Who pays for the sewer lateral in Artesia, CA

Who is responsible for which part

Artesia writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 6-4.201 of its municipal code adopts by reference Title 20, Utilities, Division 2 of the Los Angeles County Code, "as amended and in effect on October 24, 2002", as the City's sanitary sewers and industrial waste ordinance. Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.

The property owner

The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.

What else is worth knowing

Sources

Checked 26 Sep 2026 (5 weeks ago)

What is required

• Before work on the pipePermit

  Who issues it:

  City of Artesia City Engineer

  What it covers:

  any excavation in or under the surface of a public street, alley, sidewalk or other public place, for any purpose

  Artesia Municipal Code section 7-6.02 provides that no person, other than a franchised public utility acting under its franchise, "shall make or cause or permit to be made, any excavation in or under the surface of any public street, alley, sidewalk or other public place" for the installation, repair or removal of any public conduit, duct or tunnel, "or for any other purpose without first obtaining from the City Engineer an encroachment permit to make such excavation and for the restoration of such public street, alley, sidewalk or other public place to its original condition." The City's sewer ordinance, borrowed from the County, puts the house lateral under the street on the owner, so this is the permit an owner needs to reach their own pipe.

  What to do: Before digging in the street to reach a house lateral, apply to the Artesia City Engineer for an encroachment permit, and ask first whether the street in front of the property was paved, overlaid or slurry sealed recently. If it was, a non-emergency repair will usually need a written waiver and may carry a much larger repaving bill.

  Why this matters▸▾

  A newly paved street may be closed to the dig altogether. Under section 7-5.02, "Non-emergency street excavation is prohibited for a period of five years from the date of notice of completion of street construction, reconstruction, or overlay", and for two years after a slurry seal. The chapter's own definition of a newly paved street, in section 7-5.01, counts four years from construction, reconstruction or overlay rather than five, so ask the City Engineer which period applies. Section 7-5.03 exempts emergencies "that create imminent endangerment of life or property or interrupt essential utility service, as determined by the City Engineer", among others; otherwise section 7-5.04 requires a written waiver request explaining why the work was not done before the resurfacing and cannot wait or move. Where an exception or waiver is granted, section 7-5.05 lets the City Engineer set conditions for restoring the street, which "may include the full-width street paving of the roadway", and the person required to repave pays the full cost. Emergencies do not excuse the pavement repair. Permit fees for plan review and inspection are set by City Council resolution, and working without a permit is a misdemeanor under section 7-6.03.

  In force since 9 Oct 2024 · Checked 26 Sep 2026 (5 weeks ago)

  Artesia Municipal Code section 7-6.02, Encroachment Permit

  Also quoted:

  • Artesia Municipal Code section 7-6.03, Unauthorized Work
  • Artesia Municipal Code section 7-5.02, Protections on Newly Paved Streets
  • Artesia Municipal Code section 7-5.03, Exceptions to Protections on Newly Paved Streets
  • Artesia Municipal Code section 7-5.05, Permit Conditions
  • Artesia Municipal Code section 6-4.201

Who governs and serves this area

Jurisdiction

Artesia (municipality)

Sewer service

No map of sewer providers is held here. BelowGrid cannot say which sewer provider serves an individual address.