A side sewer connects a building to the main sewer line and can make up over 50% of the pipe in some systems. It can be compromised by blockages, tree roots, or corrosion. Some cities offer programs to help with repair costs due to the connection to neighborhood health. Liability can be tricky when multiple homes share the same side.
A side sewer is the underground pipe that connects a home or business to the sewer line. Generally, it is made of ductile iron that is at least 4 inches in diameter. Some local governments consider the entire connecting pipe to be the property of the homeowner or contractor.
In other places, a city or county will assume responsibility for the lateral sewer portion from the main line to the property line. Sewer laterals can make up more than 50 percent of the pipe in some systems. Unfortunately, the privately owned underground section of a lateral is often taken for granted until a problem arises that can’t be ignored, such as raw sewage flowing back into a dwelling.
Many things can compromise a sidekick. Foreign substances or objects such as grease or disposable diapers flushed down the toilet can sometimes create a blockage. Tree roots occasionally push through the side of a lateral. Or, over time, a very old sewer side pipe can simply corrode and crack.
Although local and state courts have generally ruled that public funds should not be used to repair private residences, sewer laterals are often exempt due to their direct connection to overall neighborhood health. Sewage or contaminated water escaping from a side sewer can often seep into the municipal aquifer, making it everyone’s problem. With that in mind, cities across the United States have started programs over the past 10 years to help with — or, in some cases, completely absorb — the cost of repairing defects or breaks in the side pipe.
Liability sometimes gets tricky, however, when multiple homes share the same side. Generally, the sewer side runs slightly downhill from the main line, allowing gravity to do most of the work. A Y-piece and standpipe hook up to the lateral near its origin to allow access to the larger pipe.
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