Who pays for the sewer lateral in Chico, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours all the way to the main, including the fitting where it joins
Why, and what to doYours from the meter to your building
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?
No rule on file here is specific to selling or buying; that does not mean none exists.
Planning work?
- Who issues it:
- City of Chico
- What it covers:
- an initial connection to the sewer system, and increasing the number of dwelling units on premises already connected
Chico Municipal Code 15.36.240 states that "no person shall cause or permit premises to be initially connected to the sewer system nor shall any person increase the number of dwelling units on residential premises connected to the sewer system ... without a connection permit issued by the director". Section 15.36.236 adds that an owner required to install a lateral in a public street is entitled to be reimbursed part of what it cost them.
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
Chico: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
The property owner owns the sewer lateral and maintains it all the way from the building to the City's main, at their sole cost - the portion under the street included, and the fitting where it joins the main with it. The water line in that same street belongs to California Water Service.
- The property owner
- All of it, at the owner's expense. The City states that "the owner of premises connected to the sewer system shall be responsible for maintaining the sewer lateral between the waste disposal system on such premises and the sewer main adjacent to the lot or parcel on which such premises are located in good order and condition and at owner's sole cost and expense", and elsewhere defines a sewer lateral as the run of sewer piping between a building's waste disposal system and a sewer main or trunkline. Both statements reach the main, so the run under the street is the owner's on the face of the code - and the City goes one step further in its own words, putting the far end beyond argument: the owner "owns and is responsible for maintaining the entire sewer lateral from the plumbing in the property owner's buildings, up to and including the connection to the sewer main in the street". It adds that "City crews are not allowed onto private property in order to clean or maintain privately owned sewer laterals". One thing worth knowing if you are the first property on a block to connect: an owner required to install a lateral within a public street or easement is entitled under section 15.36.236 to be reimbursed part of that cost out of the charges levied on later owners who connect to the same lateral, under a written agreement with the City, over a period of between fifteen and thirty years. That is repayment for building the pipe, not a share in keeping it up.
Sources
Chico Municipal Code section 15.36.235 (Maintenance of sewer laterals) with 15.36.236 (Reimbursement for cost of installing sewer laterals) and the definition of "sewer lateral" at 15.36.010(M), chapter 15.36 Sewer Services and Fees (Ord. 1735; Ord. 2268; Ord. 2510)What 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
- Who issues it:
- City of Chico
- What it covers:
- an initial connection to the sewer system, and increasing the number of dwelling units on premises already connected
Chico Municipal Code 15.36.240 states that "no person shall cause or permit premises to be initially connected to the sewer system nor shall any person increase the number of dwelling units on residential premises connected to the sewer system ... without a connection permit issued by the director". Section 15.36.236 adds that an owner required to install a lateral in a public street is entitled to be reimbursed part of what it cost them.
What to do: If you are adding a unit or changing the use of the property, ask about the sewer connection permit alongside the building permit. If the work means laying a lateral in a public street, ask the City about a reimbursement agreement before the work rather than after - the entitlement runs through an agreement executed between the City and the owner.
Chico Municipal Code sections 15.36.240 (Connection permit requirements) and 15.36.236 (Reimbursement for cost of installing sewer laterals), chapter 15.36 (Ord. 1735, Ord. 2364, Ord. 2510)Why this matters
"Increase the number of dwelling units" is an accessory dwelling unit, so adding one in Chico needs a sewer connection permit - the same provision Visalia uses, word for word. The reimbursement is not a grant and does not come from the City. It is paid out of the sewer lateral charges levied on later owners who connect to the same lateral, under a written agreement, over a stipulated period of between fifteen and thirty years. It is a claim on whoever connects to your pipe later, not money back now, and a subdivision's own lots are excluded from it.
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
- Chico (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
2 of the 3 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, fitting included; your water line stops being yours at the meter.
Who owns the water service line in ChicoNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Chico in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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