Septic rules in Riverside County
Reviewing a new conventional septic system costs $795 at Riverside County's Department of Environmental Health, on a fee sheet revised 07/2022, and an alternative system with advanced treatment costs $1,114. The Land Use and Water Resources Program does that review, reachable at the Riverside office on (951) 955-8980. It also serves cities that signed an agreement with the department, Temecula, Murrieta and Moreno Valley among them. Hemet, Indio, Norco and Perris have no such agreement.
Only people the county registers each year can sign the paperwork. Percolation tests and septic reports come from a Professional of Record, meaning a PE, PG or REHS. Certifications come from a Qualified Service Provider, who holds a C-42, C-36 or Class A contractor license or is a PE, PG or REHS, and every registration expires Dec 31. That certification is required for a repair, for new construction on a lot with a system, or for a project that uses the existing one, but a property sale isn't on the list.
Buying a house with an alternative system means transferring its operating permit within 60 days. Each new alternative system also carries a maintenance agreement, a yearly inspection and an annual operating permit. Sewage or graywater coming up to the surface violates Ordinance 650, with fines up to $500 per day. The county advises a pump-out every 3 to 5 years, and a real estate clearance letter costs $100. The pumper should come from the department's approved liquid waste hauler list.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Riverside County Department of Environmental Health, Environmental Protection and Oversight Division, Land Use and Water Resources Program; Riverside office (951) 955-8980, DEHOWTS@rivco.org; offices in Riverside, Blythe, Corona, Hemet, Indio, Murrieta and Palm Springs, (888) 722-4234. Agreement cities served: Blythe, Coachella, Corona, Lake Elsinore, La Quinta, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Riverside, Temecula, Wildomar. No agreement with Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Eastvale, Hemet, Indian Wells, Indio, Jurupa Valley, Norco, Perris, San Jacinto.
- Governing code
- Riverside County Ordinance 650 (as amended through 650.6) regulates sewage discharge in unincorporated areas and incorporates the LAMP by reference; adopted 02/02/1988, 650.6 adopted 11/01/2016 and effective 12/01/2016. Fees are set in Ordinance 640.
- Inspection at sale
- The county says it has no such rule. The county's LAMP (Ch. 7) requires an OWTS Certification for repairs or modifications, new construction on a property with a system, projects using an existing system, or as the department requires; property transfer is not listed. Under Ordinance 650 sec. 5(D), a new owner must transfer the operating permit for an alternative system within 60 days of the change of ownership.
- Permit steps
- Percolation tests and OWTS reports only by a registered Professional of Record (PE, PG or REHS); certifications and advanced treatment service agreements only by a registered Qualified Service Provider. Subdivision minimum lot size is 0.5 acre gross (2.5 acres with individual domestic wells); more than 40 lots under 2.5 acres require public sewer; an ADU or extra dwelling not meeting 0.5 acre per unit must use an advanced treatment system. All new alternative systems need a QSP maintenance agreement, a yearly QSP inspection and an annual operating permit.
- Installers and evaluators
- The county registers Professionals of Record and Qualified Service Providers annually, with a registration fee (Ord. 650 sec. 6-7; LAMP Ch. 4). A QSP must hold a C-42, C-36 or Class A contractor license, or be a PE, PG or REHS. Registration expires Dec 31 each year. Tanks must be pumped by a hauler on the county's approved liquid waste hauler list.
- Still to confirm with the county
- Surfacing effluent or graywater violates Ordinance 650, with fines up to $500 per day; the county advises pumping every 3 to 5 years. Fees may be waived for replacing a system damaged in a Board-declared disaster. Quail Valley is a special concern area with a septic prohibition.
Septic fees in Riverside County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| New conventional OWTS | $795 | Fee sheet rev 07/2022 |
| Re-review | $51 | Fee sheet rev 07/2022 |
| Site evaluation | $199/hr | Fee sheet rev 07/2022 |
| Alternative system with advanced treatment | $1,114 | Fee sheet rev 07/2022 |
| Holding tank | $170 | Fee sheet rev 07/2022 |
| Septic verification | $118 | Fee sheet rev 07/2022 |
| Sewer verification | $49 | Fee sheet rev 07/2022 |
| Septic abandonment | $398 ($447 with sewer connect) | Fee sheet rev 07/2022 |
| Real estate/clearance letter | $100 | Fee sheet rev 07/2022 |
Rules and fees change every year, so confirm a line with the health department before you rely on it. "No rule found" means the pages and code we have say nothing on that line, which isn't the same as the county telling you there's no rule. To compare counties, use the county rules lookup.
What septic work costs
These are statewide estimates from our model, so they aren't Riverside County prices; where the county posts its own permit and evaluation fees, they are on this page.
| Job | Estimated range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Septic pumping | $325 to $600 | per visit |
| Septic inspection | $135 to $555 | per inspection |
| Drain field | $1,200 to $8,150 | per repair |
These are estimates, not quotes. How we estimate costs.
All septic services
Cities in Riverside County
Each of these cities has 10,000 or more residents and follows Riverside County rules for septic, and its city page points back here.
- Banning
- Beaumont
- Blythe
- Calimesa
- Canyon Lake
- Cathedral City
- Coachella
- Corona
- Desert Hot Springs
- East Hemet
- Eastvale
- El Sobrante
- French Valley
- Hemet
- Home Gardens
- Indio
- Jurupa Valley
- La Quinta
- Lake Elsinore
- Lakeland Village
- Mead Valley
- Menifee
- Moreno Valley
- Murrieta
- Norco
- Palm Desert
- Palm Springs
- Perris
- Rancho Mirage
- Riverside
- San Jacinto
- Temecula
- Temescal Valley
- Valle Vista
- Wildomar
- Woodcrest