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Who pays for the sewer lateral in Del Mar, CA

Which part of the pipe is yours

your buildingproperty linesidewalkstreetmain?
The thick length is yours. A hatched run means nobody has said where it divides.

If something’s wrong

If a repair needs a permit or an inspection

  • Before work on the pipe · Permit

    Who issues it:
    City of Del Mar - a permit from the Department
    What it covers:
    connecting private pipe to pipe in the street, and constructing any sewer in the street or the City

    Del Mar Municipal Code section 22.08.010 makes it unlawful "to connect any pipe on private property with any pipe in the street that is connected with the public sewer, or to construct any sewer in the street that is connected with the public sewer, or to construct any sewer in the City without first obtaining a permit to do so from the Department".

The repair rule in full, with its sources

Buying or selling?

No rule on file here is specific to selling or buying; that does not mean none exists.

Who to call first about the sewer lateral

BelowGrid has no first-call guidance on file from Del Mar about the sewer lateral.

Del Mar: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on

Who is responsible for which part

Del Mar puts the whole lateral on the owner, under the street as well. Section 22.08.090 provides that "The property owners serviced by a sewer lateral shall be responsible for the maintenance of that lateral. The City shall not maintain the sewer lateral between the street main and the structure."

The property owner
The lateral between the street main and the structure. Section 22.08.070 adds that "The costs for installation, maintenance, and replacement of the sewer connections (sewer service lateral) as defined in Section 22.04.010" are the property owner's, and section 22.04.010 defines the sewer connection or lateral as "the service pipes extending from the private property line to the public sewer main in a public street, alley or easement".

What else is worth knowing

Nothing divides the pipe at the property line: the owner has the pipe on the lot and the length under the street, and the City is not required to provide a property-line cleanout. When the City has to clear a stoppage in a lateral, the owner pays for it. These sections govern property on the City's sewer.

Sources

Del Mar Municipal Code section 22.08.090, Liability of property owners for removal of obstructions in laterals

Also quoted:

Checked

What the rules say

Most relevant if you are repairing or replacing the pipe

  • Before work on the pipePermit
    Who issues it:
    City of Del Mar - a permit from the Department
    What it covers:
    connecting private pipe to pipe in the street, and constructing any sewer in the street or the City

    Del Mar Municipal Code section 22.08.010 makes it unlawful "to connect any pipe on private property with any pipe in the street that is connected with the public sewer, or to construct any sewer in the street that is connected with the public sewer, or to construct any sewer in the City without first obtaining a permit to do so from the Department".

    What to do: Before rebuilding or reconnecting the lateral, get the Department's permit; the Department designates where the connection is made.

    Why this matters

    The owner's lateral runs under the street to the main, so rebuilding it is the owner's work and needs the Department's permit. Sewerage construction is inspected by the City or its representative.

    Checked

    Del Mar Municipal Code section 22.08.010

    Also quoted:

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
Del Mar (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 8 nearest cities draw the line somewhere else. Each authority publishes only its own rule.

  • Del Mar(this page)
    the main
  • Solana Beachabout 2 mi
    the main
  • San Diegoabout 12 mi
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main
  • Encinitasabout 6 mi
    the main (conditions apply; see that page)
  • Carlsbadabout 11 mi
    the main (conditions apply; see that page)
  • Escondidoabout 16 mi
    the main
  • Oceansideabout 18 mi
    the main
  • Coronadoabout 22 mi
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main (conditions apply; see that page)
  • El Cajonabout 21 mi
    the main

Distances are approximate, in a straight line between the places’ centres.

Compare the rules city by city

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 Del Mar

Nearby cities and further reading

Look up a specific address

This page describes what applies to properties in Del Mar in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.

Search for an address