Who pays for the sewer lateral in Anaheim, CA

Who is responsible for which part

The whole sewer lateral is the property owner's, and Anaheim says so about the expensive part in the same breath as its water answer: "unlike water lines, where the City owns the portion from the street to the meter, the entire portion of a sewer lateral is private property" - including the run under the street. The City keeps the public sewer line in the street.

The property owner

The entire length, including the part under the road. The City's guide states that "unlike water lines, where the City owns the portion from the street to the meter, the entire portion of a sewer lateral is private property", and that "property owners are responsible for the proper operation and maintenance of the entire length of the lateral" - spelling out that this covers "even the portion that runs under the street". The lateral is defined there as the pipe carrying "wastewater from inside your home to the public sewer line in the street".

What else is worth knowing

Nothing splits the pipe, but who may work on it is not entirely your choice. Because the run under the street is yours and is also in the public right-of-way, the Municipal Code provides that no permit to construct or alter a sewer there issues unless the person holds a valid sewer contractor's licence - so ask about that licence before asking for a quote. Two facts from the City worth knowing first: most laterals here are vitrified clay with a service life the City puts at 30 to 50 years, and "roots usually indicate a pre-existing pipe defect" rather than breaking a sound pipe, so treat roots as a symptom to investigate. And your other pipe answers the other way: the same City owns the water service from the street to the meter.

Checked 2026-09-20

What is required

• When you askPermit

  The City of Anaheim requires a permit from the Inspector to construct or alter a sewer in a public street, to connect a house sewer to a connecting sewer, and to construct or alter a private sewer on private property. For work in the street the code goes further: "no permit shall be issued to any person to construct or alter any sewer within a public street, or right-of-way, unless said person shall hold a valid sewer contractor's license". Only two exceptions are named, one of which reaches no further than the property line. Tapping a main line sewer is restricted to "a qualified contractor, or a person authorized by the City", and "all costs and expense incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner".

  What to do: Before taking quotes, ask whether the contractor holds a valid sewer contractor's licence, not merely a plumbing licence - that is what decides whether they can be permitted to work in the street, which is where the expensive half of your lateral is. Confirm the permit covers the work on your own land as well, since the code requires one there too, and read the indemnity clause before signing anything, because the costs and the liability both sit with the owner.

  Why this matters▸▾

  Anaheim tells homeowners plainly that the entire lateral is theirs "even the portion that runs under the street" - and then restricts who may lawfully work on that portion. The qualification is a SEWER CONTRACTOR'S licence, which is narrower than the "licensed plumber or sewer contractor" the City's own brochure suggests calling, so a plumber who can do the work on your land may not be able to get the permit for the work in the road. The exception for a house sewer permit stops "on private property or at the property line" and does not reach into the street. The owner also indemnifies the City against loss "directly or indirectly" occasioned by the installation, and a connection disconnected for non-compliance needs a fresh permit to reconnect.

  In force since 2026-09-14 · Checked 2026-09-14

  City of Anaheim Municipal Code chapter 10.08, Domestic and Industrial Waste

  Also quoted:

  • City of Anaheim, Sewer Laterals Informational Brochure

Who governs and serves this area

Jurisdiction

Anaheim (municipality)

Sewer service

Not mapped. No sewer service territory covering this area has been added, so BelowGrid cannot say who serves an individual address here.