Who pays for the sewer lateral in Burlingame, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours all the way to the main under the road — if certain conditions are met
Why, and what to doNobody has put this in writing
What is known
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?
Burlingame requires the lateral to be tested and repaired before an older property changes hands. Section 15.12.110 provides that "Whenever any property is to be transferred to or vested in any other person or entity and that property includes any buildings or structures constructed more than 25 years prior to the date of transfer or vesting, the sewer lateral(s) to that property shall be tested for infiltration and all necessary repairs or replacements performed to prevent all infiltration", and that "All repair or replacement work shall be completed and approved by the city prior to transfer of title."
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
Burlingame: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
Burlingame leaves the whole side sewer with the owner unless the City has chosen to take on the street length. Section 15.10.032 provides that "The city shall not be responsible for maintenance or repair of any lateral sewer unless the lateral sewer conforms to all of the requirements of this chapter and other applicable city regulations and the city has expressly determined to provide this maintenance or repair."
- The property owner
- The building sewer from the building to the lateral at the property line, and - unless the City has expressly taken it on - the lateral sewer beyond it, which section 15.10.015 defines as "the portion of a sewer lying within a public right-of-way or easement between the city cleanout and the main sewer to which a building sewer is connected". Leaks and breaks are the owner's to fix: section 15.12.010 declares laterals "which contain leaks or breaks" a public nuisance to be abated by the owner.
What decides which applies
Sources
Burlingame Municipal Code section 15.10.032, Maintenance of sewer lateralsWhat the rules say
Most relevant if you have received a notice from the city or district
No rule on file here is specific to a notice from the city or district; that does not mean none exists.
Also in force here
Burlingame requires the lateral to be tested and repaired before an older property changes hands. Section 15.12.110 provides that "Whenever any property is to be transferred to or vested in any other person or entity and that property includes any buildings or structures constructed more than 25 years prior to the date of transfer or vesting, the sewer lateral(s) to that property shall be tested for infiltration and all necessary repairs or replacements performed to prevent all infiltration", and that "All repair or replacement work shall be completed and approved by the city prior to transfer of title."
What to do: If you are selling a property with buildings more than 25 years old, ask the City whether an earlier test or replacement already exempts it. If not, book the infiltration test early, before listing, so any repair is permitted, done and approved before the closing date.
Burlingame Municipal Code section 15.12.110, Inspection and correction upon saleWhy this matters
The repairs come before closing, not after, so a failed test can hold up a sale. Several exceptions are worth checking first: condominium and cooperative units, a passing test with any repairs done under permit in the last ten years, permitted alterations to the lateral inspected in the last ten years, a complete replacement accepted in the last twenty-five years, and very short laterals the city engineer finds need no test. For this purpose the lateral is "the piping and sewer appurtenances outside a structure" running to a cleanout, wye or manhole acceptable to the city engineer.
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
- Burlingame (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
All 8 of the 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. One of the two authorities does not say where its side ends, so the two answers cannot be compared here.
Who owns the water service line in BurlingameNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Burlingame in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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