A property owner's sewer pipes are called service laterals and are connected to larger local main and regional trunk lines. Service laterals run from the connection at the home to the connection with the public sewer (including the area under the street). These laterals are the responsibility of the property owner and must be maintained by the property owner.





Many sewer system failures are attributable to the following:
• Years of wear and tear on system equipment such as check valves, and other
moveable parts that can lead to mechanical or electrical failure;
• Freeze/thaw cycles, ground moisture, and subsurface instability that can result in
pipe movement, warping, brittleness, misalignment, and breakage; and
• Deterioration of pipes and joints due to exposure to saltwater or other corrosive
substances.
• Structure problems caused by tree roots in the lines, broken/cracked pipes,
missing or broken clean out caps, or undersized sewers can cause blockages.
• Infiltration and inflow (I/I) impacts pipe capacity and is caused when groundwater
or rainwater enters the sewer system through pipe defects and illegal connections.
• Systems that are not routinely cleaned and repaired experience more frequent
clogged and collapsed lines due to root growth and accumulation of debris,
sediment, oil and grease.
• The # 1 cause of sewage spills is grease buildup in the sewer system.

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