FAQs About Laterals

A sewer lateral, or side-sewer, is a privately-owned sewer pipeline connecting private property, such as a home or business, to the publicly-owned main sewer line, typically located in the middle of the street. It is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain and repair the lateral.

As private laterals age, just as sewer mains do, they can develop leaks, become clogged by fats, oils and grease, and become cracked by roots. This situation leads to sewage spills and overflows, threatening public health and the environment. Defective sewer laterals affect us all.

Property owners are responsible for maintaining the entire length of the sewer lateral, including the portion that runs under the street.

Yes. During wet weather, stormwater enters through cracks and breaks, allowing massive amounts of stormwater to enter the public sewer system, causing additional spills and overloading the wastewater treatment process. The result increases the threat to public health, requires costly upgrades to the public system, and has, at times, contaminated San Francisco Bay and its tributaries.

Lateral lines can be costly to fix and lead to backups and spills. Before purchasing any property, we recommend that you have the lateral lines inspected by a licensed plumber.

Realizing the importance of properly maintained sewer laterals, local wastewater agencies are working together to develop the most cost effective strategies and programs for inspecting and then repairing or replacing laterals.

The results of lateral programs are lower overall costs for wastewater agencies and their customers, enhanced home and commercial building values, and a cleaner community and Bay environment.

Yes, the public agencies involved with this program are seeking the cooperation of community members and customers to minimize and eventually eliminate local contamination from seepage, leaks and spills resulting from improperly maintained sewer laterals. Working together, wastewater agencies and the community can create a "greener" North Bay watershed.

Wastewater agencies throughout the region and state are investing tens of millions of dollars to upgrade public sewer pipelines and treatment plants to achieve a zero-tolerance for sewage spills, overflows and other problems that pose a hazard to public health and the environment.

Because sewer lateral repairs can be costly in some instances, the agencies encourage property owners to deal only with licensed plumbers who are qualified to make the inspections and repairs, they recommend that you obtain multiple quotes because prices vary greatly. If property owners have questions about lateral inspections and repairs, or need advice on how to proceed, they may contact their local wastewater agency for assistance.

Inspections should generally cost about $300.00. Repairs are normally about $100.00 a foot. Of course, costs vary depending on circumstances. As an importance maintenance step, sewer later repairs enhance the value of private property. In the long term, the expense is well worth it, as it would be for roof or other structural repairs.

The simple answer is not to put anything down the drain or in the toilet that could cause problems. This includes: fats, oils and grease, medications, wipes and hazardous liquids. Fats, oils and grease clog sewer lines, and medications and hazardous liquids pose challenges for the sewage treatment process. Also, never connect any storm drain to a sewer lateral. This would greatly increase the flow in the sewer system during wet weather and could lead to spills, overflows and other problems.