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Who pays for the sewer lateral in Mercer Island, 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

  • Before work on the pipe · Permit

    Who issues it:
    City of Mercer Island
    What it covers:
    any construction of a side sewer or any modification of an existing side sewer

    Mercer Island City Code section 15.06.040(A) provides that "Applicant must obtain all necessary and required permit approvals prior to commencing any construction of a side sewer or any modification of any existing side sewer."

The repair rule in full, with its sources

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

Who to call first about the sewer lateral

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

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

Who is responsible for which part

On Mercer Island the property owner owns and maintains the side sewer up to the fitting on the City's main. Section 15.06.050(B) of the Mercer Island City Code provides that "Property owners shall be responsible for the development, maintenance, and repairs of side sewers and their appurtenances", and that this "includes the pipe system up to, but not including, manufactured tees/wyes, or mechanical connections to the public main."

The property owner
The side sewer, "a private pipe and related appurtenances extending from the sewer main to the connection with a building", whether in a public or private place, up to but not including the tee, wye or mechanical connection at the main. Section 15.06.100 provides that "Owners of private sewer systems, side sewers, and backwater valves are solely responsible for maintenance and operation of such."

What else is worth knowing

The dividing point is the fitting at the City's main, which is not the owner's. An easement, maintenance agreement or other legal document can provide otherwise. Side sewer work in a right-of-way or public sewer easement must be done by a licensed side sewer contractor. About 99% of Mercer Island's land is inside the City's sewer service area as King County maps it. Check the name on your sewer bill.

Sources

Mercer Island City Code section 15.06.050, Ownership (Ord. 14C-03, 2014)

Also quoted:

Checked

What is required

  • Before work on the pipePermit
    Who issues it:
    City of Mercer Island
    What it covers:
    any construction of a side sewer or any modification of an existing side sewer

    Mercer Island City Code section 15.06.040(A) provides that "Applicant must obtain all necessary and required permit approvals prior to commencing any construction of a side sewer or any modification of any existing side sewer."

    What to do: Before building or modifying a side sewer, get the required permit approvals from the City of Mercer Island; work in a right-of-way or public sewer easement must be done by a licensed side sewer contractor.

    Why this matters

    The owner maintains and repairs the whole side sewer up to the fitting at the main, so work on it is the owner's, and it needs the City's permits first.

    Current wording dates from · Checked

    Mercer Island City Code section 15.06.040, Permits (Ord. 14C-03, 2014)

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
Mercer Island (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

4 of the 8 nearest cities draw the line somewhere else. Each authority publishes only its own rule.

  • Mercer Island(this page)
    the main
  • Bellevueabout 4 mi
    the property line (conditions apply; see that page)
  • Seattleabout 7 mi
    the main
  • Kirklandabout 9 mi
    the main (conditions apply; see that page)
  • Kentabout 12 mi
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main (conditions apply; see that page)
  • Shorelineabout 14 mi
    the property line (conditions apply; see that page)
  • Auburnabout 18 mi
    the property line (conditions apply; see that page)
  • Snoqualmieabout 18 mi
    the main
  • Enumclawabout 28 mi
    the main

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

Nearby cities and further reading

Look up a specific address

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

Search for an address