Who pays for the sewer lateral in Fort Bragg, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours from your property line to your building
Why, and what to do
If something’s wrong
If a repair needs a permit or an inspection
Fort Bragg Municipal Code section 14.24.220 provides that "No underground sanitary sewer works shall be covered at any point until it has been inspected and passed for acceptance." The work first needs a District permit: section 14.24.010 says no unauthorized person shall "perform any work on any sewer lateral without first obtaining a written permit from the District."
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
Fort Bragg: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
In Fort Bragg the lateral is split at the edge of the public right-of-way: the City's sewer district maintains the part under the street, and the owner has the part on private property. Section 14.28.100(A) of the City's code provides that "The maintenance of all lateral sewers located within the public street, alley, or other public right-of-way is the responsibility of the District." The District is the Fort Bragg Municipal Improvement District No. 1, through which the City owns and operates its wastewater system.
- Fort Bragg
- The lateral where it lies in the public street, alley or other public right-of-way, from the right-of-way line to the main. The code does not say who maintains a public portion of lateral that lies in a public easement rather than a right-of-way. After the first blockage or failure in a calendar year, the cost of clearing or repairing the right-of-way length passes to the owner where the cause is fats, oils and grease, fish processing residues or packaging, or damage by the owner, occupant or their agents such as plumbers.
- The property owner
- The private portion of the lateral: "The private portion of a sewer lateral lies within private property, private easement, or other similar right." Section 14.28.110 provides that "All private property portions of sewer laterals showing leakage or damage shall be repaired or replaced at the property owner's expense", at the direction and to the satisfaction of the District Manager.
What else is worth knowing
Sources
Fort Bragg Municipal Code chapter 14.28, Sanitary Code - Lateral Sewers and ConnectionsWhat the rules say
Most relevant if you are remodelling or adding a unit
No rule on file here is specific to remodelling or adding a unit; that does not mean none exists.
Also in force here
Fort Bragg Municipal Code section 14.24.220 provides that "No underground sanitary sewer works shall be covered at any point until it has been inspected and passed for acceptance." The work first needs a District permit: section 14.24.010 says no unauthorized person shall "perform any work on any sewer lateral without first obtaining a written permit from the District."
What to do: Before any work on a sewer lateral, get a written permit from the District at the City, and leave the pipe uncovered until the District's inspector has passed it, giving written notice at least 24 hours before the inspection.
Fort Bragg Municipal Code chapter 14.24, Sanitary Code - Permits and FeesWhy this matters
The permit reaches work on the private part of the lateral as well as the part under the street. The person doing the work has to tell the District Manager's office in writing that it is ready, at least 24 hours before the inspection, and make sure it will pass the District's tests first. Work that is rejected has to be repaired or restored, and the owner bears the costs of installing and connecting a permitted sewer. Digging in a public street also needs a separate permit from the City or County.
Fort Bragg Municipal Code section 14.28.115 provides that "During sewer main improvements, the sewer lateral(s) served by the main shall be tested for infiltration." The owner of the land holding the private part of a lateral that fails is responsible for the costs of the repairs, and "Such work shall be completed within 180 days of being notified of lateral failure." Two kinds of building are exempt, and in each case it is the District Manager who decides: one where the laterals were tested and repaired or replaced to District standards within the last three years, and one where new sewer construction was inspected and passed within the last three years - which is determined by a test performed by District staff.
What to do: If the City tells you your lateral failed its test during work on the main, get the inspection video, have a plumber price the repair of the private part, and take out the plumbing permit in time to finish within 180 days of the notice.
Fort Bragg Municipal Code section 14.28.115, Testing of lateral sewers at time of sewer main improvementWhy this matters
This does not wait for a sale or a building permit: it follows the City's work on the main in your street. The City tests through a cleanout on the property, and installs one in the right-of-way if there is no suitable cleanout; if the private part needs repair it provides the inspection video. A failed lateral is repaired or replaced and retested until it no longer leaks, under a plumbing permit. Apart from standard permit costs, the District staff test for the second exemption carries no charge to the owner, and a failed test leads back to repair and retesting.
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
- Fort Bragg (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 Fort Bragg in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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