Hamilton County

Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (a Hamilton County sewer district under ORC Chapter 6117)

In short

Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (a Hamilton County sewer district under ORC Chapter 6117) issues 2 permits we publish for Hamilton County, last verified 2026-09-30. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
MSD Food Service Registration, Grease Trap Review and Sewer Availability	Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (a Hamilton County sewer district under ORC Chapter 6117)	No fee	registration is renewed every five years, and MSD requires an update whenever there is a change to ownership or operations	2026-09-30
Sewer Tap and Water Tap Before a Certificate of Occupancy	Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (a Hamilton County sewer district under ORC Chapter 6117)	No fee	per connection, obtained before the Certificate of Occupancy is issued for the building	2026-09-30

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

MSD Food Service Registration, Grease Trap Review and Sewer Availability

The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati is a Hamilton County requirement even though the City of Cincinnati runs it day to day: the county's own page states that MSD 'is a County Sewer District as defined under Section 6117 of the Ohio Revised Code', that as owner 'the County is responsible for... adopting rules and regulations', and that 'the City serves as the sole operator of MSD'. For a food business MSD imposes three duties under Article XV of those rules, and MSD's own page states each of them. First, 'A Request for Availability of Sewer Service application is required for construction of a new restaurant or food service establishment or for modification of an existing property for an increased or new use. This application is necessary to ensure sewers are accessible and have capacity to serve the property.' Second, 'When local plumbing code requires food service operations to install a grease control device (trap or interceptor), MSD must perform a grease trap review', with a kitchen plumbing plan and isometric showing the fixtures draining to the trap, plus a typical menu. Third, 'Food service operations are required to register with MSD and then renew or update their applications periodically. Initial registration is covered as part of the grease trap review. Renewals are required every five years.' MSD adds that these sit 'in addition to any Building or Health Department requirements from a municipality or township', so they stack on the HCPH food license and the county building permit rather than replacing anything. MSD does not publish the amounts for this work: its Development Services page states that it 'accepts cash, checks, or online payments for sewer tap permits, sewer tapper licenses, and inspection fees' and asks applicants to 'contact Development Services by phone to verify fees before making a payment', so the duty and the five-year renewal are recorded here and the figures come from that call. Applications moved to the county's CAGIS ezTrak portal in late 2025.

Sewer Tap and Water Tap Before a Certificate of Occupancy

These two utility approvals gate the Certificate of Occupancy, and the county's development-process page states both in terms: 'Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC) provides sanitary sewer service to most of Hamilton County (exceptions include Glendale, Indian Hill, Terrace Park, Harrison, Harrison Township, Whitewater Township). Applicants must obtain a Sewer Tap and Inspection before a building Certificate of Occupancy can be issued.' And: 'Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) provides Water service to most of Hamilton County (exceptions include, Glendale, Indian Hill, Addyston, Cleves (including Western Miami Township and most of Whitewater Township), Portions of Harrison Township, Harrison, Loveland and Wyoming). Applicants requiring a new or upgraded service must obtain a Water Tap and Inspection before a building Certificate of Occupancy can be issued.' The practical reading is that a fit-out needing a new or upgraded water service, or any new sewer connection, has two more inspections standing between finished construction and a lawful opening, each with its own queue, and the exception lists matter because an address in Indian Hill, Glendale or Terrace Park deals with a different provider. No fee for either tap is published on the county's page: MSD's Development Services page asks applicants to 'contact Development Services by phone to verify fees before making a payment', and the water tap amount is set by Greater Cincinnati Water Works. Where the premises is not on public sewer at all, the Hamilton County Public Health on-site sewage treatment system permit applies instead, and that one is priced.

Contact

Jurisdiction: Hamilton County
Phone: Not verified — use the website
Website: msdgc.org/customers/food-service-customers/

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

Development Process — the county's own page naming the six contract jurisdictions and the commercial-only footnote, the zoning certificate prerequisite, Inspection Bureau, Inc. for electrical review, and the sewer tap and water tap that must precede a Certificate of OccupancyHamilton County, Ohio · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
Development Services — MSD's own page: it accepts cash, cheques or online payments for sewer tap permits, sewer tapper licenses and inspection fees, and asks applicants to contact Development Services by phone to verify fees before making a paymentMetropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
Food Service Customers — MSD's own page: the Request for Availability of Sewer Service, the grease trap and interceptor review where local plumbing code requires a grease control device, registration of food service operations with renewals every five years, and Article XV of the MSD Rules and RegulationsMetropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
Metropolitan Sewer District — the county's own page: MSD is a County Sewer District under ORC Chapter 6117, the county as owner sets policy and rates and adopts the rules and regulations, and the City of Cincinnati is the sole operatorHamilton County, Ohio · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30

Other offices serving Hamilton County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Business licenses in Hamilton County

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Ohio jurisdictions

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