Who pays for the sewer lateral in San Bruno, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours all the way to the main, including the fitting where it joins
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?
San Bruno Municipal Code 10.13.030 states that before a residential property originally constructed fifty years or more before the transfer deed is recorded may be transferred, the property owner must have the sanitary sewer lateral inspected by video at their own expense, complete any repairs the City requires, and obtain a certificate of compliance. The code applies to residential property, and the fifty-year threshold is measured from the closing date, so it moves each year.
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
San Bruno: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
The property owner owns the entire lateral, upper and lower, including the wye at the City main - though the City will clear and root-cut the lower section where a permitted cleanout exists.
- San Bruno
- The clearing of the lower lateral where a permitted cleanout exists, and none of its repair. Where "a city approved and permitted cleanout is installed in the sewer lateral within the correct setback, the City of San Bruno will place the lower lateral portion into a maintenance program", which consists of "Clearing of blockages if possible" and "Root maintenance using a root cutter and/or chemical root foam treatment". The programme ends whenever City staff decide "the lateral is no longer in a condition that can be maintained", and "All repairs of the lateral (both upper and lower) are the responsibility of the property owner".
- The property owner
- The City states that "property owners own the entire sewer lateral from their home to the point at which it connects with the Main Sewer line, (typically in the street)", that "ownership also includes the lateral WYE connection at the City sewer main", and that "all repairs of the lateral (both upper and lower) are the responsibility of the property owner". Separately, and without changing that, the City states that where "a city approved and permitted cleanout is installed in the sewer lateral within the correct setback", it "will place the lower lateral portion into a maintenance program" - clearing blockages and cutting roots. That programme does not repair or replace anything, and the City states it ends "anytime City of San Bruno staff determines that the lateral is no longer in a condition that can be maintained".
Sources
City of San Bruno, Sewer Lateral InformationWhat the rules say
Most relevant if you have a backup or blockage
No rule on file here is specific to a backup or blockage; that does not mean none exists.
Also in force here
San Bruno Municipal Code 10.13.030 states that before a residential property originally constructed fifty years or more before the transfer deed is recorded may be transferred, the property owner must have the sanitary sewer lateral inspected by video at their own expense, complete any repairs the City requires, and obtain a certificate of compliance. The code applies to residential property, and the fifty-year threshold is measured from the closing date, so it moves each year.
What to do: Ask the City of San Bruno Public Services Department whether a certificate is already on file for this property before arranging an inspection. If one cannot be obtained before closing, the code provides for a time extension of up to one hundred eighty days against an escrow deposit.
San Bruno Municipal Code Chapter 10.13, InspectionWhy this matters
The code lists exceptions that turn on facts about the property rather than its address. It does not apply to condominium or cooperative buildings or their units, to a property that shares a lateral with another property, or to a transfer that involves no county transfer tax. An existing certificate also counts: five years after a certificate or an accepted test, and twenty years after a complete replacement the City accepted.
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
- San Bruno (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
5 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, fitting included; your water line stops being yours at the meter.
Who owns the water service line in San BrunoNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in San Bruno in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
Search for an address