HUD to Help Pay for Sewer Hookups

With thousands of families still relying on aging and malfunctioning septic tanks, the Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved using federal funds to help low-income residents hook up to sewer lines.

The motion, introduced by Councilman Alex Padilla, will help residents citywide including more than 1,000 families in the northeast San Fernando Valley, many of whom live within 50 feet of a sewer line but use septic tanks instead.

Many low-income families, Padilla said, cannot afford sewer hookups, which can cost $3,000 to $17,000.

Padilla said he has heard stories of residents who are embarrassed when visitors come to their homes. “They tell them, ‘Please don’t flush the toilet, it will overflow the septic tank,’ ” he said.

The sewer hookup program will be funded by the city’s Neighborhood Preservation Program, which receives federal grants.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development lists conditions such as poor roofing, inadequate waste disposal systems and faulty electrical wiring as substandard problems eligible for federal funding.