Covington council adopts ordinances to allow limited waivers for private water, sewer connections

Covington’s City Council on July 7 adopted two ordinances that add limited procedures for property owners to seek exemptions from mandatory municipal water and sanitary-sewer connections when a tie-in would be impractical or financially unfeasible.

The measures amend the Covington Code of Ordinances (chapter 98). Council members said the change is intended to create a narrowly tailored process for exceptional cases, not to permit widespread avoidance of city utilities.

Council president said the ordinances were proposed by the Public Works Department to address rare situations where extending mains or connecting a property is unreasonable. Jim O'Berry, who the agenda identified as present from Public Works, told the council he had encountered only one such situation during his tenure and said the waiver process includes oversight. "It is not for anybody to just not want to connect," O'Berry said, adding the decision will require concurrence from Public Works, the city engineer and the chief building official.

Under the amendments the city will accept written requests that include a description of the proposal, justification for the waiver and a plan or schematic of the proposed private well or sewage alternative; the ordinance text specifies the multi-officer review before any exemption is granted. Council members repeatedly described the changes as applicable only to outlier properties where connection imposes impractical or severe financial burdens.

Both ordinances were the subject of public hearings, closed without substantive public opposition, and were adopted by roll call. The council did not alter existing language requiring connection as the general rule; members emphasized the waiver process is intended to be uncommon and subject to technical review.

The council may later receive implementing procedures from staff describing how applications will be evaluated and how long approvals will last.