

The City of Mission approved Ordinance 56-50 on Tuesday, amending Chapter 114 (Utilities) to require property owners to connect discharge lines to a city sanitary sewer line within 60 calendar days when an improvement places a property within 80 feet of that line.

The ordinance repeals and replaces several subsections of Section 114-21. It states that any improvements on property within 80 feet of a sanitary sewer line by way of public right-of-way or easement must connect discharge lines to the sanitary sewer within 60 days after the improvement first brings the property within that distance. The ordinance prohibits keeping a discharge line connected to a septic tank when a sewer connection is required; property owners who fail to connect may be billed for sewer service and, if a septic overflow leads to a health complaint, may face misdemeanor charges or other legal violations as provided by law.

City staff and the city manager recommended approval; the council adopted the ordinance unanimously. The ordinance text, as read at the meeting, prescribes the 80-foot and 60-day thresholds and authorizes the city to bill property owners, tenants or occupants who fail to connect in a timely manner.

Councilmembers did not record extended debate during the adoption; staff answered a council question about whether a structure after 80 feet could be exempt and confirmed the amended language. The ordinance becomes part of the city’s municipal code; the transcript did not list an effective date beyond adoption at the meeting.