Who pays for the sewer lateral in Highland, 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:
- East Valley Water District
- What it covers:
- uncovering, connecting to, opening into, altering or disturbing a District sewer, and building, extending or connecting to one
East Valley Water District's sewer ordinance, No. 407 of November 2024, requires a written sewer permit from the District before anyone uncovers, connects to, opens into, alters or disturbs a District sewer, and before anyone builds, extends or connects to one (sections 7.02 and 5.16). The application describes the work, the property and who will make the connection, and the District may ask for plans. The ordinance is published as a scanned image; this describes it. The District's sewer system management plan says its sewer ordinance has "provisions for sewer permits, inspection, facility requirements, and enforcement".
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 to call first about the sewer lateral
East Valley Water District: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
In Highland the whole sewer lateral, from the building to the District's main, is the property owner's. East Valley Water District, which collects the city's sewage, keeps only the mains. Its Ordinance No. 407 of November 2024 makes the owner of the property served maintain the side sewer, which it defines as the line from three feet outside the building's foundation to the main sewer. Its sewer system management plan of March 2023, written before Ordinance No. 407 replaced the earlier sewer ordinance, said the ordinance provides that "sewer laterals connected to the District's sewer main are owned and maintained by the individual property owner(s) and not by EVWD."
- The property owner
- The whole side sewer, from three feet outside the foundation to the District's main, including the part under the street. Ordinance No. 407 defines the side sewer as the building sewer and the lateral sewer together, ending at the main sewer, and section 6.10 puts its maintenance on the owner of the property served. The ordinance is published as a scanned image, so its words are described here, not quoted. The District's plan says the same in its own words: "EVWD does not own or maintain the service laterals."
What else is worth knowing
Sources
East Valley Water District Ordinance No. 407, sewer rules and regulations, adopted 13 November 2024What the rules say
These requirements are issued by East Valley Water District, not by Highland.
Most relevant if you are selling or buying
No rule on file here is specific to selling or buying; that does not mean none exists.
Also in force here
- Who issues it:
- East Valley Water District
- What it covers:
- uncovering, connecting to, opening into, altering or disturbing a District sewer, and building, extending or connecting to one
East Valley Water District's sewer ordinance, No. 407 of November 2024, requires a written sewer permit from the District before anyone uncovers, connects to, opens into, alters or disturbs a District sewer, and before anyone builds, extends or connects to one (sections 7.02 and 5.16). The application describes the work, the property and who will make the connection, and the District may ask for plans. The ordinance is published as a scanned image; this describes it. The District's sewer system management plan says its sewer ordinance has "provisions for sewer permits, inspection, facility requirements, and enforcement".
What to do: Before connecting a building to East Valley Water District's sewer in Highland, or relaying a lateral where that means cutting into or reconnecting to the District's sewer, hire a licensed plumber or contractor, apply to the District for a sewer permit, get the separate excavation permit from the City of Highland, or whoever has jurisdiction over the street, if the street will be dug, and tell the District the work is ready at least 48 hours before it is to be inspected. Leave the pipe uncovered until the District has passed it.
East Valley Water District Ordinance No. 407, sewer rules and regulations, adopted 13 November 2024 and in effect on adoption, replacing Ordinance No. 404Why this matters
Under section 6.08 the lateral and its connection to the District's sewer are built by a licensed plumber or contractor, and the connection is made in the presence of the District's inspector, who must approve it. Section 7.06 has the District inspect all connection work before any of it is covered, and nothing is connected until the work is complete, inspected and approved; section 7.07 has whoever does the work tell the District that it is ready, at least 48 hours before it is to be inspected, not counting weekends and holidays. Section 7.13 says a separate permit is needed from the City, the County or whoever else has jurisdiction to dig in a public street. The owner and whoever makes the connection are both liable to the District for its fees and costs, and the owner indemnifies the District. A permit lapses if work does not start within twelve months or stops for a year.
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
- Highland (municipality)
- Sewer service
How this compares to neighbouring cities
4 of the 8 nearest cities draw 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 Highland in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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