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Who pays for the sewer lateral in Tacoma, WA

Which part of the pipe is yours

your buildingproperty linesidewalkstreetmain
The thick length is yours.

If something’s wrong

Who to call first about the sewer lateral

Sewer Transmission (253) 591-5585

When to call: sewage backing up inside the home when no water is being used

What happens: City Transmission crews inspect the sewer system in the area, perform any necessary maintenance, and notify the owner of the results

Hours, after-hours and sources
Tacoma: official site(opens in a new tab)

If a repair needs a permit or an inspection

  • Before work on the pipe · Permit

    Who issues it:
    City of Tacoma - a side sewer permit
    What it covers:
    repairing, rehabilitating, replacing or constructing a private side sewer

    Tacoma Municipal Code section 12.08B.150 provides that "All work necessary to repair, rehabilitate, replace, or construct new private side sewers shall be performed pursuant to a permit issued by the City and in accordance with the standards set forth in the Side Sewer and Sanitary Sewer Availability Manual."

The repair rule in full, with its sources

Buying or selling?

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

Who is responsible for which part

Who to call first

Sewer Transmission

When to call: sewage backing up inside the home when no water is being used

(253) 591-5585

Answered: 24 hours

What happens: City Transmission crews inspect the sewer system in the area, perform any necessary maintenance, and notify the owner of the results

Source 1Source 2

In Tacoma the property owner is responsible for the whole side sewer, from the building to its connection with the City's sewer, including the part under the street or alley. Section 12.08B.530(C) of the Tacoma Municipal Code provides that "Property owners are solely responsible for the construction, maintenance, operations, repairs, or replacement of the private side sewer and any surface reconstruction requirements when performing said repairs."

The property owner
The private side sewer. Section 12.08B.050 defines it as the pipe "owned by the property owner that extends from approximately two feet outside of a building or structure to the connection at the POTW", and adds that "In most circumstances, a portion of the private side sewer/side sewer extends into public streets or alleys connecting to the public sewer main."

What else is worth knowing

The dividing point is the public sewer main: the owner's side sewer runs to its connection with the City's system, under the street where the main is in the street. Section 12.08B.150 requires a City permit for all work to repair, rehabilitate, replace or construct a private side sewer. Before a sale or transfer of a property with a side sewer, the real estate professionals give the buyer and seller the City's side sewer educational flyer (section 12.08B.530(B)).

Sources

Tacoma Municipal Code section 12.08B.530

Also quoted:

Checked

What the rules say

Most relevant if you are repairing or replacing the pipe

  • Before work on the pipePermit
    Who issues it:
    City of Tacoma - a side sewer permit
    What it covers:
    repairing, rehabilitating, replacing or constructing a private side sewer

    Tacoma Municipal Code section 12.08B.150 provides that "All work necessary to repair, rehabilitate, replace, or construct new private side sewers shall be performed pursuant to a permit issued by the City and in accordance with the standards set forth in the Side Sewer and Sanitary Sewer Availability Manual."

    What to do: Before repairing, rehabilitating or replacing a side sewer, get a side sewer permit from the City of Tacoma and follow the City's Side Sewer and Sanitary Sewer Availability Manual.

    Why this matters

    The owner is solely responsible for the whole side sewer, including the part under the street, so a repair anywhere on it needs this permit.

    In force since · Checked

    Tacoma Municipal Code section 12.08B.150

    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
Tacoma (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 7 nearest cities draw the line somewhere else. Each authority publishes only its own rule.

  • Tacoma(this page)
    the main
  • Fifeabout 5 mi
    the main
  • Edgewoodabout 8 mi
    the property line (conditions apply; see that page)
  • Kentabout 15 mi
    the main, including the connection fitting on the main (conditions apply; see that page)
  • DuPontabout 13 mi
    the main
  • Auburnabout 12 mi
    the property line (conditions apply; see that page)
  • Sumnerabout 11 mi
    the property line
  • Enumclawabout 22 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 Tacoma

Nearby cities and further reading

Look up a specific address

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

Search for an address