Who owns the sewer line?

[Rick18071]

I have an apartment building where my sewer lines runs out the back and under the house on the other side of the block and out the front of that house then under the street. Don't know if the other house connects to it or not. Never had trouble with it. The town wants me to disconet the rain gutters from it. This house goes right up to the property line and has no yard! If I diconect them all the water will go into the sidewalk and down into the nabors house. Then I will have trouble!

 

[Francis Vineyard]

We inspect to the property line.

1. Unless previously accepted by the City, the entire sanitary lateral is the responsibility of the property owner for which it serves. The City will take ownership of the sewer laterals located in the right-of-way if a new lateral line is installed from the BUILDING to the MAIN; a cleanout is set at the property line; and the installation is inspected and approved by the Utilities Department.



Francis

 

[MikeC]

The town wants me to disconet the rain gutters from it. This house goes right up to the property line and has no yard! If I diconect them all the water will go into the sidewalk and down into the nabors house. Then I will have trouble!

Another common issue. Many sump pumps, gutters, and roof drains were tied into sewer lines over the years. In boom towns, the houses were built with minimal to no setbacks from property lines and neighboring structures. Now the AHJs want all of that rain water out of their system. The water has to go somewhere, but where? Commercial buildings may not have exterior areas to run the water into. A sump pump discharged out the basement window of a house that sits 4 feet from a neighboring house is promised to create a complaint.

Just do your best to use common sense and call upon the AHJ and the neighbor for help. Hopefully all can come to an amicable solution.

 

[Rider Rick]

To the property line.

 

[Alias]

Where I was formerly employed, to the meter. The city didn't want anyone cutting into the streets. City did the meter set and cut the street. Customer was charged for the city's cost of time & materials.

Sue

 

[ADAguy]

Strange the ahj would want some house owner touching the road and main sewer line

so true

 

[Mark K]

If the downspouts run into the sewer line then during heavy rains the sewer system will be over loaded resulting in untreated water being released thus making the City in violation of the pollution laws.

 

[fatboy]

In my jurisdiction......storm water does not enter the sanitary sewer system....ever.........separate systems........

 

[JBI]

Gutters and leaders could redirect the storm water back onto the subject parcel.
Most municipal systems found that being inundated with clean storm water was causing unnecessary expense for sewer districts, requiring separate discharge of storm water to other than the sewer district lines.
Economics.

 

[Rick18071]

They are asking me if my rain gutters are connected to the sewer. I told them I don't know. The sewer pipe goes into the basement floor and the rain gutters go into pipes in the ground. That's all I told them. Never heard anything back.