A tap is the connection from your service line into the city main. In Phoenix, city crews make the tap and set the meter, while the contractor marks the location and installs the line from the wye to the property line. The tap, box and meter stay city property. You need a right-of-way permit.
Who makes the tap?
In Phoenix, the city does. Its water service page says a full service includes a tap and meter installation from a water main in the right-of-way or easement, and that city crews install the tap from the main to the property line. The contractor marks the tap location and follows the guidelines in city code. For sewer, city crews install the tap and wye. The contractor then installs the line from the wye to the property line.
The city also controls the meter. Phoenix code says only authorized Water Services representatives may install, remove or reinstall water meters, and a developer who moves one pays to put it back. Do not let a site contractor relocate a meter to "make room" for a driveway or a slab. It is the developer's bill to restore it.
What do you need before the tap?
- Approved plans. Scottsdale's sewer tap plans are two 24 by 36 inch site plans that a professional designer can prepare without an engineer's seal. They show the invert elevation of the tap at the property line, the tap location dimensioned to the property line, the linear feet of sewer in the right-of-way, the square footage of pavement, curb, gutter, concrete and sidewalk that will be removed and replaced, utility crossings, the rim and floor elevations upstream and downstream, and a cleanout at the property line. Any abandonment of an onsite septic system per the county health department goes on the plans too.
- A right-of-way permit. Scottsdale requires a Permission to Work in the Right-of-Way (PWR) permit and an approved barricade and traffic control plan. Phoenix's sewer fee page lists a commercial right-of-way permit and a bond for sewer taps.
- A meter size. Phoenix sets its water fees by meter size, and new taps for buildings must be at least 1 inch. See what sets the meter size.
- Locates. Scottsdale's notes say to call Blue Stake (811) two working days before excavation, and Arizona law requires an excavator to check for underground facilities before digging. See permit to dig in the right-of-way.
What are the steps, in order, and where do people slip?
- 1Confirm service is available (see will-serve letters).
- 2Size the meter from the fixture count and any irrigation or fire demand.
- 3Get the tap plans and right-of-way permit approved and pay the city's review fees.
- 4Call 811, mark the tap location and set up traffic control.
- 5The city makes the tap and sets the meter (Phoenix). Your contractor lays the line from the wye or meter to the property line.
- 6The city inspects. Scottsdale asks you to notify the inspector 72 hours before work begins.
- 7Backfill and restore the pavement to the city's specification.
Scottsdale also notes that plan approval is valid for six months. If the permit is not issued in that window, you resubmit.
### Does a new water main change the steps?
Yes, and it adds a health step. Scottsdale requires new water mains to be flushed, pressure tested and disinfected before they connect to the city system, in accordance with MAG Section 611 and AWWA Standard C651. No main may be connected to the existing system until it passes microbiological testing, and a New Main Disinfection Plan is due by email two working business days before sampling. Private water mains downstream of backflow devices must follow MAG requirements under contractor oversight.
### What about construction water?
Phoenix has a separate track. It accepts applications for a construction water meter once the developer's service connection has been installed and accepted by the city. It bills a separate charge for each metered connection and, for inside-city work, collects an estimated 120-day water use charge in advance before setting the meter. Scottsdale offers hydrant meters, blow-off meters, service meters and temporary construction meters, each with a backflow device the city inspects before the meter is delivered.
What does the work look like on a real commercial site?
Picture a new restaurant on a pad lot. The sewer main runs down the middle of the street in front, and the water main is on the far side. Two taps are needed, and each one touches the street.
The owner's engineer draws the offsite portion: the point where the sewer service leaves the property line, the length of pipe in the right-of-way, and the pavement that will be cut. The plans list the pavement, curb and sidewalk quantities, since Scottsdale's right-of-way permit fees depend on how much right-of-way is disturbed. The plumbing designer sizes the water meter from the fixture count. The contractor gets the right-of-way permit and a traffic control plan approved, calls 811, and schedules the city's tap and meter installation along with the inspection.
Along the way, a few points are worth checking with the utility:
- Who supplies the meter and box. In Phoenix, the city does, and they stay its property.
- What the city needs from you. Scottsdale's notes say the city approves the scope of work and the contractor is responsible for the engineering detail, using MAG uniform standard specifications as amended by the city.
- What the crossings look like. Scottsdale's plans must show the utility crossings, because a lateral cutting across a gas or storm line changes the trench plan.
- What you owe on the property side. A cleanout at the property line and a backwater valve where required are on your side of the line. Ask your plumber to confirm both before the city inspection, since the inspector looks at the whole connection.
What do you own afterward, and what goes wrong most often?
Phoenix says the box, meter and tap remain the property of Water Services. Your responsibility starts at the property line or the meter, depending on the utility, so ask where your utility draws it before you price the job. Phoenix also limits the size of a new service connection to 50 percent of the service main's diameter, and on a dead-end main to half of what a looped main allows.
Treat the tap as the last step, not the first. Both cities require approved plans and permits before construction, and the meter size drives the fees. Do the will-serve and meter sizing first, then the plans, then the permit, and let the tap follow.
For the plumbing on your side of the connection, HQ Plumbing & Air gives a free estimate and quotes the price up front. Rules and who does what vary by city, so confirm with your utility. For the bigger picture, see what offsite plumbing is and who pays to extend a main.
For the related service-planning question, see who owns the commercial water service line from the street to the meter.