What Is A Lateral Sewer Line?
What Is A Lateral Sewer Line?
A lateral sewer line is the pipe that connects a home’s plumbing to the municipal sanitary sewer line, usually located under the street in front of the house.
It typically consists of two primary elements: an upper and lower section, with the upper section running from where pipes leave the home to a cleanout at the sidewalk or property line. The lower section runs from the sidewalk’s curb cleanout to the public sewer main.
Private sewer laterals are responsible for maintenance by private property owners, and common problems include tree roots damaging them, blockages due to debris, and damage caused by overflowing toilets or sinks. If these issues occur, homeowners should contact their local city government for assistance.
Your home’s primary drainage system is usually referred to as the sewer lateral, main drain, sewer pipe, or main sewer line, among other names. If you need a plumber to examine it, they will understand regardless of how you refer to it.
The building’s sewer main is responsible for collecting wastewater from all branch lines and directing it to the public sewer. Essentially, your home, office, or any other building’s only means of transporting sewage to the city’s sewer is through the sewer main.
Who Is Responsible For The Sewer Lateral?
The property owner is responsible for maintaining the plumbing on their side of the right of way up to and including the sewer lateral while the City (Municipality) is responsible for any plumbing on their side of the right of way and must keep output in a good condition.
If anything goes wrong with the sewer lateral, it usually falls under one or both parties’ responsibility according to who owns what part of the right of way.
In some cases, both parties may have rights to either side, in which case both parties would share the costs associated with repairs.
How To Install A Lateral Sewer Line
Installing a lateral sewer line requires several steps. First, the length and elevation of each end of the pipe must be determined. Then, cleanout boxes should be installed at two-way intervals for connections greater than 20 feet or 100-foot intervals for longer sewers.
A minimum slope of 20/0 (1 4-inch drop per foot) is required, and the new lateral should be laid in a well-prepared trench with a minimum depth of 4 inches.
After that, it needs to be connected to the existing sewer main by making arrangements to connect your building to the branch at your property line if one has been established.
Finally, grease should be used to slip sections of drain pipe together before connecting them to the existing stub of cast iron sewer line outside of the house foundation wall.
What Is Upper Lateral Vs Lower Lateral?
Upper lateral and lower lateral are two types of sewers that transport wastewater from buildings to the main sewer line. The upper lateral extends from the building structure to the property line, while the lower lateral extends from the property line to the street.
In some cases, the mainline sewer is located under a street or an alley, or in an easement on private property.
Both upper and lower laterals must be constructed according to local standards set by government officials in order for them to be effective in disposing of wastewater.
