Important information pertaining to contractors, developers, design/engineering professionals and other vendors working within the City of Columbus, such as: contractor certification, regulations, fees, standard drawings & specifications, and more.
Sales/Permit Offices & Bill Payment Center
Utility bill payment and permit offices moved to the Michael B. Coleman Government Center, 111 N. Front Street. Open weekdays 7:30 am - 5 pm (Permit Office until 4 pm) with free short-term parking in the garage across Long Street.
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Customer Portal & Paperless Billing Options
Visit our Customer Portal to sign up for eBill, pay online with a check or credit card, auto pay and more. Returning portal customers must re-register (including reestablishing auto-pay) due to a new vendor.
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Rates, Fees, and Connection Charges
Find current utility rates, charts detail the various service charges and fees associated with connecting to city water, sewers and fire hydrants, rates for power, festival rates & more. Average costs includes what an average bill runs, running toilets & faucets, outdoor watering and filling a swimming pool.
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Get Approved
Forms, environmental requirements and information required of contractors to get approved to work on Utilities projects. Includes: EMS, Stormwater Manual, Subcontractor Utilization, Supplemental Permit Questionnaire, Backflow, Water Distribution Approved Materials, CAD Digital Submission Standards, Private Sewer Agreement & more.
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Get Certified
Authorization is required prior to working on City water or sewer lines. To "Get Certified," contractors must submit an application to the DPU at 910 Dublin Road, Columbus,
OH 43215 and meet with a Review Board (meetings are every third Thursday from 9
a.m.- 3:30 p.m). Contractor licenses must be renewed annually. Residents can search the Citizen Portal for approved contractors. Note: DPU does not endorse or recommend any contractor.
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Simple Steps for Contractors to Protect Water and Avoid Costly Fines/Cleanup Fees
Contractors and those who do home improvement projects can be fined thousands of dollars if they allow paint, drywall compound, concrete washout or other chemicals to go down a storm drain. Follow these guidelines to learn how to properly dispose of leftover materials and wastewater and gain ideas for recycling and reuse.
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Cross-Connection Backflow Control
To ensure there is no cross-connection or back siphoning of contaminated water into the main water supply, those with irrigation systems, auxiliary meters, car washes, pools and others are required to install a backflow prevention device which must be tested annually by a certified contractor.
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Fire Hydrants
Temporary hydrant use permits are available for new construction, nurseries, filling community swimming pools, water hauling, dust control & demolition. Find available hydrants, contact info, permit request form, fire protection rates & more.
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Stormwater Drainage Manual
This manual establishes stormwater control requirements for all new public and private development and redevelopment in the City of Columbus. It requires post construction stormwater controls for both water quality and water quantity.
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Land Application
This program recycles biosolids from the wastewater treatment process to fertilize croplands for corn, soybeans, turf grass and wheat.
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Private Sewer Agreement
This form is required to obtain permission to construct a private sanitary sewer discharging into the City Sewerage System, in accordance with City Standard Specifications. More About Private Sewer Agreement
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Construction & Materials Specifications
The City of Columbus recently completed an extensive revision to its Construction And Materials Specifications (CMSC), which are in effect as of March 1, 2018.
For CIPs: Any contract previously awarded will continue to follow the 2012 CMSC unless otherwise directed by the department.
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CAD Digital Submission Standards
For the creation and submittal of digital drawings, a Zip format file with
Microsoft Word standards document and an autocad drawing template is
available.
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Water Distribution Facilities Approved Materials List
Developers or contractors constructing potable water facilities within the City of Columbus and surrounding contracted water service areas shall indicate all materials used in conjunction with the project & submit this form (includes Approved Materials List) in its entirety.
Approved Materials List
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Water & Sewer Contract Communities
DPU provides water & sewer service to over 20 communities in addition to Columbus through contractual agreements. Many of the customers in these communities receive a bill from Columbus. Other municipalities buy water in bulk from Columbus and handle their own billing (master metered communities).
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