It’s the Law! You are Responsible for Your Sewer Line

Let the Pros at Duncan Plumbing Protect You from Fines and Help You Get up $1,400 in City Rebates

Home owner responsibility

Effective Aug. 1, 2018, property owners will be held to a strict timeline to address sewer spills and breaks, and fines could be levied against owners for noncompliance.

The City of Santa Cruz has passed a new city ordinance that places more regulations on privately owned sewer laterals. This especially involves real estate transactions.  The city is trying to protect buyers, keep the local environment clean, and hold homeowners responsible when deferred maintenance results in a sewage leak or spill.

The owner of a property with a sewer spill is responsible for stopping the spill immediately and will be subject to fines and penalties if inspections and repairs are not made in a timely manner.

One possible benefit of this program is that owners can apply for a city rebate of as much as $1,400 of repairs.

The changes to the Sanitary Sewer System Ordinance are three-fold:

1

The owner of a property with a sewer spill is responsible for stopping the spill immediately and will be subject to fines and penalties if inspections and repairs are not made in a timely manner.

2

Prior to the sale of a property, the property owner must have the sewer lateral inspected by a local plumber or authorized inspector, make any needed repairs, and submit an inspection form to verify compliance. The property is exempted from inspection for newer laterals or laterals that have passed inspection within the past five years.

3

Private sanitary sewer collection systems and pumps (at apartment buildings, homeowner associations, and businesses) must pass inspection every 10 years. Their pipelines must be cleaned every two to five years depending on size. Privately-owned pump stations must pass inspection every one to five years depending on size.

Contact Duncan Plumbing to order your sewer line inspection and ensure that your property complies with Santa Cruz’s ordinance.

(831) 476-1712