Who pays for the sewer lateral in West Sacramento, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours from the cleanout to your building — if certain conditions are met
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:
- City of West Sacramento - a sewer permit for installing, altering or repairing any side sewer or building sewer, and a separate street excavation permit for work in a public street
- What it covers:
- any work on a lateral or building sewer, on the owner's land or in the street
West Sacramento Municipal Code section 13.08.320 provides that "No public sewer, side sewer, building sewer or other sewerage facility shall be installed, altered or repaired within the city until a permit for the work has been obtained from the city". Section 13.08.425 adds that "A separate permit must be secured" by owners or contractors intending to excavate in a public street for sewer work.
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
West Sacramento: official site(opens in a new tab)The documents this answer is built on
Who is responsible for which part
West Sacramento splits the lateral at the City's cleanout, and for a house the City keeps the half nearest the main. Section 13.08.140 provides that "Upper laterals shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby" and that "Lower laterals connecting to single-family units shall be maintained by the city."
- West Sacramento
- For a single-family home, the lower lateral - the length from the City's cleanout to the main. Section 13.08.040 defines lower laterals as "the portion of a side sewer connecting the main sewer and existing city cleanout".
- The property owner
- The upper lateral, from the building to the City's cleanout. Section 13.08.040 defines upper laterals as "the portion of a side sewer beginning at the plumbing or drainage outlet of any building or industrial facility and running to the existing city cleanout".
What decides which applies
Sources
West Sacramento Municipal Code section 13.08.140, MaintenanceWhat the rules say
Most relevant if you have received a notice from the city or district
No rule on file here is specific to a notice from the city or district; that does not mean none exists.
Also in force here
- Who issues it:
- City of West Sacramento - a sewer permit for installing, altering or repairing any side sewer or building sewer, and a separate street excavation permit for work in a public street
- What it covers:
- any work on a lateral or building sewer, on the owner's land or in the street
West Sacramento Municipal Code section 13.08.320 provides that "No public sewer, side sewer, building sewer or other sewerage facility shall be installed, altered or repaired within the city until a permit for the work has been obtained from the city". Section 13.08.425 adds that "A separate permit must be secured" by owners or contractors intending to excavate in a public street for sewer work.
What to do: Before any repair to your lateral, apply to the City for the sewer permit and pay its fee; if the work opens a public street, get the separate street excavation permit as well. Ask for the inspection when the work is ready - section 13.08.410 puts that notice on the person doing the work.
West Sacramento Municipal Code section 13.08.320, GenerallyWhy this matters
The permit reaches repairs, not only new connections, and it covers the owner's own upper lateral as well as the street - section 13.08.325 bars anyone from performing "any work on any lateral or building sewer without first obtaining a written permit from the city". A repair done without one can be condemned on inspection and ordered redone.
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
- West Sacramento (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
2 of the 4 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 cleanout; your water line stops being yours at the meter.
Who owns the water service line in West SacramentoNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in West Sacramento in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
Search for an address