Who pays for the sewer lateral in Anaheim, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours all the way to the main under the road
Why, and what to doYours from the meter to your building
Why, and what to do
If something’s wrong
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
Public Works Operations Office 714-765-6860
Hours, after-hours and sourcesIf a repair needs a permit or an inspection
- Who issues it:
- City of Anaheim, the Inspector
- What it covers:
- constructing or altering a sewer in a public street, connecting a house sewer to a connecting sewer, and constructing or altering a private sewer on private property
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".
Buying or selling?
No rule on file here is specific to selling or buying; that does not mean none exists.
Planning work?
The remodelling rule in full, with its sourcesWho is responsible for which part
Who to call first
Public Works Operations Office
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
Sources
City of Anaheim, Public Works OperationsWhat the rules say
Most relevant if you are remodelling or adding a unit
- Who issues it:
- City of Anaheim, the Inspector
- What it covers:
- constructing or altering a sewer in a public street, connecting a house sewer to a connecting sewer, and constructing or altering a private sewer on private property
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.
City of Anaheim Municipal Code chapter 10.08, Domestic and Industrial WasteWhy 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.
What this page cannot tell you
- No assistance or grant programme has been reviewed for this jurisdiction yet.
- No sewer service territory has been mapped for this area, so BelowGrid cannot say who serves an individual address.
Who governs and serves this area
- Jurisdiction
- Anaheim (municipality)
- Sewer service
- No map of sewer providers is held here. BelowGrid cannot say which sewer provider serves an individual address.
How this compares to neighbouring cities
3 of the 8 nearest cities draw the line somewhere else. Each authority publishes only its own rule.
Your other pipe: the water service line
The drinking water line coming into your property is a separate pipe, run by a separate authority, and who is responsible for it is decided separately. Your sewer lateral is yours to the main; your water line stops being yours at the meter.
Who owns the water service line in AnaheimNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Anaheim in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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