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Sewer Lateral Repair
City of Racine Sewer Lateral Repair Program
The City of Racine, not the Wastewater Utility has responsibility for sanitary sewer laterals which fail within the street right-of-way or city easement. Failures refer to structuralRelating to or forming part of the structure of a building or other item. defectsAn imperfection or abnormality that impairs quality, function, or utility such as a crushed lateralOf, at, toward, or from the side or sides. or severely offset joints, but do not include the cleaning or unclogging of the lateralOf, at, toward, or from the side or sides. due to roots, deposits or foreign materials. The City will pay for the reasonable cost of investigating the problem, but will not pay for previous cleanings, damage to the building or to its contents.
Residents fund this service through a charge listed on their property tax bill as the “Sanitary Sewer Maintenance Fee,” which is outlined in the City of Racine’s official fee schedule.
If you suspect a problem with your sanitary sewer lateralOf, at, toward, or from the side or sides., the first step is to hire a licensed plumbing contractor. If the contractor determines the issue is a structuralRelating to or forming part of the structure of a building or other item. defect located beyond your property line—in the public right-of-way or on a City easement—they should contact the City Engineer’s Office at 262-636-9121.
If the City confirms the problem is structuralRelating to or forming part of the structure of a building or other item. and located within their responsibility area, they will repair it at no cost to the property owner. If your plumber uses a push camera, it may help support your case by providing video evidence for the City Engineering Department.
If the City disagrees with the plumber’s assessment, the property owner must either provide additional proof or cover the cost of repairs themselves. However, if it’s later proven that the defect was in the public right-of-way, the City will reimburseRepay (a person who has spent or lost money). the cost of both the investigation and the necessary repairs.
Note: Any issues found on private property remain the responsibility of the property owner and must be paid for out-of-pocket.
Sewer Lateral FAQ
In the past, the property owner was responsible for any and all repairs to the sanitary sewer lateral which connects their home with the sanitary sewer in the street. If a problem were to occur within the street, homeowners, on average, would be facing a $12,000.00 repair bill. This proved to be a severe hardship to many of these homeowners.
Beginning January 1, 2008, the City of Racine took over responsibility for structural failures of the lateral within the street right-of-way.
The homeowner is still responsible for the cleaning, removal of roots or deposits which may result in reduced flow or blockage of the lateral.
First and foremost, the property owner is no longer at risk of an unexpected major repair cost due to the failure of the sewer lateral which is located in the street right-of-way or city easement. Secondly, the City will proactively repair or replace suspect laterals in conjunction with major street projects. And, finally, the City will make repairs or replace the mainline sewer as its condition warrants.
The first step is to hire a plumbing contractor. The plumbing contractor will investigate the problem. If the plumbing contractor believes that a structural failure exists, and that it is located beyond the property line, they should contact the City Engineer’s office at 262-636-9121.
If the City concurs that the problem is caused by a structural defect within the street right-of-way or city easement, then the City will make the needed repairs AT NO COST to the property owner.
More than 50% of the homes in the City of Racine are older than 75 years. The average life of a sewer lateral is 100 years. Therefore, if nothing changed, we predict a significant increase in lateral failures over the next 25 years.
If the problem is found not to be your property, the City will pay the reasonable cost to investigate and repair the problem. However, the City will not reimburse the cost of previous cleanings of the line or any damages caused to the building or its contents.
