Skip to main content
BelowGrid

Who pays for the sewer lateral in Goleta, CA

Which part of the pipe is yours

your buildingproperty linesidewalkstreetmain
The thick length is yours.

If something’s wrong

If a repair needs a permit or an inspection

  • Any time · Work required

    Goleta Municipal Code section 13.03.080(C)(1) provides that "All new building side sewers including side sewer replacements shall be equipped with a cleanout riser fitted with a backflow prevention device of type and materials meeting Uniform Plumbing Code requirements."

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 Goleta about the sewer lateral.

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

Who is responsible for which part

In Goleta the owner owns and maintains the whole side sewer, from the building to the main. Section 13.03.080 of the City's code provides that "The owner of a property shall be responsible for ownership and maintenance of the side sewer (lateral sewer and building sewer) from the building connection to the public sewer line (sewer main) connection."

The property owner
The side sewer - the building sewer and the lateral sewer together - from the building to the connection at the main. The code adds that the City is not responsible for damage caused by breaks or leaks in the owner's lateral or building sewer.

What else is worth knowing

Nothing splits the side sewer; the main is the dividing point, and the code requires the side sewer to join the main with a wye fitting. The City's code applies across Goleta, although Goleta Sanitary District and Goleta West Sanitary District each collect in part of the city. In Goleta Sanitary District's area its own ordinance puts the owner's responsibility "up to and including the WYE connection", and a District permit is required for work on its system.

Sources

Goleta Municipal Code section 13.03.080, Backflow prevention devices

Also quoted:

Checked

What is required

  • Any timeWork required

    Goleta Municipal Code section 13.03.080(C)(1) provides that "All new building side sewers including side sewer replacements shall be equipped with a cleanout riser fitted with a backflow prevention device of type and materials meeting Uniform Plumbing Code requirements."

    What to do: If you are building or replacing a side sewer, make sure the work includes a cleanout riser with a backflow prevention device.

    Why this matters

    A replacement lateral counts, not only a new one - so replacing your side sewer means fitting a cleanout riser with a backflow prevention device.

    In force since · Checked

    Goleta Municipal Code section 13.03.080(C)(1)

What this page cannot tell you

  • No assistance or grant programme has been reviewed for this jurisdiction yet.

Who governs and serves this area

Jurisdiction
Goleta (municipality)
Sewer service
  • Goleta Sanitary District
  • Which provider serves a particular address depends on where it is. Look up an address to resolve it.

How this compares to neighbouring cities

3 of the 4 nearest cities draw the line somewhere else. Each authority publishes only its own rule.

  • Goleta(this page)
    the main
  • Santa Barbaraabout 9 mi
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main
  • Buelltonabout 23 mi
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main
  • Santa Mariaabout 48 mi
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main
  • Guadalupeabout 54 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. Your sewer lateral is yours to the main; your water line stops being yours at the meter.

Who owns the water service line in Goleta

Nearby cities and further reading

Look up a specific address

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

Search for an address