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Who owns the sewer line?

Glenn

Registered User
Joined
Nov 1, 2012
Messages
889
Location
Denver
In my region of this country, the owner owns and is financially responsible for the sewer line all the way to the main line under the street. If it breaks there...you pay for digging up the road.

Is this how it is everywhere in the US?

Please tell me your region and if your property owners are responsible for the sewer all the way to the main, or only on their property.

Yes = responsible for all

No = not responsible for portions off their property.

Denver Metro: Yes.

Thanks.
 
~ ~ + ~ ~

Glenn,

In this locale, ...the owners are responsible for only what is

on their property........After that, it is the AHJ's problem and

costs.

~ ~ + ~ ~
 
In So Cal most cities, the owner owns and is financially responsible for the sewer line all the way to the main line under the street.
 
Strange the ahj would want some house owner touching the road and main sewer line
 
cda said:
Strange the ahj would want some house owner touching the road and main sewer line
It's all about money.

they do require a licensed person do the work with public works permits
 
The policy varies with every municipality.

The one I work for, you are responsible for the sewer lateral up to the main.

The municipality next door, you are responsible for the sewer lateral to the property line.

The reasoning behind owning the lateral to the main is that it is only you who is using it, so why should the community pay to fix problems caused by your use?
 
BUILDING SEWER. That part of the drainage system that extends from the end of the building drain and conveys its discharge to a public sewer, private sewer, individual sewage-disposal system or other point of disposal.

YES - Owner is responsible for all the lateral, up to a cleanout at the property line. The rest of the lateral - to the main - is municipal responsibility.
 
When a town was installing a whole new system they installed a clean-out at the curb. The owner was resposable for puting in the line from the clean-out to the house. When I inspected the plumber would put in a plug down into the clean out and fill a 10' high stack at the house trap for a pressure test.
 
In Missouri, it not only varies by municipality but also by who owns and operates the sanitary sewer system.

In my jurisdiction, the homeowner is responsible for the sewer lateral up to the connection with the main.
 
Here owner has upper lateral City has lower, but if a business or multi-family building has a 4" and needs a upgrade they are required to tie in to the main with a 6" and the city will take responsibility for the lower after that
 
here, the developer gets to replace the infrastructure in the street if they choose to build a commercial/multi family project. City gets a bond for the work.. just in case.
 
You don't wanna know how many times I have dealt with this in the past 8 months. The home owner owns the sewer lateral all the way to the main. This becomes an issue when the lateral runs through somebody else's property before attaching to the main. In some more extreme cases, the lateral can run under someone else's accessory structure.

I recently prevented a potential lawsuit between four property owners due to a lateral running through a failing retaining wall. The home owner who owned the line claimed the failing retaining wall, which she did not own, was the reason that her lateral was damaged. The retaining wall serves 2 lots above and 2 lots below, with nobody willing to claim ownership of the wall. The last known survey was in the 1920's. One party involved wouldn't claim ownership of the wall, but demanded that it not be removed. I would have really enjoyed meeting the guy who poured a concrete retaining wall with a sewer lateral running into it, down through it, and then out the bottom. I'm sure he must be dead by now. Oh, the joys of being the building inspector, IPMC inspector, and City Health Director all rolled into one.

Lesson learned - when purchasing a house, find out who is responsible for the utility lines, where they run, who owns the property that they run under, and if a right-of-way was ever granted.
 
My apartment house was built in 1890, or thereabouts. The neighboring house is a bit newer. Their sewer line goes through my foundation and connects to my sewer. Everytime there has been a blockage between my apartment house and the street, I have to pay to get the line cleaned out. The people next door refuse to help with the cost. They also refuse to stop using the sewer until the plumber cleans the line. Last month, I just turned it over to my attorney. He has found out there is a city ordnance forbidding that pipe arrangement. Now, I am requesting they get their own line. They should have worked with me, now they are looking at much more in costs.
 
fireguy said:
My apartment house was built in 1890, or thereabouts. The neighboring house is a bit newer. Their sewer line goes through my foundation and connects to my sewer. Everytime there has been a blockage between my apartment house and the street, I have to pay to get the line cleaned out. The people next door refuse to help with the cost. They also refuse to stop using the sewer until the plumber cleans the line. Last month, I just turned it over to my attorney. He has found out there is a city ordnance forbidding that pipe arrangement. Now, I am requesting they get their own line. They should have worked with me, now they are looking at much more in costs.
cut it and cap it!

we had something similar to this a while ago. 3 condo building with the sewer laterals running side by side out the end unit. We stated our concerns to the condo association and they chose not to change the arrangement, so it is their problem if anything every happens and someone has to pay to have the neighbor's basement jackhammered out to get to the sewer lateral.
 
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!
 
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
 
Rick18071 said:
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.
 
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