Goleta Sanitary District Permits
Welcome to Goleta Sanitary District’s guide on determining what kind permit you need. Navigating the permitting process can be complex, but we are here to help. This section will provide you with the necessary information to identify the specific permit required for your project. If you have any questions regarding your permit please contact Dylan Kitao, Engineering Assistant, at
All permits issued are governed by Ordinances adopted by the District as well as the 2008 Goleta Sanitary District Standard Specifications for Design and Construction of Sanitary Sewers. Knowledge of the District’s ordinances, rules, and regulations is essential to being able to properly plan, engineer, and construct improvements within District’s service area. The purpose of the ordinances and standard specifications is to define in general terms the rules, regulations, and standards of the District for sewer facilities under public and private contract. A permitting flowchart, District Standard Specifications, and applicable Ordinances can be found below:
A summary of the permitting process is provided below, while a flowchart can also be found in the link above.
- In order for a property to receive sanitary sewage service, the parcel needs to be Annexed into the District’s Service Area. Click on the Annexation heading text, below, where you can find a link to the District Interactive Map. Within the map you can see if your property is within the District's service area boundary or to make a request to be annexed into the District's service area.
- Applicants seeking new sanitary sewer service shall first obtain a “Sewer Service Availability Letter” from the District to verify the sewer service availability or capacity in your area’s sewer mains. This will serve as a “preliminary sewer service determination” that is required for City and County permitting. Accessory Dwelling Units or changes to an existing sanitary sewer service do not need a new Sewer Service Availability Letter. Click on the “Sewer Service Availability Letter” header text, below, to begin your request.
- Industrial Users may need to obtain an “Industrial User Permit”, click on the Industrial Waste Control heading text below to see if your project requires a industrial pretreatment permit.
- Obtain a Goleta Sanitary District “Permit For Service” that serves as the District’s “Can and Will Serve” commitment of service for the purposes of other agencies’ permitting processes. Click on the “Sewer Service Connection Permits” header text, below, to begin your application. Attaining a Goleta Sanitary District permit will be required to attain a building permit from the City or County.
- District inspection of the new construction (tenant improvement, new connection, cleanout installation, etc.) will need to be completed to ensure compliance with the District approved plans and standards. The applicant must request an initial inspection once your construction is complete and but the improvement/connection is still accessible to be inspected. Applicant must also request a final inspection at the completion of the project prior to occupancy release. Contact your District representative from the Permit Application process to schedule inspections.
- A prorated sewer service charge will be collected from the time of occupancy release to the end of the District’s current fiscal year on June 30th. An Annual Sewer Service Charge will then be added to the Santa Barbara County Property Tax Statement for the property and the process is complete!
Annexation
All properties receiving sewage collection, treatment, and disposal service from the District must be annexed into the District’s service area. An outline of the annexation procedure can be found in Section 3 of the District’s Standard Specifications, above. Please click on the heading text to submit a Request for Annexation.
Sewer Service Availability Letters
Properties within the District’s service area seeking a new sanitary service will need to obtain a “Sewer Service Availability Letter. This is to verify the sewer main availability or capacity that the applicant is proposing to discharge too. Click on the heading text to request a sewer service availability letter.
Sewer Permits
Sewer connection permits are issued to residential, industrial, and commercial users who are annexed within the District’s service area, have a “Sewer Service Availability Letter”, and are planning to connect to the District’s sewer. This includes new projects (new single-family residence, development, commercial establishment, etc.) as well as site improvements to existing connections (remodel, addition of accessory dwelling unit, changes to sewer connection, etc.). Accessory dwelling units and site improvements to existing connections do not need a Sewer Service Availability Letter before applying a sewer connection permit. Industrial users may need to apply for and receive an approved Industrial User Permit before applying for a sewer connection permit. Click on the heading text to request a sewer service availability letter.
Industrial Waste Control
The District recognizes that all members of the community have a part to play in the protection of the environment. The District's Industrial Waste Control (IWC) program works with local businesses to make sure they are properly disposing their harmful substances, keeping them out of the sewer system. Businesses can find specific forms and learn how to obtain permits by clicking on the heading text.
Other Requests
If you do not see your specific request above please contact Dylan Kitao, engineering assistant at