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Who pays for the sewer lateral in Portland, OR

Which part of the pipe is yours

  • Sewer lateral

    Yours from the curb to your building — if certain conditions are met

    Why, and what to do
your buildingproperty linesidewalkstreetmain
The thick length is yours. A dashed marker means the position depends on your property — see below.

If something’s wrong

Who to call first about the sewer lateral

The answer here has conditions, so it is not repeated in brief. Read who to call first, in full or look up your address.

Portland: official site(opens in a new tab)

If a repair needs a permit or an inspection

  • Before work on the pipe · Permit

    Who issues it:
    City of Portland - permit under City Code chapter 17.24
    What it covers:
    work within the public right-of-way on any part of an existing sewer system that extends into it

    Portland City Code section 17.32.070 A.1 provides that if any portion of an existing sewer system extends into a public right-of-way, "the property owner must obtain a permit pursuant to Chapter 17.24 before beginning work within the right-of-way."

The repair rule in full, with its sources

No rule on file here is specific to selling, buying, remodelling or adding a unit; that does not mean none exists.

Who is responsible for which part

In Portland the City maintains the part of a public sewer lateral under a curbed City street, and the owner maintains the rest. Section 17.32.070 of the Portland City Code provides that, for a City-paved street with curbs, "the City will maintain a lateral from the sewer main to the street-side curb face nearest the property being served".

Portland
On a City-paved street with curbs, the lateral from the sewer main to the street-side curb face nearest the property, under section 17.32.070 B.1.a. The City maintains only laterals that are part of a public system: one built by the City, under a public works permit, or accepted by the City.
The property owner
The lateral from the curb face to the building, and any sewer that is not part of a public system. Section 17.32.070 A provides that such a system "must be maintained by the parties served by the system, regardless of whether the system is located within a public right-of-way".

What decides which applies

The City's share depends on the street. On a City-paved street without curbs it maintains the lateral to the edge of the paved street; on an unpaved street, the part inside a 28-foot strip centred on the street; and where the main lies between the property line and the curb, only the joint on the main. Section 17.32.070 says that in other cases "the City will maintain only the wye or tee connection for laterals." A permit is needed before an owner works in the right-of-way. Section 17.32.070 covers only laterals on Portland's own sewer system. Metro's regional Sewer Districts map puts slivers of the city, together well under 1% of its area, in Clean Water Services and the Dunthorpe-Riverdale Service District. Their own lateral terms are not read here, so if either one collects your sewage, ask it. Check who bills you for sewer.

Sources

Portland City Code chapter 17.32, Public Sewer and Drainage System Permits, Connections, Maintenance, and Damage

Also quoted:

Checked

What the rules say

Who to call first

Call a plumber first.

Call PBOT 24/7 Maintenance Dispatch if the problem is determined to be with the City sewer line, or sewage is being released into the environment: 503-823-1700

Source(opens in a new tab)

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 Portland - permit under City Code chapter 17.24
    What it covers:
    work within the public right-of-way on any part of an existing sewer system that extends into it

    Portland City Code section 17.32.070 A.1 provides that if any portion of an existing sewer system extends into a public right-of-way, "the property owner must obtain a permit pursuant to Chapter 17.24 before beginning work within the right-of-way."

    What to do: Before repairing or replacing a sewer lateral where it runs under the street or sidewalk, get a City of Portland permit under City Code chapter 17.24.

    Why this matters

    Under section 17.32.070 the owner maintains a lateral that is not part of the City's public system, including any part of it under the street. Work there needs a City permit first.

    Checked

    Portland City Code chapter 17.32

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
Portland (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

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

  • Portland(this page)
    the curb (conditions apply)
  • Greshamabout 10 mi
    the property line
  • Battle Ground, WAabout 17 mi
    the main (conditions apply; see that page)

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

Nearby cities and further reading

Look up a specific address

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

Search for an address