Who pays for the sewer lateral in St. Helena, 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
- Who issues it:
- The necessary encroachment permits - the City's, or Caltrans's on a state highway
- What it covers:
- maintaining, repairing or replacing any portion of the private sewer lateral within the public right-of-way
St. Helena Municipal Code section 13.20.075 provides that "Each property owner is responsible for obtaining encroachment permits necessary to maintain, repair, or replace any portion of their private sewer lateral within the public right-of-way."
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
St. Helena: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
St. Helena puts the private lateral on the owner under the street as well, stopping just short of the fitting in the main. Section 13.20.075 provides that "Each property owner shall maintain, repair, and replace their private sewer lateral up to but excluding the connection fitting installed in the public sewer."
- The property owner
- The private sewer lateral, "including any portions that may lie within the public right-of-way", which the owner must inspect, keep in good working order, repair and replace. "The private sewer laterals are the property of the property owner and are not part of the public sewer service system."
What else is worth knowing
Sources
St. Helena Municipal Code section 13.20.075What the rules say
Most relevant if you are repairing or replacing the pipe
- Who issues it:
- The necessary encroachment permits - the City's, or Caltrans's on a state highway
- What it covers:
- maintaining, repairing or replacing any portion of the private sewer lateral within the public right-of-way
St. Helena Municipal Code section 13.20.075 provides that "Each property owner is responsible for obtaining encroachment permits necessary to maintain, repair, or replace any portion of their private sewer lateral within the public right-of-way."
What to do: Before repairing or replacing the part of the lateral under the street, make sure the encroachment permits are obtained from whichever of the City or Caltrans controls that road.
St. Helena Municipal Code section 13.20.075(C)Why this matters
The owner's lateral runs under the street to the fitting in the main, so work there is the owner's - and it needs the necessary encroachment permits first. Main Street is a state highway, so a permit there may be Caltrans's rather than the City's. Replacing a private sewer on public property must meet the City's standard sewer construction details.
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
- St. Helena (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 4 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 St. HelenaNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in St. Helena in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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