Who pays for the sewer lateral in Visalia, 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?
No rule on file here is specific to selling or buying; that does not mean none exists.
Planning work?
- Who issues it:
- City of Visalia, the director
- What it covers:
- an initial connection to the sewer system, and increasing the number of dwelling units on premises already connected
Visalia Municipal Code 13.08.210 states that "no person shall cause or permit a premises to be initially connected to the sewer system nor shall any person increase the number of dwelling units on residential premises connected to the sewer system ... without a connection permit issued by the director". Section 13.08.220 adds that "the city shall install all lateral sewers, making connections therefrom to main and trunk sewers, and charging the property owner for the costs thereof".
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
Visalia: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
The whole side sewer is the owner's - the code calls it "privately owned and maintained" and runs it from two feet outside the building all the way to the City's main, including the wye fitting where it joins. The City installs the portion in the street and charges the owner for it.
- The property owner
- All of it, including the fitting in the City's main. The City defines a "side sewer" as "the privately owned and maintained sewer which connects the plumbing system of the building to the main sewer", beginning "at the point of connection to the main sewer, including the wye" and ending "two feet outside the foundation line or building wall". Its maintenance section states that "side sewers, including lateral sewers and wyes, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in good order and condition, at his or her sole cost and expense" - a "lateral sewer" being "that portion of the side sewer which is within the public right-of-way". The City does the installation work in the street, terminating at the property line, but "all costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of a lateral sewer shall be borne by the owner", so that is labour rather than ownership. Where a building sits too low to drain by gravity, lifting the sewage is also at the owner's expense.
Sources
Visalia Municipal Code section 13.08.290, Maintenance of side sewersWhat the rules say
Most relevant if you are selling or buying
No rule on file here is specific to selling or buying; that does not mean none exists.
Also in force here
- Who issues it:
- City of Visalia, the director
- What it covers:
- an initial connection to the sewer system, and increasing the number of dwelling units on premises already connected
Visalia Municipal Code 13.08.210 states that "no person shall cause or permit a premises to be initially connected to the sewer system nor shall any person increase the number of dwelling units on residential premises connected to the sewer system ... without a connection permit issued by the director". Section 13.08.220 adds that "the city shall install all lateral sewers, making connections therefrom to main and trunk sewers, and charging the property owner for the costs thereof".
What to do: If you are adding a unit or changing the use of the property, ask the City about the sewer connection permit alongside the building permit, and ask for the cost of the lateral installation in writing - the City's own work is charged to you, and the code says the installation stops at the property line.
Visalia Municipal Code section 13.08.210, Permit requiredWhy this matters
"Increase the number of dwelling units" is an accessory dwelling unit, so anyone adding one in Visalia needs a sewer connection permit - a fact a homeowner reading about ADU planning rules may never meet. And the City does the digging in the street itself while the owner pays for it: the code provides that "in either case, city installation or property owner installation, all costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of a lateral sewer shall be borne by the owner", and reserves the joint to the City even where a contractor does the rest, since "the city shall be responsible for cutting wyes into existing sewers".
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
- Visalia (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 6 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 VisaliaNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Visalia in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
Search for an address