Who pays for the sewer lateral in Santa Rosa, 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
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
If a repair needs a permit or an inspection
- Who issues it:
- City of Santa Rosa, Water Engineering for encroachment permits and the Director of Utilities for work on a public sewer
- What it covers:
- any work in a public right of way or public utility easement, and separately any uncovering, connection, opening, alteration or disturbance of a public sewer
Santa Rosa requires an encroachment permit for lateral work outside your land - "Encroachment Permits are required for any work in a public right of way or public utility easement" - and the code puts the same condition on the duty itself: the user repairs the lateral "at user's own expense and after obtaining all required permits". Connecting to or disturbing a public sewer is a further permission under section 15-16.020, which requires "a written permit from the Director of Utilities and any other appropriate permits". The City also names who may do the work, and names two different licences: "water service lateral and meter plumbing work requires a Class A or Class C-34 Contractor. Sewer lateral plumbing work requires a Class A or Class C-42 Contractor."
Who is responsible for which part
The entire sewer service lateral is the user's - "from, upon, within, and under user's premises and property and to the City sewer", cleanouts and backwater valves included. But Santa Rosa adds a clause: the City "may, in its sole discretion and at City expense, elect to perform occasional repairs" on the stretch between the main and the back of the curb or sidewalk. Discretion, not a duty - so ring the City before you ring a contractor.
- The property owner
- The entire lateral, and the fittings in it. Section 15-04.035(B)(2) states that the "user shall maintain, operate, and repair, at user's own expense and after obtaining all required permits, the entire sewer service lateral, cleanouts, backwater valves and backflow overflow devices from, upon, within, and under user's premises and property and to the City sewer", and must keep it "clear, unobstructed ... free of all breaks, leaks and obstructions, including, but not limited to, roots, rocks, dirt, and grease". The code's definition puts the same boundary on it: a sewer service lateral "means that portion of the sewer system which connects the user's premises to the City sewer".
What else is worth knowing
Sources
City of Santa Rosa, Water & SewerWhat the rules say
Who to call first
Santa Rosa Water
After hours: 707-543-3805
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
- Who issues it:
- City of Santa Rosa, Water Engineering for encroachment permits and the Director of Utilities for work on a public sewer
- What it covers:
- any work in a public right of way or public utility easement, and separately any uncovering, connection, opening, alteration or disturbance of a public sewer
Santa Rosa requires an encroachment permit for lateral work outside your land - "Encroachment Permits are required for any work in a public right of way or public utility easement" - and the code puts the same condition on the duty itself: the user repairs the lateral "at user's own expense and after obtaining all required permits". Connecting to or disturbing a public sewer is a further permission under section 15-16.020, which requires "a written permit from the Director of Utilities and any other appropriate permits". The City also names who may do the work, and names two different licences: "water service lateral and meter plumbing work requires a Class A or Class C-34 Contractor. Sewer lateral plumbing work requires a Class A or Class C-42 Contractor."
What to do: Before you accept a quotation, ask the contractor which licence class they hold - C-42 for the sewer lateral, C-34 for the water service - and check it against the City's answer rather than assuming a plumbing licence covers both. Apply for the encroachment permit for any work in the right of way or a public utility easement, and ask the Director of Utilities' office whether a separate written permit under 15-16.020 is needed if the work touches the public sewer itself. If you do not already have a cleanout near the street, ask whether one is required with your work under City Standards 513 or 513A - and note that having one is what makes it possible for the City to look at the run between there and the main.
City of Santa Rosa, Water Engineering FAQWhy this matters
Two things cost money here and neither is the permit fee. The first is the licence split: the contractor who is qualified for your water service is not necessarily qualified for your sewer lateral, because the City asks for a C-34 on one and a C-42 on the other. A homeowner comparing quotations has no reason to suspect that, and it is the kind of thing discovered when a permit is refused. The second is that in Santa Rosa the lateral is yours all the way to the City sewer, so an ordinary repair is usually work in the City's ground on your own pipe - permit, licence and all. The one piece of good news is the cleanout the City wants near the street: it "gives the City (at their discretion) the option to access the lateral to look for issues and/or provide maintenance on the section of lateral between this cleanout and the sewer main", and the code lets the City do that stretch at its own expense if it chooses to.
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
- Santa Rosa (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
1 of the 5 nearest cities draws 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 Santa RosaNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Santa Rosa in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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