Who pays for the sewer lateral in San Antonio, TX
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours from your property line to your building — if certain conditions are met
Why, and what to doYours from the meter to your building
Why, and what to do
If something’s wrong
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
The answer here has conditions, so it is not repeated in brief. Read who to call first, in full or look up your address.
San Antonio: official site(opens in a new tab)If a repair needs a permit or an inspection
- Who issues it:
- San Antonio Water System (SAWS) - a connection/adjustment permit
- What it covers:
- connecting a wastewater lateral to SAWS' wastewater system
SAWS Utility Service Regulations section 12.2 provides that "Prior to connecting a wastewater lateral to SAWS' wastewater system, a SAWS authorized contractor under contract to the customer must obtain a connection/adjustment permit from SAWS." It adds that "SAWS must inspect all wastewater laterals from the wastewater main to the property line after they are installed but before they are backfilled."
Buying or selling?
No rule on file here is specific to selling or buying; that does not mean none exists.
Planning work?
The remodelling rule in full, with its sourcesWho is responsible for which part
Who to call first
Call a plumber first.
Call SAWS if you need to report the back-up so that SAWS can inspect its sewer main: 210-704-7297
San Antonio Water System (SAWS), the City's water and sewer utility, keeps the sewer lateral from the main to the property line; the owner has the rest. Section 8.6 of the SAWS Utility Service Regulations provides that "SAWS will maintain, repair and replace the wastewater laterals from the wastewater main to the property line or wastewater easement line."
- San Antonio
- The wastewater lateral from the main to the property line, or to the wastewater easement line where the main runs in an easement.
- The property owner
- Section 8.6 makes the customer responsible for installation, maintenance, repair and replacement of any on-site infrastructure extending from the property line or wastewater easement line throughout the remainder of the customer's property, in accordance with the current plumbing code.
What decides which applies
Sources
San Antonio Water System Utility Service Regulations (May 23, 2024), section 8.6What the rules say
Most relevant if you are repairing or replacing the pipe
- Who issues it:
- San Antonio Water System (SAWS) - a connection/adjustment permit
- What it covers:
- connecting a wastewater lateral to SAWS' wastewater system
SAWS Utility Service Regulations section 12.2 provides that "Prior to connecting a wastewater lateral to SAWS' wastewater system, a SAWS authorized contractor under contract to the customer must obtain a connection/adjustment permit from SAWS." It adds that "SAWS must inspect all wastewater laterals from the wastewater main to the property line after they are installed but before they are backfilled."
What to do: Before work that connects or reconnects a lateral to the SAWS sewer, hire a SAWS authorized contractor to obtain the connection/adjustment permit, and plan for SAWS's inspection before the trench is backfilled. SAWS maintains the lateral from the main to the property line, so ask SAWS before paying for work on that part, and ask the City of San Antonio what it requires for the line on your property.
SAWS Utility Service Regulations (2024), section 12.2Why this matters
Connecting a wastewater lateral to the SAWS system needs a SAWS connection/adjustment permit, obtained by a SAWS authorized contractor hired by the customer, and SAWS inspects the lateral from the main to the property line before it is backfilled. The section speaks of connecting a lateral; it does not say in terms whether repairing an existing lateral without a new connection needs this permit. For the private line from the property line to the building it points to the City of San Antonio, which inspects that part, and to the City's plumbing and building codes.
What this page cannot tell you
- No assistance or grant programme has been reviewed for this jurisdiction yet.
- No sewer service territory has been mapped for this area, so BelowGrid cannot say who serves an individual address.
Who governs and serves this area
- Jurisdiction
- San Antonio (municipality)
- Sewer service
- No map of sewer providers is held here. BelowGrid cannot say which sewer provider serves an individual address.
Your other pipe: the water service line
The drinking water line coming into your property is a separate pipe, run by a separate authority, and who is responsible for it is decided separately. Your sewer lateral is yours to the property line; your water line stops being yours at the meter.
Who owns the water service line in San AntonioNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in San Antonio in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
Search for an address