Who pays for the sewer lateral in Palm Desert, 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.
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
Palm Desert: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
Where Coachella Valley Water District collects the sewage, the whole lateral is the owner's to maintain, including the part under the street. The District's fact sheet says "Property owners are required to maintain the entire length of the Private Sewer Lateral, which extends from the property to the sewer main located in the street or a nearby easement."
- The property owner
- The building sewer lateral and the street sewer lateral - the whole pipe to the main. The District's code says its responsibility "does not include the street sewer lateral", and provides that "The applicant shall pay for the cost of installing the street sewer lateral and shall be responsible for the cost of maintaining it." The fact sheet: "The portion of the Private Sewer Lateral that extends beyond the property line (referred to as "Street Sewer Lateral" per CVWD Code) in the public right of way is also the owner's responsibility to maintain and repair."
What else is worth knowing
Sources
Coachella Valley Water District, Understanding Your Private Sewer LateralWhat the rules say
These requirements are issued by Coachella Valley Water District (sanitation), not by Palm Desert.
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
Coachella Valley Water District Code section 4.05.440(B) provides that "Upon being notified by the general manager of any defect arising in any street sewer lateral or of any violation of these regulations, the customer shall immediately take whatever corrective action may be necessary" to meet the District's specifications.
What to do: If the District notifies you of a defect in your street sewer lateral, arrange the repair straight away with a contractor eligible to work in the District's right-of-way; the District publishes a list.
Coachella Valley Water District Code section 4.05.440(B)Why this matters
The street sewer lateral is the owner's to maintain, so a defect the District finds under the street is the owner's to correct.
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
- Palm Desert (municipality)
- Sewer service
Where else this answer applies
The same authorities settle this in the places below too:
Each of them gets its answer from the same authorities.
How this compares to neighbouring cities
4 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 Palm DesertNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Palm Desert in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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