Sewer Lateral Information and Forms

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Sewer Lateral Ordinance

In order to protect the environment and local waterways from bacteria-laden human waste coming from undetected sewer leaks or sanitary sewer spills, the City Council adopted changes to the Sanitary Sewer System Ordinance on June 26, 2018.

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

Part 1: Sewer Spills (Sewer Overflows): 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.

Part 2: Private Sewer System Inspection and Cleaning: Private sanitary sewer collection systems and pumps (at apartment buildings, homeowner associations and businesses) must pass inspection every 10 years and undergo regular cleaning.

Part 3: Time of Sale (Sale of Property): Prior to the sale of a property, the property owner must have the sewer lateral inspected by an authorized inspector, make any needed repairs, and submit an inspection form to verify compliance.

Sewer lateral ordinance figure2

Chapter 16.08 Sewer System Ordinance Text

Sewer Lateral Ordinance FAQ

Sewer Lateral Rebate Application

Part 1: Sewer Spills

If a sewer overflow originating at your property occurs, you are required to determine the cause of the spill and take remedial action to prevent future spills. Failure to address the spill can result in fines and civil penalties.

How to respond to a sewer spill overflow:

List of City-certified Inspectors for Sewer Lateral Inspections

Sanitary Sewer Overflows Inspection Form

Rebate Application

To report a sewer spill in Santa Cruz city limits call the Environmental Compliance Department at 831-420-6050. During non-business hours, please call 911 to report spills or illegal dumping.

Part 2: Private Sewer System Inspection

private and public sewer

Do I have a Shared Sewer System big text

16.08.060 Private sanitary sewer maintenance and repair

16.08.064 Inspection and cleaning of private sanitary sewer systems

List of City-certified Inspectors for Shared System Inspections

Declaration of Exemption Form

Cleaning and inspection frequency for private systems

# of sewer laterals	Required frequency
# of sewer laterals	Cleaning	Inspection
< 10	5 years	10 years
≥ 10	2 years	10 years