Who pays for the sewer lateral in Grass Valley, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours all the way to the main under the road
Why, and what to do
If something’s wrong
If a repair needs a permit or an inspection
- Who issues it:
- City of Grass Valley - building department, on a form approved by the public works director or city engineer
- What it covers:
- any work on a building sewer, service sewer or connection
Grass Valley Municipal Code section 13.12.050(A) provides that "No work shall be undertaken on any building sewer, service sewer, or connection until a sewer connection permit has been first obtained from the building department on a form approved by the public works director/city engineer or his designated representative."
Buying or selling?
Grass Valley Municipal Code section 13.12.050(E) provides that "An approved type backwater valve shall be required" in eight situations, among them "At change of property title."
Planning work?
The remodelling rule in full, with its sourcesWho to call first about the sewer lateral
Grass Valley: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
In Grass Valley the property owner is responsible for the whole private sewer, from the building to the City's sewer. Section 13.12.050 of the City's code provides that "Property owners are responsible for the proper installation and maintenance of building and service lateral sewers and cleanouts, and for obtaining the necessary construction and encroachment permits", and that "The cost of installation and the responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the building service sewer and its fittings/devices shall be the property owner's."
- The property owner
- The building sewer, which runs from the building to the property line, and the service sewer, which runs on from the property line to the City's sewer in the street: section 13.12.050 provides that "The service sewers from the public sewer to the property line shall be installed at the time the sewer is constructed whenever practicable." The cleanouts, and the backwater valve and other fittings on the line, are the owner's too.
What else is worth knowing
Sources
Grass Valley Municipal Code section 13.12.050, Building and service sewersWhat 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
Grass Valley Municipal Code section 13.12.050(E) provides that "An approved type backwater valve shall be required" in eight situations, among them "At change of property title."
What to do: If you are selling or buying in Grass Valley, find out early whether the building sewer already has an approved backwater valve. If it does not, ask the City's Public Works Department what it needs to see at the change of title, and allow time for the permits.
Grass Valley Municipal Code section 13.12.050(E)(3)Why this matters
A sale is one trigger among several: the same list covers new construction and service sewer replacements, remodels that add plumbing fixtures or reach more than a quarter of the building, and "When any replacement or repair is being made to the sanitary sewer lateral." If a required valve is not installed, the code relieves the City of any responsibility for later damage from sewage backing up. For installing a backflow relief device, the code requires a plumbing permit for work on private property and an encroachment permit for work in the public right-of-way.
- Who issues it:
- City of Grass Valley - building department, on a form approved by the public works director or city engineer
- What it covers:
- any work on a building sewer, service sewer or connection
Grass Valley Municipal Code section 13.12.050(A) provides that "No work shall be undertaken on any building sewer, service sewer, or connection until a sewer connection permit has been first obtained from the building department on a form approved by the public works director/city engineer or his designated representative."
What to do: Before any work on the building sewer, the service sewer or the connection, get a sewer connection permit from the City's building department, and ask whether an encroachment permit is needed for work in the street.
Grass Valley Municipal Code section 13.12.050(A)Why this matters
The permit reaches any work on the owner's line, not only a new connection, and the owner is responsible for the whole of that line to the City's sewer. The application needs plans or other information showing the type and location of the work, and a fee set by the City Council. New sewer services or connections are inspected and approved by the public works director or city engineer before they are completed.
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
- Grass Valley (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 Grass Valley in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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