Who owns the sewer lateral under the road in California
Before what you must do, and before whether anyone will help pay: is the pipe yours at all? 64 of these 304 authorities take part of the run between the property line and the sewer main - as its owner, its maintainer or for a narrower duty, each in its own words below. The rest leave the whole length to the owner. Each states its own answer and none of them mentions that the others differ.
- 304
- 64
- 240
On this page
Is the pipe under the road yours?
The whole lateral is yours
The authority takes the lower half
What the comparison shows
- The same repair is a different bill on either side of a city line. In Alameda, Albany, Benicia, Berkeley, Biggs, Brentwood, Carpinteria, Citrus Heights, Clearlake, Coachella, Cupertino, Elk Grove, Folsom, Fontana, Fort Bragg, Grand Terrace, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Livermore, Long Beach, Loomis, Millbrae, Palo Alto, Patterson, Pittsburg, Redwood City, Riverside, Rocklin, Roseville, San Carlos, San Francisco, Sonora, South San Francisco, Stockton, Turlock, Vallejo, Victorville, West Sacramento, Willits, Woodlake, Woodland and Woodside the authority maintains the run between the property line and the sewer main; in Concord, Milpitas, Montague and Oakdale the authority owns that run and states no duty to maintain it; in American Canyon, Corning, Galt, Gridley, Kingsburg, Los Altos, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Parlier, Perris, San Jose, Santee, Selma, Waterford and Yucca Valley the authority rebuilds that run when it fails structurally and leaves the cleaning and clearing of it to the owner; in Modesto, San Bruno and Santa Clara the authority clears blockages in that run, on conditions it states, and states no duty to repair it; in San Diego the authority repairs or clears that run only in an emergency it defines, and leaves its routine maintenance and cleaning to the owner; in Campbell, Los Gatos and Monte Sereno, and in the part of Saratoga it serves, West Valley Sanitation District owns that run, and its code says both that it will maintain it and that it may choose to - confirm with West Valley Sanitation District; in Alameda, Albany, Alhambra, Alturas, Anaheim, Angels Camp, Apple Valley, Arcadia, Arcata, Arroyo Grande, Artesia, Arvin, Atascadero, Atherton, Atwater, Avalon, Bakersfield, Barstow, Beaumont, Belmont, Beverly Hills, Big Bear Lake, Buellton, Buena Park, Burbank, Burlingame, California City, Carlsbad, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carson, Ceres, Chico, Chowchilla, Chula Vista, Claremont, Cloverdale, Clovis, Colfax, Colma, Colton, Corcoran, Corona, Coronado, Corte Madera, Costa Mesa, Covina, Culver City, Daly City, Dana Point, Danville, Del Mar, Del Rey Oaks, Delano, Desert Hot Springs, Diamond Bar, Dinuba, Dixon, Downey, Dublin, Dunsmuir, Eastvale, El Cajon, El Centro, El Cerrito, El Segundo, Emeryville, Encinitas, Escalon, Escondido, Eureka, Fairfax, Farmersville, Fillmore, Fortuna, Foster City, Fountain Valley, Fremont, Fresno, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Gardena, Glendale, Goleta, Gonzales, Grass Valley, Grover Beach, Guadalupe, Half Moon Bay, Hanford, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Hayward, Healdsburg, Hercules, Highland, Hillsborough, Hollister, Hughson, Imperial, Imperial Beach, Indian Wells, Indio, Inglewood, Irwindale, Jackson, Kerman, La Habra, La Mirada, La Palma, La Puente, Lafayette, Laguna Beach, Lakewood, Lancaster, Larkspur, Lawndale, Lemon Grove, Livingston, Loma Linda, Lomita, Los Altos Hills, Los Angeles, Los Banos, Lynwood, Madera, Manhattan Beach, Marina, Martinez, Marysville, Menlo Park, Merced, Mill Valley, Monrovia, Monterey, Moorpark, Moraga, Morgan Hill, Morro Bay, Mountain View, National City, Nevada City, Newark, Newman, Norco, Norwalk, Novato, Oakland, Oceanside, Ojai, Orange, Orinda, Oroville, Oxnard, Pacific Grove, Pacifica, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Palmdale, Palos Verdes Estates, Paramount, Pasadena, Paso Robles, Petaluma, Pico Rivera, Piedmont, Pinole, Pismo Beach, Placentia, Placerville, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton, Plymouth, Pomona, Port Hueneme, Porterville, Portola, Portola Valley, Rancho Cucamonga, Rancho Mirage, Rancho Palos Verdes, Red Bluff, Redding, Redlands, Redondo Beach, Reedley, Rialto, Richmond, Ripon, Riverbank, Rohnert Park, Rolling Hills Estates, Rosemead, Ross, Sacramento, Salinas, San Anselmo, San Bernardino, San Dimas, San Jacinto, San Leandro, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, San Pablo, San Rafael, San Ramon, Sand City, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, Santa Clarita, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Maria, Santa Monica, Santa Paula, Santa Rosa, Sausalito, Scotts Valley, Seal Beach, Seaside, Shasta Lake, Sierra Madre, Signal Hill, Simi Valley, Solana Beach, St. Helena, Stanton, Taft, Tehachapi, Temple City, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Tulare, Ukiah, Union City, Upland, Vacaville, Ventura, Villa Park, Visalia, Walnut, Walnut Creek, Wasco, Watsonville, Weed, West Covina, West Hollywood, Wheatland, Whittier, Yreka and Yuba City that run is the owner's. It is the expensive half - the one needing the road opened, a traffic plan and the surface put back.
- Where the authority does take the lower half, a cleanout can decide it. 18 of the 64 authorities that take part of the lateral - Albany, Concord, Cupertino, Elk Grove, Folsom, Livermore, Millbrae, Palo Alto, Roseville, Sacramento Area Sewer District, San Carlos, Saratoga, South San Francisco, Tuolumne Utilities District, Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District, West Sacramento, West Valley Sanitation District and Woodside - tie that responsibility to a cleanout: whether the property has one, and where, decides where the authority's share begins or whether it has one at all. So there the question to answer before reading a quote is not who owns the pipe in general, but whether this property has a cleanout.
- Where the whole lateral is the owner's, BelowGrid has found an authority offering money towards it for 18 of 250 places, and none yet for the other 232. Help is not distributed towards need: Berkeley, Citrus Heights, Millbrae and Vallejo take on part of the lateral and also run a programme towards the rest.
- 304 authorities, 64 of which take part of the lateral and 240 of which do not. Each states its own answer plainly and none of them mentions that the others differ, because none has any reason to know.
What does your authority say?
Quoted rather than summarised. A paraphrase of who owns a pipe is how somebody ends up being told at a counter that it was theirs all along.
Takes the lower half · 64
Alameda
In short: Unusually for this programme's area, the City pays for the half under the road - though its ordinance says you own that half. The City states that it "handles the lower sewer lateral, which is the portion from the property line to the sewer main", while the Sewer Lateral Ordinance it cites says "Property owners own the entire sewer lateral". Two cases change the answer: a condominium or homeowners' association, and a sewer main running through a rear or side yard easement, where the whole pipe including the connection at the main is yours.
The authority’s side: The lower lateral, stated without conditions - as practice, not as a promise written into the code. The City says that "the Property Owner handles the maintenance and replacement of the upper sewer lateral only - the portion on private property. The City handles the lower sewer lateral, which is the portion from the property line to the sewer main." Unlike West Valley Sanitation District, Cupertino Sanitary District and Los Altos, which each make their side of the bargain depend on an accessible property line cleanout, Alameda attaches no such condition to the split itself. The ordinance behind that page reads differently. Section 18-5.3 opens "Property owners own the entire sewer lateral and must maintain, repair and replace all sewer laterals associated with their parcels", and only then narrows the work it actually requires: owners "must perform any repair or replacement and perform any inspections necessary to ensure the upper sewer laterals meet the above standards". The City fills the gap those two sentences leave. Nothing in the code obliges it to, and nothing in the code gives it the pipe.
The owner’s side: The upper lateral, the portion on private property, to a standard the City publishes rather than leaves to inference - on its own page, and in stricter terms in the ordinance that page cites. The page says the pipe should be "free of any roots, grease deposits and other solids which may obstruct the flow"; "watertight and does not have any structural defects, cracks, breaks, openings, rat holes or missing portions"; "have a cleanout located at the property line or at the Sewer Main Easement", with all cleanouts "properly capped at all times"; and "free from any non-sewer connections to it (i.e. roof drain, area drain, sump pump)". Section 18-5.3 asks for two things the page leaves out, and both cost money. The cleanout has to be a "two way cleanout located at the property line or at the sewer main easement", so a single-direction cleanout does not satisfy the code. And the pipe must be free of defects "and the grade shall be uniform without sags or offsets" - a condition a lateral can fail while still draining perfectly well.
Albany
In short: The City pays for the part under the road. The owner has the upper lateral - from the property out to the curb cleanout, or the curb line where there is no cleanout - and the City states it "is responsible for the maintenance and repair of lower laterals, sewer mains and manholes", counting those laterals among its own assets.
The authority’s side: The lower lateral, stated flatly and backed by the City's asset count. Albany says that "the City is responsible for the maintenance and repair of lower laterals, sewer mains and manholes", and describes its collection system as "approximately 33 miles of sewer mains, associated lower laterals, and 800 manholes". Nothing conditions this on a cleanout existing: where one does not, the City's portion simply starts at the curb line instead.
The owner’s side: The upper lateral. The City defines it as "the portion of the sewer lateral pipe that runs from the property to the curb cleanout (or curb line if a cleanout does not exist)", and states that "maintenance and repair of upper sewer laterals are the responsibility of the property owner". That reaches further from the house than in neighbouring Alameda, which divides at the property line rather than at the curb. The City also runs an Upper Sewer Lateral Compliance Program. Its terms are not set out here, so ask the City what it requires of you before you budget for work.
American Canyon
In short: American Canyon splits the street length of the lateral by kind of failure. Section 14.12.220 provides that "The responsibility for the structural maintenance of lateral sewers shall be the responsibility of the city of American Canyon", subject to the exception that "The owner of the property served by the lateral sewer shall be responsible for all other failures of the lateral sewer including, but not limited to, plugs and clogs of the pipeline."
The authority’s side: Structural maintenance of the lateral sewer - the part of the side sewer from the cleanout in the public right-of-way or easement, or the property line where there is no cleanout, to the main.
The owner’s side: Every other failure of the lateral sewer - from the clean-out in the public right-of-way or easement, or the property line where there is none, to the main - "including, but not limited to, plugs and clogs of the pipeline". The code does not say in terms who maintains the building lateral on the lot, which runs from the building "to the property line or to a private sewage disposal system"; section 14.12.110 puts sewers inside private property under the plumbing ordinance.
Benicia
In short: Benicia takes on the street length of the lateral, but only when three conditions hold. Section 13.60.050 provides that "The owner shall maintain the building sewer and all other sewage facilities located on his property", and that "The city shall maintain lateral sewers if all of the following conditions are met" - the lateral built to City requirements and approved for maintenance, an accessible approved cleanout near the property boundary, and room to work without damaging private property.
The authority’s side: The lateral sewer - the length within the street or easement between the property line and the main - where the three conditions in section 13.60.050 are met. Section 13.44.140 defines it as "the portion of a sewer lying within a public street or easement connecting a building sewer to the main sewer".
The owner’s side: The building sewer, from the building to the property line, and everything else on the lot. Section 13.44.050 defines the building sewer as running from the building's drainage outlet "to the property line or to a private sewer disposal system".
Berkeley
In short: The City maintains the lower lateral, from the curb out to the main. The owner maintains only the run from the curb to the building - and nothing is conditional on a cleanout.
The authority’s side: The City states that it "maintains sewer infrastructure from the curb out to the main sewer line (lower sewer lateral and sewer mains)". That is the run beneath the road, and the City names no condition on it - no cleanout, no programme membership, no prior inspection.
The owner’s side: The City states that "property owners maintain the sewer lines from the curb to their property (upper/private sewer lateral)", and its Private Sewer Lateral programme page describes the same boundary from the other side: "the PSL typically runs from the sidewalk curb to the building". Sewage spills on private property remain the owner's responsibility, and the certificate Berkeley requires on sale or major remodel is a separate obligation that this does not affect.
Biggs
In short: Biggs splits the lateral at the property line. Section 10.05.224 of the City's code provides that the owner "shall maintain such laterals, similar pipes and appurtenances from the premises which such facilities serve to the property line of the property", and that "The city shall maintain such facilities from said property line to the city's sewer main."
The authority’s side: The lateral and any similar pipes and appurtenances from the property line to the City's sewer main.
The owner’s side: The lateral, similar pipes and appurtenances from the building to the property line. Installing the whole lateral is the owner's cost: section 10.05.222 provides that laterals and their appurtenances "connecting any property to the city's sewer mains shall be installed in conformity with applicable law by and at the sole expense of the owner of the property which such facilities serve."
Brentwood
In short: In Brentwood the City looks after the lower lateral of a residential property - the part between the property line and the main - for as long as the owner pays the City's monthly lateral maintenance fee; the owner keeps the rest. Section 13.04.820 of the City's code provides that "The city will be responsible for the lower lateral so long as the lateral maintenance fee is paid." For the other services that section names - commercial, industrial, community, contractor and institutional - the whole lateral, to and including its connection to the City's sewer, is the owner's.
The authority’s side: The lower lateral of a residential property, which the code defines as "The portion of the lateral between the property line and the sanitary sewer main", while the monthly lateral maintenance fee is paid. Section 13.04.820 requires each residential premises owner "to pay a monthly fee for the maintenance, repair, and/or replacement of their lower lateral as set forth by resolution of the city council."
The owner’s side: The private sewer lateral - "Any sewer lateral not maintained as part of the public system by the city." Section 13.04.845 provides that "It is the responsibility of the premises owner to maintain the private sewer lateral", including its cleanouts, with all necessary repairs and replacement at the owner's expense. For residential premises that is the upper lateral, "The portion of the lateral between the structure or dwelling and the property line". For other users it is the whole lateral: the code makes "lateral" synonymous with building sewer, which "extends to and includes the wye or connection to the sewerage system."
Carpinteria Sanitary District
In short: In Carpinteria, Carpinteria Sanitary District maintains the lateral under the street, from the property line to the main, where there is a cleanout at the property line, and the owner has the building sewer from the building to that point. The District's answer is that it "provides maintenance and repair of main sewers and lateral sewers within the public right of way, provided there is an accessible and serviceable cleanout at the property line", and that "Maintenance and repair of the building sewer, cleanout and point-of-connection to the District lateral are the responsibility of the property owner."
The authority’s side: The lateral, which the District describes as "the portion of the sewer pipeline serving your home or business that is located between the property line and the main sewer", where an accessible and serviceable cleanout at the property line lets the District reach it. Its maintenance includes CCTV inspection, cleaning, de-rooting and necessary structural repairs.
The owner’s side: The building sewer: "The building sewer, sometimes referred to as the upper lateral, is the section of the sewer pipeline between the building and the property line." The owner also has the cleanout and the point where the building sewer connects to the District's lateral.
Coachella
In short: Coachella keeps the street length of the house connection itself. Section 13.01.256 provides that the house connection sewer "shall be maintained and repaired by the city's utilities department from the point of connection with the sewer main line to the property line closest to the sewer main".
The authority’s side: The house connection sewer from the main to the property line nearest the main, maintained and repaired by the utilities department.
The owner’s side: The building sewer on the lot, from the building to the property line. The code states the City's length and leaves the rest with the owner; section 13.01.253 requires a cleanout "where the building sewer joins the house connection sewer", which is where the two meet.
Concord
In short: The split is at your property line cleanout, and the half under the street is the City's property rather than yours - even if an applicant paid to build it. Everything applicants pay for "(excepting property sewers)" becomes, "upon acceptance by the city ... the property of the city, which shall have the right to repair, replace, and maintain the same". Your side is the property sewer, from that cleanout back to the building, and "each owner shall keep his property sewer in good order at his own expense". That is the answer where the City's sewer serves the property, which is most of Concord; in the parts Central Contra Costa Sanitary District serves, the whole lateral to the main is the owner's.
The authority’s side: The lateral sewer - "that portion of any building sewer within a street or public easement (normally that portion between the main sewer and the property line cleanout)". Section 13.05.100(g) provides that sewer connections and installations paid for by applicants, "(excepting property sewers)", and all facilities furnished by the city "shall, upon acceptance by the city, be and remain the property of the city, which shall have the right to repair, replace, and maintain the same".
The owner’s side: The property sewer - "that portion of the building sewer located on private property (normally that portion located between the property or sewer easement line cleanout and the point of connection from the building's plumbing system)". Section 13.05.100(k) provides that "each owner shall keep his property sewer in good order at his own expense and shall be held responsible for damage to any of the city's sewer system which results from use or operation of any appliances or facilities, including ... damage caused by steam, hot water, or chemicals".
Corning
In short: Corning splits the lateral by kind of trouble. Section 13.04.110 provides that "The property owner or occupant of any premises shall be responsible for any blockage occurring in the building sewer (lateral) serving the premises, from the drain fixtures to the sanitary sewer. The city will be responsible for the structural integrity of that portion of the building sewer located within a public street, alley or right-of-way."
The authority’s side: The structural integrity of the part of the building sewer within a public street, alley or right-of-way - but not clearing it, which stays with the owner or occupant.
The owner’s side: Any blockage anywhere from the drain fixtures to the sanitary sewer, and the building sewer on the property, which the code defines as "the privately owned and maintained extension from the building waste plumbing to the sewerage system". "Each owner of a building sewer shall maintain the sewer in a watertight and gastight condition at all times."
Cupertino
In short: The City of Cupertino does not collect sewage itself. It states that it "contracts with external providers for water, sewer, and solid waste operations" and names two for sewer: Cupertino Sanitary District and the City of Sunnyvale. Its General Plan says "The majority of the City is served by the Cupertino Sanitary District". For the District's customers, section 4103 of its Operations Code splits the lateral at the cleanout: where there is a cleanout of four inches or larger, "District will be responsible for maintenance and repair of the lower lateral (from point of connection at the cleanout to sewer main)", and the cleanout and the pipe to the house are the owner's. The City of Sunnyvale collects from a small part of the city, and its own code does not state that split.
The authority’s side: For Cupertino Sanitary District customers only, the lower lateral - the part of the side sewer in the public street. Where the main is in the street and there is a cleanout of four inches or larger, section 4103 provides that "District will be responsible for maintenance and repair of the lower lateral (from point of connection at the cleanout to sewer main)". Without a cleanout the District still takes the repair of a defective lower lateral: "if the lower lateral is determined to be defective and needs to be repaired, District will be responsible for such repair", with a new cleanout installed at the owner's expense. Where the main runs in an easement or a private street, the District's share is upkeep only, and only from an accessible cleanout: "District will service and provide maintenance to the lateral from said cleanout to the main". The District's own questions page puts it as providing "maintenance and repair of sewer laterals within the public street provided there is an accessible and serviceable cleanout at the property line".
The owner’s side: For Cupertino Sanitary District customers on a street main, the cleanout and the house lateral. Section 4103: "Cleanouts are owned, maintained and repaired by the property owner, including point of connection". Where there is no cleanout, "the entire upper lateral (from street right of way to the building) and lower lateral (from street right of way to the sewer main) shall be maintained by the property owner", apart from the District's repair of a defective lower lateral. Where the main is in a sewer easement, a private street or a public service easement, the whole run is the owner's: "All sewer laterals from the sewer main to the building are owned, maintained and repaired at the property owners' expense, including any costs associated with sanitary sewer overflow and spills." Where the main is in an easement or a private street, the District may also order work on a lateral that affects its main, and "Property owner will reconstruct or repair within 60 calendar days from said notice at the property owner's expense."
Eastern Municipal Water District
In short: The pipe is yours end to end - "all completed Sewer Service Laterals shall remain the property of the Customer" - and the stretch under the street carries two different duties. You maintain it: "maintenance of Lower Sewer Laterals shall be the responsibility of the Customer." The District repairs it: "repair of Lower Sewer Laterals shall be performed by the District at the District's expense" - except where the repair was needed "as a result of root intrusion and/or debris from Customer's property, or other repairs needed that were contributed to by the Customer", as the District determines.
The authority’s side: Repairs to the lower lateral - the stretch in the public right-of-way - at its own expense. Section 6.202(b)(2) provides that "repair of Lower Sewer Laterals shall be performed by the District at the District's expense, except when, as determined by District, the repairs of Lower Sewer Laterals were required as a result of root intrusion and/or debris from Customer's property, or other repairs needed that were contributed to by the Customer". The District does not maintain that length and does not own it.
The owner’s side: The whole run as property, and the upkeep of all of it. Section 6.202(a) makes the point plainly: "all completed Sewer Service Laterals shall remain the property of the Customer." The code defines that lateral as "a privately-owned pipe and appurtenances extending from the sewer pipeline to a private sewer system at the boundary line of Customer's property or District's easement", and the lower portion "includes the connection to the Sewer Pipeline". Maintenance of the lower lateral is the customer's under section 6.202(b)(1), and the upper lateral is theirs entirely - section 6.202(b)(3) puts maintenance and repair of Upper Sewer Laterals and private sewer systems on the customer, requiring that "the Customer shall make every effort to keep foreign matter from obstructing sewage flow from the Private Sewer System to the Sewer Pipeline" and that "the removal of tree roots, grease, and/or any other foreign matter is the responsibility of the Customer".
Elk Grove
In short: Elk Grove's own code answers nothing about sewer laterals - its Title 15, "Water and Sewers", is storm drainage and stormwater only. The answer is Sacramento Area Sewer District's, and it keeps part of the pipe. The District "owns and maintains the lower lateral portion of the pipe that begins at some point in the sewer or public utility easement or public right-of-way", and the customer holds the upper lateral - defined as the "portion of the sewer lateral from the SacSewer sewer cleanout to the limits of the building plumbing", which "is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain". Where the two meet is usually a cleanout, and the District says plainly that "this point varies from property to property".
The authority’s side: The lower lateral - the length nearest the main - and it owns that length as well as maintaining it. The District's ordinance provides that where it owns the main line it "is responsible for clearing stoppages and for inspecting, maintaining, and repairing the lower lateral, SacSewer cleanouts, manholes and main line", and adds the converse: where it does not own the main or manhole, it "has no responsibility for clearing stoppages or for inspecting, maintaining, or repairing the main line, cleanouts, or lower laterals".
The owner’s side: The upper lateral, from the cleanout back to the building. The District requires the owner to keep it "free from pipe-blocking substances that may impede the flow", its pipes and joints "tight, sound, and free from structural defects (such as cracks, breaks, and missing portions)", and no stormwater drains connected to it. Section 7.9 adds a duty that arrives with the work rather than with the property: the user is responsible for constructing a SacSewer cleanout, and for its cost, on "the replacement of more than 10 feet of the existing upper lateral by the user or parcel owner".
Folsom
In short: Folsom splits the lateral in two and keeps the half nearest the main. Section 13.08.140 provides that "The property owner has the sole responsibility for clearing stoppages, inspecting, maintaining, and repairing the upper lateral, including backflow prevention devices", and that "If the city owns the mainline, the city is responsible for clearing stoppages and for inspecting, maintaining, and repairing the lower lateral, city cleanouts, manholes and mainline".
The authority’s side: The lower lateral - the length from the cleanout near the property line to the main, including the connection itself. Section 13.08.010 defines it as "the portion of the city-owned lateral located between the sanitary sewer system main, and either the property line, sewer cleanout, curb line, or other jurisdictional locations", and adds that "The lower lateral includes the connection to the sewer main".
The owner’s side: The upper lateral, from the cleanout to the building, and it has to be kept to a stated standard. Section 13.08.160 requires each owner, "at the property owner's expense", to "inspect, maintain in good working order, repair and replace, as necessary, the private sewer lateral", which must be "free of displaced joints, open joints, roots, cracks, leaks".
Fontana
In short: Fontana keeps the half under the road. The code splits the pipe at your property line and names the two halves separately: the building sewer runs from your plumbing outlet "to the property line", and the house connection sewer is "the portion of a sewer lying within a public street connecting a building sewer to the main sewer", which "shall be maintained and repaired by the city". Two things to know anyway - you pay if the damage was caused by you or your contractor, and the code makes you indemnify the City against claims arising from its own work on that length.
The authority’s side: The length in the street, from the main to your property line. Section 23-256 provides that a stub-out and the house connection sewer "shall be maintained and repaired by the city from the point of connection with the sewer main line to the property line closest to the sewer main". The code defines that length as "the portion of a sewer lying within a public street connecting a building sewer to the main sewer".
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the property line. The code defines a building sewer as "that portion of any sewer beginning at the plumbing or drainage outlet of any building and running to the property line or to an OWTS", and section 23-253 puts the cleanout on the join: "cleanouts in building sewers shall be provided where the building sewer joins the house connection sewer". The owner also carries the City's half in two circumstances - where the damage results from "the negligent or intentional acts of the property owner, its tenants, lessees, subcontractors, agents, or employees", and by indemnity for claims arising out of the City's own maintenance of it.
Fort Bragg
In short: In Fort Bragg the lateral is split at the edge of the public right-of-way: the City's sewer district maintains the part under the street, and the owner has the part on private property. Section 14.28.100(A) of the City's code provides that "The maintenance of all lateral sewers located within the public street, alley, or other public right-of-way is the responsibility of the District." The District is the Fort Bragg Municipal Improvement District No. 1, through which the City owns and operates its wastewater system.
The authority’s side: The lateral where it lies in the public street, alley or other public right-of-way, from the right-of-way line to the main. The code does not say who maintains a public portion of lateral that lies in a public easement rather than a right-of-way. After the first blockage or failure in a calendar year, the cost of clearing or repairing the right-of-way length passes to the owner where the cause is fats, oils and grease, fish processing residues or packaging, or damage by the owner, occupant or their agents such as plumbers.
The owner’s side: The private portion of the lateral: "The private portion of a sewer lateral lies within private property, private easement, or other similar right." Section 14.28.110 provides that "All private property portions of sewer laterals showing leakage or damage shall be repaired or replaced at the property owner's expense", at the direction and to the satisfaction of the District Manager.
Galt
In short: Galt splits the lateral by kind of work rather than by length. Section 14.10.100 provides that "it is the responsibility of the property owner, at the owner's expense, to maintain the sewer service lateral from the premises to the City owned and operated main line. Such maintenance shall include the removal of tree roots and other blockages", and that "The City will repair damaged and deteriorated lateral lines in the City right-of-way at the City's expense, unless such damage was caused by the property owner."
The authority’s side: Repair of damaged and deteriorated lateral in the City right-of-way, at the City's expense - but not clearing it, which stays with the owner.
The owner’s side: Clearing and upkeep of the whole lateral from the building to the City main - roots and blockages included - and repair of the lateral within the property boundaries: "The property owner is also responsible for repairs of the lateral line within the property boundaries."
Grand Terrace
In short: Grand Terrace splits the lateral at the property line. The code names the owner's half the property owner sewer service lateral, "extending from the Structure where the Wastewater is generated down to the property line", and the City's half the City sewer service lateral, extending down from the property line "including the connection to the City's sewer collection system". Section 13.04.160 provides that the costs for "installation, maintenance, and replacement" of each half are the responsibility of the property owner and of the City respectively.
The authority’s side: The lower portion, from the property line to the main, including the connection to the City's sewer collection system. Section 13.04.160(B): "The costs for installation, maintenance, and replacement of the City sewer service lateral (lower portion)" are "the responsibility of the City."
The owner’s side: The upper portion, from the building to the property line. Section 13.04.160(A): "The costs for installation, maintenance, and replacement, of the property owner sewer service lateral (upper portion)" are "the responsibility of the property owner." Section 13.04.170 adds that "The City is not responsible for maintaining the property owner sewer service lateral (upper portion)"; where a blockage in it causes an overflow, "the property owner may request help from the City and shall pay to the City all costs associated with the remediation of such obstruction including cleanup."
Gridley
In short: Gridley splits the lateral by kind of trouble. Section 13.04.150 provides that "The owner or occupant of any premises shall be responsible for any blockage occurring in the building sewer (sewer lateral) serving said premises, from the building fixtures to the sewer main. The City will only be responsible for the structural integrity of that portion of the building sewer (sewer lateral) located within a public street or alley."
The authority’s side: The structural integrity of the part of the building sewer within a public street or alley - but not clearing it, which stays with the owner or occupant.
The owner’s side: "Building sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby", and any blockage from the building fixtures to the sewer main is the owner's or occupant's.
Hi-Desert Water District
In short: Where Yucca Valley is on the new sewer, the owner keeps the whole lateral clear to the main and the District repairs the part under the street. Section 8.15.150 provides that "the property owner is responsible for maintaining the entire sewer lateral from the structure(s) on the property to the district wastewater main free and clear of debris", and that "If repairs are required in the public right-of-way portion of a sewer lateral, the district will make any necessary repairs at no cost to the property owner" unless the owner caused the damage.
The authority’s side: Repairs to the public right-of-way portion of the lateral - on public property, street right-of-way or a District easement - which becomes District property once connected; not clearing it.
The owner’s side: Clearing the entire lateral to the main - "clearing of debris, root cutting, and any procedure used to keep the sewer lateral clean and functional" - and all repairs on private property, by a licensed plumber or cleaning service.
Huntington Beach
In short: The City pays for the run under the road. Huntington Beach Municipal Code § 14.54.035(C) provides that the "City will pay the cost of repair and maintenance of all lateral lines from the City-owned sewer main through the public right-of-way to the private property line", and that "the owner is responsible for all costs of repair and maintenance of all lateral lines on private property not within the public right-of-way". The City took ownership of that portion in January 2008. Your side is the part across your own land.
The authority’s side: From its main out to your property line, and it pays. Huntington Beach Municipal Code section 14.54.035 provides that "repair and maintenance of all sewer mains dedicated to the City shall be the responsibility of the City", and that "City will pay the cost of repair and maintenance of all lateral lines from the City-owned sewer main through the public right-of-way to the private property line". The City's own Sewer System Management Plan says the same in its own words: "the City is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the lower portion of the service laterals located within the City public right-of-way from the property line to the connection at the City's sewer main", and records that "the City took ownership of the portion of the sewer service laterals within the public right-of-way in 2008".
The owner’s side: The part on your own land. Section 14.54.035(C) provides that "the owner is responsible for all costs of repair and maintenance of all lateral lines on private property not within the public right-of-way", and section 14.54.035(B) states the general rule it carves out of: "except as provided herein, repair and maintenance of all privately-owned sewer mains and all lateral lines, equipment and appurtenances connected to the City sewer mains shall be the responsibility of the owner/user". Chapter 14.36 adds what you pay for when work is done: section 14.36.030(A) makes the applicant "responsible for the cost of constructing, maintaining, or replacing any part of a sewer system on private property, required by the Director, from the sewer main line to and including any on-site structure", with the work done by a licensed contractor under an encroachment permit.
Irvine Ranch Water District
In short: For a house, the property owner's pipe stops at the property line: Irvine Ranch Water District makes owners responsible for "sewer pipes within a building and upper sewer laterals that lead from a building to the edge of its property line", and owns and maintains the sewer pipelines beyond it, with no cleanout condition attached. In a condominium complex or a townhome development the answer is the opposite - the District's Rules put "all laterals upstream of the main line" on the owner "to maintain, repair, or reconstruct", and the District's own share starts at the main line cleanout.
The authority’s side: For a house, the sewer pipelines, which on the District's own division of the system includes the run from the property line to the main. In a condominium or townhome development the District's share is narrower and starts further out - its Rules take the onsite sewer mains "up to the main line cleanout or last manhole" and leave every lateral above that to the owner. IRWD's page splits the system into two columns; under what it owns and maintains it lists "sewer pipelines, manholes, pump stations, and treatment facilities", and under what property owners are responsible for it stops the owner's share at the upper lateral, running "to the edge of its property line". No cleanout requirement, prior inspection or programme membership is attached to that.
The owner’s side: In a house, the upper lateral and the plumbing inside the building, and nothing beyond the property line. The District lists what "property owners are responsible for" as "sewer pipes within a building and upper sewer laterals that lead from a building to the edge of its property line". In a condominium complex or townhome development it is more: section 4.15.3 of the District's Rules provides that "all laterals upstream of the main line are the responsibility of the applicant, owner or customer to maintain, repair, or reconstruct".
Lake County Sanitation District
In short: In Clearlake, Lake County Sanitation District maintains the lateral sewer from the main to the property line, but the owner maintains the whole side sewer until a property line cleanout is installed. The District's Rules provide that the District connects each property by "a lateral sewer extending from the main to the property line, which connection shall thereafter be maintained and kept within the exclusive control of the District", and that "Until such time as a property line cleanout is installed, a sewer backup on the property will be the responsibility of the property owner."
The authority’s side: The lateral sewer, from the property line to the main, where a property line cleanout has been installed. The District's own answer is that "The sewer lateral (the section between the property line and the mainline sewer) is owned and maintained by the District", and that "For sewer laterals with installed property line cleanouts, the District will clean the lateral sewer from the cleanout to the mainline."
The owner’s side: The building sewer, from the building to the property line: "Responsibility for installation and maintenance of the building sewer beyond the property line shall be the sole responsibility of the customer." The owner also installs the property line cleanout, which the District says is the owner's: "It is the responsibility of the property owner to install a property line cleanout."
Livermore
In short: In Livermore the City looks after the street end of a single-family home's service lateral, but only where the lateral has a permitted two-way clean-out. Section 13.28.090(B) of the City's code provides that "For those single-family residential service laterals that have an appropriately permitted and installed two-way clean-out, the City will clean, maintain and repair as necessary the portion of the service lateral from the clean-out to the sanitary sewer main line."
The authority’s side: For a single-family residential service lateral with an appropriately permitted and installed two-way clean-out, the portion from the clean-out to the sanitary sewer main line, which the City "will clean, maintain and repair as necessary".
The owner’s side: Everything from the clean-out back to the house. Section 13.28.090(B) continues: "The property owner remains responsible for all maintenance, repair and replacement of the sanitary sewer from the clean-out to the household or other structures on the property." When a property is connected, section 13.28.090(A) has the owner install the service lateral, which section 13.32.020 defines as "the pipe between the City’s sewer line and the customer’s service connection at the edge of the street or easement", with a two-way clean-out as the City's standard details call for.
Long Beach
In short: Long Beach maintains the sewer pipe under the street. Its code makes the owner responsible for the building sewer and then, "notwithstanding" that, has the Water Department maintain the house connection from the property line to the main - including the wye or saddle at the main, and with no cleanout condition attached.
The authority’s side: The house connection, which section 15.04 defines as "that portion of a sewer lateral in the street which extends from the wye or tee branch or saddle of a main line sewer or other point of connection with a main line sewer to the property line". Section 15.20.060 states that "the above provisions notwithstanding, the Water Department shall maintain the house connection extending from the property line to the main line sewer within the public right-of-way". No condition is attached - no cleanout, no prior inspection, no programme membership.
The owner’s side: The building sewer, which section 15.04 defines as "that portion of a sewer lateral beginning two feet (2') from the exterior wall of a building or foundation of a building and extending to its connection with the house connection at the property line". Section 15.20.060 requires that it "shall be maintained by the owner of the property in a safe and sanitary condition".
Los Altos
In short: The City pays for part of this pipe. The owner cleans and maintains the whole lateral from the house to the main, but reconstruction and repair of the street portion - beyond the first joint after the property line - is the City's - but the code makes that duty "subject to compliance with" its cleanout section, so the fitting is what the City's share rests on. A street-side blockage will usually be cleared by City crews, though the City calls that a courtesy rather than a duty. Cupertino Sanitary District also names Los Altos among the communities it serves, and answers the same question its own way.
The authority’s side: The reconstruction and repair of the street portion, conditionally, and no part of the cleaning. The code states that "the city shall be responsible for the reconstruction and repair of all lateral sewers subject to compliance with Section 10.04.250 of this article" - and 10.04.250 is the cleanout section, which requires a cleanout where the building sewer joins the lateral sewer, maintained watertight, under an approved box set flush with the ground. On its website the City puts the same split without the condition: it "is responsible for re-construction from the first joint after the property line to the main sewer line", and "is not responsible for any plumbing bills except when a street lateral requires reconstruction or repair". On a defect found during a blockage, "the City will repair it if the defect is beyond the first full section of pipe past the cleanout". Clearing a blockage is different: crews "will clear the stoppage as a courtesy if the blockage is between the property line cleanout (if accessible) and the main sewer line" - the City's own word is courtesy, so this is not a maintenance duty and should not be relied on as one.
The owner’s side: The cleaning and upkeep of all of it, and the reconstruction of the house side. The City states that "Los Altos residents are responsible for the maintenance of sewer laterals from their home to the main sewer line, which is typically in the street", and that the owner "is responsible for cleaning and maintaining the street and house lateral all the way to the main sewer, except for reconstruction and repair" - with reconstruction of the length "from the first joint after the property line to the home" also the owner's. Where a contractor cannot clear a stoppage because of a defect, the owner is responsible for the repair unless the defect lies beyond the first full section of pipe past the cleanout.
Millbrae
In short: The owner maintains the whole lateral as a general rule - but where a conforming cleanout exists near the curb or the main, the City maintains the section from that cleanout to the main.
The authority’s side: The City states it "shall only maintain the sanitary sewer lateral from the cleanout wye, inclusive of the cleanout wye, to the city sanitary sewer main" where a cleanout is provided "either in the sidewalk, or within two and one-half feet of the face of curb or edge of pavement where there is no sidewalk, or in a side or rear yard within two and one-half feet of the city main". Where the cleanout sits outside those areas, the City states that "the property owner is responsible for maintaining the sanitary sewer lateral all the way to the city sanitary sewer main, including the wye connection at the main".
The owner’s side: As a general rule the whole of it: the City states the owner "at his/her expense shall maintain all sanitary sewer laterals, including, but not limited to, the building drain, sanitary sewer lateral to the cleanout wye connection or to the city sanitary sewer main as provided below, building cleanout, sidewalk cleanout frame and cover, backflow protection and backflow relief equipment". Whether the run from the cleanout to the main falls to the City turns on where the cleanout is - within two and a half feet of the curb, the edge of the pavement, or the main.
Milpitas
In short: The user owns and maintains the house sewer - the portion of the pipe on private property, up to a cleanout at the property line. The run under the street is the City's, which the code requires it to hold full title to before it will provide service through it.
The authority’s side: The run in the public street, by title. The City provides that it "will not provide sewer service by means of any trunk sewer, main sewer or house lateral to which it does not have full and complete title at the time of rendering such service", and its code defines a "house lateral" as "that portion of the Side Sewer within a public street". Note what the maintenance article does and does not say: it gives the City "trunk sewers and main sewers ... when located in City streets or easements" and never names the house lateral, so the street portion is stated to be the City's property without the code stating in terms who repairs it. An owner facing a failure in the street should put that to Public Works rather than assume either answer.
The owner’s side: Everything on private property, and no further. The City states that "the user owns the entire house sewer and shall be responsible for maintaining, repairing, replacing, and clearing all stoppages and maintaining flow in the house sewer", including "clearing stoppages in the entire length of the house sewer" and keeping it "free from roots, grease deposits, and other solids". A "house sewer" is defined as "that portion of the Side Sewer within private property", the side sewer being "the total length of sewer from the Main Sewer to the foundation of the structure". The seam is marked on the ground: the user "shall have a street cleanout located at the property line, between the house sewer and the house lateral". A separate provision makes an approved sewage backflow protective device the owner's "at his sole cost and expense" where the lowest floor sits less than a foot above the nearest upstream manhole or relief structure.
Modesto
In short: The house sewer line is the owner's to build, maintain and repair - and in Modesto that reaches under the road, but stops short of the joint at the main. The City's packet defines the line as running from the building plumbing "to, but does not include, the connection at the City sewer main". The City also runs a cost-share programme for the part in the right-of-way, and will flush or inspect that part for free before you call a plumber.
The authority’s side: The clearing of the lower lateral after a backup, and none of its repair. The City's sewer system management plan describes "the Complimentary Lateral Program", under which "customers can call the City when they experience a sewer backup and Collections crews will clear the lower lateral using municipal lateral machines". The City's own website words the same service more cautiously: under "Call Us First", where there is a lower lateral clean-out, "We can flush or inspect the lower lateral line, which may fix your issue". The repair stays with the owner, who under section 5-6.309(b) "shall be responsible for the construction, maintenance and repair of his or her house sewer line".
The owner’s side: The house sewer line, which reaches the main but not the fitting at it. Section 5-6.309(b) states that "each user shall be responsible for the construction, maintenance and repair of his or her house sewer line", and the City's Cost-Share packet defines that line as "the pipe that begins at the house/building plumbing system and extends to, but does not include, the connection at the City sewer main". The same subsection adds that "each user shall be liable for damages which may result to the sewage system from his or her failure to keep his or her house sewer line in good order".
Montague
In short: Montague puts the private lateral on the owner up to the property line, including its connection there. Section 13.22.060 provides that "It is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain the private lateral up to and including its connection at the property line."
The authority’s side: The public sewer, including any part of a lateral in a public street or right-of-way: "That portion of the private lateral that may lie within any public street or right-of-way is a public sewer owned by the city." The code states the City's ownership of that portion.
The owner’s side: The private lateral, its cleanouts and any other wastewater facilities serving the building, up to and including the connection at the property line. The owner "shall undertake all necessary repairs, including replacement of dilapidated and worn out components, at the property owner's expense and at no cost to the city."
Moreno Valley
In short: Two agencies collect sewage in Moreno Valley. The City's MoVal 2040 draft environmental impact report says "Wastewater service in the Planning Area is provided by two agencies: EMWD provides collection and treatment for most of the city", while the Edgemont Community Services District "serves a 430-acre area in the western portion of the city that includes the Edgemont neighborhood". For Eastern Municipal Water District customers the lateral is the owner's pipe all the way to the main: the District's Administrative Code says "All completed Sewer Service Laterals shall remain the property of the Customer", and the length under the street "includes the connection to the Sewer Pipeline". The owner keeps all of it clear, and the District repairs the length under the street at its own expense unless, as the District determines, roots or debris from the property caused the damage or the owner otherwise contributed to it. In the Edgemont district the dividing point is a cleanout at the property line where there is one; without one the owner keeps the whole lateral clear to the main, as set out below.
The authority’s side: For Eastern Municipal Water District customers, repair of the lower lateral - the length from the property line to the main in the public right-of-way. Section 6.202(b)(2) of the District's Administrative Code provides that "Repair of Lower Sewer Laterals shall be performed by the District at the District's expense", except where the District determines the repair was needed "as a result of root intrusion and/or debris from Customer's property" or was otherwise contributed to by the customer. The District does not maintain or own that length. For Edgemont Community Services District customers, that District's Ordinance No. 277 of 12 November 2015 makes it responsible for cleaning and maintaining the lateral from a property-line cleanout to its main, where such a cleanout exists; the ordinance speaks of cleaning and maintaining and does not separately address repair.
The owner’s side: For Eastern Municipal Water District customers, the whole lateral as property, and its upkeep from the building to and including the connection to the District's main. Section 6.202(b)(1) makes maintenance of the lower lateral the customer's, and section 6.202(b)(3) puts maintenance and repair of the upper lateral on the customer, adding that "The removal of tree roots, grease, and/or any other foreign matter is the responsibility of the Customer." For Edgemont Community Services District customers, the pipe from the building to the property-line cleanout; where there is no cleanout at the property line, the owner keeps the whole lateral clear all the way to the District's main, under that District's Ordinance No. 277.
Oakdale
In short: Oakdale puts the sewer lateral on the owner all the way to the main. Section 28-5 provides that "The city shall maintain all city mains and appurtenances within public easements or on public property. The property owner shall maintain all laterals, connection lines and appurtenances for his premises to the main."
The authority’s side: The length of the lateral under the street, by title only. Section 28-3 provides that "Lines on private property belong to the property owner. All lines and appurtenant facilities constructed in or under streets, easements, or alleys shall become the property of the city upon the completion of the installation and upon the final inspection and approval of the lines by the director." The code gives the City no duty to maintain that length: section 28-5 provides that "The property owner shall maintain all laterals, connection lines and appurtenances for his premises to the main."
The owner’s side: The laterals, connection lines and appurtenances serving the premises, up to the main - including the length under the street.
Padre Dam Municipal Water District
In short: In Santee the owner keeps the sewer lateral clear to the main, and Padre Dam Municipal Water District repairs the part under the street. Its rules provide that "The property owner is responsible for maintenance of the sewer lateral connecting the District's main sewer pipeline and the property owner's facility", and that "If repairs are required in the public rights-of-way portion of the sewer lateral, the District will make any necessary repairs at no cost to the property owner."
The authority’s side: Repairs to the public right-of-way portion of the lateral, at no cost to the owner - not clearing it.
The owner’s side: Maintenance of the whole lateral to the main - defined as "Cleaning of debris, root cutting, and any procedure used to keep the entire length of a sewer lateral clean and functional" - and all repairs on private property, by a licensed plumber or sewer cleaning service.
Palo Alto
In short: It depends on whether you have a City sewer cleanout, and where it is. With one, Palo Alto owns and maintains the lateral "from the Wastewater Main up to and including the first City Sewer Cleanout" and you own the rest to your building. Without one - or if it is inaccessible, or if the cleanout is yours and sits "more than 5 feet behind the property line" - you own "the entire Sewer Lateral between the City's Wastewater Main and the building".
The authority’s side: The lower portion only, and only where a City Sewer Cleanout is present and accessible. Rule and Regulation 23 says the City owns that length and is responsible for its "inspection, maintenance, repair, and upgrade", and identifies it as the "lower portion of the Sewer Lateral (also known as Lower Sewer Lateral or City Lateral) from the Wastewater Main up to and including the first City Sewer Cleanout". Where the City's wastewater main runs inside a Public Utility Easement across private property that shrinks further, to "the Wastewater Main located within the Easement" and nothing else.
The owner’s side: The upper portion where there is a City cleanout, and the whole run where there is not. With one, the Customer "owns and is responsible for the inspection, maintenance, repair, and upgrade of the upper portion of the Sewer Lateral" from that cleanout to the building. Without one, "the Customer owns and is responsible for the inspection, maintenance, repair, and upgrade of the entire Sewer Lateral between the City's Wastewater Main and the building being served on the Premises" - and the regulation spells out what that means when it goes wrong: "the City is not responsible for damage resulting from sewage backups caused by lack of Sewer Lateral maintenance". A lateral that branches off the City's lower lateral is the Customer's too, including "the tee or wye connection to the City Lateral".
Parlier
In short: Parlier puts the lateral on the owner out to the main, but pays for street repairs unless the owner, the occupants or tree roots caused them. Section 13.40.080 provides that "Property owners and consumers are responsible for repairing and maintaining the laterals connecting their premises to the public sewer mains", and that, unless the owner, the occupants or trees and roots made the repair necessary, "all repair work in the public right-of-way shall be at the expense of the city."
The authority’s side: Repair work in the public right-of-way that needs an excavation, at the City's expense and under the direction of the director of public works - unless it was made necessary by the owner, the occupants, or trees or roots.
The owner’s side: Repairing and maintaining the lateral connecting the premises to the public sewer main, and any repair in the right-of-way that the owner, the occupants, or trees or roots made necessary.
Patterson
In short: Patterson splits the sewer lateral at the property line: the owner keeps the building sewer on the private side, and the City maintains the lateral sewer in the street - once there is a cleanout at the property line. The code provides that "Building sewers shall be maintained by the owner of property served hereby. Lateral sewer will be maintained by the city."
The authority’s side: The lateral sewer - the part of the side sewer lying within a public street, connecting the building sewer to the main. The code states maintenance, not ownership.
The owner’s side: The building sewer, from the building's plumbing outlet to the property line.
Pittsburg
In short: Pittsburg splits the lateral where the street begins. Section 13.26.020 provides that "Each property owner is responsible for the installation, repair and maintenance of the sewer lateral within the owner's private property (upper lateral)", and that "The city is responsible for the repair and maintenance of the sewer lateral within the public street or public easement (lower lateral) and the sewer main."
The authority’s side: The lower lateral - the part within the public street or public easement - and the sewer main, which section 13.26.010 says "includes the "y" or "t" connection attaching the sewer main line to the individual sewer lateral lines."
The owner’s side: The upper lateral, between the building and the street right-of-way or utility easement. "Each owner shall keep his/her sewer lateral in good order at his/her own expense".
Redwood City
In short: First find out who serves you: the City says your provider is "either the City of Redwood City or San Mateo County", and warns that it "may provide your water but not your sewer". Where the City is the provider, it looks after the half under the road - "the lower lateral is from the property line to the sewer main and is maintained by the City", and the upper lateral is yours. The cleanout at your property line is yours too, and the City will not install one.
The authority’s side: The lower lateral, from the property line out to the main. The City states that "the lower lateral is from the property line to the sewer main and is maintained by the City", and its FAQ puts the handover at the cleanout: the public side "refers to the section of the lateral between the sewer cleanout (usually located at the resident's property line) and the sewer main line out in the street". Its code defines the term the same way - a sewer lateral is "that portion of a building sewer located in the public right-of-way which extends from the sewerage facilities to the street property line or limit of public right-of-way or easement".
The owner’s side: The upper lateral, the cleanout, and everything inside the property line. The City states that "the upper lateral is the property owner's responsibility" and that "the property owner must maintain sewer lines on the owner's side (everything past the property line, including the upper lateral and plumbing within the home)". Its FAQ adds the cleanout itself to that: the private side "refers to all plumbing lines located inside the property line, including the cleanout", and asked whether the City will install one, the answer is "No. Sewer cleanouts belong to the property owner. It is the responsibility of the property owner to install a property line cleanout". Asked whether the City fixes sewer lines on private property: "No. The area between the sewer cleanout and the house (owner's side) is the responsibility of the property owner and must be repaired/serviced by the owner or designated service personnel".
Riverside
In short: Riverside divides the lateral by the kind of building rather than by where the pipe runs. For a house, the City maintains the run from the property line to the main. For "nonresidential premises" - which its code defines to include apartments, condominiums and boarding houses - the owner's pipe runs all the way to the connection. Everyone must install and pay for a cleanout at the property line.
The authority’s side: The lower lateral of a house, and only of a house. Section 14.08.020.B states that "the City shall maintain the sewer lateral of residential premises (excluding nonresidential premises) beginning at the property line or City easement boundary to the point of connection to the City sewerage system". The code's definitions put apartments, condominiums and boarding houses outside that, so the City takes no part of their laterals.
The owner’s side: Everything up to where the City's duty begins, and for some homes that is everything. A "private residential sewer lateral line" is defined as running from the premises "to the premises property line or City easement", so a house owner keeps the pipe to the property line. A "nonresidential private sewer lateral line" runs from the premises "to the point of connection to the City sewerage system", so an apartment, condominium or boarding house keeps the whole run including the part under the road. Every customer must also keep the line "in good working order and free of defects (which includes the installation of a two-way clean out tee at the property line or City easement boundary of at least four inches in diameter for maintenance) at their own expense".
Roseville
In short: Whether the run under the road is yours depends on one thing: is there a cleanout. Roseville's design standard says "the cleanout indicates the separation between private and public for the purpose of maintenance" - and that "in cases where there is no cleanout, the sewer service is considered private all the way to the main, including the wye". So the property with no cleanout has the longest pipe in the street, and the fitting at the main too.
The authority’s side: The service from the main up to the cleanout, where a cleanout exists. The City's design standard provides that the service "shall extend from the main to the edge of the public right-of-way or easement", that the cleanout is built "2' outside of the sewer easement", and that "the cleanout indicates the separation between private and public for the purpose of maintenance". Its public page lists "service connections maintained by the City" among what the City looks after, alongside the mains.
The owner’s side: Everything upstream of the cleanout - and everything, full stop, where there is none. The standard states that "for private laterals, maintenance of the wye fitting at the main, and any portion of the private lateral upstream of it, is the responsibility of the private owner", and that "in cases where there is no cleanout, the sewer service is considered private all the way to the main, including the wye". The City's public page puts the owner's share as the "sewer lateral from the building to the City sewer main" and "clearing blockages in the private lateral line".
Sacramento Area Sewer District
In short: The District keeps the lower lateral. Where the District owns the main, it "is responsible for clearing stoppages and for inspecting, maintaining, and repairing the lower lateral, District cleanouts, manholes and main line" - and it repairs and replaces the wye as well. Yours is the upper lateral, backwater valve included. The dividing point is "typically ... at the District cleanout", and the ordinance names two further positions for properties that do not have one.
The authority’s side: The lower lateral, the District cleanouts, the manholes, the main line and the wye - and blockages in all of it. Section 2.10.1 provides that "if the District owns the main line, the District is responsible for clearing stoppages and for inspecting, maintaining, and repairing the lower lateral, District cleanouts, manholes and main line", and that "the District is responsible for repairing and replacing all District wyes". Where the District does not own the main line, none of that applies: it then "has no responsibility for clearing stoppages or for inspecting, maintaining, or repairing the main line, cleanouts, or lower laterals".
The owner’s side: The upper lateral and the backwater valve on it. Section 2.10.1 gives the owner "the sole responsibility for clearing stoppages, inspecting, maintaining, and repairing the upper lateral, including backwater valve" - and says what that is for, requiring it be kept in a "condition that avoids negative impacts to the operation and maintenance of the District's system". The ordinance's own standard for that condition is that "the upper lateral should be kept free from roots, grease deposits, and other solids that may impede the flow", that "all pipes and joints should be tight, sound, and free from structural defects", and that no stormwater drains should be connected to it.
San Bruno
In short: The property owner owns the entire lateral, upper and lower, including the wye at the City main - though the City will clear and root-cut the lower section where a permitted cleanout exists.
The authority’s side: The clearing of the lower lateral where a permitted cleanout exists, and none of its repair. Where "a city approved and permitted cleanout is installed in the sewer lateral within the correct setback, the City of San Bruno will place the lower lateral portion into a maintenance program", which consists of "Clearing of blockages if possible" and "Root maintenance using a root cutter and/or chemical root foam treatment". The programme ends whenever City staff decide "the lateral is no longer in a condition that can be maintained", and "All repairs of the lateral (both upper and lower) are the responsibility of the property owner".
The owner’s side: The City states that "property owners own the entire sewer lateral from their home to the point at which it connects with the Main Sewer line, (typically in the street)", that "ownership also includes the lateral WYE connection at the City sewer main", and that "all repairs of the lateral (both upper and lower) are the responsibility of the property owner". Separately, and without changing that, the City states that where "a city approved and permitted cleanout is installed in the sewer lateral within the correct setback", it "will place the lower lateral portion into a maintenance program" - clearing blockages and cutting roots. That programme does not repair or replace anything, and the City states it ends "anytime City of San Bruno staff determines that the lateral is no longer in a condition that can be maintained".
San Carlos
In short: It depends on one fitting. Put in an approved cleanout at your property line and get it accepted, and the City takes over the length from there out to the main - the part under the road, wye included. Without one, the whole lateral is yours.
The authority’s side: The lower lateral, once there is an approved cleanout at the property line. The City states it plainly in its account of the wastewater system: "The property owner is responsible for the sewer lateral, but if an approved property line clean out is installed, the City assumes responsibility for the maintenance and repair of the lower portion of the laterals located within the public right-of-way." Its standard detail for that cleanout draws the same line: the sheet brackets the run either side of the cleanout, marking the main side the City's responsibility "upon approval and acceptance of installation" and the house side the property owner's, with the wye branch at the main falling on the City's side.
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the cleanout - and, if you have no approved cleanout, everything to the main including the run under the road. The City states that "the property owner is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of their private sewer lateral", and its code defines a sewer lateral as "the sewer line beginning at the foundation wall of any building and terminating at the sewer main", including "the upper lateral and lower lateral together" - the lower lateral being "the portion of a sewer lateral lying within a public street connecting an upper lateral to the sewer main". Note that the code says who is responsible and never says who owns the pipe.
San Diego
In short: The City states that the entire sewer lateral is the property owner's private property, including the length running under the street to the sewer main. A Council Policy will clear or repair the section beyond the property line at no charge, but only where the property has lost all sewer service and only after the owner has paid a plumber to establish where the fault is.
The authority’s side: The length under the street, and only in an emergency. The City "will only repair or clear at no charge to you a problem located in the section of the lateral that lies beyond your property line and in the City right-of-way (street), provided that you have lost all sewer facilities", and only where "the problem was not caused by your lack of routine maintenance". Council Policy 400-10 states the duty in its own terms: "The City of San Diego shall respond to calls and make repairs when the licensed plumber or licensed drain cleaner has established that the sewer lateral is blocked or has collapsed beyond the property line in a public right-of-way." Short of that, the routine maintenance and the cleaning of the whole lateral are the owner's.
The owner’s side: The whole of it, in the City's own words: "the entire length of the sewer lateral, extending from your home or building to its point of connection with the City sewer main underneath the street, is your private property", and "it is your responsibility as a property owner to maintain your sewer lateral". Council Policy 400-10 keeps routine upkeep with the owner across the same span, making them responsible "for both the routine maintenance and the required cleaning of the sewer line, from the building to the City sewer main". The City adds one caveat that changes who this applies to: "encroachment sewer laterals and sewer laterals located within easements are subject to different rules and policies" - it does not say what those rules are, so if your lateral crosses a neighbour's land or runs in an easement, this page is not describing your case. The City's Sewer System Management Plan names the far end more precisely than the fact sheet does: "the City does not own any portion of the service lateral. The private property owner is responsible for lateral maintenance and repair from the building connection to the wye connection at the sewer mainline." So the fitting where your pipe meets the main is yours too.
San Francisco
In short: The owner owns the sewer lateral and is responsible for maintaining it - but where Public Works decides a repair is needed in the roadway, the City makes that repair itself, from the curb to the main, and budgets for it rather than billing the owner.
The authority’s side: The repair of the street section, though not its ownership. The City states that "when the Department of Public Works determines that a repair must be made to a side sewer located in a public roadway or property ... the repair shall be made by the Department of Public Works", and that in a public roadway it "shall be responsible only for that section extending from the side curb or curb line to the sewer main connection". Public Works must "include a provision in the annual budget to cover the estimated costs", so the work is not charged back. Three limits matter: the Department acts when it determines a repair is needed rather than on request; where the pipe's condition cannot be established "due to the lack of an appropriate vent or vented trap" it requires the owner to install one first; and the section does not apply to private sewers or utility drains.
The owner’s side: The pipe itself, and everything from the curb inwards. The City states that "all side sewers, private sewers, or utility drains are the property and maintenance responsibility of the owner or owners of property, facilities or structures tributary thereto", with repairs "at sole expense of such owner or owners except as provided in Section 103.1". A "side sewer" is defined as the portion running from the public sewer to "the front face of a curb or a curbline of record", so the length between the curb and the building is outside this Article entirely - a nuisance there is handled by the Bureau of Building Inspection under the Plumbing Code, and it is the owner's.
San Jose
In short: The property owner owns the whole lateral, both on their land and under the road - the City's own ordinance says so in passing, twice. But San Jose will clear a blockage in the run from your property line to the main, and if that run then needs repair the City repairs it "without charge to the owner". All of it depends on a wye cleanout sitting no more than twenty-four inches below the surface and not covered over.
The authority’s side: Not the pipe, but the work on part of it, and only on conditions. Under section 15.16.420 the department of public works will, on written application and once the main has been ruled out, "rod the lateral to remove blockage" in the run between the property line and the sewer main - and "if, after such rodding, the department of public works determines the said lateral requires repair, the department of public works shall repair the said lateral, without charge to the owner". The City claims no ownership of that run and describes no general duty to maintain it; what it describes is a repair it performs for free once the process has been followed.
The owner’s side: The lateral end to end, as the ordinance describes it. Section 15.16.420 refers to "that portion of the sewer lateral owned by the owner lying between the owner's property line and structures on his property", and to the City repairing "that portion of the lateral owned by the property owner" - the run out to the main. The owner is also responsible for the wye cleanout: where none exists the owner must have one installed at their own expense, and where one is buried too deep or covered over the owner must expose it and bring it to within twenty-four inches of the surface before the City will act.
Santa Clara
In short: The whole pipe is yours, all the way to the City main, and the code says so in its definition: "each sewer lateral is owned by the entity that owns the property". No cleanout changes that. What a cleanout does change is what the City will do for you - with one at the property line, a City crew will check and clear the lower half at no charge; without one, the City says it "will not be able to assess the condition of the lower lateral to the main".
The authority’s side: The clearing of the lower lateral where there is a property line cleanout, and none of its repair. The City's sewer system management plan states that "the City will clear blockages from the property line clean out to the City sewer main", "as a service to the public; provided a property line cleanout exists and the City is made aware of any problems or backups", and that "Overall lateral maintenance and repair is sole responsibility of property owner". Its response procedure says the same in practice: where the stoppage is in the lower lateral, "The City will run a drain auger out to the city main in attempt to clear the blockage".
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the City main. Section 13.10.020 defines a sewer lateral as "the sewer connection piping used to convey sewage from a building or facility on a parcel (private or public property) to the City-owned sewer main", and says that "each sewer lateral is owned by the entity that owns the property or facility from which that sewer lateral serves to convey sewage". Section 13.10.040 turns that into a duty: "each user shall keep his/her sewer connections and sewer lateral(s) in good order at his/her own expense and shall be liable for all damages resulting from failure to do so", and must keep it "free from displaced joints, open joints, root intrusions, substantial deterioration of pipe material, cracks, leaks, inflow or infiltration of extraneous water, grease and sediment deposits".
Saratoga
In short: No single authority covers Saratoga: the City states that the sewer lines "are owned and maintained by Cupertino Sanitary District and West Valley Sanitation District". In Cupertino Sanitary District's area, that District makes you responsible for the house lateral, the cleanout and the point of connection to the street lateral, and states that it maintains and repairs the part in the street where there is an accessible, serviceable cleanout at the property line. In West Valley Sanitation District's area, about two thirds of the city, West Valley's code puts your side at the cleanout, "unless otherwise provided by district ordinance or policy", but another section names the connection at the public sewer as an end point too, without saying which applies when. West Valley's code says the part in the street "is owned by the district", and says both that the District "will maintain" it and, for laterals installed before 1 November 2026, that it "may continue" to, without reconciling the two. In West Valley's area, confirm with West Valley Sanitation District where your side ends and what it will do for yours.
The authority’s side: The part of the lateral in the public street, and the two districts say different things about it. In Cupertino Sanitary District's area, that District states that it "provides maintenance and repair of sewer laterals within the public street provided there is an accessible and serviceable cleanout at the property line", and its FAQ claims no title to them. In West Valley Sanitation District's area, West Valley's code says "the lower sewer lateral is owned by the district", and its provisions on maintaining it do not say the same thing. West Valley's definitions say the District "is generally responsible for the maintenance, cleaning, inspection, repair, and replacement of the lower sewer lateral from the property line to the public sewer, subject to the provisions of this code", and that "the district shall be responsible only for the maintenance, cleaning, inspection, and repair of the lower sewer lateral from the PLCO to the public sewer". For lower laterals and cleanouts installed before 1 November 2026, West Valley's lower-lateral definition says "the district may continue to maintain, clean, inspect, and repair existing lower sewer laterals", provided they were properly permitted and installed and are safely accessible. That sentence is a "may", and it leaves out replacement. West Valley's section 6.100 says the District "will maintain that part of each building sewer lying within a public right-of-way (lower sewer lateral) from PLCO to the public sewer", and lists the work it will do "if a properly installed, maintained, and accessible property line cleanout exists". West Valley's code does not say how these provisions fit together.
The owner’s side: The house lateral, the cleanout, and the fitting between the two halves, in Cupertino Sanitary District's words; West Valley's code names more than one end point. Cupertino Sanitary District states that "maintenance and repair of the private house sewer lateral, cleanout, and point-of-connection to the street lateral are the responsiblity of the property owner" - naming the point of connection, which most authorities leave open. West Valley Sanitation District's code makes owners responsible for "the upper sewer lateral from the building to the PLCO including the PLCO, unless otherwise provided by district ordinance or policy", PLCO being its name for the property line cleanout, and for "any PLCO installed in the public right of way". Its section 6.100(C) also states: "The owner's operation and maintenance responsibility is from the building to the connection at the sanitary public sewer, or the PLCO closest to the public sewer." Where there is no approved cleanout kept clear for its staff, West Valley puts "the maintenance obligation for the entire building sewer" on the owner, and leaves "the repair or replacement of the lower lateral located within the public right-of-way" to its district manager on a case-by-case basis. Where the lateral connects to a public sewer in an easement, West Valley makes "the entire sewer lateral, including any cleanouts" the owner's responsibility.
Selma-Kingsburg-Fowler County Sanitation District
In short: In Selma and Kingsburg the lateral is split at the property line for repairs, but the owner keeps the whole pipe clean. The Selma-Kingsburg-Fowler County Sanitation District's ordinance provides that "Repair and replacement of service laterals in the public right of way is the responsibility of the District. Any maintenance and cleaning of the complete service lateral is the property owner's responsibility."
The authority’s side: Repair and replacement of the service lateral in the public right of way - the lower lateral, from the property line to the main.
The owner’s side: The upper lateral, from the building to the property line: "The owner's responsibility shall include repair and replacement of the upper lateral, including the cleanout." And the maintenance and cleaning of the whole lateral, all the way to the main.
South Placer Municipal Utility District
In short: South Placer Municipal Utility District splits the lateral at the property line. The owner has the upper lateral on private property - "The upper lateral is privately owned and maintained." - and the District has the lower lateral under the public right-of-way, with the property line cleanout, which its code calls "The publicly owned clean out".
The authority’s side: The lower lateral - "That part of building sewer within the public right-of-way, extending from the property line, typically at the Property Line Cleanout (PLCO), to the public sewer" - and the property line cleanout. The District's page puts it generally: "The District owns and is responsible for the public sewer system which generally includes those pipes in the public right-of way and/or easement."
The owner’s side: The upper lateral, from two feet outside the building wall to the public right-of-way, and the building drain. On the District's page, "The property owner owns, and is responsible for: the building drain (plumbing in and under the building) and the building sewer known as the Upper Lateral (generally the portion of sewer located on private property)."
South San Francisco
In short: Where the City of South San Francisco collects the sewage, the dividing point is a cleanout in the right place. Section 14.14.040 of the municipal code provides that "The city shall maintain the building sanitary sewer lateral from a city-approved cleanout wye to the city sanitary sewer main when a cleanout is provided either in the sidewalk, or if there is no sidewalk within the public right-of-way then it shall be installed within two and one-half feet of the city main or in such a location as approved by a city issued permit." Without such a cleanout the owner keeps the whole run, to and including the wye on the main.
The authority’s side: The lower lateral, from a city-approved cleanout wye to the main, where the cleanout is in the sidewalk, within two and one-half feet of the face of curb or edge of pavement where there is no sidewalk, or in a side or rear yard within two and one-half feet of the City main. Section 14.14.120(c) provides that "The city shall only maintain the building sanitary sewer lateral from the cleanout wye, inclusive of the cleanout wye, to the city sanitary sewer main" in those circumstances. Section 14.14.120(b) speaks of the "lower lateral sewer lines in the sanitary sewer system owned by the city".
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the cleanout wye - or to the main, where there is no qualifying cleanout. Section 14.14.120(a) has the owner, at the owner's expense, maintain the building drain, the lateral "to the cleanout wye connection or to the city sanitary sewer main as provided below", the building cleanout, the sidewalk cleanout frame and cover, and backflow protection and relief equipment, and makes the owner "responsible for clearing all obstructions in the building sanitary sewer lateral immediately upon discovery or notification by the city". Under section 14.14.120(b) the owner also removes roots growing from the private lateral into the City's lower lateral within thirty days of the City's notice.
Stockton
In short: Stockton owns the pipe under the road. Its code defines the lower lateral as "the lateral line owned by the City", running from the sewer main to the back of the public right-of-way, and says flatly that the City maintains it - with no cleanout condition of the kind other cities attach. You keep the run from your foundation to the right-of-way, and if roots from your pipe reach the City's, you have 45 days to deal with it.
The authority’s side: The lower lateral, owned as well as maintained, from the sewer main to the back of the public right-of-way. The City's definition is explicit about title: a lower lateral is "the lateral line owned by the City connecting a home, business, commercial site, institution, industrial site, or other structure to the City's sewer main". Section 13.50.040.A then states without qualification that "lower laterals are maintained by the City of Stockton" - no cleanout requirement, no prior inspection, no programme membership.
The owner’s side: The upper lateral: "the private sanitary sewer lateral or pipeline connecting a home or other structure to the lower lateral, generally extending from the outside of the foundation of the structure to the public right-of-way or point of connection to the public sewer system". Where that pipe has caused a reportable sanitary sewer overflow, or where work is done on it, the City sets standards for it - it must be kept free of roots, grease and solids, its joints tight and its grade uniform, and its cleanouts "securely sealed with a proper cap at all times".
Tuolumne Utilities District
In short: In Sonora, Tuolumne Utilities District splits the lateral at a property line cleanout if there is one, and otherwise leaves the whole lateral with the owner. Its ordinance says "The private lateral is owned and maintained by the property owner" and "The public lateral is owned and maintained by the District." - but "If no cleanout or manhole exists near the property line then the entire lateral from the points of service to the lateral connection at the public sewer main is considered a private lateral."
The authority’s side: The public lateral, downstream of an accessible cleanout or manhole near the property line, to the main. "If the customer installs a District approved sewer cleanout or manhole at the property line adjacent to a public right-of-way, and the cleanout or manhole is accessible to the District's satisfaction, the District will maintain the portion of the lateral downstream of the cleanout or manhole in the public right-of-way."
The owner’s side: The private lateral, from the building to the cleanout - or to the main where there is no cleanout. "The customer shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and good working order of the private sewer lateral."
Turlock
In short: Turlock keeps everything under the street and gives the owner everything on the lot. Section 6-4-107 provides that "The City shall maintain all sewer connections, mains, sewer laterals and appurtenances within City rights-of-way, on public property, or public easements, including cleanouts and manholes", and that "The property owner shall maintain all other sewer connections, lines and appurtenances to or on his/her premises up to the cleanout or customer side manhole."
The authority’s side: The sewer lateral and connection within the City's right-of-way, public property or easements, including the cleanout. Section 6-4-105 makes those lines City property once installed and approved.
The owner’s side: The sewer line on your own premises, up to the cleanout or customer side manhole. Section 6-4-105 provides that "All sewer lines on private property shall belong to the property owner, unless stated otherwise in this section."
Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District
In short: The District maintains the lower lateral and the District cleanout; the owner has the upper lateral, from the cleanout to the building.
The authority’s side: The District states it "will be responsible for the clearing, cleaning, repair, and maintenance of any lower lateral and District cleanout", and that where a District cleanout has been installed the lower lateral is "the portion of the lateral from the District's mainline to and including the cleanout". It also states that "only District staff or its approved contractors are permitted to perform any work, including cleaning services or efforts to clear a blockage on a District cleanout, lower lateral, or mainline sewer".
The owner’s side: The District states "the owner of any property served by the lateral is responsible for the clearing, cleaning, repair, and maintenance of the upper lateral" - the portion from the cleanout to the building - and that where an upper lateral is found to admit inflow or infiltration, the owner may be required by the General Manager to correct it.
Victorville
In short: The property line divides the pipe, and the code says so from both directions: the City is responsible for "the sewer lateral line from the sewer main-line or trunk line to the property line", and owners must maintain "at the property owners' sole expense, the building sewer line from their building or structure to their property line". The City's own Maintenance and Repair page says something different in one paragraph - that owners are responsible "from the building to the point where it connects to the City's sewer system" - while listing "Sewer laterals located within the public right-of-way" as the City's in another. The ordinance is what governs, and the ordinance says property line.
The authority’s side: The length in the street, from the main to your property line. Section 10.02.060 makes the City responsible for "the operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of any public sewer main or trunk lines within a dedicated public right-of-way or easement, including the sewer lateral line from the sewer main-line or trunk line to the property line", and the definitions agree: a sewer lateral is "that portion of horizontal piping that located in the public right-of-way that connects a building sewer to a public sewer and is maintained by the city".
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the property line, and the code is specific about what that means in practice. Section 10.02.070(a) requires owners "to maintain in good working order, at the property owners' sole expense, the building sewer line from their building or structure to their property line", and to "keep the building sewer line free of roots, grease, debris, and blockages, and ... ensure that there are no breaks, cracks or other issues as to prevent the sewer lateral from operating in an efficient manner". The definitions make the same division: a building sewer is "a sewer located on a user's private property ... and is maintained by the property owner".
Waterford
In short: Waterford splits the lateral by kind of work rather than by length. Section 7.04.050 provides that "it is the responsibility of the property owner, at the owner's expense, to maintain the sewer service lateral from the premises to the city owned and operated main line. Such maintenance shall include the removal of tree roots and other blockages", and that "The city will repair damaged and deteriorated lateral lines in the city right-of-way at city expense, unless such damage was caused by the property owner."
The authority’s side: Repair of damaged and deteriorated lateral in the City right-of-way, at the City's expense - but not clearing it, which stays with the owner.
The owner’s side: Clearing and upkeep of the whole lateral from the premises to the City main, roots and blockages included, and repair of the lateral within the property: "The property owner is also responsible for repairs of the lateral line within the property boundaries."
West Sacramento
In short: 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."
The authority’s side: 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 owner’s side: 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".
West Valley Sanitation District
In short: The District's ordinance code says "the lower sewer lateral is owned by the district" - the run from the property line cleanout to the sewer main in the street. On who maintains it, the code says more than one thing. It says the District "will maintain" the lower lateral and "is generally responsible for the maintenance, cleaning, inspection, repair, and replacement" of it. But for lower laterals and cleanouts installed before 1 November 2026, a further sentence reads "the district may continue to maintain, clean, inspect, and repair existing lower sewer laterals", on conditions, and the code does not say how these fit together. Where your side ends is not fixed either. The code's definition puts it at the cleanout, the cleanout included, "unless otherwise provided by district ordinance or policy", and another section names both the cleanout and the connection at the public sewer. Without an approved, accessible cleanout, the maintenance of the whole run to the main is yours. Confirm with the District where your side ends and whether it will maintain, repair or replace the rest before relying on it.
The authority’s side: The lower lateral: "the portion of a building sewer extending from the property line cleanout (PLCO) to the connection with the public sewer main", in the public right-of-way. The code says "the lower sewer lateral is owned by the district". Its provisions on maintaining it do not say the same thing. The lower-lateral definition says the District "is generally responsible for the maintenance, cleaning, inspection, repair, and replacement of the lower sewer lateral from the property line to the public sewer, subject to the provisions of this code". It then says that for lower laterals and PLCOs installed before 1 November 2026, "the district may continue to maintain, clean, inspect, and repair existing lower sewer laterals, provided such facilities were properly permitted, and installed in accordance with applicable standards in effect at the time of installation, and safely accessible". That sentence is a "may", and it leaves out replacement. The cleanout definition says "the district shall be responsible only for the maintenance, cleaning, inspection, and repair of the lower sewer lateral from the PLCO to the public sewer", and its copy of the sentence for existing laterals reads "shall may continue". Section 6.100 says the District "will maintain that part of each building sewer lying within a public right-of-way (lower sewer lateral) from PLCO to the public sewer". It also says that "if a properly installed, maintained, and accessible property line cleanout exists" the District will remove blockages, remove or treat roots, and carry out "repair or replacement of all, or a part of the lower sewer lateral" when "replacement becomes more economical than the maintenance being performed by the district". The other condition in that sentence, "when its condition is deemed, by the district manager", is left unfinished in the code. The code does not say how these provisions fit together, so ask the District what it will do for your lower lateral.
The owner’s side: The code's definition makes property owners responsible for "the upper sewer lateral from the building to the PLCO including the PLCO, unless otherwise provided by district ordinance or policy" - PLCO being its name for the property line cleanout. Section 6.100(C) adds "any PLCO installed in the public right of way" between the two halves. A new cleanout goes "approximately two (2) feet behind the property line", or, where the site makes that impractical, somewhere the District approves, such as behind the curb or in the sidewalk. Section 6.100(C) also states: "The owner's operation and maintenance responsibility is from the building to the connection at the sanitary public sewer, or the PLCO closest to the public sewer." That names a second end point, and the code does not say when each applies. Where no approved cleanout is in place and kept clear for the District's staff, "the maintenance obligation for the entire building sewer and any resultant backup or sanitary sewer overflow due to the lack of maintenance shall be the responsibility of the property-owner", and "responsibility for the repair or replacement of the lower lateral located within the public right-of-way shall be determined by the district manager on a case-by-case basis". Where the lateral connects to a public sewer in an easement, "the entire sewer lateral, including any cleanouts, shall be the responsibility of the property owner".
Willits
In short: Willits splits maintenance at the property line, but a side sewer that fails the City's test is the owner's to fix all the way to the main. Section 13.08.090 provides that "Building sewers and all other sewerage facilities located on private property shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby", and limits the City's responsibility to "The maintenance of sewer laterals from right-of-way lines to the sewer mains lines".
The authority’s side: Maintenance of the lateral sewer - "the portion of sewer lying within a public street or easement connecting a building sewer to the main sewer" - from the right-of-way line to the main.
The owner’s side: The building sewer, which runs from the building "to the property line", and every other sewerage facility on private property. For a lateral problem the City advises the owner "it is the responsibility to acquire the services of a private sewer cleaning company", and if City crews have to clean the lateral out in an emergency the owner is billed for time and material.
Woodlake
In short: 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".
The authority’s side: Sewer mains and the laterals within the City right-of-way.
The owner’s side: 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."
Woodland
In short: Woodland keeps the street length of the lateral itself. Section 13.12.080 provides that "Building sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby, but the City shall maintain that portion of the building sewer extending from the City sewer to the property line or curb line of the property served."
The authority’s side: The length of the lateral from the City sewer main to the property line or curb line of the property it serves.
The owner’s side: The building sewer from the building to the property line or curb line - the length on your own lot.
Woodside
In short: A cleanout at the property line decides this one. The Town maintains the run between that cleanout and the public sewer where a conforming one has been installed; without it the owner has the whole length, building to main. Every building sewer in Woodside is required to have one.
The authority’s side: The run between the property-line cleanout and the public sewer, where such a cleanout exists. Section 51.046(E) provides that "if a cleanout meeting the requirements of division (D) of this section has been installed, the Town will maintain the building sewer between the cleanout and the connection with the public sewer". Will, not may: this is a duty the Town takes on, and the only thing conditioning it is the cleanout.
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the cleanout at the property line, and everything beyond it where no conforming cleanout exists. Section 51.046(E) makes the property owner "solely responsible to maintain the building sewer and related wastewater facilities between the building and the connection with the public sewer", before the proviso narrows it. Section 51.046(B) adds that "all costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner", and that the owner indemnifies the Town against loss occasioned by that installation.
The whole lateral is yours · 240
Alhambra
In short: Alhambra writes its own sewer code and puts the whole house connection sewer on the owner. Section 16.12.110 provides that "All house connection sewers and appurtenances thereto, now existing or hereafter constructed after September 18, 1951, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition". Section 16.04.110 defines the house connection sewer as the horizontal piping "beginning 24 inches from the exterior wall of the building or structure and extending to its connection with the public sewer".
The owner’s side: The house connection sewer, from two feet outside the building to the public sewer. Section 16.04.180 closes the argument that the street length might be public: the public sewer "means the main sewer or trunk sewer, constructed in a street, highway, alley, place or right of way dedicated to public use", and "The term PUBLIC SEWER does not include a house connection sewer".
Alturas
In short: In Alturas the City maintains the sewer mains and the customer maintains the whole service line. Section 21-12 of the City's code provides that "All maintenance of sewer main lines shall be the responsibility of the city. Service lines shall be maintained by the customer."
The owner’s side: The service line, all the way to the main - including the part in the street. An owner asking for sewer service furnishes the material and hires a City-approved contractor to build the line within the City's right-of-way, at the owner's cost.
Anaheim
In short: The whole sewer lateral is the property owner's, and Anaheim says so about the expensive part in the same breath as its water answer: "unlike water lines, where the City owns the portion from the street to the meter, the entire portion of a sewer lateral is private property" - including the run under the street. The City keeps the public sewer line in the street.
The owner’s side: The entire length, including the part under the road. The City's guide states that "unlike water lines, where the City owns the portion from the street to the meter, the entire portion of a sewer lateral is private property", and that "property owners are responsible for the proper operation and maintenance of the entire length of the lateral" - spelling out that this covers "even the portion that runs under the street". The lateral is defined there as the pipe carrying "wastewater from inside your home to the public sewer line in the street".
Angels Camp
In short: Angels Camp puts the lateral on the owner from the connection at the main. Section 13.30.010 provides that "Sewer service laterals that connect private sewers to the public sewer shall be the responsibility of the private property owner. Private sewers begin at the connection line on the public sewer main in the public street or sewer easement."
The owner’s side: The sewer service lateral, from the connection line on the public main. "Maintenance of private sewers in the public right-of-way shall be the responsibility of the private property owner."
Apple Valley
In short: Apple Valley puts the whole lateral on the owner in one sentence. Section 10.01.050 provides that "The owner of any property connecting to the local sewer collection system shall be required to maintain the sewer lateral from their building or structure to the sewer main at their own expense", and that "The Town's responsibility shall be limited to maintenance of main sewers and manholes."
The owner’s side: The sewer lateral from the building to the sewer main, at the owner's own expense - the length under the street included. The same section adds that "The Town does not maintain privately owned sewer laterals."
Arcadia
In short: Arcadia puts the whole house connection sewer on the owner and keeps only the main. Section 7424 provides that "All house connection sewers, industrial connection sewers, and appurtenances thereto, now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 7426 that "The City shall in no event be responsible for the maintenance or repair of or for removal of obstructions in or to any house connection sewer".
The owner’s side: The house connection sewer from just outside the building to the main, including the length under the street. Section 7410.8 defines it as "that part of the horizontal piping beginning twenty-four (24) inches from the exterior wall of the building or structure and extending to its connection with the public sewer".
Arcata
In short: In Arcata the property owner maintains the building sewer, or upper lateral, which runs from the building to the property line, where the City's code places a sewer clean-out. Section 7437 provides that "Building Sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the Property served thereby". Where there is no clean-out, section 7433 makes the owner "responsible for maintaining both the Building Sewer and Lateral Sewer to the City's Public Sewer line".
The owner’s side: The building sewer, which the code defines as "That portion of a Sewer beginning at the plumbing or drainage outlet of a Building and running to the property line or to a Private Sewer." Where no clean-out exists between the building sewer and the lateral sewer, the owner maintains the lateral sewer under the street as well, to the public sewer line.
Arroyo Grande
In short: Arroyo Grande puts everything but the City's main on the owner, the fittings on the main included. Section 13.12.120 provides that "Lateral sewers shall be installed by a contractor licensed to do sewer work and shall be maintained by the property owner", and section 13.12.160 defines the building sewer, for the purposes of the chapter, "as all sewerage exclusive of city main line including, but not limited to, the wyes, tees, saddles, laterals and plumbing."
The owner’s side: The building sewer and the lateral sewer - "that portion of a sewer lying within a public right-of-way or easement which lateral connects, or is intended to connect, a building sewer to a main sewer" - with the wye, tee or saddle where it joins the main. For shared lines, section 13.12.110 provides that "All maintenance of building sewers are the responsibility of the lot owners or appropriate owner's association exclusive of the city main line."
Artesia
In short: Artesia writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 6-4.201 of its municipal code adopts by reference Title 20, Utilities, Division 2 of the Los Angeles County Code, "as amended and in effect on October 24, 2002", as the City's sanitary sewers and industrial waste ordinance. Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Arvin
In short: In Arvin the house branch sewer, including its connection to the City's main, is not the City's to maintain or repair. Section 13.08.023 of the City's code provides that "House branch sewers, including their connection to sewer mains, are not considered city property or parts of the city's sewer system, and their maintenance and repair will not be provided by the city."
The owner’s side: The house branch sewer from the building to the City's main, and its connection to the main. The code does not name the owner in terms; it places the whole line, connection included, outside the City's property and system, and says the City will not maintain or repair it.
Atascadero
In short: Atascadero puts the whole building sewer on the owner, the length under the street and the connection to the main included. Section 7-2.001 defines the building sewer as "that portion of any sewer beginning two feet from any building and extending to and including its connection to a public sewer", and provides that "Building sewers are considered privately-owned and maintained by the owner of the property or project it serves."
The owner’s side: The building sewer from two feet outside the building to and including its connection to the public sewer - which takes in the lateral, defined as "that portion of a building sewer lying within a public right-of-way or easement". Section 7-7.003 provides that "Installation, maintenance, and replacement of the building sewer shall be the responsibility of the connecting property owner."
Atwater
In short: Atwater puts the house connection on the owner all the way to the City's sewer. Section 13.08.160 provides that "All portions of house connections and building connections between the connection to the building sewer system and the City lateral sewer, collecting sewer or mainline sewer shall be maintained by the owner of the house or building", except as other chapters provide.
The owner’s side: The house connection, which section 13.08.020 defines as "the sewer connecting the building sewer or building waste drainage system to the public sewer" - including the length under the street. A broken connection the owner fails to repair after five days' notice can be replaced by the City at the owner's expense, with the cost made a lien on the property.
Avalon
In short: In Avalon the private sewer lateral belongs to the property owner all the way to the public sewer, including the wye or saddle where it joins. Section 6-7.303 of the City's code provides that "The private sewer laterals are the property of the property owner and are not part of the public sewer", and that each owner shall, at the owner's expense, "inspect, maintain in good working order, repair, rehabilitate and replace, as necessary, the private sewer lateral".
The owner’s side: The private sewer lateral, which section 6-7.101 defines as "the privately owned sanitary sewer piping or line connecting a building or other structure to the public sewer", including the wye or saddle at the public sewer. The City's Private Sewer Lateral Program page says the same: "The property owner is responsible for maintenance and repair of the lateral from the building all the way to the point of connection with the public sewer main often located in the middle of the street."
Bakersfield
In short: The house connection sewer is the owner's all the way to the public sewer - but Bakersfield will do the hard half for you if you ask. Section 14.12.195 commits the City to repairing "that portion of the house connection sewer between the improved city right-of-way and the public sewer for a fee to be determined on a time and materials basis". The City will do the work; the cost is yours, and it is not published.
The owner’s side: The house connection sewer, the whole of it. Section 14.12.195 states that "all property owners shall maintain the house connection sewer from all points on their property to the public sewer", and that "it is the responsibility of all property owners to repair any blockage of or damage to the house connection sewer". The code defines a house connection as "the sewer connecting the building sewer or building waste drainage system to the public sewer for the purpose of conveying domestic wastewater".
Barstow
In short: In Barstow the whole sewer lateral, from the building to the City's sewer, is the owner's. Section 13.16.030 of the City's code provides that "The owner is solely responsible for the sewer lateral from the building to the point of connection with the city's sewer collection system." It names both halves: the upper lateral, from the building to the property line, and the lower lateral, from the property line to the point of connection.
The owner’s side: The building lateral, which the code defines as "the extension from the building drain to the public sewer or another place of disposal", upper and lower lateral together. "All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building lateral shall be borne by the owner."
Beaumont
In short: In Beaumont the service lateral is the owner's responsibility all the way to the City's main line, connection included. Section 13.08.110 of the City's code provides that "The owner shall be responsible for maintenance and/or repair of the service lateral", and makes the lateral the owner's responsibility from the building "up to and including the connection to the City main line."
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the City's main line, including the connection to it. The code defines the service lateral as "the drain designed or intended to convey sewage from the building sewer to the public sewer", and the building sewer as "the drain from the building plumbing to the property line".
Belmont
In short: Belmont puts every portion of the lateral on the owner, the connection to the main included. Section 21-210 provides that "A property owner must install and maintain in good repair all portions of the sewer lateral servicing his or her property including the connection of the lateral to the public sewer main and any back flow prevention devices or cleanouts required by this chapter or chapter 7."
The owner’s side: The whole lateral from the building to the public sewer main, the connection included, with any required backflow devices and cleanouts. The City can order repairs: where a lateral is damaged or likely to leak or back up, "the city manager may issue a notice to repair to the property owner", with a date by which the owner must repair or replace it.
Beverly Hills
In short: Beverly Hills says outright that the length under the street is yours. Section 6-1-303 defines the private sewer lateral as the piping "located between the property line and the public sewer main", and provides that "Although it is located in the public right-of-way, the private sewer lateral, including its point of connection with the public sewer main, is private property owned and maintained by the property owner."
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the main, the connection itself included: the building sewer on the lot and the private sewer lateral under the street. Section 6-1-307 provides that "Private drainage systems shall be maintained by the owner of the private property in good operating condition", and that maintenance includes "periodic inspection of all components of the drainage system" and repair, cleaning and root removal as needed.
Big Bear Lake
In short: In Big Bear Lake the whole building sewer, lateral and cleanout included, is the user's to maintain, repair and replace. Section 13.08.410 of the City's code provides that "The user shall bear the burden and all expenses related to maintenance and repair or replacement of the building sewer."
The owner’s side: The building sewer - "that portion of the sewer from the building sewer drain to the public sewer, including the sewer lateral and the cleanout."
Buellton
In short: In Buellton the whole sewer connection is the property's to maintain, from the building to the City's sewer main, including the fitting on the main. Section 14.08.012 of the City's code provides that "All connections, including the lateral, wye or saddle at the city's sewer, shall be maintained at the expense of the user of the connection", and section 14.16.120 that "Side sewers, including the horizontal piping beginning at the building drain of any building and terminating in the main sewer, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby."
The owner’s side: The side sewer from the building drain to the main sewer, the lateral, and the wye or saddle where it joins the City's main. Section 14.08.012 places the cost on the user of the connection, and the code's definition of a user includes a tenant or other person in charge of day-to-day activities where there is a connection; all such persons "jointly and severally shall be responsible for compliance with the provisions of this title in the same manner as the owner." Section 14.16.120 names the owner of the property served.
Buena Park
In short: Buena Park puts the whole run on the owner in one sentence and defines both halves of it. Section 13.04.210 provides that "The maintenance, repair and upkeep of connecting sewers and house sewers shall be the responsibility of the property owner or user". Section 13.04.010 defines the connecting sewer as "that portion of the sewer system which extends from the main sewer to the street right-of-way line", adding that it "May also be referred to as the lateral".
The owner’s side: Both named lengths, from the main to the building. The house sewer is "that portion of the horizontal piping extending from a point two feet from the foundation wall of the building to its connection with the connecting sewer", and the connecting sewer carries on from there, under the street, to the main. Section 13.04.210 assigns maintenance, repair and upkeep of both to the property owner or user.
Burbank
In short: The property owner maintains the building sewer all the way to the public sewer, and the City's definitions put the portion under the street on the owner's side. Where a City parkway tree's roots crushed the pipe, the City may reimburse the repair - but only with permits and an inspection before the damaged pipe is removed.
The owner’s side: All of it, from two feet outside the building wall to the public sewer. The City states that "all building sewers ... shall be maintained in good operating condition and in conformity with applicable law by the owner of the property which such facilities serve", and defines a building sewer as "that part of the sewer piping beginning two (2) feet from the exterior wall of a building structure or foundation and extending to a connection with the public sewer". Its definition of a public sewer expressly excludes "a portion of building sewer within the street or public right of way", so the run under the road is the owner's on the face of the code. One exception is worth knowing about: under section 8-1-312 the City "may reimburse a property owner for the cost to repair or replace that portion of a building sewer that has been crushed or moved out of alignment by the root system of a city parkway tree", if the owner shows the tree root was the cause, obtains the permits, and has the Director inspect before any damaged pipe is removed; the amount is capped by the Burbank Fee Resolution. In all other respects the same section keeps the obligation with the owner. Note also that repairing or tapping the portion in the street needs the City's approval first, even though the work is the owner's.
Burlingame
In short: Burlingame leaves the whole side sewer with the owner unless the City has chosen to take on the street length. Section 15.10.032 provides that "The city shall not be responsible for maintenance or repair of any lateral sewer unless the lateral sewer conforms to all of the requirements of this chapter and other applicable city regulations and the city has expressly determined to provide this maintenance or repair."
The owner’s side: The building sewer from the building to the lateral at the property line, and - unless the City has expressly taken it on - the lateral sewer beyond it, which section 15.10.015 defines as "the portion of a sewer lying within a public right-of-way or easement between the city cleanout and the main sewer to which a building sewer is connected". Leaks and breaks are the owner's to fix: section 15.12.010 declares laterals "which contain leaks or breaks" a public nuisance to be abated by the owner.
California City
In short: California City puts the lateral on the owner, from the property to the City's sewer. Section 7-2.304 provides that "The property owner, at its sole cost, shall construct and maintain the sewer lateral needed to connect the property to the community sewer system to City specifications."
The owner’s side: The sewer lateral connecting the property to the community sewer system, at the owner's sole cost, and the gas trap in a lateral attached to a trunk sewer: "The trap shall be maintained at the expense of the owner of the lateral."
Camarillo Sanitary District
In short: Where Camarillo Sanitary District collects the sewage, the owner maintains the whole side sewer, from the building to the District's main. The District's Operations Code provides that "Side sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby."
The owner’s side: The side sewer, which the Operations Code defines as "the sewer line beginning at the foundation wall of any building and terminating at the main sewer and includes the building sewer and lateral sewer together." The building sewer runs from the building to the property line, and the lateral sewer is "the portion of sewer connecting a building sewer to the main public sewer", so the length from the property line to the main is the owner's to maintain as well. The code does not say who has the fitting where the lateral joins the main. The District's 2025 Sewer System Management Plan says that "The District does not own any portion of the service lateral", and puts maintenance and repair on the owner "up to and including the wye connection at the sewer mainline".
Cambria Community Services District
In short: Where Cambria Community Services District collects the sewage, the owner has the whole lateral, from the building to the District's main, including the connection to the main. Section 5.04.390 of the District's code provides that "Building sewers, lateral sewers and all connections from the building wall up to and including the connection to the main sewer are the responsibility of the property owner(s) of the connected building."
The owner’s side: The building sewer on the lot, the lateral sewer under the street or easement, and the connection to the main. The same subsection requires owners, "at their own expense", to "maintain the lateral sewer and ensure that the lateral, or any portion thereof, is free of displaced, offset or open joints, cracks, leaks, inflow or infiltration, root intrusion or other conditions likely to increase the chance for lateral blockage or failure."
Carlsbad
In short: Where the City collects the sewage, Carlsbad states both halves in one section. Section 13.04.045 provides that "Maintenance of all sewer mains dedicated to and accepted by the city shall be the responsibility of the city", and that "The property owner or occupant/user is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of the sewer lateral from the sewer main to and including the building". Cleaning is assigned separately and in the same direction - the owner is responsible "for the cleaning and removal of blockages in the sewer lateral from the property being served to the sewer main".
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, from the main to the building, for maintenance, repair and replacement, and separately for cleaning and blockages. Section 13.04.010 defines the pipe - a "building or house sewer", also known as the lateral, is "a pipe or conduit carrying sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes from a building to the public sewer or a common sewer" - and a "sewer main" is "any public sewer used to collect and convey sewage or industrial wastes to a publicly owned treatment works". The City keeps no part of that run - its own duty starts where yours stops and goes no further, because section 13.04.045(A) limits it to sewer mains "dedicated to and accepted by the city". Acceptance is doing real work in that sentence: a main that exists but has not been accepted is not covered by it either.
Carmel Area Wastewater District
In short: In Carmel-by-the-Sea the private lateral runs to and includes its connection at the District's main, and the owner maintains it. Carmel Area Wastewater District's code provides that "Building laterals shall be maintained by the owner of the property served."
The owner’s side: The private lateral: "That portion of a sewer lateral beginning two feet from the perimeter walls at the plumbing outlet of any building or industrial facility and running to and including the connection to the main sewer". The code adds: "All sewer laterals are not owned by the District."
Carson
In short: Carson writes no sewer ownership rule of its own. Section 8500 of its municipal code adopts "Title 20, Utilities, Division 2, Sanitary Sewers and Industrial Waste, of the Los Angeles County Code as amended and in effect on January 2, 1990" as the City's ordinance, and section 8501 renames the parties in it - "County Engineer" shall mean the City Engineer, "County of Los Angeles" shall mean the City of Carson. Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral in the street, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", generally "eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
In short: The property owner is responsible for the whole lateral, from the building to Central San's sewer line in the street - and the District's code puts the fitting at the main inside that. The one thing it pays for is a reconnection its own work on the public sewer makes necessary.
The owner’s side: The District states that "while Central San is responsible for maintaining the public sewer system, each property owner is responsible for maintaining the private sewer lateral (also called a side sewer) that connects the plumbing in their home or business to Central San's sewer line" - so the owner's share runs the full length, not merely to the property line. The District's Sewer System Management Plan says it twice more, in its own voice: "in Central San's service area, the property owner is responsible for the entire sewer lateral pipe from the owner's structure to where it connects to the public sewer", and "ownership and maintenance of the building lateral to the point of connection with the sewer main is the property owner's responsibility". The District's Code of Laws says it more precisely than any of that. Section 9.10.040, headed Ownership, maintenance and connection of side sewers, opens "A side sewer is a private facility" and makes the owner responsible for "constructing, repairing and maintaining the entire side sewer between the building and the public sewer (including both the lateral and building sewers, and the tap, saddle or wye connection fitting at the public main sewer)". So the fitting where your pipe meets the main is yours, which the flyer never says.
Ceres
In short: Ceres puts the whole lateral on the owner and says so twice. Section 13.14.040 defines a house connection as "a privately owned and maintained residential sewer pipe conveying sewage from a single building or premises to its connection with a main line", and section 13.15.030 provides that "The City shall not be responsible for the repair, maintenance, cleaning or replacement of a lateral sewer."
The owner’s side: The house connection from the building to its connection with the main - the length under the street included. Section 13.14.040 defines the lateral sewer as "the horizontal piping which extends from a building to the sewer main".
Chico
In short: The property owner owns the sewer lateral and maintains it all the way from the building to the City's main, at their sole cost - the portion under the street included, and the fitting where it joins the main with it. The water line in that same street belongs to California Water Service.
The owner’s side: All of it, at the owner's expense. The City states that "the owner of premises connected to the sewer system shall be responsible for maintaining the sewer lateral between the waste disposal system on such premises and the sewer main adjacent to the lot or parcel on which such premises are located in good order and condition and at owner's sole cost and expense", and elsewhere defines a sewer lateral as the run of sewer piping between a building's waste disposal system and a sewer main or trunkline. Both statements reach the main, so the run under the street is the owner's on the face of the code - and the City goes one step further in its own words, putting the far end beyond argument: the owner "owns and is responsible for maintaining the entire sewer lateral from the plumbing in the property owner's buildings, up to and including the connection to the sewer main in the street". It adds that "City crews are not allowed onto private property in order to clean or maintain privately owned sewer laterals". One thing worth knowing if you are the first property on a block to connect: an owner required to install a lateral within a public street or easement is entitled under section 15.36.236 to be reimbursed part of that cost out of the charges levied on later owners who connect to the same lateral, under a written agreement with the City, over a period of between fifteen and thirty years. That is repayment for building the pipe, not a share in keeping it up.
Chowchilla
In short: In Chowchilla the house branch sewer, including its connection to the City's main, is not the City's to maintain or repair. Section 13.12.065(E) of the City's code provides that "House branch sewer, including their connection to 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."
The owner’s side: The house branch sewer from the building to the City's main, and its connection to the main. The code does not name the owner in terms; it places the whole line, connection included, outside the City's property and system, and says the City will not maintain or repair it.
Chula Vista
In short: The whole run to the main is yours to maintain, and you are not allowed to do the work on the half that is in the street. The code defines a sewer lateral as a "privately maintained sewer constructed from its connection with a public sewer across public property to the boundary of such public property", and a building sewer as "a privately maintained sewer which extends across private property from a building to a sewer lateral, public sewer, or private sewer" - both halves private. But "all sewer connections and all sewer lateral installations within public rights-of-way shall be done by the City or its authorized agents". Your bill, the City's crew.
The owner’s side: Both named pieces of the run: the building sewer across your land and the sewer lateral in the street. The code defines a building sewer as "a privately maintained sewer which extends across private property from a building to a sewer lateral, public sewer, or private sewer", and a sewer lateral as "a four-inch or six-inch diameter, privately maintained sewer constructed from its connection with a public sewer across public property to the boundary of such public property". The City's own pipe begins at the public sewer, which the code defines as "a sewer owned and operated by the City which is tributary to treatment or reclamation facilities operated or utilized by the City of Chula Vista".
Claremont
In short: Claremont puts the whole lateral on the property owner, from the building to the City's sewer main. Section 13.02.080 of the municipal code provides that "All necessary maintenance, repair and replacement of the sewer lateral are the sole responsibility of the property owner", and defines the lateral as "that length of sewer pipe located between the building being served on the property and the City's main sewer line." The City's sewer page says the same: these lines "must be maintained by individual property owners, from the house out to where it connects to the City's main line (usually in the middle of the street)."
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, the part under the street included, from the building to the City's main sewer line. Section 13.02.080 provides that "All sewer laterals shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition and in good working order, by the owner of the property served by such sewer lateral", and places the lateral between the building and the main. The code does not say whether the joint where the lateral meets the main is the owner's or the City's; under section 13.04.040 a connection made where the main has no "Y" branch is made "in the presence of an inspector of the engineering department of the City".
Cloverdale
In short: In Cloverdale the property owner maintains the whole lateral, from the City's sewer main to the building. Section 13.12.110 of the City's code provides that "The property owners shall maintain the laterals from the sewer main to the residence." The owner also installs the lateral from the main sewer line to the property, or pays the City to install it.
The owner’s side: The lateral line, or house service, from the sewer main to the building, including the length under the street. Section 13.12.110 provides that "Property owners shall install the lateral lines (house services) from the main sewer line to the property", and that "Any excavation required shall be done only under a proper encroachment permit as provided for by ordinances and resolutions of the city."
Clovis
In short: The property owner owns, maintains and repairs the whole sewer lateral, and the City says so about the expensive part in terms: the portion beneath the sidewalk and street, up to and including the point where it connects to the City main. There is no cleanout condition and no carve-out.
The owner’s side: All of it, in the City's own words and with the under-street portion spelled out. Section 6.4.06(b) states that sewer service laterals "shall be owned, maintained and repaired by the owner of the property being served, from and including the lateral's connection point at the City sewer main to the building or other point of use on the property", and that this "includes both the portion on private property and the portion located beneath the sidewalk and street or any other public right-of-way or easement areas such as alleys, trails and landscape areas". Section 6.4.02(d) states the same span from the other end: "the entire sewer service lateral from the building connection to and including the wye connection to the sewer main shall be the owner's responsibility to install, maintain and repair".
Coachella Valley Water District (sanitation)
In short: Where Coachella Valley Water District collects the sewage, the whole lateral is the owner's to maintain, including the part under the street. The District's fact sheet says "Property owners are required to maintain the entire length of the Private Sewer Lateral, which extends from the property to the sewer main located in the street or a nearby easement."
The owner’s side: The building sewer lateral and the street sewer lateral - the whole pipe to the main. The District's code says its responsibility "does not include the street sewer lateral", and provides that "The applicant shall pay for the cost of installing the street sewer lateral and shall be responsible for the cost of maintaining it." The fact sheet: "The portion of the Private Sewer Lateral that extends beyond the property line (referred to as "Street Sewer Lateral" per CVWD Code) in the public right of way is also the owner's responsibility to maintain and repair."
Colfax
In short: In Colfax the building sewer lateral is the owner's all the way to the wye at the public main. The code defines it as beginning "at the wye or point of connection with the public sewer" and provides that "Every property owner shall keep and maintain every building sewer lateral(s) connecting the property owner's premises to the public sewer main in good condition and repair."
The owner’s side: The whole building sewer lateral, from two feet outside the building wall to and including the wye at the main, in good condition and repair.
Colma
In short: In Colma the side sewer - the whole lateral, from the building to the main sewer - is the owner's to maintain. The Town's code provides that "Side sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby."
The owner’s side: The side sewer, which for the area on the North San Mateo County Sanitation District's system the code defines as "the sewer line beginning at the foundation wall of any building and terminating at the main sewer and includes the building sewer and lateral sewer together."
Colton
In short: In Colton the whole sewer service lateral, including its connection to the City's sewer, is the property owner's responsibility. Section 13.08.203 of the City's code provides that "The costs for installation, maintenance, and replacement of the sewer service lateral as defined in Section 13.08.105, shall be the responsibility of the property owner", and section 13.08.204 that "The City is not responsible for maintaining the sewer service lateral as defined in Section 13.08.105."
The owner’s side: The sewer service lateral, which section 13.08.105 defines as "The wastewater collection pipe extending from the structure where the wastewater is generated up to and including the connection to the City's sewer collection system."
Corcoran
In short: In Corcoran the property owner maintains the whole lateral, to the City's main in the street. Section 8-2-19 of the City's code provides that "The property owner is responsible for maintenance of the complete lateral connection to the street sewer main, including the portion of said lateral placed in the public right of way or easement", and that "The City will maintain all sewer mains, pump stations, and treatment facilities."
The owner’s side: The complete lateral, from the building to the street sewer main, including the length under the public right-of-way or in an easement. Section 8-2-18 provides that "Laterals on private property belong to the property owner", and a lateral serving an individual property does not become City property even where it runs under the street.
Corona
In short: Corona assigns the pipe plainly and defines it only by where it ends. Section 13.12.050 of the municipal code provides that "all house laterals, industrial connection sewers and appurtenances thereto now existing or hereafter constructed shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition and all devices or safeguards which are required by this chapter for the operation thereof shall be maintained in good working order". The code never defines a house lateral, so where the owner's run stops comes from what it runs to: section 13.12.020 defines a public sewer as "a main line sanitary sewer dedicated to public use".
The owner’s side: The house lateral and its appurtenances, whether it was there already or is built later - section 13.12.050 reaches laterals "now existing or hereafter constructed". The end of that run is the main line sanitary sewer dedicated to public use, which is what section 13.12.020 defines a public sewer to be, and the same section describes the City's own system as the pipelines and facilities "constructed, maintained and operated by the city or constructed by others but owned by the city primarily for the collection of sewage".
Coronado
In short: In Coronado the owner keeps the whole lateral, including the connection to the City's main under the street. Section 60.04.020 of the municipal code defines the lateral as "a pipe or other conduit that transports sewage from a source to a collector main, said main being located in a public right-of-way", and provides that "The installation, maintenance and operation of a lateral shall be the responsibility of the property owner including the lateral connection to the public collector main." The City's own page puts it the same way: "Sewer laterals, homeowner sewer service laterals, up to and including the connection to the City sewer main, are the responsibility of the homeowner."
The owner’s side: The run from the building to the City's collector main in the street, and the connection to that main. The City keeps the public sewer, which the same section defines as "a sewer owned and operated by the City which is tributary to treatment facilities operated or utilized by the City of Coronado". The code gives the owner the installation of the lateral as well as its maintenance and operation.
Costa Mesa
In short: Costa Mesa Sanitary District answers this more completely than most, and it answers the two things that usually go unsaid. Section 6.02.020 of its Operations Code provides that "the property owner shall maintain the lateral that connects to District's sewer main, including any portions that may lie within the public right of way or Costa Mesa Sanitary District easement". And the definition settles where that run ends: a lateral "is that entire underground pipe structure including the connection between the sewer main and the structural improvements on private property and shall include both the portion on private property and the portion in the public or District right of way". So the length under the road is yours, and so is the joint at the main.
The owner’s side: The whole run, the street portion included, and the connection at the main with it. Section 6.02.020 requires the owner to maintain the lateral connecting to the District's sewer main "including any portions that may lie within the public right of way or Costa Mesa Sanitary District easement", kept "in a safe, sanitary and unobstructed condition", with the devices and safeguards appurtenant to it "in good working order". The District's own side is stated separately and narrowly at section 6.02.010: "unless provided otherwise by contract or other arrangement, District shall maintain those sewer mains and appurtenances that it owns".
Covina
In short: Covina borrows its sewer rules from the County and then says the answer in its own words. Section 13.50.010(A) of its municipal code adopts "the Los Angeles County Code, Divisions 2 and 3 of Title 20, as amended through and including August 1, 2007" as the City's sanitary sewer and industrial waste code, and section 13.50.040 rewrites the County's maintenance section as the City's own: "All house laterals, industrial connection sewers, septic tank outlet connections to STEP system, and appurtenances thereto shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition". Inside the adopted County text, a house lateral is "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer" - so the length the code puts on the owner is the run under the street. The City's Public Works Department tells homeowners the same thing in plain words.
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, from the house to the main, the part under the street included. The City's sheet on tree roots and sewer laterals says "Homeowners are required to maintain the lateral from their home, to the main sewer line, typically located in the street, which includes the portion that may be located within the City right-of-way (under the roadway, parkway tree, and sidewalk)", and that maintaining it "includes keeping the lateral line flowing and free of debris such as tree roots." Its diagram marks the end of the owner's length at the main: "Homeowner's responsibility for the sewer lateral ends here at the sewer main." Section 13.50.040 puts house laterals on "the owner of the property served", and the adopted County definition places the house lateral between the property line and the main-line sewer. Neither the code nor the City's sheet says who keeps the joint where the lateral meets the main.
Cucamonga Valley Water District
In short: The whole lateral is very likely yours, including the part under the road and the fitting where it joins the main. The District's 2025 Sewer System Management Plan defines a private sewer lateral as running "from the plumbing of a building to a CVWD collection line, including portions that extend across public rights-of-way and the saddle, wye or other physical connection", and says such laterals "are privately owned and maintained". Its customer FAQ puts it more narrowly - "from their property line to the house" - and names two fittings most authorities leave unsaid, the "clean out" and "back-water valve". The valve matters more than its size suggests: it "is installed to prevent any back up sewage in the district system from entering the customer's property", and inspecting and maintaining it is yours.
The owner’s side: The lateral, and the District's plan carries that further than its help page does. The 2025 Sewer System Management Plan defines a private sewer lateral as "the sewer pipeline from the plumbing of a building to a CVWD collection line, including portions that extend across public rights-of-way and the saddle, wye or other physical connection to the collection line", states that "private sewer laterals are privately owned and maintained", and that "the property owner is fully responsible for installation, maintenance and repair of the private sewer lateral(s)". The customer FAQ states the nearer half of the same duty - "sewer system customers are responsible for their sewer line from their property line to the house, which includes the sewer 'clean out' and 'back-water valve.'" - and adds that "the back-water valve should be inspected and maintained periodically by a local plumbing service to ensure it is functioning properly."
Culver City
In short: Culver City writes its own rule and puts the whole lateral on the owner, up to but not including the fitting on the main. Section 5.02.007 of its municipal code provides that "The owner of the facility and plumbing to which the sewer lateral is connected is obligated to maintain the sewer lateral to ensure public health and safety, and proper flow of sewerage from the facility." Section 5.02.001 defines the sewer lateral as the pipe "used for conveying sewage from a facility's plumbing to the public sewer system", leaving out the connecting wye, T or saddle "or other structure used to physically connect to the public sewer system."
The owner’s side: The sewer lateral from the building's plumbing to the public sewer, the length under the street included. Section 5.02.001 gives the lateral a second name, the house connection sewer, and section 5.02.200 defines that as any sewer pipe line "constructed in a street, alley, walk, or other public place or in a sewer easement granted to the City and connecting, or proposed to connect, any lot or part of a lot with any public sewer" - so the pipe the owner maintains is expressly the one under public ground as well as on the lot.
Daly City
In short: The whole pipe is yours, and the authority says so in unusually blunt terms. North San Mateo County Sanitation District, which runs the sewers for Daly City, states in its 2025 Sewer System Management Plan that it "does not own and is not responsible for maintaining neither the lower nor upper portions of sewer laterals tributary to its system". Both halves, named and disclaimed. In several neighbouring cities the lower half is the authority's; here it is not.
The owner’s side: Everything, both halves. The District's own Sewer System Management Plan states that it "does not own and is not responsible for maintaining neither the lower nor upper portions of sewer laterals tributary to its system" - the double negative is the District's - and names District Code section 1.16.080, Maintenance of Side Sewers, as the provision behind it. That leaves the run from the building to the District's main with the property owner, including the length beneath the street.
Dana Point
In short: In Dana Point the sewer lateral is the property owner's to maintain all the way to the main sewer under the street. The City's utilities page says the sewer system in the city "is owned, operated and maintained by the South Coast Water District", and the District's board resolved in March 2000 that "property owners shall be responsible for the maintenance of the sewer lateral line to the point of connection with the District's collector sewer". The District's wastewater page puts it the same way: property owners are responsible for "the entire length of their lateral line from their home or business to where it meets and connects to the sewer main under the street." The District's sewer infographic settles the joint itself: it labels the lateral as the property owner's responsibility and says that includes the connection.
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, from the building to the District's sewer main, including the length under the street and the connection to the main. Section 1 of the District's Resolution 22-99/00 states the policy that "all sewer lateral lines connecting structures to the District's sewer system shall be regularly and adequately maintained by the property owners", and section 2 ends the owner's duty at the point of connection with the District's collector sewer. Under the lateral line in its sewer infographic, the District prints "Property Owner's Responsibility (Includes Connection)".
Del Mar
In short: Del Mar puts the whole lateral on the owner, under the street as well. Section 22.08.090 provides that "The property owners serviced by a sewer lateral shall be responsible for the maintenance of that lateral. The City shall not maintain the sewer lateral between the street main and the structure."
The owner’s side: The lateral between the street main and the structure. Section 22.08.070 adds that "The costs for installation, maintenance, and replacement of the sewer connections (sewer service lateral) as defined in Section 22.04.010" are the property owner's, and section 22.04.010 defines the sewer connection or lateral as "the service pipes extending from the private property line to the public sewer main in a public street, alley or easement".
Del Rey Oaks
In short: In Del Rey Oaks the sewer lateral is the property owner's to maintain as far as the main. The City's own code does not say who maintains a lateral. Seaside County Sanitation District, which runs the collection system serving the city, says on its page that "the lateral line that connects the individual home or business to the main line is the responsibility of the property owner". Marina Coast Water District, whose service area takes in the former Fort Ord land in the city, puts it the same way in its code: "Side sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby."
The owner’s side: The lateral from the building to the main. Seaside County Sanitation District's code divides it into a house sewer, "a sewer line beginning two feet outside the foundation of any building and running to the property line", and a lateral sewer, "that portion of a sewer between a building and collecting main which lies within a public street", and the District's Sewer System Management Plan puts all of it on the owner: "Sewer laterals are owned, operated and maintained by individual property owners from the wye connection at the sewer main, back to each building." Marina Coast Water District's code defines the side sewer as "the sewer line beginning two feet outside the foundation wall of any building and terminating at the main sewer and includes the building sewer and lateral sewer together".
Delano
In short: Delano keeps the public sewer and nothing that runs off it. Section 13.28.040 provides that "The city does not assume any obligation or expense for maintaining any building sewers from the public sewer to the premises served", and that "All service and expense of operation and maintenance of the public sewer shall be borne by the city."
The owner’s side: The building sewer from the premises to the public sewer - the whole run, including the length under the street. The City can make you repair it: section 13.28.150 provides that where an existing building sewer is found in an insanitary condition it shall be ordered "repaired, modified or replaced", and that "It shall be the obligation of the owner of the premises served to comply with such order at the owner's expense."
Diamond Bar
In short: In Diamond Bar the whole house lateral is the owner's, including the part under the street. The City's code provides that "All house laterals ... shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and Los Angeles County Public Works, which maintains the mainline sewers, says that "The private property owner is responsible for the entire length of the lateral, which includes that portion that may be located within the public right of way (under the asphalt and street landscaping)."
The owner’s side: The entire lateral, from the building to the connection with the mainline sewer. The County's customer page adds that "the sewer laterals are entirely owned by the private property owner they serve."
Dinuba
In short: Dinuba puts the whole sewer lateral on the property owner, from the house to the City's main sewer. Section 13.44.070 of the municipal code provides that "All building sewers, sewer laterals, industrial sewers, private sewage disposal systems and appurtenances thereto, now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property from the house to the point of connection to the main sewer". The code's lateral sewer is the part under the street, so the owner's duty runs past the property line to the main.
The owner’s side: The building sewer on the lot and the lateral sewer under the street, to the point where it connects to the main sewer, kept "in a safe and sanitary condition" under section 13.44.070. The code defines the building sewer as the part of a sewer "beginning two feet from any building and extending to the property line", and the lateral sewer as "that portion of a sewer lying within a public right-of-way or easement, which connects, or is intended to connect, a building sewer to a main sewer." The code does not say whether the joint where the lateral meets the main is the owner's or the City's.
Dixon
In short: Dixon puts the whole lateral on the owner, the joint at the main included, and says so twice. Section 14.01.220 of its municipal code provides that "The City shall not be responsible for the repair, maintenance, cleaning or replacement of a lateral sewer", and section 14.01.1330(A)(1) makes every property owner served by a private sewer lateral "responsible for all preventative and corrective maintenance activities for the private sewer lateral including the connection to the public sewer". Section 14.01.1320 defines that lateral as the piping "that extends from the end of the building drain to the public sewer which includes the connection to the public sewer".
The owner’s side: The whole run from the building drain to the City's main, and the joint where it meets the main. Section 14.01.1330(A)(1) lists what the owner's duty covers - it "may include but is not limited to periodic video inspection, cleaning, repair or replacement of the line and connection joint". The City's sewer page puts it in one line: "All laterals are the property owner's responsibility to maintain."
Downey
In short: Downey is unusually direct about this, and says both halves in one place. Section 7240 of the Downey Municipal Code provides that "the Director of Public Works has the responsibility for the maintenance of the City's public sewer facilities, including main line sewers, pumping stations, manholes, and terminal cleanouts", and that "the Los Angeles County Sanitation District No. 2 has the responsibility of maintaining all trunk sewers in the City which are under the District's jurisdiction". Section 7240.2 then takes the other side: "all house laterals, industrial connection sewers, and appurtenances thereto, now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition by the owner of the property served". Section 7214.14 defines the house lateral as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a connection with the main line sewer", so the length the City puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: Every house lateral, including its run under the street. Section 7240.2 puts house laterals "now existing or hereafter constructed" on "the owner of the property served", and requires the devices and safeguards the chapter calls for to be "maintained in good working order". Section 7214.14 places that lateral in the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the connection with the main line sewer, so the owner's run ends where the City's main begins.
Dublin San Ramon Services District
In short: The whole lateral is yours, all the way to the main in the middle of the street - and the District says so in the words a homeowner would use, going out of its way to say the line is not at the property line or the curb.
The owner’s side: Everything from the house to the main. The District states that "the property owner is responsible for the service pipeline between the house and the sewer main, which is usually located in the center of the street", and that DSRSD "is responsible for the sewer main that carries the wastewater from individual residences to the plant for treatment". It puts the same point in plainer terms first, saying that many owners do not realise they own the pipes at all - the District calls them "private service lines or laterals" - and that "if service pipelines clog, leak or break, it is the property owner's responsibility to contact a plumber and pay for repairs".
Dunsmuir
In short: In Dunsmuir the building sewer lateral, which runs to the City's main, is the property owner's to maintain. Section 13.08.190 of the City's code provides that "Building sewer laterals to the main shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby."
The owner’s side: The building sewer lateral, which the code defines as "the sewer connecting the building sewer to the public sewer for the purpose of conveying domestic wastewater". Section 13.08.170 also puts all costs of building and connecting the lateral on the owner.
East Bay Regional Private Sewer Lateral Program
In short: The property owner is responsible for the entire lateral, upper and lower, from the home to the public main - except in Alameda and Albany, where the programme covers the upper lateral only.
The owner’s side: The programme states that "the property owner is responsible for the entire PSL from their home to the public sewer main (upper and lower lateral), with the exception of Alameda and Albany where the responsibility ends at the property line or curbside cleanout (i.e. upper lateral only)", and describes the same span again as "the entire lateral from the building cleanout to the public sewer main under the street". So in Oakland, Emeryville and Piedmont the run beneath the road is the owner's. In Alameda and Albany the programme reaches the upper lateral only. Both of those cities have answered the rest themselves and the answer is in your favour - see below.
East Valley Water District
In short: In Highland the whole sewer lateral, from the building to the District's main, is the property owner's. East Valley Water District, which collects the city's sewage, keeps only the mains. Its Ordinance No. 407 of November 2024 makes the owner of the property served maintain the side sewer, which it defines as the line from three feet outside the building's foundation to the main sewer. Its sewer system management plan of March 2023, written before Ordinance No. 407 replaced the earlier sewer ordinance, said the ordinance provides that "sewer laterals connected to the District's sewer main are owned and maintained by the individual property owner(s) and not by EVWD."
The owner’s side: The whole side sewer, from three feet outside the foundation to the District's main, including the part under the street. Ordinance No. 407 defines the side sewer as the building sewer and the lateral sewer together, ending at the main sewer, and section 6.10 puts its maintenance on the owner of the property served. The ordinance is published as a scanned image, so its words are described here, not quoted. The District's plan says the same in its own words: "EVWD does not own or maintain the service laterals."
El Cajon
In short: Where the City of El Cajon collects the sewage, the owner keeps the lateral all the way to the main, including the length under the street. Section 13.28.037 makes it "the responsibility of each property owner whose property is connected to the city sewer system to maintain continuously and satisfactorily in operation at his own expense, any house connection sewer, building sewer", and section 13.20.010 defines the building sewer as running from the building drain "to the public sewer or other place of disposal including the lower lateral". Repairs follow the same line: section 13.37.060 has the owner repair the building sewer lateral "to the satisfaction of the director of public works", and even where a lateral crosses a neighbour's land without an easement, the owner still answers for the part on their own lot "and also to that portion of the building sewer within a public right-of-way".
The owner’s side: The whole run from the building to the City's main - the upper lateral on the lot and the lower lateral under the street. Section 13.20.010 defines the lower sewer lateral as the pipe and fittings connecting to the main: "The lower lateral extends from the public sewer main to the edge of the public right-of-way and terminates at a double cleanout." The public sewer the City keeps is the main line alone, a term that "shall not include building drain, building sewer, or lower lateral". Section 13.37.020 sets the standard the owner is held to: "Each owner shall maintain his building sewer lateral(s) free of displaced joints, open joints, root intrusion", cracks, leaks, grease and similar defects.
El Centro
In short: El Centro puts the sewer connection on the owner up to the edge of the public right-of-way. Section 22-502 provides that "All connections outside the public right-of-way shall be maintained at the expense of the property owner", and that "The property owner shall install a cleanout at the property line according to city standard drawings."
The owner’s side: The connection from the building to the property line, where the owner must install a cleanout to the City's standard drawings.
El Cerrito
In short: The owner has the whole lateral, out to and including the fitting where it joins the main - the District's code says the lateral includes "the connection to the Main Sewer". The City says so too in the case people most often assume goes the other way: neither the City nor Stege Sanitary District is responsible "even if the roots in your sewer lateral originate from a City street tree". The City also argues that roots do not break sound pipes - they enter through joints that are already leaking, which in a city built mostly between the 1940s and 1960s is most of them.
The owner’s side: All of it. The City states that under "Stege Sanitary District Ordinance Code Chapter 4, Section 4.4.7, it shall be the responsibility of the property owner to perform all maintenance, repairs and replacement necessary to maintain the Lateral", and draws the conclusion explicitly: "neither the City of El Cerrito, nor the Stege Sanitary District is responsible for clogs or damages to your sewer lateral or the cost of repairs, even if the roots in your sewer lateral originate from a City street tree". The City recommends knowing where the lateral runs, having a cleanout installed if there is none, and inspecting by video "before there are symptoms of trouble". How far that reaches is set by the District's own code, which El Cerrito sits inside: a Lateral is "a sewer that conveys the Wastewater of a Discharger from a Building Sewer to a Main Sewer, including the connection to the Main Sewer", and the Lower Lateral is "the portion of the Lateral in the public right of way up to the publicly owned Main Sewer". So the fitting at the main is inside your half, which is the most expensive part of it and the part most often left unsaid.
El Segundo
In short: El Segundo puts the lateral under the street on the owner, in its own code. Section 12-1-8 provides that "All house connection sewers, house sewers, industrial connection sewers" and other private sewer facilities "shall be maintained in good operating condition and in conformity with applicable law by the owner of the property which such facilities serve", and section 12-1-2 defines the house connection sewer as "That part of the sewer piping within the street or public right of way which extends from the house sewer to a connection with the public sewer". The length the City names first is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: Both pipes the code names between the building and the main. The house sewer is the piping "beginning two feet (2') from the exterior wall of a building, structure or foundation and extending to its connection with the house connection sewer", and the house connection sewer carries on under the street to the public sewer, which section 12-1-2 defines as "A main line sanitary sewer, dedicated to public use and owned by the City." Section 12-1-8 puts both on the owner of the property served.
Emeryville
In short: The whole pipe is yours, and the City says so in its definitions rather than leaving it to be worked out. The building sewer lateral runs from two feet outside the building "up to and including the connection to the public sewer", and the code states that it "is comprised of the upper sewer lateral and lower sewer lateral and is the sole responsibility of the property owner". That includes the run under the pavement and the road, and the fitting where it meets the main.
The owner’s side: Everything from two feet outside the building to the public sewer, including the connection itself, and to a standard the code sets out rather than leaves to inference. The lateral must be "kept free from roots, grease deposits, and other solids that may impede the flow"; "all joints shall be tight and all pipes shall be sound to prevent exfiltration by waste or infiltration by groundwater or stormwater"; the pipe must be "free of any structural defects, cracks, breaks, or missing portions and the grade shall be uniform without sags or offsets"; no "area drains, foundation drains, roof leaders, sump pumps or other direct connections" may feed it; and cleanouts must be capped at all times except during maintenance. One item is an installation you may not yet have: the owner is "responsible for the installation of a two (2) way cleanout" between the upper and lower lateral, in a position the Director approves and built to the City's Standard Details.
Encinitas
In short: Where the City of Encinitas collects the sewage, the owner keeps the lateral all the way to the main, including the length under the street. Section 18.04.100 of the municipal code provides that "The property owner serviced by a sewer lateral shall be responsible for cleaning, maintaining and repairing the sewer lateral between the sewer main and the lateral connection to the structure", and section 18.01.030 defines the sewer lateral as "the service pipes extending from the private property line to the public sanitary sewer main in a public street, alley or easement". Section 18.16.040 adds the cost of building it: "The expense of construction, installation, replacement, and maintenance of the sewer laterals are solely the responsibility of the applicant."
The owner’s side: The whole run from the building to the City's main - the house sewer on the lot and the lateral from the property line to the main under the street or in an easement. The owner cleans, maintains and repairs it, and under section 18.04.100 does so "at the property owner's sole expense and only after the required permits have been issued". Where the City clears an obstruction from a lateral because the work is designated as necessary for public safety, the owner reimburses the City. The main is the City's: a "sewer pipeline in the sanitary sewer system of the City" into which individual service laterals discharge.
Escalon
In short: In Escalon the property owner maintains the whole sewer lateral, from the building to the City's main, including the wye or saddle where it joins the main. Section 13.08.265 of the City's code provides that "The property owner shall maintain all sewer laterals, connection lines and appurtenances from the structure served by the sewer lateral to the main", and the code's definition of the sewer lateral includes the wye or saddle at the sewer main.
The owner’s side: The sewer lateral, defined in section 13.08.013 as "a privately owned sewer line which connects a building or other structure or structures to the sewer main and receives sewage from a sewer connection", with the connection lines and appurtenances. Section 13.08.025 requires the owner, "at the property owner's sole expense", to "inspect, maintain in good working order, repair, rehabilitate and replace, as necessary, all sewer laterals, connection lines and appurtenances from the premises to the sewer main."
Escondido
In short: The lateral is the owner's "from the house up to the point of connection with the public sanitary sewer main", and Escondido spells out the part people get wrong: that includes "the portion located beneath the sidewalk and street". The City maintains the mains and nothing else - and stamps an "S" into the kerb face where your lateral crosses it.
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, pavement and road included. The City states that "it is the property owner's responsibility to maintain and repair their own sewer lateral from the house up to the point of connection with the public sanitary sewer main", and that this "includes both the portion on private property and the portion located beneath the sidewalk and street up to the point where the lateral connects to the public main". Its Wastewater Collections page says the same: owners are "responsible for all maintenance and repair of their lateral ... which also includes the portion under the sidewalk and street".
Estero Municipal Improvement District
In short: In Foster City the sewer lateral, including its connection to the main sewer, is the property owner's to maintain. The Estero Municipal Improvement District, whose sewer lines the City of Foster City's Public Works Department operates and maintains, provides in section 8.32.100 of its code that "Except as herein provided, building sewers, side sewers, and sewer lateral(s) which serve private property shall be maintained by the owner of the property served."
The owner’s side: The building sewer, side sewer and sewer lateral serving the property, from the building to the main sewer and including the connection to it. Section 8.08.190 defines the sewer lateral as "the portion of a sewer lying within a private property, homeowners’ association, public right-of-way or easement connecting a building sewer(s) to the main sewer, including the connection to the main sewer." Section 8.32.100 has each owner keep these pipes "free of displaced joints, open joints, root intrusions, grease or sediment deposits" at their own expense, and maintain them to prevent the entry of groundwater.
Eureka
In short: In Eureka the property owner is responsible for the whole sewer lateral, from the building to the City's main, including the part under the street. Section 50.092(A) of the City's code makes the customer "responsible, regardless of the cause, for all required repairs to the building sewer line and all other sewer pipe(s) and appurtenances", including the Y cleanout and "the sewer lateral including that portion of the lateral that lies within the public right-of-way."
The owner’s side: The building sewer line, the Y cleanout and its connections, and the sewer lateral, which section 50.002 defines as "The sewer line beginning at the perimeter of any building and terminating at the sewer main". The City's sewer lateral page puts it plainly: "Blockages occurring anywhere in the lateral are the responsibility of the property owner".
Farmersville
In short: Farmersville makes the whole lateral the owner's, the wye connection to the main included. Section 13.08.010 provides that "The sewer lateral begins two feet outside a building and includes all sewer cleanouts and the wye connection. Sewer laterals are not part of the sanitary sewer system and the maintenance, repair and/or replacement of the lateral is solely the responsibility of the property owner."
The owner’s side: The sewer lateral - "a pipe used to transport wastewater from a building sewer to the city's sanitary sewer main" - with its cleanouts and the wye connection. Section 13.08.150 adds that the owner "shall repair, replace and maintain their sewer lateral or sewer connection when required".
Fillmore
In short: Fillmore puts the sewer lateral on the owner. Section 12.08.100 provides that "Each lateral sewer shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby."
The owner’s side: The lateral sewer serving the property. Read with the building sewer, which section 12.04.020 defines as "a sewer conveying wastewater from the premises of a user to the public sewer", it runs to the public sewer.
Fortuna
In short: Fortuna's code puts the building sewer, the part from the building to the property line, on the property owner, and does not say who maintains the lateral under the street. Section 13.28.080 provides that "Building sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby", and section 13.24.040 defines the building sewer as the part of a sewer beginning at the building's plumbing or drainage outlet "and running to the property line or to a private sewage disposal system."
The owner’s side: The building sewer, from the plumbing or drainage outlet of the building to the property line, and its cleanouts, which section 13.28.050 requires to be "maintained watertight". Where a backflow prevention device is required, it sits on the building sewer between the building and the property line, is installed at the owner's cost, and "The maintenance of the backflow prevention device shall be the sole obligation of the owner".
Fountain Valley
In short: Fountain Valley puts the whole lateral and its junction with the main on the owner. Section 14.36.067 provides that "All sewer laterals shall be maintained by the owner of the property served by such lateral in a safe and sanitary condition so that there is no seepage of waste at any point from the structure to and including the junction of the sewer lateral at the sewer main", and that "It shall be the responsibility of the city of Fountain Valley to keep the sewer mains free and clear for the even flow of sewage".
The owner’s side: The lateral from the building to the main, the junction included. Section 14.36.065 defines sewer laterals as "that connecting sewer line running from sewer main to the private property line and extending to the structure to which it connects", and the sewer main as one that "does not include sewer laterals".
Fresno
In short: The property owner maintains and repairs the whole sewer lateral, and Fresno says so about the expensive part outright: the portion beneath the sidewalk and street, up to where it joins the public main. The City will come out and tell you whether the blockage is yours or its main - but if it is yours, it is yours to fix.
The owner’s side: All of it, in the City's own words. "It is the property owner's responsibility to maintain and repair their own sewer lateral from the house up to the point of connection with the public sanitary sewer main. This includes both the portion on private property and the portion located beneath the sidewalk and street up to the point where the lateral connects to the public main." Where a sewer overflow is reported, City staff attend and "determine if the blockage is a sewer lateral issue or a sanitary sewer system main line issue"; if it is the lateral, "the property owner is responsible for repairs and should call a certified plumber to take care of the problem".
Fullerton
In short: Fullerton puts the whole run on the owner and then keeps a door open. Section 12.08.031 of the municipal code provides that "a lateral sewer from its connection to a building on the property to its point of connection with the main sewer shall remain the responsibility of the property owner or user with regard to maintenance, repair and upkeep". Section 12.08.010 defines that lateral as "a connecting line between the main sewer and any property lying adjacent to or abutting said main sewer", and defines the main sewer as the sewers "located and constructed in and along the streets, alleys, easements and public rights-of-way". So the owner's length reaches the main, the part under the road included.
The owner’s side: The lateral from the building to the main, "with regard to maintenance, repair and upkeep", under section 12.08.031(A). Section 12.08.030 adds the cost side for a new one: "the costs of installing lateral sewers and connecting to the city sewer system shall be borne by the property owner or developer".
Garden Grove
In short: Garden Grove's municipal code has no sewer title at all. The answer is in the Garden Grove Sanitary District's Code of Regulations, whose section 4.10.120 provides that "all residential connections and appurtenances thereto now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition and all devices or safeguards which are required by this title for the operation thereof shall be maintained in good working order". The District puts the same thing in a reader's words on its own sewers page: "property owners are responsible for the maintenance, repair, and cleaning of the sewer lateral from the house to the public sewer system".
The owner’s side: The run from the house to the public sewer, on the District's own statement of it. Section 4.10.120 assigns "all residential connections and appurtenances thereto" to the owner of the property served, and the District's sewers page fixes the two ends: "from the house to the public sewer system". The City's own Sewer System Management Plan describes the same division from the operating side - "sewer laterals are not currently inspected or maintained since they are the responsibility of the property owner".
Gardena
In short: The property owner maintains the sewer lateral, and in Gardena the code's own definition puts the run under the road on them explicitly: a "house lateral" here means the pipe from the property line to its connection with the main sewer. The City maintains the main and claims no part of the lateral.
The owner’s side: All of it, and the code is unusually explicit about the half that costs. Section 13.04.130 states that "all house laterals, industrial connection sewers and appurtenances thereto now existing or hereafter constructed shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition" - and section 13.04.030 defines a house lateral as "that part of the horizontal piping beginning at the property line or sewer right-of-way line and extending to its connection with the main line sewer". So the run beneath the public street, including the connection at the main, is the owner's by definition rather than by inference.
Glendale
In short: The property owner pays to maintain the house connection, and in Glendale that means the run under the road: the code defines a house connection as the part "extending from the sewer main in a public street or right-of-way to private property", and makes the owner responsible for it "including the wye or saddle at the sewer main".
The owner’s side: The house connection, fitting included. Section 13.40.040 states that "all house connections, including the wye or saddle at the sewer main, shall be maintained at the expense of the property owner", and section 13.40.030 defines a house connection as "that part of any sewer extending from the sewer main in a public street or right-of-way to private property for the exclusive use of such property". So the length beneath the street and the joint where it meets the main are both the owner's to keep up.
Goleta
In short: In Goleta the owner owns and maintains the whole side sewer, from the building to the main. Section 13.03.080 of the City's code provides that "The owner of a property shall be responsible for ownership and maintenance of the side sewer (lateral sewer and building sewer) from the building connection to the public sewer line (sewer main) connection."
The owner’s side: The side sewer - the building sewer and the lateral sewer together - from the building to the connection at the main. The code adds that the City is not responsible for damage caused by breaks or leaks in the owner's lateral or building sewer.
Goleta Sanitary District
In short: Where Goleta Sanitary District collects the sewage, the owner has the whole lateral, from the building to the District's main, including the wye where it joins the main. The District's sewer use ordinance provides that "The property owner is responsible for maintaining the building sewer from the building up to and including the WYE connection", and its own plan for the system says "The District does not own any portion of the service laterals."
The owner’s side: The building sewer, from the building to and including the wye connection at the District's main. Section 3.4 of Ordinance No. 92 adds that "All costs and expenses incident to the installation, connection, and maintenance thereof, of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner", and the District's questions page puts it in a reader's words: "The property owner is responsible for the maintenance of the sewer lateral from the building to the connection with the sewer mainline in the street."
Gonzales
In short: In Gonzales the building sewer, which runs from the building drain to the public sewer, is kept at the property's own cost. Section 10.16.170(E) of the City's code, headed "Costs Borne by Owner", provides that "All costs and expenses of the extension of mains and the installation, connection, and maintenance of the building sewer shall be borne by the user."
The owner’s side: The building sewer, which section 10.16.040 defines as "The extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal." The section puts the cost of maintaining it on the user, whom the code defines as "Any person or entity connected to the city sewer system", or who has a dwelling unit, commercial building or industry using a public sewer, and its heading names the owner. The user also indemnifies the City against loss caused by installing the building sewer, and every building needs its own building sewer, with one exception for a rear building of the same ownership on an interior lot.
Grass Valley
In short: In Grass Valley the property owner is responsible for the whole private sewer, from the building to the City's sewer. Section 13.12.050 of the City's code provides that "Property owners are responsible for the proper installation and maintenance of building and service lateral sewers and cleanouts, and for obtaining the necessary construction and encroachment permits", and that "The cost of installation and the responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the building service sewer and its fittings/devices shall be the property owner's."
The owner’s side: The building sewer, which runs from the building to the property line, and the service sewer, which runs on from the property line to the City's sewer in the street: section 13.12.050 provides that "The service sewers from the public sewer to the property line shall be installed at the time the sewer is constructed whenever practicable." The cleanouts, and the backwater valve and other fittings on the line, are the owner's too.
Grover Beach
In short: In Grover Beach the sewer lateral under the street is normally the property owner's, including its connection to the City's main, unless the City Engineer has approved otherwise or the lateral is publicly maintained. Section 51.003 of the City's code defines the sewer lateral as "The portion of a sewer lying within a public right-of-way or easement and connecting a building sewer to a sewer main", and provides: "Unless otherwise approved by the City Engineer or publicly maintained, SEWER LATERALS are privately owned and maintained, including the cut-in or wye connection to the sewer main."
The owner’s side: The sewer lateral, from the property line through the public right-of-way or easement to the sewer main, including the cut-in or wye connection to the main. The code ends the building sewer, the part on the lot, "at the property line"; the chapter does not separately say who maintains it, and section 51.022 provides that "A permit will not be required for the purposes of removing stoppages or performing repairs in any building sewer." Where a backflow prevention device is installed, section 51.019 makes its installation the property owner's cost and its maintenance the owner's sole obligation.
Guadalupe
In short: Guadalupe puts the building sewer lateral on the owner, from the building to the public main. Section 13.12.050 provides that "Any person owning or controlling any premises connected to the public sewer shall keep all building sewer laterals and fixtures in good working order and repair at all times, at his or her own expense."
The owner’s side: The building sewer lateral, which section 13.12.020 defines as "the sewer from a building to the public sewer main".
Half Moon Bay
In short: Where the City of Half Moon Bay collects the sewage, the owner keeps the lateral all the way to the City's main, including the length under the street. Section 13.12.110 of the municipal code defines the lateral sewer as "the portion of a sewer located within a public street connecting a building sewer to the main sewer, the ownership, and responsibility for all maintenance, repairs and replacement of which lies with the owner of the property it serves". The City's 2026 sewer system management plan says the same from the other side: "the City does not own or have operation responsibilities for sewer laterals".
The owner’s side: The whole run from the building to the City's main. On the lot, section 13.12.040 provides that "The building sewer is owned by the owner of the property it serves, and said owner is responsible for all maintenance, repairs and replacement thereof." Under the street, the lateral sewer is the owner's in the same terms. Section 13.28.100 covers the two together: "Maintenance of the side sewer shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property served thereby", and section 13.12.260 defines the side sewer as "the sewer line beginning at the foundation wall of any building and terminating at the main sewer". The main is the City's: "a city-owned and maintained sewer located within a public street or easement".
Hanford
In short: Hanford puts the whole lateral on the owner, including the length under the street. Section 13.08.170 provides that "The property owner shall be responsible for the maintenance of the complete lateral connection to the street sewer main, including the portion of such lateral placed in the public right-of-way or easement", and that "The city will maintain all sewer mains, pump stations and treatment facilities."
The owner’s side: The lateral from the building to the street sewer main, the public right-of-way portion included. Ownership follows the same line: section 13.08.160 provides that "Laterals on private property belong to the property owner", and that all sewers in public streets become the City's "except the lateral serving an individual property".
Hawaiian Gardens
In short: Hawaiian Gardens writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 13.08.010 of its municipal code adopts Title 20, Utilities, Division 2 of the Los Angeles County Code as the City's sanitary sewer ordinance - the division "which may be amended from time to time by the County of Los Angeles to comply with new State permits", and which regulates "the use, operation, maintenance, and repair of the City sanitary sewer system". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins. Los Angeles County Public Works, whose Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District lists Hawaiian Gardens among its cities, states the same length from the other side: "The private property owner is responsible for the entire length of the lateral, which includes that portion that may be located within the public right of way".
Hawthorne
In short: Hawthorne puts the whole lateral and its junction with the main on the owner. Section 13.56.030 provides that "All sewer laterals shall be maintained by the owner of the property served by such lateral in a safe and sanitary operating condition so that there is no seepage of waste at any point up to and including the junction of the sewer lateral and the sewer main".
The owner’s side: The lateral from the building to the main, the junction included. The same section defines the sewer lateral as the connecting line running from the sewer main wye connection "to the private property line and extending to the structure to which it connects", and says the sewer main "shall not include sewer laterals".
Hayward
In short: The lateral is the customer's under the sidewalk, under the street, and at the joint: Hayward says the owner keeps "the portion of the sewer that is on private property and the portion under the sidewalk and the street up to and including where the lateral connects to the public system". The code reaches the same place through three sections; the City's page says it in one sentence.
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, connection included. The City states that "the sewer customer is responsible for maintaining and repairing private sewer laterals, which is the portion of the sewer that is on private property and the portion under the sidewalk and the street up to and including where the lateral connects to the public system". The code says it more slowly: section 11-3.360 provides that "maintenance of the building sewer shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property served", and section 11-3.000 defines a house or building sewer as "the extension from the house drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal".
Healdsburg
In short: In Healdsburg the property owner repairs and replaces the whole private sewer lateral, from the building to the public main, including the part under the street. Section 13.20.465 of the City's code provides that "The owner shall perform all necessary repairs, including replacement, of all components of the private system (sewer lateral, sewer main, building sewer, etc.)". Routine maintenance is limited only where there is an accessible cleanout: the owner then maintains the lateral "up to the front property line, provided a cleanout accessible to maintenance forces is available."
The owner’s side: The private sewer lateral, which the code defines as "the sewer pipeline which connects a building or buildings to the public sewer. It includes both the building sewer and the lateral sewer." The owner repairs and replaces it all the way to the public main. Without an accessible cleanout, "the owner shall be responsible for all aspects of maintenance, repair, or replacement of the private sewer lateral to its connection to the public main." A P-trap does not count as an accessible cleanout.
Hercules
In short: In Hercules the service lateral is the owner's, all the way to the City's sewer. Section 5-4.05 of the City's code provides that "The service lateral shall be installed and maintained by the owner of the property served."
The owner’s side: The service lateral, from the building to the City's sewer line; the code's lateral chapter adds that "The building sewer lateral shall terminate at the wye or other manufactured connection to the public sewer."
Hillsborough
In short: Hillsborough treats the whole lateral as private property, the length under the street and the connection to the main included. Section 13.33.030 of the municipal code defines a sewer lateral as "the privately owned pipeline that carries sewage and liquid wastes from the structure or structures served", running "to and including the connection to the sewer main, manhole or sewer main cleanout, including any portion under streets or within public rights-of-way", and section 13.33.060 provides that "the property owner shall remain responsible for ongoing maintenance of the entire lateral down to and including the connection to the sewer main."
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, both of the halves the code names. The upper lateral runs from the building to about the property line; the lower lateral runs from there "to the publicly owned sewer system, including the cleanout at its upstream end and the connection to the sewer main at its downstream end", and a sewer main is "a publicly-owned sanitary sewer pipe". Under section 13.32.110 a broken lateral that connects with a main in any street, road or easement in the town "shall be repaired by and at the cost and expense of the property owner whose property is drained through such sewer", and the city engineer may require it to be inspected at the owner's expense, "including by video inspection", where there are reasonable grounds to suspect damage. Where lots share one connection, section 13.32.100 says "The property owners bear joint responsibility for the maintenance of the lower lateral in the public right-of-way or easement".
Hollister
In short: In Hollister the building sewer, which runs from the building to the City's public sewer, is the lot owner's to pay for, maintenance included. Section 13.04.170 of the City's code provides that "All costs and expenses incurred in connection with the construction, installation and maintenance of a building sewer shall be discharged and paid by the lot owner", who also indemnifies the City against claims arising from its installation.
The owner’s side: The building sewer, which section 13.04.010 defines as "the extension of the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal". The building drain ends five feet outside the building wall, where the building sewer begins. Every lot needs its own building sewer; the Director may allow one to be shared "where provisions have been made for joint maintenance by all owners served." Where a backflow check device is required, it is maintained by the owner.
Hughson
In short: In Hughson the property owner is responsible for the building sewer all the way to the City's sewer, the connection to it included. Section 13.04.450 of the City's code provides that "The owner of any premises shall be responsible at his own expense for the installation, maintenance, repair, and cleaning out of the building sewer and cleanout, including the connection to the public sewer, for the premises owned by him."
The owner’s side: The building sewer, which section 13.04.100 defines as "that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system which extends from the end of the building drain to the public sewer", its cleanout, and the connection to the public sewer. The code places the cleanout "at the point where the building sewer connects to the public sewer". Section 13.04.450 adds that "Each owner shall be liable for any damages which may result from his failure to properly install, maintain, repair, or cleanout the building sewer or cleanout for the premises owned by him."
Imperial
In short: Imperial puts the whole sewer service line on the owner, from the house to the main. Section 18-11 provides that "Individual sewer users are responsible for maintenance of individual service lines to the main line", and section 18-10 that the "Property owner is responsible for sewer service connections from the sewer service lateral from house to the main line."
The owner’s side: The service line and lateral from the house to the main line, including the length under the street. A blockage is the owner's to deal with first: "it shall be the responsibility of the property owner or occupant to take reasonable steps in locating and clearing the stoppage to the junction with the main line."
Imperial Beach
In short: Imperial Beach puts the building sewer and the lateral under the street on the owner, up to the City's saddle on the main. Section 13.04.040 provides that "All persons whose premises are connected to the public sewer shall be responsible for the installation, maintenance and upkeep of the building sewer and the sewer lateral to the point where the lateral attaches to the saddle connection on the public sewer or sewer main."
The owner’s side: The building sewer and the sewer lateral - which section 13.04.020 defines as the sewer "within a public street or right-of-way" connecting the building sewer to the public sewer - up to the saddle connection. Section 13.04.110 adds that "Obstruction removal and/or repair of sewer laterals shall be the responsibility of the property owner."
Indio
In short: Two public agencies collect Indio's sewage, each in its own part of the city, and both put the whole lateral on the property owner, from the building to the sewer main. Valley Sanitary District collects in "much of the City of Indio", and its ordinance says that private sewer laterals "are owned by the owner of the property receiving service through said lines". Coachella Valley Water District collects in the rest that is sewered, and says that "Property owners are required to maintain the entire length of the Private Sewer Lateral, which extends from the property to the sewer main located in the street or a nearby easement."
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, under the street included, on both agencies' own texts. Valley Sanitary District's Ordinance No. 2022-121 defines the private sewer lateral as the sewer "beginning at the building drain, and extending to and including the connection to the public sewer", and makes the owner "responsible for all cost related to the installation, connection, maintenance, repair, construction, abandonment" of it. Coachella Valley Water District's fact sheet says that "Maintenance and repair of the full length of the Private Sewer Lateral is the responsibility of the property owner", including the part beyond the property line in the public right of way.
Inglewood
In short: In Inglewood the whole lateral is the owner's, including the part under the street. The City's Public Works Department states its sewer maintenance policy in plain terms: "the standard requirement by the City is that the property owner is responsible for the upkeep of their lateral from the residence or business to the public main in the street." The City's side of the line is the main: it cleans, maintains and repairs "those sewer mains in the street areas, which serve more than a single ownership".
The owner’s side: The lateral from the building to the public main, the part in the street included. The City gives its reason as well as its rule: it "has no way of cleaning individual sewer laterals from the public main" and "has no control over what the property owner discharges to the sewer system".
Irwindale
In short: Irwindale writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 13.04.010 of its municipal code adopts Division 2 of Title 20 of the Los Angeles County Code as the city sanitary sewer and industrial waste ordinance, "including all changes made by the County of Los Angeles, by ordinance, up to and including Ordinance No. 2002-0074, adopted on or about August 22, 2002", and names it as regulating "the design, construction, alteration, use and maintenance of public sewers and house laterals". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Jackson
In short: Jackson puts the whole service lateral on the owner, including the part under the street. Section 13.20.155 provides that "All privately owned service laterals and private sewage disposal systems and appurtenances from all points of the property to the sewer main shall be maintained by the property owner or owners in a safe and proper operating condition".
The owner’s side: The service lateral, which section 13.20.010 defines as "a privately owned, operated, and maintained sewer line connecting a building or private facility to the city's main sewer. The lateral includes that portion of the line located within the public right-of-way."
Jurupa Community Services District
In short: The whole lateral is yours, including the fitting where it meets the District main - and the District's own page tells you less than that, because it talks about clearing blockages while the ordinance behind it decides repairs.
The owner’s side: Everything from two feet outside the building to and including the connection at the main. The District's page puts the day-to-day half plainly: "the owner of the property is responsible for keeping the sewer lateral clear between the building and the main sewer line as illustrated above", and "locating the sewer lateral is the owner's responsibility, although we will attempt to assist with available records and information". The District will inspect at no charge to establish where a stoppage is, but says it "will not assume the cost of your contractor's call, regardless of the location of the stoppage". Repair and replacement are settled elsewhere, in the District's Ordinance No. 78 of 1989, which is linked below and is a scan. Its section 2 makes the District responsible for the maintenance and repair of the main sewer only, and not for sewer connections, street connections or house sewers as those are defined in Ordinance No. 5 - and those three definitions between them cover the house sewer from two feet outside the foundation wall, the street connection from the property line to the main, and the connection to the main itself.
Kerman
In short: Kerman puts the whole lateral on the owner, the connection to the main included. Section 13.04.100 provides that "Sewer service to individual properties is provided from the sewer main only. The responsibility for the sewer lateral and its connection to the main from the city sewer main to the dwelling or structure remains the responsibility of the property owner."
The owner’s side: The sewer lateral from the City's sewer main to the dwelling or structure, and its connection to the main.
La Habra
In short: La Habra puts the whole lateral on the owner and names the fittings at the main so there is no argument about them. Section 13.10.030(A)(1) provides that "The property owner or agent is responsible for the maintenance, repair and upkeep of the connecting sewer and house sewer from the property owner's structure up to and including the point of connection (e.g. wyes, tees, saddles, manhole structures, etc.) to the main sewer line". Subsection (A)(2) keeps the main for the City: "The city is responsible for the maintenance, repair and upkeep of the main sewer."
The owner’s side: Both named lengths and the junction with the main. Section 13.04.010 defines the connecting sewer as "that portion of the sewer system which extends from the main sewer to the curb", and the house sewer as the piping "from a point two feet from the foundation wall of the building to its connection with the connecting sewer". Section 13.10.030 adds cleaning to the owner's list: "The property owner or agent is responsible for all routine and emergency cleaning of the connecting sewer and house sewer lines."
La Mirada
In short: La Mirada writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 13.04.010 of its municipal code adopts "Division 2 of Title 20 of the Los Angeles County Code including all changes made by the county of Los Angeles, by ordinance, up to and including Ordinance No. 89-0101, adopted on or about July 17, 1989" as the City's sanitary sewer ordinance, regulating among other things "the design, construction, alteration, use and maintenance of public sewers and house laterals". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a house lateral as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The City's 2025 Sewer System Management Plan says the same in plain words: "The City does not own or maintain any portion of the house lateral."
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, from the building to the main, the run under the street included. Section 20.24.080 of the adopted County text assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. The City's 2025 Sewer System Management Plan puts it this way: "Property owners are responsible for proper installation, operation, and maintenance laterals (the pipe that connects from the building to the main)". The adopted text does not say who keeps the joint where the lateral meets the main.
La Palma
In short: In La Palma the owner keeps the whole lateral, the fitting on the City's main included, and the City keeps the main. Section 34-17 of the City's code provides that "The property owner or agent is responsible for the maintenance, repair and upkeep of the connecting sewer and house sewer from the property owner's structure up to and including the point of connection (e.g., wyes, tees, saddles, manhole structures, etc.) to the main sewer line." It adds: "The City is responsible for the maintenance, repair and upkeep of the main sewer."
The owner’s side: The house sewer and the connecting sewer, from the building to the main, with the wye, tee, saddle or other fitting that joins them to it. Section 34-17 also provides: "The property owner or agent is responsible for all routine and emergency cleaning of the connecting sewer and house sewer lines." Where a repair or replacement means digging in the public right-of-way, the owner or agent must first obtain an encroachment permit from the City.
La Puente
In short: La Puente writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 4.08.010 of its municipal code adopts Division 2 of Title 20 of the Los Angeles County Code, "as amended and in effect on March 1, 1998", and provides that it "is hereby adopted by reference as the sanitary sewers and industrial waste code of the city of La Puente". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Laguna Beach
In short: Laguna Beach puts the private sewer lateral on the owner up to and including its connection to the public sewer. Section 17.50.040 provides that every owner "shall be responsible for all preventative and corrective maintenance activities for the private sewer lateral, up to and including the connection to the public sewer", and that "The ongoing costs associated with maintaining private sewer laterals shall be borne by private property owners; the city shall not be liable for any of these costs."
The owner’s side: The private sewer lateral and its connection to the public sewer - work that "may include, but is not limited to, periodic video inspection, cleaning, repair and replacement of the line and connection joint". Owners must also abate an overflow promptly on notice, and are liable to the City for its costs of responding to a spill from their lateral.
Lakewood
In short: Lakewood writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 7201 of its municipal code adopts "Division 2 of Title 20 of the Los Angeles County Code pertaining to Sanitary Sewers and Industrial Waste, adopted July 27, 1990" as the City's sanitary sewer ordinance, regulating among other things "the design, construction, alteration, use and maintenance of public sewers and house laterals". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road, and the City's own page says the same thing in plain words.
The owner’s side: The run under the street by the adopted code, and the whole length from the house to the main by the City's own account. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins. The City's sewer and water line page puts it the same way: "In Lakewood, homeowners are generally responsible for repairs to the sewer lateral from their home to the main sewer line."
Lancaster
In short: The pipe is yours to the main, fitting and all: the code makes each owner responsible for "the entire house lateral up to and including the wye or tee in the city's main line", and defines that lateral as the part "within the street or right-of-way". If nobody can tell where a blockage is, Lancaster will dig to find out - and the answer decides the bill. Fault in the City's sewer is repaired "at no charge to the property owner"; fault in your lateral and you "shall reimburse the city for all costs necessarily incurred".
The owner’s side: The whole house lateral, including the fitting where it meets the main. Section 13.07.060 provides that "each property owner is responsible for the installation, repair and maintenance of the entire house lateral up to and including the wye or tee in the city's main line", and that each owner "shall keep his/her house lateral in good working order at his/her own expense". The code defines a house lateral as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a connection with the main-line sewer" - so the length beneath the road is the owner's, and the City's own duty runs only to "any main line public sewer in a dedicated right-of-way". The owner is also "responsible for damage to any of the city's property comprising any part of the public sewer system which results from the owner's use, repair or maintenance" of it.
Larkspur
In short: Larkspur is split between two sanitary districts, and if your lateral is your own it does not matter which one you are in: Ross Valley Sanitary District and Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County both say the property owner has the whole lateral, including the connection to the sewer main. If your lateral is shared with another property it matters a great deal, because the two districts divide a shared pipe differently.
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, on both districts' own ordinances. Ross Valley Sanitary District states that private sewer laterals "shall be owned, maintained and repaired by the Owner(s) of the property served", covering the entire lateral "from the building connection to and including the 'wye' connection or other-tie-in to the Sewer Main". Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County defines both halves as parts of one "private sewer lateral", with the lower lateral running to the sewer main and including its connection to it. Ross Valley adds that the owner's responsibility "may extend to where the lateral crosses onto another property, regardless of whether a recorded easement exists".
Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District
In short: Where Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District collects the sewage, the owner has the whole lateral, from the building to the District's main, including the wye where it joins the main. The District's Sewer Lateral Ordinance provides that "Sewer Laterals shall be owned, maintained and repaired by the Owner of the property, which the Lateral serves."
The owner’s side: The entire lateral. Section 601 of the ordinance continues: "The entire service Lateral, from the Building connection to and including the "wye" connection or other-tie-in to the Sewer Main, shall fall within the Owner's responsibility for installation, maintenance and repair." The District's Sanitary Code says the same of the fitting: "The "Y" or "T" fitting is the responsibility of the property owner."
Lawndale
In short: Lawndale writes no sewer ownership rule of its own. Lawndale Municipal Code section 13.04.010 adopts "Title 20, utilities, Division 2, sanitary sewers and industrial waste of the Los Angeles County Code, as adopted, amended and in effect on July 7, 2006" as the City's own sanitary sewer ordinance, and section 13.04.020 swaps the names in it - "county engineer" means the city engineer, "County of Los Angeles" means the city of Lawndale. Inside that adopted division the answer is plain: section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition". What makes it worth reading twice is the division's definition of the thing being maintained. Section 20.20.130 says a "house lateral" is "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer" - so the length the code puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 defines a house lateral as the piping within the street or right-of-way from the property line to the connection with the main-line sewer. What the lateral runs to is defined in its own right: section 20.20.220 makes a "main-line sewer" one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter". So the owner's length ends where that pipe begins, and nothing between the property line and it is carved back to the City. Note which definition is doing the work here. Lawndale does not take the county's meaning of "public sewer" - section 13.04.020 replaces it with "all sanitary sewers and appurtenances thereto lying within streets or easements dedicated to the city, which are under the sole jurisdiction of the city" - and the boundary is unaffected either way, because a house lateral ends at the main-line sewer rather than at whatever "public sewer" is taken to cover.
Lemon Grove
In short: Lemon Grove puts the sewer lateral on the owner, including its connection to the main. Section 13.16.010 provides that "The installation, maintenance and operation of a lateral shall be the responsibility of the property owner including the lateral connection to the public collector main."
The owner’s side: The building sewer and the sewer service lateral - "a pipe or other conduit that transports sewage from a source to a collector main, said main being located in a public right-of way" - including the connection to that main.
Livingston
In short: Livingston puts the whole lateral on the owner, out to the main under the street. Section 9-6-32 provides that "The property owner shall be responsible for the maintenance of the complete lateral connection to the street sewer main, including the portion of such lateral placed in the public right-of-way or easement."
The owner’s side: "The complete lateral connection to the street sewer main, including the portion of such lateral placed in the public right-of-way or easement." The City maintains "all sewer mains, pump stations and treatment facilities".
Loma Linda
In short: Loma Linda puts the complete sewer lateral on the owner, from the house to the connection at the main. Section 13.17.030 provides that "Maintenance responsibility for the complete sewer lateral (from structure/dwelling to the joint or saddle) shall be borne by the property owner, pursuant to city of Loma Linda sewer lateral standard SS-3."
The owner’s side: The complete sewer lateral, from the structure to the joint or saddle at the public sewer main. Section 13.17.120 adds that the owner "is therefore responsible for any damages caused by the neglect of regular maintenance of the private sewer lateral."
Lomita
In short: Lomita writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 5-2.01 of its municipal code adopts as the rules and regulations of the City's sewer system "Los Angeles County Code, Title 20, Utilities, Division 2, Sanitary Sewers and Industrial Wastes, as amended July 27, 1989". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Los Altos Hills
In short: On the Town of Los Altos Hills sewer, the owner has the whole lateral, from the building to the Town's main, including the Y fitting where it joins the main. The Town's code provides that "Maintenance of the building sewer (house sewer) shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property served", and its Sanitary Sewer page says the "property owner is responsible for maintenance, repair, and replacement of lateral, from the building to the sewer main connection", naming the Y at the main among the owner's parts. About half of the Town's properties are on septic tanks, and some parcels east of Interstate 280 are served by sewers the City of Los Altos owns.
The owner’s side: The whole building sewer, which the Town's code defines as "the extension from the house drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal", together with the Y at the main, the sewer relief valve and the backflow preventer the Town's page lists with it. The Town's 2026 Sewer System Management Plan says: "No portion of the lateral is maintained by the Town, pursuant to Section 6-4.443(7) of the municipal code." The same plan says private homeowners "are responsible for their own laterals between the building and the mainline connection."
Los Angeles
In short: The property owner is responsible for maintaining and repairing the entire private sewer lateral, which the City's code defines as running through the street to the public sewer. The City offers rebates towards inspecting and repairing it.
The owner’s side: The whole of it. LA Sanitation and Environment states that "most property owners do not know that they are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their entire private sewer lateral, aka house sewer connection", and the Los Angeles Municipal Code defines a "house connection sewer" as "any sewer pipe line, or portion thereof, constructed in a street, alley, walk or other public place or in a sewer easement granted to the City and connecting ... any lot or part of a lot with any public sewer" - so the length under the road is inside the term the City used. Repairing one needs a City permit and must meet the code's pipe and excavation requirements even though the work is the owner's. Note that the allocation comes from the operating authority's own page rather than from the ordinance: chapter VI article 4 regulates house connection sewers in detail and does not state who must keep one in good order.
Los Angeles County Sewer Maintenance Districts (unincorporated areas)
In short: In unincorporated Los Angeles County the public sewers are maintained by the County's sewer maintenance districts, run by Los Angeles County Public Works, and the lateral is the owner's from the house to the main. Public Works says it plainly: "Homeowners are required to maintain the sewer line (also known as lateral) from their home to the main sewer line, typically located in the street or nearby easement." County Code section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition".
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, from the building to the main sewer line, including the run under the street. Public Works states that "The private property owner is responsible for the entire length of the lateral, which includes that portion that may be located within the public right of way (under the asphalt and street landscaping)." County Code section 20.20.130 defines a house lateral as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer", and section 20.24.080 puts all house laterals on "the owner of the property served".
Los Banos
In short: Los Banos puts the building sewer on the owner all the way to the public sewer, the connection included. Section 6-5.01 defines the building sewer as "the extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal, including the connection to the public sewer", and section 6-5.03 provides that "All costs and expenses incident to the installation, connection, and maintenance of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner."
The owner’s side: The building sewer from the building drain to the public sewer, including the length under the street and the connection. The public sewer "shall not include that portion of the building sewer lying within publicly-owned land or easement."
Lynwood
In short: Lynwood writes its own rule rather than borrowing the County's, and writes it in one sentence. Section 14-15.3 of the municipal code provides that "Sewer laterals between the buildings and the connection to the public sewer are owned and maintained by the property owner served by the lateral". Ownership and maintenance are assigned together, which is less common than it sounds - most codes assign one and leave the other to be argued.
The owner’s side: The run from the building to the connection with the public sewer, owned as well as maintained. Section 14-15.1 carries the same sentence inside its definition of a sewer lateral and describes the pipe itself as "a building sewer as defined in the latest edition of the California Plumbing Code", so the extent comes from the plumbing code's meaning rather than from a measurement in the ordinance.
Madera
In short: Madera puts the whole lateral on the homeowner, from the City's sewer main to the property. The City's Sewer Maintenance page says that "While homeowners are responsible for lateral lines running from the main to their property, the City is here to assist with problems related to the public system." The City's 2020 Sewer System Management Plan describes ownership in similar terms: "Current City policy is that the entire sewer lateral from within the street right of way to the service connection is owned by the property owner."
The owner’s side: The lateral line from the City's main to the property, the part under the street included. The City's page does not say whether the joint where the lateral meets the main is the owner's or the City's.
Manhattan Beach
In short: In Manhattan Beach the sewer lateral is the property owner's, from the building to its connection with the public sewer. Section 5.38.010 of the City's code provides that "Sewer laterals between the buildings and the connection to the public sewer are owned and maintained by the property owner served by the lateral."
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, which the same definition calls "the wastewater connection between the building's wastewater facilities and a public sewer system". The City's general sewer chapter says the same in older words: section 5.36.240 provides that "All house connection sewers, industrial connection sewers and appurtenances thereto shall be maintained by the owner of the property served".
Marina Coast Water District
In short: In Marina the whole side sewer, from the building to the main, is the owner's to maintain. Marina Coast Water District's code provides that "Side sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby."
The owner’s side: The side sewer, which the District's code defines as "the sewer line beginning two feet outside the foundation wall of any building and terminating at the main sewer and includes the building sewer and lateral sewer together."
Martinez
In short: Two sanitary districts collect Martinez's sewage, each in part of the city, and the City's own code defines the public sewer by naming them. Central Contra Costa Sanitary District serves "portions of Martinez", and Mt. View Sanitary District serves "the northeasterly portion of the City of Martinez". On the lateral they agree: it is private, and the owner is responsible for all of it, from the building to the district's main in the street and including the fitting where it joins the main.
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, on both districts' own texts. Central San's Code of Laws section 9.10.040 opens "A side sewer is a private facility" and makes the owner responsible for "constructing, repairing and maintaining the entire side sewer between the building and the public sewer (including both the lateral and building sewers, and the tap, saddle or wye connection fitting at the public main sewer)". Mt. View Sanitary District's code defines the 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 of the main sewer", and section 4.6.9.1 provides that "Side sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property". The District's own page on laterals adds the fitting in terms - "This also includes the fitting in which the lateral connects to the mainline" - and says the owner is "responsible for all costs related to the installation, connection, maintenance, repair, reconstruction, alteration, abandonment, or removal of the Sanitary Sewer Lateral".
Marysville
In short: In Marysville the owner owns the whole sewer service lateral, including its connection at the City's main. The code provides that laterals connecting a user to a city-owned sewer main "shall be owned, maintained and repaired by the owner of the property being served, from and including the lateral's connection point at the city sewer main to the building or other point of use on the property."
The owner’s side: The whole service lateral: "This includes both the portion on private property and the portion located beneath the sidewalk and street or any other public right-of-way or easement areas such as alleys, trails, and landscape areas, up to and including the point where the lateral connects to the city sewer main".
Merced
In short: The user is responsible for the construction, maintenance and repair of the house or building sewer line, which the code defines as running all the way to the City's public sewer - the portion under the road included.
The owner’s side: All of it. The City states that "each user shall be responsible for the construction, maintenance and repair of his house and/or building sewer line", and that a user "shall be liable for damages which may result to the sewage system from his failure to keep his house or building sewer line in good order". The code defines a "building sewer" as "a sewer conveying wastewater from the plumbing of a structure to a public sewer", and a "sewer lateral" as "a building sewer", so the duty reaches the City's main and the pipe under the road is the owner's on the face of the code. If an owner does not repair a broken lateral within five days of notice, the director may have the work done "at the expense of the owner, agent or occupant". And the code puts it as ownership as well, in a section headed exactly that. Section 15.08.070, "Ownership of sewer line extensions", provides that "house and building sewer lines, including their connection to subtrunk sewers or sewer laterals, shall not be considered city property or become a part of the city sewer system, and their maintenance and repair shall not be the responsibility of the city". Note the four words in the middle: the CONNECTION is named, so the joint where your pipe meets the City's is on your side of the line.
Mill Valley
In short: The property owner maintains the whole lateral to the City main, expressly including the run within the right-of-way and the fitting where it branches off the main.
The owner’s side: The City states that "the owner of a sewer lateral is responsible for maintaining their sewer lateral all the way to the City main, including the portion within the right-of-way", and that "this includes the fitting that branches the lateral off the main". Its Sewer System Management Plan instructs first responders that "response and repair of private laterals is not the City's responsibility". The City maintains its own mains, two pump stations and its forcemain, and no part of the lateral. The section the City is citing is Municipal Code 17.04.270, and it goes further than the help page does: under the heading "Ownership, Maintenance and Repair of Private Sewer Laterals", it provides that "private sewer laterals shall be owned, maintained and repaired by the owner of the property, which the lateral serves", and that the whole of it, from the building connection out to and including the wye at the sewer main, "shall fall within the owner's responsibility". So the pipe is yours by title as well as by upkeep.
Mission Springs Water District
In short: In Desert Hot Springs the whole sewer lateral, from the building to the District's main, is the property owner's. Mission Springs Water District, which runs the sewer system in the city, keeps the public sewer. Its sewer ordinance defines the building sewer as "That portion of the sewer system extending from the building drain to the public sewer, including the sewer lateral and cleanout", and provides that "The User shall bear the burden and all expenses related to maintenance and repair or replacement of the Building Sewer". Many properties in the city are not on the sewer at all: the District says "There were over 5,000 septic systems on record with MSWD as of 2012", and it has a programme to connect them.
The owner’s side: The whole building sewer, from the building drain to the District's public sewer, including the lateral under the street and the cleanout. The ordinance places the lateral inside the building sewer, as "That portion of a Building Sewer extending from the Public Sewer to the property line or easement line", and the user of the property, the person owning or controlling it, bears its maintenance, repair and replacement, with any backwater valve. Whoever applies to connect also agrees to "maintain the building sewer at no expense to the District." The ordinance does not say who owns the fitting where the lateral joins the main.
Monrovia
In short: Monrovia puts the whole lateral and its junction with the main on the owner. Section 13.12.040 provides that "All sewer laterals shall be maintained by the owner of the property served by such lateral in a safe and sanitary operating condition so that there is no seepage of waste at any point up to and including the junction of the sewer lateral and the sewer main".
The owner’s side: The lateral from the building to the main, the junction included. The same section defines the sewer lateral as the connecting line running from the Y connection at the main "to the private property line and extending to the structure to which it connects", and says the sewer main "shall not include sewer laterals".
Monterey
In short: Monterey puts the whole lateral on the owner, under the street and up to and including its connection to the main. Section 30-1.2 provides that "The property owner shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair, and proper operation of the sanitary sewer lateral and/or private sanitary sewer collection system, regardless of whether any part of the sanitary sewer lateral or private sanitary sewer collection system is located on private property or within the public right-of-way."
The owner’s side: The sanitary sewer lateral, which section 30-1 defines as "a pipe that conveys wastewater from a property building drain to a public sewer main, including the connection to the main". The owner keeps it free of roots and grease and its joints watertight.
Morgan Hill
In short: The lateral is the property owner's outright - expressly including the run across public rights-of-way and the connection into the city main - and the code says it is not part of the public sewer system.
The owner’s side: The City states that "the private sewer laterals are the property of the property owner and are not part of the public sewer system", and that "nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted as changing the private nature of the private sewer laterals". Its definition runs that lateral "from the plumbing of a building to a public sewer collection line, including portions that extend across public rights-of-way and the Saddle, wye or other physical connection to the collection line" - so the run beneath the street and the fitting at the city's main are both the owner's. The owner must, at their own expense, "inspect, maintain in good working order, repair and replace, as necessary" that lateral. The City says the same in its sewer system management plan, twice and without hedging: "the property owner is fully responsible for installation, maintenance, and repair of the parcel private sewer lateral(s)", and "the City has no responsibility for the installation, maintenance, operation, repair or replacement of private sewer laterals (PSL) connected to the City mains".
Morro Bay
In short: In Morro Bay the sewer lateral is the property owner's all the way to the City's main, including the connection to the main. Section 14.07.030 of the City's code provides: "It shall be the property owner's responsibility to maintain that portion of the sewer to the public main, including the connection to the public main." The City's sewer page says of the line from the home out into the street: "This lateral is the property of, and the responsibility of, the homeowner."
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, from the building to the City's main, and the connection to the main. Section 14.07.030(C) provides that "All house connection sewers, industrial sewers, private sewage disposal systems and appurtenances thereto, now existing, or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property in a safe and sanitary condition". The City's 2025 Sewer System Management Plan says the property owner is responsible for "the maintenance of the sewer lateral, up to and including, the connection to the public main", that the upper and lower lateral "are privately owned and maintained", and that the City's crews maintain "manholes and main lines up to, but not including sewer laterals".
Mountain View
In short: The whole pipe is yours, out to the City main. The code defines a sewer lateral as running "to the point of connection to the city-owned sewer main" and says "each sewer lateral is owned by and is the responsibility of the entity that owns the property". If you have a cleanout at your property line the City will clear a blockage in the outer half free - it calls that "a courtesy", not a share of the pipe. One caution: a different section of the same chapter says the City "will maintain and keep in repair every such service connection", and the code never reconciles the two.
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the City's main. Section 35.29 defines a sewer lateral as "the sewer piping used to convey sewage from a building or facility on a parcel (private or public property) to the point of connection to the city-owned sewer main", and provides that "each sewer lateral is owned by and is the responsibility of the entity that owns the property or facility from which that sewer lateral conveys sewage or wastewater". The same section says of a building sewer that "the property owner is responsible for maintenance and repair" of it. Section 35.10 states the duty in money: owners "shall keep their service pipes, stopcocks, service lines, sewer lateral, plumbing, and all apparatus connected therewith, in good repair at their own expense".
National City
In short: National City puts the whole line on the owner, with a City service for blockages under the street. Section 14.06.160 provides that "The property owner is responsible for the building connection line from the house to the main", and section 14.06.170 that the building sewer and "the building connection serving such building sewer or drainage piping shall be maintained by the property owner."
The owner’s side: The building connection line from the house to the main, the street length included, and the first call on any blockage. Section 14.06.160 provides that "The owner or occupant is responsible for calling a licensed private plumbing contractor if a stoppage occurs", and that "City crews cannot respond to requests for service unless the owner or occupant has first obtained the service of a licensed plumber."
Nevada City
In short: In Nevada City the City is responsible only for the sewer main lines; the lateral line from a property to the main is the landowners'. Section 13.08.085 of the City's code provides that "All expenses with respect to sewer lateral lines, including without limitation, installation, maintenance and repair, shall be borne by and be the obligation of the landowners of properties with connections to that sewer lateral line", and that "The City is responsible only for sewer main lines, not for sewer lateral lines."
The owner’s side: The sewer lateral line, which the code defines as "a sewer line with no more than three (3) authorized connections before connecting with a sewer main line". A lateral line can have up to three authorized connections, so it may be shared, and its expenses are the obligation of all the landowners connected to it. The City's public works FAQ adds: "You should note that your lateral may cross other properties and extend into the street, but repair is still your responsibility."
Newman
In short: In Newman the property owner is responsible for the sewer line all the way from the house to the City's main in the street. The City's Public Works Department answers the question directly: "The sewer line from the house to the main line in the street is the responsibility of the property owner." Section 11.06.060(E) of the City's code provides that "All persons shall keep their house sewer connections in good order at their own expense".
The owner’s side: The sewer line from the house to the main line in the street. Under section 11.06.060(E), persons keeping their house sewer connections in good order "shall be liable for damages which may result from their failure to do so."
Norco
In short: Norco puts the whole private lateral on the owner, with two exceptions the City pays for. Section 14.07.410 provides that "The maintenance of the private service lateral shall be the sole responsibility of the property owner. The private service lateral shall extend from building to the point of connection at the public sewer main."
The owner’s side: The private service lateral from the building to its connection at the main, including routine cleaning: "Routine maintenance for cleaning and clearing of the private service lateral shall be the responsibility of the property owner."
Norwalk
In short: Norwalk writes no sewer ownership rule of its own. Section 13.12.010 of its municipal code adopts "Division 2, Sanitary Sewers and Industrial Waste, of Title 20 of the Los Angeles County Code, as adopted, amended and in effect on May 24, 1990" as the City's ordinance, and section 13.12.020 renames the parties in it - "Chief Engineer" or "County Engineer" means the City Engineer, "County" or "County of Los Angeles" means the City of Norwalk. Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral in the street, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", generally "eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Novato Sanitary District
In short: In Novato the side sewer, from the building to the main, is the owner's. Novato Sanitary District's code provides that "Side sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby." The District's lateral guidance adds that the lateral runs "to and including the connection to the public sewer main in the street" and is "the private property of the property owner".
The owner’s side: The side sewer - "the sewer line beginning at a point two (2) feet outside the foundation wall of any building and terminating at the main sewer and includes the building sewer and lateral sewer together" - including the connection to the main.
Oceanside
In short: The sewer lateral is the owner's out into the road. Oceanside's code puts the costs of installing, maintaining, replacing and permitting a house connection on the property owner, and defines that connection as "the service pipes from the private property line to the public sewer main or lateral in a public street, alley or easement" - so the length under the paving is yours. The City says the same in plainer words: "private sewer lines (from the street to your house) are the responsibility of the property owner". Your water line, by contrast, stops being yours at the meter.
The owner’s side: The lateral, including the run in the street. The City states that "private sewer lines (from the street to your house) are the responsibility of the property owner", and section 29.12 provides that "the costs for installation, maintenance, replacement, and permitting of sewer house connections (sewer service lateral) as defined in section 29.1, shall be the responsibility of the property owner" - a house connection being defined as "the service pipes from the private property line to the public sewer main or lateral in a public street, alley or easement".
Ojai Valley Sanitary District
In short: In Ojai, Ojai Valley Sanitary District collects the sewage, and the owner has the whole lateral, from the building to the District's main, including the connection to the main. The District's code makes it "the responsibility of the Parcel Owner to maintain the Lateral to and including its connection at the District Sewer System", and its lateral page tells owners: "You own the entire lateral from the house to the point of connection to the Sanitary District sewer, not just to the sidewalk or curb."
The owner’s side: The whole privately-owned sewer lateral, upper and lower. The District's Ordinance 78 defines the lower lateral as the part "extending from the property line to the Sewer Main located in a street", and adds: "The Lower Sewer Lateral includes the connection of the Privately-Owned Sewer Lateral to the Sewer Main." The District's main "does not include any portion of a Privately-Owned Sewer Lateral", and owners "must perform, at their sole cost and expense, any Repair or Replacement of their Privately-Owned Sewer Laterals". The District's page adds: "You are responsible for your lateral's maintenance and good working order."
Orange
In short: Orange answers the question twice in one sentence, and the second half is the part most codes leave out. Section 13.56.050 of the municipal code provides that "all sewer laterals shall be maintained by the owner of the property served by such lateral in a safe and sanitary condition so that there is no seepage of waste at any point up to and including the junction of the sewer lateral and the sewer main". Section 13.56.010 defines the lateral to match: "that connecting sewer line running from sewer main to the private property line and extending to the structure to which it connects". So the owner's run is the whole thing, and the joint at the main is named as theirs.
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, junction included. Section 13.56.050 requires it kept "in a safe and sanitary condition so that there is no seepage of waste at any point up to and including the junction of the sewer lateral and the sewer main and so that passage of waste through the lateral to the sewer main is free from stoppage and obstruction", with the devices and safeguards the chapter requires "maintained in good working order".
Oroville
In short: Where the City of Oroville collects the sewage, the owner keeps the whole lateral, the connection to the City's main included. Section 13.04.070 provides that "All private sewerage facilities as defined in Section 13.04.010 connected to the city's sewerage facilities shall be maintained by the owners in safe, operable condition and free from excessive infiltration and root intrusion into the city sewerage facilities." Section 13.04.010 defines those private facilities as the privately owned pipes carrying sewage "away from buildings to the city sewer main located in the public right-of-way or a city sewer maintenance easement", and adds: "These facilities include all of the underground sewer lateral pipes and appurtenances located within the city's public right-of-way or a city sewer maintenance easement, and specifically includes the equipment and materials used to physically connect the lateral pipes to the city sewer main, and the portion of the city sewer main the lateral pipes are connected to."
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the City's main: the lateral on the lot, the lateral under the street or in a City sewer easement, the fittings that join it to the main, and - in the code's own words - "the portion of the city sewer main the lateral pipes are connected to". Section 13.04.070 lets the City test these private facilities from time to time; if it finds one unsafe or subject to excessive infiltration or root intrusion, the owner is notified in writing and must repair it within the period the notice sets, failing which the Director of Public Works may abate it as a public nuisance and lien the property for the reasonable cost of repairs.
Oxnard
In short: The owner pays to maintain the lateral and the fitting where it meets the main. Oxnard's code is one sentence - "all connections, including the lateral, wye or saddle at the city's sewer, shall be maintained at the expense of the property owner" - and the City's own flyer draws it: the private sewer lateral "extends past the private property line and into the public right-of-way" and "includes the connection to the public sewer".
The owner’s side: The lateral, the wye and the saddle. Section 19-11 states that "all connections, including the lateral, wye or saddle at the city's sewer, shall be maintained at the expense of the property owner of which the connection originates", and the City's Private Sewer Lateral flyer says the same thing in a homeowner's words: "it is the property owner's responsibility to maintain, repair and/or replace the Private Sewer Lateral", which "extends past the private property line and into the public right-of-way" and "includes the connection to the public sewer located in the public right-of-way".
Pacific Grove
In short: In Pacific Grove the lateral is the owner's property all the way to the main. Section 9.20.030 of the City's code provides that "All laterals from the building wall to the connection to the sewer main are the property of the owner of the connected building."
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, which owners must "at their own expense maintain the sewer lateral in a fully functioning condition". The code defines the lateral as "a privately owned pipeline connecting a building sewer to a sewer main."
Pacifica
In short: Pacifica puts the whole lateral - both halves and the connection to the main - on the owner. Section 6-13.602 provides that "It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to perform all required maintenance, repairs and replacement of the sewer lateral", and section 6-13.601 defines the sewer lateral as "the upper and lower sections of sewer pipe that carry sewage and liquid waste from the building or structure served, up to and including the connection to the public sewer".
The owner’s side: The upper and lower lateral - from the building to the public sewer, the length under the street and the connection included - kept to a standard: section 6-13.602 requires the lateral to be "kept free from roots, grease deposits, and other solids", with "All joints shall be watertight and all pipes shall be sound".
Palm Springs
In short: Palm Springs puts the whole lateral on the property owner, from the building to the City's sewer main. Section 15.04.040 of the municipal code provides that "Building sewers, including sewer laterals, shall be maintained by the owners of properties being served by the building sewers", and section 15.08.100 defines the sewer lateral as "the portion of the building sewer between the sewer main and the property or easement line" - the length under the street. The City's own share is the main: section 15.04.030 provides that "All public sewers shall be maintained by the city."
The owner’s side: The whole building sewer, the part under the street included, from the building to the sewer main. Section 15.04.040 assigns building sewers "including sewer laterals" to "the owners of properties being served by the building sewers", and section 15.08.100 places the lateral "between the sewer main and the property or easement line". The code does not say whether the joint where the lateral meets the main is the owner's or the City's; under section 15.20.030 the connection to the public sewer is made "under the supervision of the director of public works".
Palmdale
In short: Your pipe reaches into the City's main - the owner is responsible for "the entire house lateral ... up to and including the wye or tee in the City's main line" - and then Palmdale qualifies it. "If repair and maintenance of the house lateral ... extends into the mainline sewer at the sewer line tap, then the sewer tap repair at the main line becomes the responsibility of the City and no such repairs shall be done without the permission and approval of the City."
The owner’s side: The whole house lateral, fitting included. Section 13.02.040(A) makes each property owner "responsible for the installation, repair and maintenance of the entire house lateral or industrial connection sewer up to and including the wye or tee in the City's main line", and requires each owner to "keep his/her house lateral/industrial connection sewer in good working order at his/her own expense". The code defines a house lateral as "that part of the sewer piping which extends from the discharging premises to a connection with the mainline sewer". The owner is also "responsible for damage to any of the City's property which results from the owner's use, repair or maintenance of the house lateral".
Palos Verdes Estates
In short: Palos Verdes Estates writes no sewer ownership rule of its own either. Section 13.14.010 of its municipal code adopts "Title 20, Utilities, Division 2, Sanitary Sewers and Industrial Waste, of the Los Angeles County Code as amended and in effect on January 2, 2020" as the City's sanitary sewer and industrial waste ordinance, and section 13.14.020 renames the parties in it - "County engineer" means the city engineer, "County of Los Angeles" means the city of Palos Verdes Estates. Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 puts a house lateral in the street, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines that main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", and such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins. The City replaces the adopted code's meaning of "public sewer" with "all sanitary sewers and appurtenances thereto lying within streets or easements dedicated to the city, which are under the sole jurisdiction of the city", and the boundary is unaffected: a house lateral ends at the main-line sewer whatever "public sewer" is taken to cover.
Paramount
In short: Paramount writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 13.08.010 of its municipal code adopts "Title 20, Utilities, Division 2 of the Los Angeles County Code, commonly referred to as the Sanitary Sewers and Industrial Waste Ordinance as amended July 27, 1989" as the City's ordinance. Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral in the street, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Pasadena
In short: The house sewer is the owner's from 24 inches outside the building to the main - and Pasadena closes the usual loophole by saying that a public sewer "does not include house sewer". The catch is in section 13.24.210: replace any part of the run between the curb and the main and you must replace all of it, to new-work standards.
The owner’s side: The house sewer, which reaches the main. Section 13.24.610 states that "all house sewers and appurtenances thereto, now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 13.24.010 defines a house sewer as "that part of the horizontal piping beginning 24 inches from the exterior wall of the building or structure and extending to its connection with the public sewer". Public Works puts it without the code: "the private "house sewer" extends beyond the property line into the public street."
Paso Robles
In short: Paso Robles puts the whole private lateral on the owner, all the way to the City's sewer. Section 14.08.030(F) provides that "All privately owned building laterals and private sewage disposal systems and appurtenances from all points of the property to the city sewer, shall be maintained by the property owner in a safe and proper operating condition".
The owner’s side: The building lateral from the building to the City sewer - "from all points of the property to the city sewer" - including the length under the street, kept in a safe and proper operating condition.
Petaluma
In short: Petaluma puts the whole lateral on the owner, the connection at the main included, and says the owner owns it through the City's right-of-way. Section 15.40.060 provides that "All sewer laterals are owned by the property owner to the sewer main and through the city right-of-way including the connection at the main. All sewer laterals shall be maintained by the property owner to prevent inflow and infiltration."
The owner’s side: The lateral from the building's foundation to the public sewer, the length under the street and the connection at the main included. Section 15.40.080 defines the lateral as "the connecting piping infrastructure, or pretreatment facilities, from the building's foundation to the public sewer system that conveys sanitary sewage from the building to the city sewer".
Pico Rivera
In short: Pico Rivera writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 13.28.010 of its municipal code adopts as the City's sanitary sewer ordinance "Los Angeles County Code, Title 20, Utilities, Division 2, Sanitary Sewers and Industrial Waste (Los Angeles County Ordinance 89-0101 adopted July 27, 1989)". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral in the street, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Pinole
In short: On the City of Pinole's sewer, the building sewer lateral is the owner's all the way to the City's main, including the length under the street. Chapter 13.20 of the City's code makes it "unlawful for any property owner to maintain a building sewer lateral in a defective condition" and provides that "All costs of repair or replacement of the building sewer lateral shall be borne by the property owner." The City's lateral page says: "The maintenance and repair of the entire private sanitary sewer lateral is the responsibility of the property owner." West County Wastewater District collects in some sectors of the city instead, under its own rules.
The owner’s side: The whole building sewer lateral, from the building to the City's main. Section 13.20.020 defines it as "That part of a drainage system which extends from the end of the building drain and conveys discharge to a public sewer or other point of disposal", and adds: "The building sewer lateral shall terminate at the wye or other manufactured connection to the public sewer." The same section provides that "That portion of the building sewer lateral which may lie within any public street or right-of-way is not a public sewer in the city." The City's 2022 Sewer System Management Plan says: "The City does not own or maintain any portions of the sewer laterals."
Pismo Beach
In short: Pismo Beach puts the whole lateral on the property owner, from the building to the City's sewer main. Section 13.14.040 of the municipal code defines the building sewer as the sewer lateral "which extends from a point two feet outside of the building to the point of connection with the public sewer main", and section 13.14.190 provides that "Each owner of a building sewer shall maintain the sewer in a water-tight and gas-tight condition at all times." The City's Public Works answers say the same: "The City is responsible for the sewer main only. The customer is responsible for the sewer lateral from their building to the main."
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, the part under the street included, from the building to the point where it connects with the City's sewer main. Under section 13.14.190, "All defects in the building sewer which prevent it from being gas-tight and water-tight shall be repaired by the owner within ninety days after notification by the city", and the repair is inspected by the City. Section 13.14.100 provides that any connection to the sewerage system, "including the piping within any public right-of-way, shall be installed at the sole expense of the owner of the property served." The code does not say whether the fitting on the main is the owner's or the City's.
Placentia
In short: Where the City of Placentia collects the sewage, the owner maintains the lateral all the way to the City's main under the street. Section 16.12.140 of the Municipal Code provides: "It shall be the responsibility of each property owner to maintain the sewer lateral serving his property in proper working order." Section 16.12.010 defines the sewer lateral as "that portion of the sewer system which extends from the main sewer to the building or structure served", and the main sewer as "a main pipe line sewer of the city laid in the streets, alleys and along the rights-of-way". Part of north-east Placentia is sewered by Yorba Linda Water District instead, and its rules also leave the lateral to the owner, down to the fitting on the main.
The owner’s side: The whole sewer lateral, from the building to the City's main in the street. The code does not say on which side of the joint with the main the owner's part ends. New connections and old ones are the City's to approve: section 16.12.090 provides that "No person shall make or attempt to make any connection with the main sewer lines of the city without first having secured a permit therefor", and under section 16.12.130 no building may be connected to an old sewer "until a permit has been granted for so connecting and a certificate of inspection obtained from the chief building official."
Placerville
In short: In Placerville the private sewer lateral is the property owner's from the building to its connection with the City's sewer line, including the length under the street. Section 7-4-19 of the City's code provides: "The city shall not be responsible for any construction, repair or maintenance for any sewer line other than the city's sewer mains." Chapter 7-17 requires each owner, at the owner's expense, to "inspect, maintain in good working order, repair, and replace, as necessary, the PSL".
The owner’s side: The whole private sewer lateral, which section 7-17-4 defines as the pipes that carry wastewater "from the structure(s) served to the point of connection at the public sewer line located in the City right-of-way or easement". Section 7-4-19(D) adds: "The sewer lateral and cleanout shall be maintained by the property owner." Where maintenance needs excavation in a City right-of-way, section 7-17-5 requires the owner to "apply for and receive an encroachment permit from the City".
Pleasanton
In short: Pleasanton keeps the trunk sewers and gives the owner both lengths of pipe that reach it. Section 15.32.100 provides that "The city shall maintain all trunk sewers. Maintenance of side sewers and service laterals shall be the responsibility of the property owner served by such sewers." Section 15.08.480 defines the service lateral as "the pipe between the trunk line and the user's side sewer connection at the edge of the street or easement".
The owner’s side: The side sewer and the service lateral, from the building to the trunk line. The side sewer is "a pipe connecting to a service lateral from a house or other structure", and the service lateral carries on from the edge of the street or easement to the trunk line - the City's name for the main, "a main sewer line to which two or more service laterals are connected".
Plymouth
In short: In Plymouth the side sewer, the whole pipe from the building to the main sewer, belongs to the property owner and is the owner's to maintain. Section 13.05.100 of the City's code provides that "Side sewers shall be owned and maintained by the owner of the property served thereby."
The owner’s side: The side sewer, which section 13.01.010 defines as "the sewer line beginning at the foundation wall of any building and terminating at the main sewer and includes the building sewer and lateral sewer together." The lateral sewer is the part in the street, "connecting a building sewer to the main sewer".
Pomona
In short: The pipe is yours to the main, fitting included: the code makes the owner "responsible for maintaining the house connections up to and including the connection to the sewer line". Pomona is unusual in leaving one door open. Its Risk Management page says the City "should only be responsible for private sewer lateral damages, in the rare occurrence when the City has determined that tree roots from a City tree have misaligned or broken the sewer lateral. In all other cases, the City is not responsible." Note whose determination it is, and note the word rare.
The owner’s side: The house connection, out to and including the joint at the City's sewer. Section 62-399(g) provides that "the property owner shall also be responsible for maintaining the house connections up to and including the connection to the sewer line", and the City repeats it on its own Tree Roots page: "the maintenance of private sewers is the responsibility of private property owners".
Port Hueneme
In short: In Port Hueneme the property owner pays to maintain the whole sewer connection, down to and including the fitting on the City's sewer. Section 7152B of the City's code provides that "All connections, including the lateral, wye or saddle at the City's sewer, shall be maintained at the expense of the property owner of which the connection originates."
The owner’s side: The connection from the property to the City's sewer: the building sewer, which the code defines as "a sewer conveying wastewater from the premises of a person to the public sewer", the lateral, and the wye or saddle that joins it to the City's pipe.
Porterville
In short: Porterville puts the house connection on the owner for its whole length. Section 25-43 provides that "The city will maintain all lines belonging to the city, but the property owners shall maintain all others including the house connection for its full distance from the main or lateral to the house or premises."
The owner’s side: The house connection from the house to the City's main or common sewer, the length under the street included. Section 25-33 defines connections as "A privately owned and maintained pipe conveying sewage from a single building or premises into a lateral or other common sewer".
Portola
In short: Portola puts the sewer service connection on the owner from the main. Section 13.08.045 provides that "The service connection from the sewer main shall be installed and maintained by the property owner."
The owner’s side: The sewer service connection, from the main.
Rancho Palos Verdes
In short: The City states that inspecting, repairing and maintaining the private sewer lateral is the property owner's responsibility. For the portion under the road, the City has adopted the Los Angeles County sewer ordinance as its own - frozen at its 1989 text, though the sentences that matter here are older than that and unchanged.
The owner’s side: All of it. The City states that "it is a property owner's responsibility to inspect, repair and maintain his or her own private sewer lateral". For the run beneath the road, the City has adopted the Los Angeles County sanitary sewer ordinance as its own under municipal code section 13.04.010, and that ordinance provides that "all house laterals ... shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition" - a "house lateral" being defined there as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer".
Red Bluff
In short: In Red Bluff the sewer service, from the City's main to the property, is the property owner's responsibility. Section 18.1 of the City's code defines sewer services as the sewers leading from the mains to the property, and provides that "Sewer services are not included in the collection system and are the responsibility of the property owners."
The owner’s side: The sewer service: "The sewers leading from the sewer mains to and serving the property on either side are called sewer services." The City's Public Works page puts it the same way for a homeowner: "The sewer lines that run from the City's main line into your home are the owner's responsibility."
Redding
In short: In Redding the sewer connection - the private sewer lateral - runs from the premises to the public sewer, and it is the owner's to maintain on public and private ground alike. Section 14.16.340(A) of the City's code provides that "Maintenance of sewer connections, whether on public or private property, is the responsibility of the owner of the premises."
The owner’s side: The whole sewer connection, which section 14.16.020 defines as "a privately owned and maintained conduit that conveys wastewater from a single premises to a public sewer."
Redlands
In short: In Redlands the private sewer lateral runs from the building to the public sewer line, and it is the owner's to inspect, maintain, repair and replace. Section 13.44.160 of the City's code provides that "Each property owner shall, at the property owner's expense, inspect, maintain in good working order, repair and replace, as necessary, the PSL so that it does not cause or contribute to any sewage overflow from either the PSL or the public sewer."
The owner’s side: The private sewer lateral, which the same section defines as the pipes and appurtenances carrying wastewater "from the structure(s) served to the point of connection at the public sewer line located in the City right-of-way or easement". The owner keeps it free of root intrusion, cracks, leaks, open or displaced joints, grease, sediment and similar defects likely to block it or the public sewer.
Redondo Beach
In short: The property owner is responsible for the sewer connection, and the City's own definition puts the expensive part inside it: a "sewer connection" here is a privately maintained line within the public street, including the wye or tee at the main. The City maintains the public sewers and claims no share of the connection.
The owner’s side: The sewer connection, which in Redondo Beach is defined to include the run under the road. Section 5-4.303 states that "the property owner shall be responsible for the construction, maintenance and repairs of all property sewer connection", and section 5-4.103 defines a sewer connection as "a privately maintained sewer line, including the connection, wye or tee, within a public street or right-of-way, proposed to connect any parcel, lot or part of a lot to a main line sewer". So the fitting at the main is named as the owner's, which most codes leave unsaid.
Reedley
In short: Reedley puts the building sewer on the owner all the way to the main. Section 8-3-3 provides that "Building sewers between the building drains and the main sewer shall not be considered appurtenances to or part of the main sewer and the responsibility for maintenance of said building sewer shall be that of the owner or person in charge of the premises served by said building sewer."
The owner’s side: The building sewer from the building drain to the main sewer, the length under the street included. Its installation is the owner's too: section 8-2-4 provides that "All costs and expense incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner."
Rialto
In short: The whole run is yours and so is the joint: maintenance liability "includes the entire building sewer extending from the building drain into the public right-of-way up to and including the connection with the public sewer". Rialto goes one step further - if there is no suitable fitting waiting at the main, "the owner shall at his/her expense install a 'Y' branch in the public sewer at the location specified by the city engineer". The owner's cost reaches inside the City's own pipe.
The owner’s side: Everything from the building drain to the City's sewer, the connection included. Section 12.08.165 provides that "building sewers, including sewer laterals, shall be maintained by the owners of properties being served by the building sewers", and that "maintenance liability of a building sewer includes the entire building sewer extending from the building drain into the public right-of-way up to and including the connection with the public sewer". Section 12.08.140 adds the installation side: "all costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer is borne by the owner."
Richmond
In short: Check first whether your address is in Richmond Municipal Sewer District No. 1, because the ordinance "applies only within the sewer service areas" of that district and parts of the city are served by West County Wastewater District and Stege Sanitary District instead. Inside it, the whole pipe is yours including the joint: a private sewer lateral runs "from the structure(s) served to the sewer main", and "the property owner is also responsible for the connection to the sewer main". Richmond then writes down the condition the pipe must be in, and requires a Certificate of Lateral Compliance at sale, at subdivision, on a two-fixture remodel, and where the lateral is over fifteen years old or was laid without a permit.
The owner’s side: The whole lateral and the joint at the main. Section 12.17.040 defines a private sewer lateral as "a pipe or pipes and appurtenances that carry wastewater and liquid waste from the structure(s) served to the sewer main", and adds that "the property owner is also responsible for the connection to the sewer main". Section 12.17.050(a) says the same again: owners "shall maintain all PSLs associated with their parcels", "shall perform any repair or replacement necessary", and are "also responsible for the connection of the PSL to the sewer main".
Ripon
In short: Ripon puts the whole building connection on the owner, out to the City main. Section 13.08.040 provides that "All maintenance of a building connection between the building and the city sewer main is the responsibility of the lot owner or appropriate owner's association exclusive of the city sewer main."
The owner’s side: All maintenance of the building connection between the building and the City sewer main - the main itself excluded.
Riverbank
In short: Riverbank puts the whole lateral on the owner, the fitting on the main included. Section 51.09 provides that "A service lateral is a private facility. The property owner shall be responsible for constructing, repairing, and maintaining the entire sewer lateral between the building and the sanitary sewer main (including the lateral and building sewers, and the tap, saddle, or wye connection fitting at the sanitary sewer main)."
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the main - the building sewer, the lateral under the street and the tap, saddle or wye on the main - built, repaired and maintained at the owner's cost.
Rohnert Park
In short: In Rohnert Park the owner maintains the whole sewer service lateral, from the building to the City's sewer main. Section 13.26.030(A) of the City's code provides that "The owner of any premises is responsible for the maintenance of the sewer service lateral, including both the building sewer and the street lateral."
The owner’s side: Both pieces of the lateral. The code defines the building sewer as a sewer "extending from two feet outside the building to either the street lateral or the private sewer", and the street lateral as "the portion of the City sewer that connects the sewer main to the building sewer at the property line". Section 13.26.030(A) adds that "The owner shall perform all necessary maintenance to keep the sewer service lateral free from roots, grease deposits, and other solids", and 13.26.030(B) puts the repair and replacement of the building sewer on the owner as well.
Rolling Hills Estates
In short: The property owner maintains the sewer lateral, and the City's adoption of the Los Angeles County sewer ordinance extends that to the portion in the street, which the county code defines as running from the property line to the main. The county's maintenance district operates the public sewer itself, not the lateral.
The owner’s side: All of it. The City states that "the owner of any property served by a private sewer lateral shall maintain such lateral in good condition and free from leaks, defects, or conditions that may cause infiltration, inflow, blockage, or discharge to the public right-of-way or public sewer system", and a leaking or defective lateral that does discharge is declared a public nuisance; the City may require a CCTV inspection and a repair, rehabilitation or replacement within a set time. For the portion under the road, the City has adopted the Los Angeles County sanitary sewer ordinance as its own, and that ordinance provides that "all house laterals ... shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition" - a "house lateral" being defined there as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". Note that the City's own section uses the phrase "private sewer lateral" without defining it, so the street portion rests on the adopted county text rather than on a single city sentence; the City Engineer is the place to settle it for a particular address.
Rosemead
In short: Rosemead writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 13.12.010 of its municipal code adopts, as the "Sanitary Sewer and Industrial Waste Ordinance of the City of Rosemead," Title 20, Division 2 of the Los Angeles County Code, "as the same is in full force and effect through and including amendments in Los Angeles County Ordinance No. 89-0101 (July 27, 1989)". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Ross Valley Sanitary District
In short: The property owner owns, maintains and repairs the entire lateral, from the building to and including the connection at the District main - and where the lateral is shared with other properties, the District allocates by position on the run, so the household furthest downstream carries the connection to the public sewer for everyone above it.
The owner’s side: The District states that "private sewer laterals shall be owned, maintained and repaired by the Owner(s) of the property served", and that "the entire Private Sewer Lateral, from the building connection to and including the 'wye' connection or other-tie-in to the Sewer Main, shall fall within the Owner's responsibility for installation, maintenance and repair". The District's guidance adds that this "may extend to where the lateral crosses onto another property, regardless of whether a recorded easement exists" - so the pipe stays the owner's after it leaves their land. Separately, the District states it "will replace Lower Laterals with Defective Conditions as part of projects that replace the Sewer Main by open-cut and pipebursting construction methods" - which happens when the District rebuilds its own main rather than when a lateral fails, and which the ordinance does not describe as transferring responsibility.
Sacramento
In short: The customer is responsible for the private sewer line "regardless of the cause", and the code says that line includes the portion under the public road. The department may unblock or repair the part nearest the main where there is an accessible cleanout, but it is not required to and doing so changes nothing.
The owner’s side: All of it, including under the road, and whatever the cause. The City states that "the customer shall maintain in good condition, and shall be responsible, regardless of the cause, for all required repairs to the customer's private sewer line and all other sewer pipe(s) and appurtenances on customer's premises, including the 'Y' cleanout and its connections", and defines a private sewer line as one "that connects to the city sewer main, including that portion of the private sewer line located within the public right-of-way". Excavating in the right-of-way to do that work requires complying with the rest of the code first. One thing worth doing anyway: the department may - but is not required to - inspect and clear or repair the portion nearest the main where the line "is equipped with a 'Y' cleanout that is visible and accessible to department personnel", and section 13.08.180 requires that cleanout to be installed before a new connection and whenever repairs are made to an existing line.
Salinas
In short: The whole pipe is yours to the City main, and Salinas is unusually blunt about the commonest way it fails. Because connections "are required to be gastight and watertight", the code provides that "infiltration of tree roots into a building sewer lateral are presumed to be caused by improper installation and shall be repaired by the property owner ... at no cost to the city, regardless of whether the building sewer is located on public or private property". More generally, "all costs and expense incident to the installation, connection and maintenance of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner".
The owner’s side: The whole building sewer, from the premises to the City's main, on public ground as well as private. Section 36-13 provides that "all costs and expense incident to the installation, connection and maintenance of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner", and that the owner "shall indemnify the city from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer". The code defines a building sewer as "a sewer conveying wastewater from the premises of a user to a community sewer", and a community sewer as "the wastewater collection systems owned and operated by the city" - so the defined length runs all the way to the City's system.
San Bernardino
In short: The whole run is yours and the joint at the main is not - the Department defines a private sewer lateral as running from the premises "up to, but not including, the connection to the City's or satellite service area's collection system". That includes the part in the street: "the portion of the Private Sewer Lateral that extends beyond the property line in the public right of way is also the owner's responsibility to maintain and repair." And a lateral left inoperative is not only your bill - it can be a nuisance under California Health and Safety Code section 5410, enforced by the City's Public Works Department.
The owner’s side: The full length from the building to the City's main, the part under the street included. The Department's definition makes a private sewer lateral "the privately owned and maintained wastewater collection pipe or conduit extending from the premises where the wastewater is generated (house sewer) up to, but not including, the connection to the City's or satellite service area's collection system", and states plainly that "maintenance and repair of the full length of the Private Sewer Lateral is the responsibility of the property owner". Rule and Regulation 7 adds that "all such maintenance and repairs shall be performed at the User's own expense, and they shall be liable for all damages, which may result from failure to do so".
San Dimas
In short: San Dimas writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 14.08.010 of its municipal code adopts County Ordinance No. 89-0101, "as codified in Title 20, Division 2 of the Los Angeles County Code", which "is adopted as the San Dimas Sanitary Sewers and Industrial Waste Ordinance". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street by the adopted code, and the whole length from the building to the main by the County sewer district's account. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
San Jacinto
In short: San Jacinto answers this more directly than most, and it answers the half that usually goes unsaid. Section 13.20.260 of its municipal code establishes "that the maintenance, service, cleaning, repair, and replacement of sewer laterals shall be the sole responsibility of the property owner whose building or improvement is served by such laterals, and not the city", running "from the building or improvement that it serves to the connection at the public sewer in the public right-of-way". It then says the thing most codes leave to inference: "these obligations apply to the portion of the lateral on private property as well as any and all portions of such sewer laterals that lie within any public right-of-way".
The owner’s side: The whole run, both halves named. Section 13.20.260 puts maintenance, service, cleaning, repair and replacement on the owner from the building to the connection at the public sewer, and then states expressly that the duty covers the length inside the public right-of-way as well as the length on private ground. The City is named as not responsible in the same sentence.
San Leandro
In short: The lateral is the owner's the whole way, and San Leandro is unusually plain about the part under the road: plumbing and laterals "on both private property and within the public right-of-way" must be kept in working order, and service laterals "stretch from their home's connection all the way to the public sewer link". The City maintains the main and nothing else.
The owner’s side: The service lateral for its whole length, including under the street. The City states that "property owners are responsible for plumbing systems on their property and sewer laterals for the entire distance to the connection to the sewer main", and that "plumbing and laterals on both private property and within the public right-of-way must be maintained in proper working order". Its FAQ says the same: "you as the property owner are responsible for maintaining and repairing your service laterals (sewer pipes). Service laterals run from the connection at the home/business to the connection with the public sewer."
San Luis Obispo
In short: The whole lateral is yours, and San Luis Obispo puts that in its ordinance rather than leaving it to a help page: the entire lateral from the building up to and including the wye at the city main falls "within the owner's responsibility for installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement". The City does not maintain private laterals but does publish a database of their recorded condition, so an owner can look theirs up.
The owner’s side: All of it, including the fitting at the main, and the code says so. Municipal Code section 13.08.395(B) provides that the entire lateral, from the building connection up to and including the wye connection or other tie-in to the city-owned sewer main, "shall fall within the owner's responsibility for installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement", and requires each owner to keep their lateral "in a safe and sanitary condition" - free of displaced joints, breaks, offsets, root intrusion, cracks, leaks and bellies, and equipped with cleanouts. Asked "who owns the private lateral in the City street right-of-way?", the City answers that "the property owner is responsible for the entire pipe length, including the wye or saddle at the point of connection to the City's mainline" - the wye or saddle being the fitting that joins the lateral to the public pipe, which most authorities leave unmentioned. Elsewhere the City puts it more simply: "the homeowner is responsible for their sewer lateral from the house to the connection at the City main (usually located in the street)". The City adds that it "does not maintain private sewer laterals but does keep a database of all known conditions", which it publishes as a lateral lookup. A City plumbing permit is needed for lateral repair or replacement even on private property, issued over the counter to licensed plumbers.
San Mateo
In short: The property owner is responsible for the whole lateral from the building to the public main, including the wye at the main, whether or not it runs under the street.
The owner’s side: The City states the owner "shall be responsible for any portion of the private sewer lateral extending from a building to the public sewer main, including the wye connection which joins the private sewer lateral to the public sewer main", and that repairs, replacement and maintenance - naming "the clearing of pipes using common industry hydro or mechanical cleaning tools" - "will not be provided by the City". The City's sewer-lateral FAQ adds that this holds "whether the private sewer lateral is under a public right-of-way (street) or on private property in an easement" - so the length under the road is the owner's too.
San Rafael
In short: Two sanitary districts serve San Rafael, and both say the sewer lateral is privately owned and the property owner's to maintain. San Rafael Sanitation District adds that this runs the entire length "including the portion that runs under the street". Which district you are in matters for other things - most of all for what happens when you sell.
The owner’s side: All of it, on both districts' own statements. San Rafael Sanitation District states that "a sewer lateral is the privately owned pipe that connects your home or building to the public sewer main in the street" and that "as the property owner, you're responsible for maintaining and repairing this section of pipe"; asked how far that reaches, it answers that "property owners are responsible for maintaining the entire length of the sewer lateral, including the portion that runs under the street". Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District describes a lateral as "the segment of the sewer pipeline linking your residence to the public sewer main" and states that "the respective property owners are accountable for addressing any issues with their laterals". Its sewer system management plan goes further still: "lateral connections to the District's mains, including both the upper lateral, lower lateral, and the main connection fitting are owned by the property owner, who has responsibility for their operation and maintenance", and "maintenance of both the upper and lower laterals is the responsibility of the property owner".
San Ramon
In short: Two sanitary districts collect San Ramon's sewage, each in its own part of the city, and both put the lateral on the property owner all the way to the district's main, under the street included. Central Contra Costa Sanitary District serves "portions of Martinez and San Ramon", and Dublin San Ramon Services District provides "wastewater collection and treatment to Dublin and south San Ramon". The City's own code says nothing about who maintains a lateral.
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, on both districts' own texts. Central San's Code of Laws section 9.10.040 makes the owner responsible for "constructing, repairing and maintaining the entire side sewer between the building and the public sewer (including both the lateral and building sewers, and the tap, saddle or wye connection fitting at the public main sewer)". Dublin San Ramon Services District's code, section 5.10.080, provides that "The customer owns all sewer facilities from the point of connection to the District's sewer main to the customer's building facilities, whether the pipelines are located within private property or a public road right-of-way", and its page for householders says "The property owner is responsible for the service pipeline between the house and the sewer main, which is usually located in the center of the street."
Sanitary District No. 2 of Marin County
In short: The property owner is responsible for the whole lateral, including the run from the curb to the sewer main and the connection itself.
The owner’s side: The District's ordinance defines both halves as parts of one privately owned pipe: the lower lateral is "the portion of the private sewer lateral extending from the cleanout near the curb line to the sewer main, or from the curb line in the street to the sewer main if there is no cleanout near curb line", and "includes the connection to the sewer main". Its repair provisions fall on owners throughout - shared laterals are repaired jointly by the owners served, and responsibility after a failed test at sale is "an issue between the buyer and seller".
Santa Ana
In short: The whole lateral is yours in Santa Ana - the ordinance says the upper and lower lateral together "shall remain the responsibility of the property owner or user", out to and including the join with the sewer main. The City's sewer enterprise "may" repair the lower lateral in the street, but only "at the discretion of the director of public works and so long as funds are available", so the part under the road is yours unless the City chooses otherwise.
The owner’s side: The entire lateral, upper and lower, to and including the connection with the main. Santa Ana Municipal Code section 39-50.1(b) provides that "a sewer lateral from its connection to a building on the property to its point of connection with the sewer main, inclusive of both the upper and lower sewer lateral, shall remain the responsibility of the property owner or user with regard to maintenance, repair and upkeep", and requires it to be kept sound "up to and including the junction of the sewer lateral and the sewer main". Section 39-50.2(b) says the same from the other direction: repair and maintenance of all lateral lines connected to the city sewer mains "shall be the responsibility of the owner/user".
Santa Barbara
In short: In Santa Barbara the building sewer lateral is the owner's responsibility all the way to the public sewer, including the fitting that joins it to the main. Section 14.46.020(A) of the City's code provides that "An Owner is responsible, at the Owner's cost, for all preventative and corrective maintenance activities for the building sewer lateral serving the Owner's premises, up to and including the sewer lateral connection to the public sewer, including periodic video inspection, testing, cleaning, repair and replacement."
The owner’s side: The building sewer lateral, which section 14.46.010 defines as the pipes and facilities connecting a premises to a public sewer, "including that portion extending into the public street or right-of-way and the point of connection to the public sewer", and the sewer lateral connection: "That portion of the Building Sewer Lateral that connects to the public sewer main, commonly using a tee, wye, or saddle."
Santa Clarita
In short: Santa Clarita's sewer law is Los Angeles County's: the City "adopted ... by reference, as a sanitary sewer and industrial waste ordinance of the City of Santa Clarita ... Los Angeles County Code, Title 20, Utilities, Division 2". That code puts the length under the street on you. "All house laterals ... and appurtenances thereto ... shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition" - and a house lateral, as County Code section 20.20.130 defines it, is the piping in the street running from your property line to the main.
The owner’s side: The whole run to the main, including the part under the road. Los Angeles County Code section 20.24.080, adopted as Santa Clarita's own ordinance, provides that "all house laterals, industrial connection sewers, septic tank outlet connections to STEP system, and appurtenances thereto existing as of January 23, 1953, or thereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition, and all devices or safeguards which are required by this Division 2 for the operation thereof shall be maintained in good working order". County Code section 20.20.130 defines a house lateral as the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way, from the property or sewer right-of-way line to its connection with the main-line sewer - so that sentence is about the street length, not the garden. The pipe across your own land is governed by the plumbing code and is yours in the ordinary way.
Santa Cruz
In short: Santa Cruz puts the whole lateral and its connection on the owner, and says the street length is included. Section 16.08.060 provides that "The property owner shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and proper operation of the building sanitary sewer (sanitary sewer lateral) and/or private sanitary sewer collection system that connects the building(s) to the public sanitary sewer, including the connection, regardless of whether any part of the building sanitary sewer or private sanitary sewer collection system is located on private property or within the public right-of-way."
The owner’s side: The building sanitary sewer from the building to the public sewer, the connection included, on the lot and under the street. The same section adds that "The city shall have no responsibility or obligation for the maintenance, repair, or proper operation of such building sanitary sewer".
Santa Fe Springs
In short: Santa Fe Springs' municipal code says nothing about who maintains a sewer lateral, and the City's sewers are operated and maintained by Los Angeles County. The City's sewer maintenance page says "The County's Sewer Maintenance Division manages and maintains public sewer systems to keep wastewater flowing safely and prevent blockages or overflows." Los Angeles County Public Works, which runs the Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District that Santa Fe Springs belongs to, puts the whole lateral on the owner: "The private property owner is responsible for the entire length of the lateral, which includes that portion that may be located within the public right of way (under the asphalt and street landscaping)." This answer is the published statement of the agency that operates the City's sewers, not a City ordinance.
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, from the building to the main sewer line, including the run under the street. Public Works says that within the District "the sewer laterals are entirely owned by the private property owner they serve" and that "Homeowners are required to maintain the sewer line (also known as lateral) from their home to the main sewer line, typically located in the street or nearby easement." The City's 2025 Sewer System Management Plan, written with Public Works, says the same: "Private service laterals are the responsibility of the property owner and must be maintained by the property owner." Nothing read says who maintains the joint where the lateral meets the main.
Santa Maria
In short: Santa Maria names the wye twice, which is unusual and settles the argument most codes leave open. Section 8-12.304 provides that "Side sewers, including lateral sewers and wyes, shall be constructed and maintained by the owner of the property served at no expense to the City". The definition in section 8-12.104 then fixes both ends of that run rather than one: a side sewer "begins at the point of connection to the main sewer, including the wye, and terminates at the point of connection to the building drain five feet outside the foundation line or building wall".
The owner’s side: The whole run, and the fitting at the far end of it. The City's code splits the pipe into two named halves and then assigns both to the owner: a "lateral sewer" is "that portion of the side sewer which is within the public right-of-way", and a "house sewer" or "building sewer" is "that portion of the side sewer from the lateral sewer to its connection to the building drain". Both are parts of the side sewer, and section 8-12.304 puts side sewers on the owner without distinguishing between them. The naming is worth knowing when you ring the City or read a quotation, because a contractor may call the same pipe by either name.
Santa Monica
In short: The owner keeps the pipe from the property to the main, and in Santa Monica the code's own term for it names the part in the road: a "house connection sewer" is the pipe "constructed in a street, alley, walk or other public place or in a sewer easement". The City puts it plainly on its permit page - owners are responsible "from their property to the City's sewer main in the City street or alley".
The owner’s side: The connection from the property to the main. The City states that "property owners are responsible for a sewer connection (lateral) from their property to the City's sewer main in the City street or alley", and section 7.04.640 provides that all house connection sewers "and appurtenances thereto, now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition". Note the code's definition of the term: a house connection sewer is the pipe "constructed in a street, alley, walk or other public place or in a sewer easement granted to the City and connecting ... any lot or part of a lot with any public sewer".
Santa Paula
In short: Santa Paula puts the whole lateral on the owner, the fitting on the main included, and says it is the owner's property too. Section 51.053 provides that "All lateral building sewers including that portion within public right-of-way and connections, including the wye or saddle at the sewer main, are owned by and maintained at the expense of the property owner."
The owner’s side: The lateral building sewer from the building to the main - the length under the street and the wye or saddle where it joins the main included - owned as well as maintained.
Santa Rosa
In short: The entire sewer service lateral is the user's - "from, upon, within, and under user's premises and property and to the City sewer", cleanouts and backwater valves included. But Santa Rosa adds a clause: the City "may, in its sole discretion and at City expense, elect to perform occasional repairs" on the stretch between the main and the back of the curb or sidewalk. Discretion, not a duty - so ring the City before you ring a contractor.
The owner’s side: The entire lateral, and the fittings in it. Section 15-04.035(B)(2) states that the "user shall maintain, operate, and repair, at user's own expense and after obtaining all required permits, the entire sewer service lateral, cleanouts, backwater valves and backflow overflow devices from, upon, within, and under user's premises and property and to the City sewer", and must keep it "clear, unobstructed ... free of all breaks, leaks and obstructions, including, but not limited to, roots, rocks, dirt, and grease". The code's definition puts the same boundary on it: a sewer service lateral "means that portion of the sewer system which connects the user's premises to the City sewer".
Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District
In short: The property owner maintains, repairs and replaces the whole lateral, running from two feet outside the foundation wall to the public main and including the connection.
The owner’s side: The District states that "it shall be the responsibility of the property owner to perform all required maintenance, repairs and replacement of the private sewer lateral, including backwater valves", and defines that lateral as the piping "from two feet outside the outer foundation wall of the structure to the first encountered publicly owned sewer pipe, including the connection" - so the run beneath the street and the connection at the main are the owner's. Where a lateral serves more than one home, the District places the duty on the homeowners' association or other body responsible for the commonly owned property.
Scotts Valley
In short: Scotts Valley makes the lateral the owner's property and the owner's to maintain. Section 13.04.255 provides that "Sewer laterals shall belong to the property owner", and that "The property owner shall maintain all sewer laterals and appurtenances for his/her premises, and be responsible for any blockages therein."
The owner’s side: The sewer lateral and its appurtenances, blockages included. The code defines the lateral as "that length of sewer conveying wastewater from the premises of a user to the sanitary sewer system"; the City maintains "all city sanitary sewer mains and appurtenances within public easements or on public property."
Seal Beach
In short: Seal Beach puts the whole sewer lateral on the owner, from the building to the City's sewer in the street. Section 9.30.010 provides that "Each sewer service lateral from the building to the collector sewer shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition by the owner of the property served."
The owner’s side: The sewer service lateral from the building to the collector sewer, which section 9.30.010 defines as "a pipe that carries sewage from the plumbing system of buildings to a collector sewer located in the public right-of-way and that has no other sewer tributary" - so the length under the street is the owner's too.
Seaside
In short: In Seaside the sewer lateral is the property owner's to maintain as far as the main, whichever of the city's two sewer collectors serves the property. The City's own code does not say who maintains a lateral. Seaside County Sanitation District, which runs the collection system serving the city, says on its page that "the lateral line that connects the individual home or business to the main line is the responsibility of the property owner". Marina Coast Water District, which collects in the former Fort Ord, provides in its code that "Side sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby."
The owner’s side: The lateral from the building to the main. Seaside County Sanitation District's code divides it into a house sewer, "a sewer line beginning two feet outside the foundation of any building and running to the property line", and a lateral sewer, "that portion of a sewer between a building and collecting main which lies within a public street", and the District's Sewer System Management Plan puts all of it on the owner: "Sewer laterals are owned, operated and maintained by individual property owners from the wye connection at the sewer main, back to each building." Marina Coast Water District's code defines the side sewer as "the sewer line beginning two feet outside the foundation wall of any building and terminating at the main sewer and includes the building sewer and lateral sewer together".
Seaside County Sanitation District
In short: In Sand City the whole lateral, from the building to the District's main, is the owner's. Seaside County Sanitation District, which owns and maintains the collection system in the city, says on its page that "The district maintains the sewer main line through jetting and chemical cleaning. However, the lateral line that connects the individual home or business to the main line is the responsibility of the property owner."
The owner’s side: The lateral from the wye at the main back to the building. The District's code names its two parts: the house sewer, "a sewer line beginning two feet outside the foundation of any building and running to the property line", and the lateral sewer, "that portion of a sewer between a building and collecting main which lies within a public street". The District's Sewer System Management Plan says the same: "Sewer laterals are owned, operated and maintained by individual property owners from the wye connection at the sewer main, back to each building."
Shasta Lake
In short: Shasta Lake puts the building sewer on the owner all the way to the main. Section 13.16.470 provides that "Building sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby to the point of connection with the sewer main."
The owner’s side: The building sewer, which section 13.16.060 defines as "a sewer conveying materials from the premises of a user to a community sewer", up to its point of connection with the main.
Sierra Madre
In short: Sierra Madre puts the whole house connection on the owner, out to the main. Section 13.12.230 provides that "All house sewer connections, soil pipes and appurtenances thereto between the main-line sewer and the building or structure being served, now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition".
The owner’s side: The house connection sewer between the building and the main-line sewer, which section 13.12.020 defines as the piping "beginning twenty-four inches from the exterior wall of the building or structure and extending to its connection with the main-line sewer".
Signal Hill
In short: Signal Hill writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 13.06.010 of its municipal code adopts Division 2 of Title 20 of the Los Angeles County Code, "as adopted, amended and in effect on July 27, 1989", as the Sanitary Sewer and Industrial Waste Code of the city. Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road, and the City's own answer to the question is short: "Sewer laterals are the responsibility of the property owner."
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Simi Valley
In short: The whole run is yours, building to main - "the owner is responsible for all costs, maintenance and repair of the sewer lines in the facility or building and the sewer lateral line that connects the property to the public sewer" - and Simi Valley adds a sentence most codes leave out: "it is a violation of this chapter if the owner does not maintain these systems in proper working order." A neglected lateral is not only a bill here; the code names it a breach, and the chapter's enforcement article declares any violation of it a public nuisance.
The owner’s side: Everything, from the fixtures to the City's sewer. Section 6-13.507 makes the owner "responsible for all costs, maintenance and repair of the sewer lines in the facility or building and the sewer lateral line that connects the property to the public sewer". The chapter's defined public sewer is the publicly controlled main, so that is where the owner's length ends. There is no defined lateral and no part of the run carved back to the City.
Solana Beach
In short: Solana Beach puts the whole lateral on the owner, from the main to the house. Section 14.04.100 provides that "The property owner serviced by a sewer lateral shall be responsible for cleaning, maintaining and repairing the sewer lateral between the sewer main and the lateral connection to the structure."
The owner’s side: Cleaning, maintaining and repairing the sewer lateral between the main and the structure, "at the property owner's sole expense and only after the required permits have been issued."
St. Helena
In short: St. Helena puts the private lateral on the owner under the street as well, stopping just short of the fitting in the main. Section 13.20.075 provides that "Each property owner shall maintain, repair, and replace their private sewer lateral up to but excluding the connection fitting installed in the public sewer."
The owner’s side: The private sewer lateral, "including any portions that may lie within the public right-of-way", which the owner must inspect, keep in good working order, repair and replace. "The private sewer laterals are the property of the property owner and are not part of the public sewer service system."
Stanton
In short: Stanton puts the whole sewer lateral on the owner, up to and including its junction with the main. Section 13.04.030 provides that "All sewer laterals shall be maintained by the owner of the property being served by such laterals in a safe and sanitary condition so that there is no seepage of waste at any point up to and including the junction of the sewer lateral and the sewer main".
The owner’s side: The sewer lateral from the building to the main, including the junction with the main, kept free of seepage and "free from stoppage and obstruction". The City's share is the main: "It shall be the responsibility of the city to keep the sewer mains free and clear for the even flow of sewage."
Stege Sanitary District
In short: The property owner is responsible for the entire lateral, up to and including the connection at the sewer main.
The owner’s side: The District states that "in the Stege Sanitary District, the property owner is responsible for the entire sanitary sewer lateral up to and including the connection at the sanitary sewer main", and separately that "it is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain the sewer lateral". The owner's share therefore runs through the joint where the lateral meets the main, rather than stopping at the property line or a cleanout. The District's ordinance says the same and then says what "maintain" actually means, which the web page does not. Section 4.4.7 provides that "it shall be the responsibility of the property owner to perform all" maintenance, repairs and replacements needed to keep the lateral in the condition section 4.4.7.1 sets out - and that condition is specific: "The Lateral shall be kept free from roots, grease deposits, and other solids, which may impede the flow or obstruct the flow", "All joints shall be watertight and all pipes shall be sound", and "The Lateral shall be free of any structural defects, such as fractures, cracks, breaks, openings or missing portions". A lateral that merely drains is not necessarily one that complies. And the far end is fixed by the ordinance's own definition: a Lateral runs to the Main Sewer "including the connection to the Main Sewer".
Taft
In short: Taft puts the house connection on the property owner, from the building sewer to the City's sewer in the street. Section 3-3-3 of the municipal code provides: "All portions of house connections and building connections between the connection to the building sewer system and the City lateral sewer, collecting sewer or mainline sewer shall be maintained by the owner of said connection." Section 3-3-1 defines the house connection as "The sewer connecting the building sewer or building waste drainage system to the public sewer", and adds: "Maintenance of any house or building connection shall be the responsibility of the owner of the building served by such connection."
The owner’s side: The whole house connection, the part under the street included, from the building sewer to the City's public sewer it joins. In Taft's code the "lateral sewer or collecting sewer" is not the pipe from a house: section 3-3-1 defines it as "The public sewer, usually used to collect wastewater from house connections and industrial connection sewers". The code does not say whether the fitting on the public sewer is the owner's or the City's.
Tehachapi
In short: In Tehachapi the whole sewer lateral, from the building to its connection with the City's main, is the parcel owner's to maintain, repair and replace. Section 8.44.020(C) of the City's code provides that "The maintenance, repair and replacement of the lateral shall be the sole responsibility of the parcel owner at the parcel owner's sole cost and expense except as otherwise described herein." The exception is the paving: where the work opens the street, the City pays to replace what is removed.
The owner’s side: The lateral, which the same subsection defines as "the piping from the exterior wall of any building which extends to its connection to a sewer main line by which the wastewater from the building is discharged into the city's sewer system". Every cost of maintaining, repairing or replacing it, including the cleanout at the property line, is the owner's.
Temple City
In short: Temple City writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 6-2A-0 of its municipal code adopts "the Los Angeles County code, title 20, utilities, division 2, sanitary sewers and industrial waste as amended" as the City's sanitary sewer and industrial waste ordinance; the City re-enacted that sentence in Ordinance 95-782, adopted on 3 October 1995. Inside the adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Thousand Oaks
In short: Thousand Oaks draws its line at the main and says so in one sentence. Section 10-1.407 of the municipal code provides that "the installation, maintenance, repair or replacement of service laterals and other facilities beyond the City's public main shall be solely the complete responsibility of the property owner or property owners association", and that "the City's responsibility shall cease at the public main". The code splits the run in two for naming purposes - a "building lateral" is "the pipe on private property connecting a building with the service lateral on public property at the property line", and a "service lateral" is "the pipe designed or intended to convey wastewater from the building lateral to the public wastewater pipeline" - and then puts both of them on the owner.
The owner’s side: Both halves of the run, which is the point of the two definitions. Section 10-1.407 reaches "service laterals and other facilities beyond the City's public main" and makes them "solely the complete responsibility of the property owner", and section 10-1.907 repeats it where a reader is most likely to look: "in the event there is a blockage in the lateral, no adjustment in billing will be made. It shall be the property owner's responsibility to maintain his own system." The City's own Sewer System Management Plan says the same about its own practice - it "does not own, operate nor maintain any portion of the service laterals connecting to the City's sewer system mainlines".
Torrance
In short: The owner keeps the lateral from twelve inches outside the building to the main, and the City says the joint is theirs too: owners are responsible for their lateral "including the connection to the public sewer main". Torrance then splits the permit at the property line, so a repair that crosses it needs two.
The owner’s side: The lateral and the fitting at the main. The City states that "property owners are responsible for maintaining and repairing their sewer lateral, including the connection to the public sewer main", and lists what that covers as "the entire pipe on private property" and "the connection point to the City sewer". The code supplies the extent: a house connection sewer is "that part of the horizontal piping beginning twelve (12) inches from the exterior wall of the building and extending to its connection with the public sewer".
Tulare
In short: Tulare puts the whole building sewer - the pipe from your house to the public sewer - on the owner. Section 7.20.410 provides that "Maintenance of the building sewer shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property served", and section 7.20.020 defines the house sewer or building sewer as "The extension from the house drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal".
The owner’s side: The building sewer from the house to the public sewer, the length under the street included - the same code treats the sewer lateral as the building sewer, and section 7.20.360 regulates "the building sewer within the public right-of-way".
Ukiah
In short: In Ukiah the owner keeps the whole sewer lateral, from the building to the main sewer, including the length under the street. The City Code defines the sewer lateral as "The sewer line beginning at the foundation wall of any building and terminating at the main sewer and shall include the building lateral and street lateral together", and section 3799.4 provides: "It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to repair and/or replace any sewer lateral which has been found through testing and/or inspection to exhibit conditions which would permit infiltration to enter the sewer system." Section 3704.8 adds: "Side sewers shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby."
The owner’s side: The building lateral on the lot and the street lateral, which the code defines as "The portion of a sewer lateral lying within a public street connecting a building lateral to the main sewer." A lateral that fails its test must be repaired or replaced and retested within the times the code sets; if the owner does not finish the repair in time, the City may do it and add a surcharge to the property's utility account until the cost is recovered.
Union Sanitary District
In short: The property owner is responsible for the whole lateral, including the run beneath the pavement and the road, up to the point it joins the public main. The District's ordinance goes further than its web page and says the building sewer is owned by the property owner, not merely their responsibility. On a private street or driveway the sewer main itself can be private too, in which case somebody other than the District maintains that as well.
The owner’s side: The District states that "in accordance with District Ordinance No. 34, it is the property owner's responsibility to maintain and repair their own sewer lateral from the house up to the point of connection with the public sanitary sewer main", and spells out what that covers: "both the portion on private property and the portion located beneath the sidewalk and street up to the point where the lateral connects to the public main". The District maintains the public mains themselves - "over 839 miles of pipelines which are generally located within public streets or easements dedicated for District use" - and nothing of the lateral. Ordinance 34.08, which that page cites, states the position in stronger terms than the page does: the building sewer serving a property is owned by the property owner, who is responsible for constructing, maintaining, repairing and replacing it, including the lateral sewer - the ordinance's name for the length from the property line out to the main. It also requires owners to keep that pipe in a condition that prevents overflows and spills, and treats a building sewer found not to be properly maintained as a public nuisance, abated under the District's separate Sewer Use Ordinance. That ordinance is worth knowing about before anything goes wrong. Its section 7.01 declares a discharge in breach of the regulations a public nuisance to be corrected or abated as the Manager directs, and 7.02 says what it costs: where a discharge from a private sewer lateral creates or threatens a public nuisance the District has to abate, the District may recover the cost of its time and materials from the property owner, together with interest and attorneys' fees, under the Health and Safety Code section that collects such sums on the property tax roll. So the bill for a spill from your lateral is not capped at the clean-up.
Upland
In short: In Upland the owner keeps the whole lateral, including the fitting that joins it to the City's main under the street. Section 13.32.130 of the municipal code defines the sewer lateral as "a privately maintained sewer line, including the connection, wye or tee within the public street or right-of-way connecting any parcel, lot or part of a lot to a main line sewer". The City's public works page says the same in plain terms: "Pursuant to the Upland Municipal Code residences and businesses are responsible for the maintenance of the private sewer lateral serving the lot to the sewer main line."
The owner’s side: The run from the building to the City's main and the connection itself - the wye or tee on the main. The City's side is the main: under the same section a sewer "means sanitary sewer mains, including appurtenances such as manholes and cleanouts", and "does not include residential commercial, and industrial laterals and connections to the community sewer system". The City's page puts it the same way round: "The Public Works Department is responsible for the maintenance of the City sewer collection main lines."
Vacaville
In short: Vacaville rewrote its lateral rules in 2026 and states the whole answer in one subsection, fitting included. Section 13.08.110(B)(1) puts the entire lateral, from the building connection up to and including the wye or other tie-in at the main, on the owner - it "shall fall within the owner's responsibility for installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement". The same subsection adds that "Any work within the public right-of-way shall require a city encroachment permit".
The owner’s side: The whole run and the junction with the main. Section 13.08.110(B)(2) makes "Each property owner" responsible for "maintenance and repair of their private sewer lateral" in a safe and sanitary condition, and lists what that means: laterals "shall be free of displaced joints, breaks, offsets, structural defects, damage, open joints, missing portions of pipe, root intrusion, cracks, leaks", and "shall be equipped with cleanouts".
Ventura
In short: The lateral is the owner's property, not just the owner's expense, and the code says so twice: private sewer laterals "are the property of the property owner and are not part of the public sewer", and nothing in the chapter may be read "as changing the private nature of the private sewer laterals". The definition runs from the building to the public sewer "and includes the wye or saddle at the public sewer".
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, the fitting at the main included, and the code gives the owner title as well as the duty. Section 22.250.020 defines a private sewer lateral as "the privately owned sanitary sewer piping or line connecting the building or other structure to the public sewer, and includes the wye or saddle at the public sewer". Section 22.250.040 requires each property owner to "inspect, maintain in good working order, repair and replace, as necessary, the private sewer lateral" at their own expense, and states that private sewer laterals "are the property of the property owner and are not part of the public sewer".
Ventura County Waterworks District No. 1
In short: In Moorpark the owner keeps the whole side sewer, the fitting at the main included. Ventura County Waterworks District No. 1's rules provide that "The owner shall be responsible for maintaining the side sewer from the building connection to the public sewer line connection", and that "All connections, including the wye or saddle at the sewer main and lateral, shall be maintained at the expense of the property owner."
The owner’s side: The side sewer - "the sewer line which begins at the foundation wall of a building and terminates at the main sewer" - including the house lateral under the street, which the rules define as "The portion of a privately owned sewer within a public way or easement which connects a building sewer to the main sewer", and the wye or saddle at the main.
Villa Park
In short: In Villa Park the whole lateral, from the building to the main, is the owner's to maintain. Section 18-6 of the City's code provides that "A lateral sewer from its connection to a building on the property to its point of connection with the main sewer shall remain the responsibility of the property owner or user with regard to maintenance, repair and upkeep."
The owner’s side: The lateral sewer - "a connecting line between the main sewer and any property lying adjacent to or abutting said main sewer" - including the part under the street, for maintenance, repair and upkeep.
Visalia
In short: 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 owner’s side: 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.
Walnut
In short: Walnut writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 5.04.010 of its municipal code adopts as the City's sanitary sewer ordinance "Division 2 of Title 20 of the Los Angeles County Code as contained in Ordinance No. 90-0067, as amended, and in full force and effect on May 24, 1990". Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a house lateral as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". Los Angeles County Public Works, which looks after Walnut's sewers through its Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District, says the same of the whole district: "The private property owner is responsible for the entire length of the lateral".
The owner’s side: The whole lateral, from the building to the main, the run under the street included. Section 20.24.080 of the adopted County text assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. County Public Works adds that the owner's length "includes that portion that may be located within the public right of way (under the asphalt and street landscaping)". The adopted text does not say who keeps the joint where the lateral meets the main.
Wasco
In short: 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 owner’s side: 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."
Watsonville
In short: Watsonville puts the whole lateral on the owner, owned as well as maintained. Section 6-3.508(a) provides that "Sanitary sewer laterals shall be owned, repaired, maintained, and/or replaced by the owner(s) of each property served, at such owner's sole expense", and section 6-3.100 defines the sanitary sewer lateral as "that portion of any sanitary sewer beginning at the plumbing or drainage outlet of any building and extending to the POTW".
The owner’s side: The lateral from the building to the public sewer, the length under the street included - the City can repair that length itself and send the bill: section 6-3.508 reserves the right "to complete the required lateral repairs within the City's right-of-way and charge the property owner for the cost of said repairs" where an owner fails to comply.
Weed
In short: Weed puts the house connection on the owner all the way to the public sewer. Section 14.08.180 provides that "The individual owner (or owners) of a premises is (and are) directly responsible for the costs of construction, maintenance, repairs and replacement of the individual house connection sewer or industrial connection sewer to the lateral sewer, collecting sewer or main line sewer."
The owner’s side: The house connection sewer, up to the City's lateral, collecting or main line sewer. "Each dwelling unit shall be connected individually to the city's lateral sewer, collecting sewer or main line sewer."
West Bay Sanitary District
In short: The property owner owns the whole side sewer, from the building to the District's main - though the District may clear a blockage in the part under the road where the property has a conforming cleanout.
The owner’s side: The District states that "all side sewers, from the connection at the District Public Sewer to the property served, are the property of, solely owned by, and the sole responsibility of, the Property Owner". Separately, and without changing that, it states it "may provide side sewer clearance, between the public sewer and the property line cleanout of properties which have a Conforming Property Line Cleanout Assembly" - so clearing a blockage in the run under the road may be the District's, while the pipe and any repair to it remain the owner's.
West County Wastewater District
In short: In San Pablo the whole lateral is the owner's, through the connection at the main. West County Wastewater District's code provides that "It is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain their building sewer in good condition in its entirety from the building served through the wye or point of connection with the public sewer, regardless of whether said building sewer is located in a public street, alley, easement or other location on or off of owner's property."
The owner’s side: The building sewer or sewer lateral, which "includes the wye or point of connection with the public sewer" and runs to two feet outside the building wall. The District's customer page: "Customers are responsible for the internal plumbing and sewer lateral up to the point of connection with the public sewer main, including the portion under the sidewalk and street."
West Covina
In short: The whole run from the main to your building is yours to maintain, with one exception that West Covina writes into the ordinance rather than onto a department's web page. Where the city verifies that damage or blockage between the main and the street right-of-way "occurred due to a city authorized and owned tree, the city will assume the cost of repairs for that portion". Beyond the right-of-way line, towards your house, "the owner of the property served is responsible for the total cost of the repairs for that other portion".
The owner’s side: Everything between the City's main and the building. Section 23-114 requires that "all house sewer connections, industrial connection sewers and appurtenances thereto between the mainline public sanitary sewer and the facility being served, now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and that the devices and safeguards the article requires "shall be maintained in good working order by the owner of the property served".
West Hollywood
In short: West Hollywood writes no sewer ownership rule of its own and borrows the County's. Section 15.04.010 of its municipal code adopts "Title 20, Utilities, Division 2, Sanitary Sewers and Industrial Waste, of the Los Angeles County Code as amended and in effect on January 2, 1990" as the City's Sanitary Sewer and Industrial Waste Ordinance. Inside that adopted division, section 20.24.080 provides that all house laterals "shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition", and section 20.20.130 defines a "house lateral" as "that part of the sewer piping within the street or right-of-way which extends from the property or sewer right-of-way line to a construction with the main-line sewer". The length the City's ordinance puts on the owner is the length under the road.
The owner’s side: The run under the street, named as such. Section 20.24.080 assigns house laterals to "the owner of the property served", and section 20.20.130 places that lateral within the street or right-of-way, from the property line to the main-line sewer. Section 20.20.220 defines the main-line sewer independently - one "in which changes in alignment and grade occur only at manholes", adding that such sewers "are generally eight inches or more in diameter" - so the owner's length ends where that pipe begins.
Wheatland
In short: In Wheatland the side lateral from the building to the main is the customer's to maintain, and the City looks after the mains. Section 13.12.100 of the City's code provides that "The maintenance and upkeep of all side laterals from the customer's building to the main shall be the responsibility of the customer."
The owner’s side: All of the side lateral, from the customer's building to the main. Section 13.12.090(B) adds that house sewer lines, "including their connection to subtrunk sewers or sewer laterals, shall not be considered city property or become a part of the city sewer system, and their maintenance and repair shall not be the responsibility of the city."
Whittier
In short: Whittier writes the boundary into the definition rather than leaving it to be inferred, and the definition reaches the fitting. Section 13.32.050 provides that "All house sewers and appurtenances thereto, now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition". A house sewer "means and includes a private sewer or a private sewer lateral", and that in turn is "a privately owned sewer which conveys sewage from a building to the public sewer, including all pipes, fittings, and appurtenances, from the outer face of the building served to the connection into the public sewer main, including the connection itself".
The owner’s side: The entire run and the connection at the end of it, with both ends fixed by the code rather than described. The near end is "the outer face of the building served" - not a point inside the house and not a measured distance from it. The far end is the connection into the public sewer main, "including the connection itself", so a failure at the junction is the owner's. The definition also names what travels with the pipe: "all pipes, fittings, and appurtenances".
Yreka
In short: In Yreka the property owner maintains the whole sewer lateral to the City's main, including the connection to it. Section 12.16.035(d)(1) of the City's code provides that "The property owner at property owner's expense shall maintain all sewer laterals and private sewers", and names among them "the connection to a city sanitary sewer main".
The owner’s side: Every private sewer lateral, which section 12.16.035(c)(14) defines as the pipes and appurtenances carrying wastewater "from the structure(s) served, whether the structure(s) is or are publicly or privately owned, to the sewer main", together with the building drain, building cleanout, sidewalk cleanout frame and cover, backflow protection and the connection to the main. The owner clears obstructions immediately and must "perform any repair or replacement necessary to ensure the private sewer laterals or private sewers meet those standards and requirements." The City's grease control chapter says the same: "Sewer laterals between the buildings and the connection to the public sewer are owned and maintained by the property owner served by the lateral."
Yuba City
In short: Yuba City puts the whole lateral on the owner and spells out the part people assume is public. Section 6-5.206 provides that "The entire sewer service lateral from the building connection to and including the wye connection to the sewer main shall be the owner's responsibility to install, properly maintain, and repair", and that this "includes both the portion on private property and the portion located beneath the sidewalk and street or any other public right-of-way or easement areas".
The owner’s side: Everything from the building to the main, the wye included, owned as well as maintained. The same section provides that every lateral connecting a user to a City-owned main "shall be owned, maintained, and repaired by the owner of the property being served, from and including the lateral's connection point at the City sewer main to the building or other point of use on the property".
What this does not cover
- This covers only the authorities whose ordinance states an answer. Of 364 municipalities checked in CA, most say nothing about who owns which part - so they are absent here rather than listed as owner-responsible.
- Silence is not an answer, and is not reported as one. Where an ordinance does not say, assume the whole lateral is yours - that is the common case, and it is the assumption that costs least if it turns out to be wrong.
- Terms are quoted from each authority's own ordinance on the date it was checked. Ownership changes: districts take over lower laterals and occasionally hand them back. Confirm with the authority before relying on any of it.
The question this page does not answer is what you must do when you sell or remodel, which differs again and by a different set of lines. See the requirements side by side, or who helps pay for the repair.