Do Scottsdale homes use septic systems or city sewer?

Both. Some Scottsdale homes connect to the City of Scottsdale's sewer, and some are on a septic system on their own lot. The city says in its planning documents that some areas of Scottsdale have existing septic systems, and a presentation the city gave its council in March 2021 includes maps of septic systems in the north, central and south parts of the city, so it isn't only one part of town. I looked for a current count from the city or the county and didn't find one, so I'm not going to put a number or a share on it.

I'm Jen Keene, a REALTOR® with eXp Luxury in Scottsdale, AZ, and I'm the agent people call at every stage of their life. Whether a home is on septic is something to find out early, because it changes what the seller has to do before closing and what you file afterward. Below is how to check an address, what Arizona requires, and what each rule comes from.

This is general information, not legal advice. I read each source on November 7, 2026, and rules, forms and filing methods change, so confirm the current ones with Maricopa County and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), and ask your attorney or title company about your own sale.

Start with Maricopa County, because the county regulates septic systems in Scottsdale. The city's Water Resources director said so to the city council in 2021, and the county's Environmental Services Department runs the septic program. The county has an Online Septic Search Tool that searches available records at no charge, and it recommends having the parcel number, lot number or address ready, which you can find on the Maricopa County Assessor's website. If the online search doesn't answer it, the county's Environmental Services Department can do a records search, and the county's public records page lists septic permits as a request category.

For sewer, the City of Scottsdale's page on sewer taps lists Development Engineering as the contact for help, and Maricopa County's sewer determination guidance lists Scottsdale Water Administration as the contact for sewer availability. I didn't find a city page that says how to check a single address, so a call or email to one of those offices is the way to get a straight answer. Ask the listing agent too, and ask for the septic inspection report if there is one.

Arizona's rule is A.A.C. R18-9-A316, and Maricopa County's ownership transfer page describes it the same way. The seller has to hire a qualified inspector to inspect the septic system within six months before the property transfers. The inspector fills out a state Report of Inspection form, and before closing the seller has to give the buyer that report and any permitting, operation or maintenance documents the seller has for the system.

The county says this rule overrides conflicting contract terms, and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension says the inspection can't be waived by the buyer, the seller, the real estate agents, the lender or the title company. If a home with a septic system is listed, ask early who is arranging the inspection and when it was done, and keep in mind that the six-month window is measured back from the date the property transfers. The one exception in the rule is a system that was authorized but never put into service before the transfer. In that case no inspection is required, but the buyer still files the notice described below.

The state rule says the inspector evaluates the physical and operational condition of the system and notes any deficiencies and any repairs that were completed. The inspector also confirms that each septic tank was pumped or serviced to remove waste as fully as possible, or states in the report why it wasn't. The rule lists three reasons: the system went into service within 12 months before the inspection, the manufacturer's written instructions show pumping isn't needed, or no floating or settled waste had accumulated. The inspector records the date, completes the Report of Inspection, signs it and gives it to the seller.

The University of Arizona Extension describes the same steps and adds that the inspector contacts the county for the system's records. The rule also sets who can do the inspection: someone with working knowledge of the type of system, training recognized by ADEQ, and one of the licenses the rule lists, such as an Arizona-registered sanitarian or engineer, a certified wastewater treatment plant operator, or certain contractor licenses. Ask the seller's inspector to show you their credentials along with the report.

The buyer files a Notice of Transfer within 15 calendar days after the date the property transfers. The rule says the notice goes to ADEQ for systems completed before January 1, 2001, and to the delegated county or other agency for systems built on or after that date, and Maricopa County's page says it is filed online through the county's Permit Center or with the agency named in its filing instructions. A separate filing is needed for each parcel. Because the filing location depends on the system and the county, use the county page, and ask your title company or attorney to help you keep track of the date.

I'm leaving the filing fee out on purpose. The sources I found gave different fees depending on the agency and the year, and the amount is set by rule, so check the current fee on the county or ADEQ page when you file. The University of Arizona Extension also notes that a buyer who doesn't file can face fines set by ADEQ.

Maricopa County's ownership transfer page says a person shall not use a cesspool for sewage disposal, and that the Notice of Transfer form can't be used to transfer a cesspool. A cesspool is not the same as a septic tank with a drain field, so if an inspection report or old records use that word, stop and ask the county and your attorney what it means for that property before you go further. This one comes from the county's own wording, so I'd treat it as a question to put to them rather than something to rely on from me.

Sometimes. Maricopa County's sewer determination guidance says both the Arizona Administrative Code and the county's Environmental Health Code have provisions where connection to a sewer may be required, including when a septic system fails, and that some cities have stringent requirements that mandate connection. For Scottsdale, the city's council presentation quotes city code section 49-117: if a public sewer is available to the property, the home has to connect when a new building is built, when a building is added to or modified by 50 percent or more by square footage, or when the county denies a septic permit. It also says that if an existing septic system fails or needs modification and a public sewer runs along any frontage of the property, the home has to connect, and the septic system is then abandoned according to county requirements.

That wording comes from the city's own presentation, and I couldn't open the city code itself, so ask the city or your attorney to confirm the current text for the property you're looking at. The city's planning page also says connecting a septic property to the public sewer involves sewer development fees, and that is a question for the city, not something I can price for you.

Ask whether the home is on septic or city sewer, and look it up yourself in the county's septic search. If it is on septic, ask who is arranging the transfer inspection, ask for the Report of Inspection and any permit or maintenance records, and ask the seller what has been done to the system. A deficiency the inspector notes in the report is something to talk through with your attorney and the seller, the same way you would with anything else from your own home inspection. I covered how the inspection period works in Arizona separately, and the buyer's inspection list there includes sewer or septic.

If you're looking at a home on a larger lot or a horse property, the same questions apply. I wrote about buying a horse property in Scottsdale and what to know about water supply when you buy in Scottsdale.

Here's how buying a home works in Arizona, step by step, and here's my guide to buying a home in Scottsdale. If you're on the selling side, here's what to know about seller disclosure in Arizona.

If you have a home in mind and want help working out what to ask, get in touch or call me at (480) 203-6605. For anything that depends on the rules for a specific property, the county, the city, your attorney and your title company are the people to ask.