Who pays for the sewer lateral in Upland, 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 do
If something’s wrong
If a repair needs a permit or an inspection
- Who issues it:
- City of Upland city engineer
- What it covers:
- any excavation in a public right-of-way and any improvement on, under, over or across a street, alley or public place in the city
Upland Municipal Code section 12.08.010 makes it unlawful "to make, suffer or to cause to be made any excavation in any public right-of-way or make any improvements on, under, over or across any street, alley or public place" in the city "without first obtaining from the city a permit authorizing such work", and section 12.08.020 has the application made in writing to the city engineer. The City's code puts the whole lateral on the owner, the connection on the main under the street included, so this is the permit an owner needs to reach their own pipe.
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
Upland: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
In Upland the owner keeps the whole lateral, including the fitting that joins it to the City's main under the street. Section 13.32.130 of the municipal code defines the sewer lateral as "a privately maintained sewer line, including the connection, wye or tee within the public street or right-of-way connecting any parcel, lot or part of a lot to a main line sewer". The City's public works page says the same in plain terms: "Pursuant to the Upland Municipal Code residences and businesses are responsible for the maintenance of the private sewer lateral serving the lot to the sewer main line."
- The property owner
- The run from the building to the City's main and the connection itself - the wye or tee on the main. The City's side is the main: under the same section a sewer "means sanitary sewer mains, including appurtenances such as manholes and cleanouts", and "does not include residential commercial, and industrial laterals and connections to the community sewer system". The City's page puts it the same way round: "The Public Works Department is responsible for the maintenance of the City sewer collection main lines."
What else is worth knowing
Sources
Upland Municipal Code section 13.32.130, DefinitionsWhat 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
- Who issues it:
- City of Upland city engineer
- What it covers:
- any excavation in a public right-of-way and any improvement on, under, over or across a street, alley or public place in the city
Upland Municipal Code section 12.08.010 makes it unlawful "to make, suffer or to cause to be made any excavation in any public right-of-way or make any improvements on, under, over or across any street, alley or public place" in the city "without first obtaining from the city a permit authorizing such work", and section 12.08.020 has the application made in writing to the city engineer. The City's code puts the whole lateral on the owner, the connection on the main under the street included, so this is the permit an owner needs to reach their own pipe.
What to do: Before digging in the street to reach a sewer lateral, apply in writing to the Upland city engineer for an excavation permit, and ask whether the street counts as newly paved and how much resurfacing the cut will require. Book the inspection at least 24 hours ahead and do not backfill before it. If the blockage may be roots from a City parkway tree, call Public Works to send a representative before the plumber clears the line.
Upland Municipal Code section 12.08.010, Grading, excavating, etc.Why this matters
The cost that surprises people is the resurfacing, which the code sets by the size of the street rather than the size of the trench. For a cut across a street, section 12.08.010 requires grinding and repaving "five feet on either side of the trench line for residential streets" and ten feet on nonresidential streets, and a slurry seal "30 feet on either side of the trench line" across the full width of a residential street. In a newly paved street, which section 12.08.015 defines by a 60-month period measured from the City's acceptance of the paving, a cut is allowed only if the city engineer is satisfied the work is needed for public health and safety and there is no reasonable alternative, and then the grinding doubles and the slurry seal extends to 50 feet either side. Processing and inspection fees are set by council resolution (section 12.08.030). Under section 12.08.040 the work is inspected by the city engineer's office with 24 hours' notice, and "Work completed without such notice or request for inspection will not be accepted". Leftover materials and debris must be cleared within three days of finishing.
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
- Upland (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.
Nearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Upland in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
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