Who pays for the sewer lateral in Healdsburg, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours all the way to the main under the road — if certain conditions are met
Why, and what to doYours from your property line to your building — if certain conditions are met
Why, and what to do
If something’s wrong
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
The answer here has conditions, so it is not repeated in brief. Read who to call first, in full or look up your address.
Healdsburg: official site(opens in a new tab)If a repair needs a permit or an inspection
Healdsburg Municipal Code section 13.20.465 requires a private sewer lateral to be inspected by closed-circuit television, at the owner's expense, "Upon issuance of a building permit with a valuation of $25,000 or more if no inspection/replacement of the private sewer main and/or lateral and issuance of a certificate of private sewer lateral compliance has occurred within the previous 20 years prior to issuance of the building permit." The same inspection is required after a qualifying sewer lateral service call, after one sanitary sewer overflow caused by the lateral, on certain changes of a structure's use, "Upon replacement or repair of any part of the sewer lateral", and "Upon significant repair or replacement of the main sewer line to which the lateral is attached."
Buying or selling?
No rule on file here is specific to selling or buying; that does not mean none exists.
Planning work?
The remodelling rule in full, with its sourcesWho is responsible for which part
Who to call first
24-Hour Utility Response Hotline
What happens: City crews respond to blockages in the collection system and in house laterals from the main to the street line
In Healdsburg the property owner repairs and replaces the whole private sewer lateral, from the building to the public main, including the part under the street. Section 13.20.465 of the City's code provides that "The owner shall perform all necessary repairs, including replacement, of all components of the private system (sewer lateral, sewer main, building sewer, etc.)". Routine maintenance is limited only where there is an accessible cleanout: the owner then maintains the lateral "up to the front property line, provided a cleanout accessible to maintenance forces is available."
- The property owner
- The private sewer lateral, which the code defines as "the sewer pipeline which connects a building or buildings to the public sewer. It includes both the building sewer and the lateral sewer." The owner repairs and replaces it all the way to the public main. Without an accessible cleanout, "the owner shall be responsible for all aspects of maintenance, repair, or replacement of the private sewer lateral to its connection to the public main." A P-trap does not count as an accessible cleanout.
What decides which applies
Sources
Healdsburg Municipal Code section 13.20.465What the rules say
Most relevant if you are repairing or replacing the pipe
Healdsburg Municipal Code section 13.20.465 requires a private sewer lateral to be inspected by closed-circuit television, at the owner's expense, "Upon issuance of a building permit with a valuation of $25,000 or more if no inspection/replacement of the private sewer main and/or lateral and issuance of a certificate of private sewer lateral compliance has occurred within the previous 20 years prior to issuance of the building permit." The same inspection is required after a qualifying sewer lateral service call, after one sanitary sewer overflow caused by the lateral, on certain changes of a structure's use, "Upon replacement or repair of any part of the sewer lateral", and "Upon significant repair or replacement of the main sewer line to which the lateral is attached."
What to do: If you are applying for a building permit valued at $25,000 or more, ask the City whether a certificate of private sewer lateral compliance has been issued for the property in the last 20 years. If not, have the lateral cleaned and inspected by a contractor holding a City business license and a California contractor's license, tell the City at least seven calendar days before the inspection, and leave time for any repairs before the final inspection.
Healdsburg Municipal Code section 13.20.465, Responsibilities for private sewer mains and private sewer lateralsWhy this matters
For a building permit, the inspection must be done and a certificate of private sewer lateral compliance issued "prior to conducting a final inspection or issuance of a certificate of occupancy". Work required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, or fire sprinklers the City requires, does not count towards the $25,000. The inspection covers the whole private sewer lateral to the public main, and a compliant lateral has a cleanout within five feet of the building, a cleanout at the property line and any backflow prevention device the chapter requires. The owner pays for the repairs the City's notice of violation lists. A plumber or drain cleaner who finds root intrusion or other permanent damage has to report the call to the City within three business days, and the City then issues a notice that an inspection is required. A certificate spares the lateral further testing for 20 years, except after an overflow, a change of use, a lateral repair or a significant repair of the main, or where the City has reason to believe the lateral is defective.
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
- Healdsburg (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 4 nearest cities draws 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; your water line stops being yours at the property line.
Who owns the water service line in HealdsburgNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Healdsburg in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
Search for an address