Who pays for the sewer lateral in Lomita, 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 Lomita, Public Works Department
- What it covers:
- any work in the City of Lomita right-of-way, such as streets, sidewalks, parkways, public easements and utility easements
The City of Lomita's Public Works Encroachment Permit page states: "Anyone working in the City of Lomita right-of-way, such as streets, sidewalks, parkways, public easements, and utility easements, is required to obtain an Public Works Permit from the City prior to starting work." The City's sewer ordinance, borrowed from the County, puts the house lateral under the street on the owner, so this is the permit an owner needs before digging to reach their own pipe.
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
Lomita: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
Lomita writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 5-2.01 of its municipal code adopts as the rules and regulations of the City's sewer system "Los Angeles County Code, Title 20, Utilities, Division 2, Sanitary Sewers and Industrial Wastes, as amended July 27, 1989". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
- The property owner
- The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
What else is worth knowing
Sources
Lomita Municipal Code section 5-2.01, Los Angeles County regulations - adopted by referenceWhat the rules say
Most relevant if you are repairing or replacing the pipe
- Who issues it:
- City of Lomita, Public Works Department
- What it covers:
- any work in the City of Lomita right-of-way, such as streets, sidewalks, parkways, public easements and utility easements
The City of Lomita's Public Works Encroachment Permit page states: "Anyone working in the City of Lomita right-of-way, such as streets, sidewalks, parkways, public easements, and utility easements, is required to obtain an Public Works Permit from the City prior to starting work." The City's sewer ordinance, borrowed from the County, puts the house lateral under the street on the owner, so this is the permit an owner needs before digging to reach their own pipe.
What to do: Before any digging in the street to reach a house lateral, apply for the City's Public Works Permit through its online portal and ask what restoration bond or deposit the engineer will set. Have the contractor give the Public Works Inspector at least 24 hours' notice before work starts.
City of Lomita, Public Works DepartmentWhy this matters
The permit comes with conditions that cost money and time. The page requires "A faithful performance bond or a cash deposit for restoration of the streets", with the amount set by the engineer "based on the estimated cost of restoring the streets", refunded once the Public Works Inspector signs the permit off. The permittee must "notify the Public Works Inspector at least 24 hours prior to commencement of work", call Underground Service Alert "a minimum of 48 hours prior to performing work", carry insurance naming the City as additional insured, and work Monday to Friday between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM unless the Public Works Director approves otherwise. A Traffic Control Plan is required for work on arterial streets, and the permit is void if work has not begun three months after it is issued.
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
- Lomita (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.
Nearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Lomita in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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