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Who pays for the sewer lateral in Woodlake, CA

Which part of the pipe is yours

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 · Work required

    Woodlake Municipal Code section 13.20.090 requires a backflow prevention device when "Replacement or repair is made to the sanitary sewer lateral", on remodels "where plumbing fixtures are added to the property, and/or more than twenty-five (25) percent of the structure area is being remodeled", and in other listed cases.

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 Woodlake about the sewer lateral.

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

Who is responsible for which part

Woodlake splits the lateral at the public right-of-way. Section 13.20.050 provides that "Individual property owners shall be responsible for the installation, maintenance and repair of service lines, excluding that portion that is within the public R.O.W.", and section 13.20.060 that "The city shall be responsible for the maintenance and repair of sewer main lines and laterals in city right-of-way".

Woodlake
Sewer mains and the laterals within the City right-of-way.
The property owner
The service line on the property, outside the public right-of-way. "The responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the building side sewer and its fittings/device is that of the property owner."

What else is worth knowing

The line is the edge of the public right-of-way. The same chapter also says, more generally, that "Property owners are responsible for proper installation and maintenance of building and lateral sewers and cleanouts, and for obtaining the necessary construction and encroachment permits", so ask the City before paying for work in the street. A backflow prevention device is required when the lateral is replaced or repaired, among other cases. These sections govern property on the City's sewer.

Sources

Woodlake Municipal Code section 13.20.050, Construction

Also quoted:

Checked

What 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

  • Before work on the pipeWork required

    Woodlake Municipal Code section 13.20.090 requires a backflow prevention device when "Replacement or repair is made to the sanitary sewer lateral", on remodels "where plumbing fixtures are added to the property, and/or more than twenty-five (25) percent of the structure area is being remodeled", and in other listed cases.

    What to do: When repairing or replacing the lateral, or remodelling past the thresholds, have the contractor fit a backflow prevention device on a cleanout riser.

    Why this matters

    "Failure of the owner to install a backflow prevention device for or as a result of any of the above conditions shall relieve the city of any and all responsibilities for any and all subsequent damage caused by sanitary sewer flooding." New construction and side sewer replacements need a cleanout riser equipped with the device.

    Current wording dates from · Checked

    Woodlake Municipal Code section 13.20.090, Backflow, cleanout required. Ord. 556

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
Woodlake (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

All 5 of the nearest cities draw the line somewhere else. Each authority publishes only its own rule.

  • Woodlake(this page)
    the property line
  • Farmersvilleabout 10 mi
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main
  • Visaliaabout 14 mi
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main
  • Tulareabout 20 mi
    the main
  • Dinubaabout 19 mi
    the main
  • Portervilleabout 24 mi
    the main

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

Compare the rules city by city

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 property line; your water line stops being yours at the meter.

Who owns the water service line in Woodlake

Nearby cities and further reading

Look up a specific address

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

Search for an address