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Who pays for the sewer lateral in Bellingham, WA

Which part of the pipe is yours

your buildingproperty linesidewalkstreetmain
The thick length is yours.

If something’s wrong

If a repair needs a permit or an inspection

No rule on file here is specific to a repair; that does not mean none exists.

Buying or selling?

No rule on file here is specific to selling or buying; that does not mean none exists.

Planning work?

  • Before work on the pipe · Permit

    Who issues it:
    City of Bellingham Public Works Department - a permit authorising the premises to be connected to the sewer system
    What it covers:
    connecting premises to the City sewer system

    Bellingham Municipal Code section 15.12.040(B) provides that "Upon approval of the service application by the director of public works and upon such conditions as required by the director, the department of public works shall issue a permit authorizing the premises to be connected to the system."

The remodelling rule in full, with its sources

Who to call first about the sewer lateral

BelowGrid has no first-call guidance on file from Bellingham about the sewer lateral.

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

Who is responsible for which part

In Bellingham the property owner maintains the whole sewer service connection, including the part in the City right-of-way or utility easement, up to its connection with the City main. Section 15.12.060(E) of the Bellingham Municipal Code provides that "The property owner is responsible for the maintenance of the entire service connection, including that portion within the city right-of-way or utility easement."

The property owner
The entire sewer service connection. The same subsection provides that the City "shall not be liable for any damages or costs incurred by reason of blockage or deterioration of a sewer service, up to its connection with the city main."

What else is worth knowing

Nothing splits the service connection between the City and the owner; the dividing point is the City main. The connection to the City system must be made by a contractor licensed by the state and may not be covered until the Public Works Department has inspected and approved it. This answer applies where the City of Bellingham is your sewer utility; check the name on your sewer bill.

Sources

Bellingham Municipal Code section 15.12.060

Checked

What the rules say

Most relevant if you are remodelling or adding a unit

  • Before work on the pipePermit
    Who issues it:
    City of Bellingham Public Works Department - a permit authorising the premises to be connected to the sewer system
    What it covers:
    connecting premises to the City sewer system

    Bellingham Municipal Code section 15.12.040(B) provides that "Upon approval of the service application by the director of public works and upon such conditions as required by the director, the department of public works shall issue a permit authorizing the premises to be connected to the system."

    What to do: Before connecting a building to the City sewer, apply to the Bellingham Public Works Department on its form and use a state-licensed contractor for the connection.

    Why this matters

    The owner maintains the whole sewer service connection to the City main. A connection to the City system must be made by a state-licensed contractor, to the Uniform Plumbing Code and City engineering specifications, and may not be covered until the Public Works Department has inspected and approved it.

    Current wording dates from · Checked

    Bellingham Municipal Code section 15.12.040

    Also quoted:

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
Bellingham (municipality)
Sewer service
No map of sewer providers is held here. BelowGrid cannot say which sewer provider serves an individual address.

How this compares to neighbouring cities

The nearest city draws the line in the same place. Each authority publishes only its own rule.

  • Bellingham(this page)
    the main
  • Anacortesabout 20 mi
    the main

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

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

Who owns the water service line in Bellingham

Nearby cities and further reading

Look up a specific address

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

Search for an address