Sewer Lateral Resources OFFLINE PAGE
Lateral Presentation
Lateral Presentation Updated Slides 09/13/2019
Lateral Work in Public Right-of-Way
Did you know that any time work needs to be performed on laterals in the public-right-of-way, the work must be completed by a contractor cleared by the Sanitation District to work under the blanket encroachment permit? C-36 contractor licenses are no longer allowed to conduct any work in the right-of-way per the licensing board. C-34, C-42, or Class A licenses are required.
Contractors wishing to be added to the County list shall contact staff and provide the requested information prior to acceptance.
Residents, did you know?
- 1. You own your lateral from where it connects to the public sewer main, all the way to your building.
Code Reference Table
- 2. Videos of your lateral are required in the following instances:
- Escrow
- Additions/remodels*/ADU connections
- New Building
- When there are more than 2 overflows within a 12-month period.
* A remodel in this case is any remodel increasing the amount of fixture units from the previously permitted amount.
* Videos must be in MP4, MPG or MWV format with file size limit of 5 GB.
Lateral Inspection Report Form Lateral Inspection Additional Observation Log
- 3. You are responsible for maintaining and repairing your lateral. This includes:
- Cleaning (i.e. removing grease, sediments, roots)
- Fixing leaks, cracks, inflow or infiltration of extraneous water,
root intrusion, open joints, excessive sags, breaks, and blockages.
- Installing backflow devices
- Inspection to assure proper operation
- 4. If a sanitary sewer overflow occurs, the cost of material and labor for stopping the overflows shall be paid by the property owner.
- 5. How to obtain a sanitary sewer lateral permit:
- If you are in one of Santa Cruz County's service areas, then you will obtain your sewer lateral permit at 701 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, 4th floor Room 410. Ask for sanitation assistance at the Public Works front desk.
Once you obtain your permit, you will need a final inspection by a County Inspector. To schedule an inspection please call the Hotline (831) 454-2895 and leave a message. Your call will be returned within 24 hours.
Lateral Flow Chart
Septic Tank Abandonment
- Contact the Sanitation Department to determine if sewer is available for your property (Sewer Service Availability Form).
- Contact Environmental Health at (831) 454-2022 (http://scceh.com/) to obtain an application for a sewer disposal permit.
- Payment verification of septic abandonment fee will be requested prior to issuing a sewer connection permit.
- Inspection of lateral construction/connection by a Sanitation Inspector will be required prior to backfilling the lateral trench along with payment of all fees associated with the sewer lateral connection permit.
- $3,000.00 connection fee includes 18 Fixture Units (all
districts except Freedom), additional units have a rate of
$165 per unit.
- $4,000 connection fee includes 18 Fixture Units (Freedom
District), additional units have a rate of $200 per unit.
Please see the plumbing code for information on fixture units. Connection Fee Calculator
By paying your sewer service charges, you are paying for maintenance and improvement of your public sewer system and for proper treatment of wastewater before it is released to the ocean. Anything you put down the household drain must make its way through a series of pipes and pumps to the treatment plant and then out to the ocean outfall. Take proper care to ensure that what you put down your drain won’t result in additional maintenance costs, sanitary sewer spills, or even significant reconstruction costs for damages.