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Who pays for the sewer lateral in Wasco, CA

Which part of the pipe is yours

  • Sewer lateral

    Yours all the way to the main, including the fitting where it joins

    Why, and what to do
your buildingproperty linesidewalkstreetmain
The thick length is yours.

If something’s wrong

If a repair needs a permit or an inspection

  • Before work on the pipe · Permit

    Who issues it:
    City of Wasco Public Works Director
    What it covers:
    constructing, using or altering any sewer connection, including replacing any part of a house connection sewer with other material; removing stoppages and repairing leaks are exempt

    Wasco Municipal Code section 13.12.040(A) makes it unlawful "to construct or cause to be constructed, or to use or cause to be used, or to alter or cause to be altered any sewer connection in the city without first obtaining a permit from the public works director." Under subsection (C) no permit is needed "for the purpose of removing stoppages or repairing leaks in any public or house connection sewer, except when it is necessary to replace any or all of such sewer with other or different material."

The repair rule in full, with its sources

Buying or selling?

No rule on file here is specific to selling or buying; that does not mean none exists.

Who to call first about the sewer lateral

BelowGrid has no first-call guidance on file from Wasco about the sewer lateral.

Wasco: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on

Who is responsible for which part

In Wasco the whole house connection sewer, including its connection to the City's main, is the property owner's to maintain and repair. Section 13.12.030(O) of the City's code defines the house connection sewer as the piping "beginning twelve inches from the exterior wall of the building and extending to its connection with the sewer main", and provides that "House connection sewers, including their connection to city sewer mains, shall not be considered as city property or become a part of the city sewer system, and their maintenance and repair shall not be provided by the city but shall be the responsibility of the property owner."

The property owner
The house connection sewer from twelve inches outside the building to the City's sewer main, and its connection to the main. Section 13.12.030(O) makes its maintenance and repair "the responsibility of the property owner". The City's Wastewater questions page says the same in plain words: "Homeowners are responsible for sewer lateral repairs."

What else is worth knowing

Nothing splits the line between the City and the owner, and the connection at the main falls on the owner's side. The City's system is its public sewers, which section 13.12.030(DD) defines as "any sewer, other than a house connection sewer, which has been accepted by the city." The City's Wastewater questions page says that if you call about your sewer line, "City staff will only check the Main City sewer line for proper flow. City crews will not inspect sewer laterals."

Sources

Wasco Municipal Code section 13.12.030(O), Definitions - house connection sewer

Also quoted:

Checked

What 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

  • Before work on the pipePermit
    Who issues it:
    City of Wasco Public Works Director
    What it covers:
    constructing, using or altering any sewer connection, including replacing any part of a house connection sewer with other material; removing stoppages and repairing leaks are exempt

    Wasco Municipal Code section 13.12.040(A) makes it unlawful "to construct or cause to be constructed, or to use or cause to be used, or to alter or cause to be altered any sewer connection in the city without first obtaining a permit from the public works director." Under subsection (C) no permit is needed "for the purpose of removing stoppages or repairing leaks in any public or house connection sewer, except when it is necessary to replace any or all of such sewer with other or different material."

    What to do: Before building, altering or replacing a house connection sewer, or replacing any of it with a different pipe material, apply to the City of Wasco Public Works Department for the sewer connection permit, and for an excavation permit if the work opens the street or sidewalk. Clearing a stoppage or repairing a leak in the same material needs no sewer permit. Ask what deposit and bond apply, keep the work uncovered, and notify the public works director in writing as soon as it is ready for inspection.

    Why this matters

    The owner's house connection sewer runs to the City's main, and section 13.12.110 places the public sewer "in the public street, alley, right-of-way or other public place abutting upon the lot", so reaching the lower end means digging in a public place. Section 12.16.030 provides that "No person shall make any excavation or fill any excavation in any public place without first obtaining a permit to do so from the administrative authority", the superintendent of streets. That permit needs a cash deposit with the application (section 12.16.070), which serves as security for putting the street back, and a surety bond (section 12.16.060). Emergency digging for repairs may start first, but the permit must be applied for "on the first working day after such work is commenced" (section 12.16.260). Under section 13.12.080 all sewer work is inspected, and written notice must be given to the public works director "immediately after the work is ready for inspection", with the work left uncovered until it is examined.

    Current wording dates from · Checked

    Wasco Municipal Code section 13.12.040, Permit

    Also quoted:

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
Wasco (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.

  • Wasco(this page)
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main
  • Delanoabout 13 mi
    the main
  • Bakersfieldabout 25 mi
    the main
  • Taftabout 32 mi
    the main
  • Arvinabout 41 mi
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main
  • Tehachapiabout 60 mi
    the main
  • California Cityabout 89 mi
    the main

Distances are approximate, in a straight line between the places’ centres.

Compare the rules city by city

Nearby cities and further reading

Look up a specific address

This page describes what applies to properties in Wasco in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.

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