Who pays for the sewer lateral in Imperial Beach, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours all the way to the main under the road
Why, and what to doYours from the meter to your building
Why, and what to do
If something’s wrong
If a repair needs a permit or an inspection
No rule on file here is specific to a repair; that does not mean none exists.
Buying or selling?
Imperial Beach requires the seller to show the City the laterals work after a sale. Section 13.04.070 provides that "Within 30 days after any parcel of real property in the City of Imperial Beach containing one or more sewer laterals is sold or ownership of the property is otherwise transferred, the seller or transferor shall submit proof to the City of Imperial Beach that all sewer laterals on the property have been inspected and are in proper working order."
Planning work?
No rule on file here is specific to remodelling or adding a unit; that does not mean none exists.
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
Imperial Beach: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
Imperial Beach puts the building sewer and the lateral under the street on the owner, up to the City's saddle on the main. Section 13.04.040 provides that "All persons whose premises are connected to the public sewer shall be responsible for the installation, maintenance and upkeep of the building sewer and the sewer lateral to the point where the lateral attaches to the saddle connection on the public sewer or sewer main."
- The property owner
- The building sewer and the sewer lateral - which section 13.04.020 defines as the sewer "within a public street or right-of-way" connecting the building sewer to the public sewer - up to the saddle connection. Section 13.04.110 adds that "Obstruction removal and/or repair of sewer laterals shall be the responsibility of the property owner."
What else is worth knowing
Sources
Imperial Beach Municipal Code section 13.04.040, Connection to public sewer requiredWhat the rules say
Most relevant if you are repairing or replacing the pipe
No rule on file here is specific to repairing or replacing the pipe; that does not mean none exists.
Also in force here
Imperial Beach requires the seller to show the City the laterals work after a sale. Section 13.04.070 provides that "Within 30 days after any parcel of real property in the City of Imperial Beach containing one or more sewer laterals is sold or ownership of the property is otherwise transferred, the seller or transferor shall submit proof to the City of Imperial Beach that all sewer laterals on the property have been inspected and are in proper working order."
What to do: If you are selling, ask the City what proof of inspection it accepts, have the laterals inspected early so any repair can be done before closing, and submit the proof within thirty days of the transfer. If you are buying, ask the seller for it.
Imperial Beach Municipal Code section 13.04.070, Connection permitWhy this matters
The duty falls on the seller and runs for thirty days after the transfer, not before closing, but "proper working order" is the standard the proof has to meet, so a lateral that is not working properly is a problem for the seller to resolve with the City. The owner keeps the whole lateral to the saddle on the main, so the repair is the owner's either way. The section covers every parcel with a sewer lateral, whatever the building's age.
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
- Imperial Beach (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
3 of the 8 nearest cities draw 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 meter.
Who owns the water service line in Imperial BeachNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Imperial Beach in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
Search for an address