Who pays for the sewer lateral in Arcata, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours from your property line to your building — if certain conditions are met
Why, and what to do
If something’s wrong
If a repair needs a permit or an inspection
No rule on file here is specific to a repair; that does not mean none exists.
Buying or selling?
Arcata requires the building sewer to be tested before an older property changes hands. Section 7451(A) applies "Whenever any real property located within the City of Arcata is to be sold, transferred or vested in any other person or entity and that property contains any Building constructed more than twenty five (25) years prior to the date of sale", and then "the property owner shall have the Building Sewer and Sewer Clean-out inspected and tested for infiltration and inflow". The 25-year line is measured from the date of sale, so it moves each year.
Planning work?
No rule on file here is specific to remodelling or adding a unit; that does not mean none exists.
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
Arcata: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
In Arcata the property owner maintains the building sewer, or upper lateral, which runs from the building to the property line, where the City's code places a sewer clean-out. Section 7437 provides that "Building Sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the Property served thereby". Where there is no clean-out, section 7433 makes the owner "responsible for maintaining both the Building Sewer and Lateral Sewer to the City's Public Sewer line".
- The property owner
- The building sewer, which the code defines as "That portion of a Sewer beginning at the plumbing or drainage outlet of a Building and running to the property line or to a Private Sewer." Where no clean-out exists between the building sewer and the lateral sewer, the owner maintains the lateral sewer under the street as well, to the public sewer line.
What decides which applies
Sources
City of Arcata Ordinance No. 1461, amending Title VII, Chapter 2 (Sewers) of the Arcata Municipal CodeWhat the rules say
Most relevant if you are repairing or replacing the pipe
No rule on file here is specific to repairing or replacing the pipe; that does not mean none exists.
Also in force here
Arcata requires the building sewer to be tested before an older property changes hands. Section 7451(A) applies "Whenever any real property located within the City of Arcata is to be sold, transferred or vested in any other person or entity and that property contains any Building constructed more than twenty five (25) years prior to the date of sale", and then "the property owner shall have the Building Sewer and Sewer Clean-out inspected and tested for infiltration and inflow". The 25-year line is measured from the date of sale, so it moves each year.
What to do: If you are selling in Arcata, check whether the City issued a building sewer certificate for the property in the last 25 years. If not, arrange the test, and a clean-out if there is none, with the City's Building and Engineering Department well before escrow is due to close.
City of Arcata Ordinance No. 1461, Arcata Municipal Code section 7451Why this matters
A building sewer or clean-out that fails has to be repaired or replaced before the transfer, unless the owner posts a bond or cash deposit and finishes the work within a year. A property without a clean-out at the property line needs one installed before title transfers, and the seller must tell buyers about these requirements. No test is needed if the City inspected, tested or approved repairs or replacement of the building sewer and clean-out in the 25 years before the sale, for a transfer between family members with no reassessment, or for a condominium project whose homeowners association maintains the building sewer under recorded covenants.
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
- Arcata (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
1 of the 2 nearest cities draws the line somewhere else. Each authority publishes only its own rule.
Nearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Arcata in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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