Septic vs Sewer in Lake Stevens, WA: Which One Do You Have?

How can I tell whether my Lake Stevens home is on septic or sewer?

Start with your bills. If you pay a monthly charge to the Lake Stevens Sewer District, you are on sewer. No sewer bill usually means septic — Snohomish County has roughly 84,000 septic systems, and plenty of Lake Stevens neighborhoods, especially around Lochsloy, Getchell Hill, and the areas outside the District's service boundary, still run on private systems.

Next, walk your yard. Septic tanks leave evidence: round or square concrete or plastic lids, sometimes with green risers sticking up a few inches, usually 10 to 25 feet from the house. A sewer lateral leaves almost no trace — maybe a cleanout cap near the foundation or property line. If you are unsure, search your parcel on the Snohomish County property records site, which often notes the sewage disposal type, or call the Lake Stevens Sewer District at (425) 334-8588 and ask whether your address is connected. Buying a home? Ask the seller directly and get it in writing.

What does owning a septic system actually mean?

It means the entire system is yours. The tank, the baffles, the drainfield, the pump if you have one — every component from the house outward is the homeowner's property and the homeowner's repair bill. Nobody sends you a monthly bill, but nobody fixes it for free either.

Day to day, a healthy septic system asks little of you: pump the tank every three to five years, keep vehicles and heavy equipment off the drainfield, and be careful what goes down the drains. Grease, wipes (even "flushable" ones), and harsh chemicals shorten a system's life. The expensive failure is the drainfield — once solids or biomat clog the soil, replacement runs into the tens of thousands of dollars, plus permits through Snohomish County Health. Regular pumping is the cheapest insurance a septic owner can buy.

One more thing septic owners in Snohomish County need on their calendar: starting November 1, 2026, a septic inspection is required before a property with a septic system can be sold. Read the full breakdown in our Snohomish County septic inspection mandate guide.

What does being connected to sewer actually mean?

It means your wastewater leaves your property and becomes someone else's job — mostly. The Lake Stevens Sewer District owns and maintains the public sewer mains, the pump stations, and the treatment facilities. You pay a monthly rate for that service (verify current rates on the District's site, lkstevenssewer.org, before budgeting).

The part that surprises homeowners: you own the lateral. The lateral is the pipe running from your house to the public main, and maintenance, root intrusion, collapses, and full replacement of that line are the homeowner's responsibility, not the District's. If sewage backs up into your home, call the District first — they will check whether the blockage is in the public main (their problem) or your lateral (yours). A camera inspection of the lateral costs a few hundred dollars and answers the question definitively. Our sewer line repair page covers what lateral work involves, and the Sewer District guide maps out exactly where their responsibility ends and yours begins.

Which is better: septic or sewer in Lake Stevens?

There is no universal winner — it depends on your budget style and your property. Here is the honest comparison:

Sewer trades a predictable monthly bill for freedom from system ownership. Septic trades no monthly bill for full responsibility. Over 20 years, the totals land closer together than most homeowners expect.

What does each option cost to live with?

Sewer costs are simple: the monthly District rate, plus any lateral repairs if your line fails. Budget for a camera inspection every few years if your lateral is older clay or Orangeburg pipe with root intrusion history — catching trouble early beats an emergency dig later.

Septic costs come in lumps: pumping every three to five years, inspections, and minor tank repairs — baffles, lids, risers. Drainfield replacement is the big one, driven by soil, permits, and system size. We confirm a written quote before work begins.

Can I switch from septic to sewer?

Sometimes. If a public sewer main runs along your street or an easement near your property, you can usually pay connection fees, get permits, and have a plumber run a new lateral from your house to the main, then properly abandon the septic tank per county rules. If no main is nearby, the cost of extending one makes conversion impractical. The first call is to the Lake Stevens Sewer District — they can tell you whether sewer is available at your address and what the connection fees look like. The second call is to a plumber for the lateral work itself.

Last updated: October 2026

Not sure which system you have, or dealing with a backup, slow drains, or a failing drainfield? Contact Eby Plumbing — we service both septic and sewer homes across Lake Stevens, and our septic services cover pumping coordination, inspections, and repairs.