Possible Sonoma County rebates for sewer lateral repair

The proposed Sewer Lateral Ordinance would require property owners of homes and businesses that are 30 years or older to have private sewer laterals inspected and repaired, if necessary,|

The second of two community meetings presented by the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District will be held on Thursday, Oct. 27, to discuss a proposed ordinance aimed at preventing sewer overflows that occur during heavy rains – and saving the district the expense and ignomy of being fined.

As a result of a series of overflows between 2010 and 2014, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board fined the district $732,000 last year, and mandated the district to consider an ordinance that would result in sewer laterals being repaired or replaced.

The proposed Sewer Lateral Ordinance would require property owners of homes and businesses that are 30 years or older to have private sewer laterals inspected and repaired, if necessary, in order to prevent sewer overflows that contribute to pollution and result in costly fines to the district.

An estimated two-thirds of the sewer laterals in Sonoma Valley are at least 30 years old and likely in need of repair. Private building laterals are the pipes that lead from homes or businesses to the sewer main. Normally, the costs of replacing or repairing private building laterals are the responsibility of the property owner to a clean-out at their property line if available.

Private building laterals can be compromised by tree root intrusions, grease buildup, pipe cracks, and pipe sags. Inflow and infiltration are usually a result of leaky or deteriorating laterals and sewer main lines, which allow groundwater and stormwater to seep into pipes, increasing the amount of water flowing to the Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment.

The District may soon offer free inspections to property owners that will look for any defect that may cause water to infiltrate into the sewer lateral, and for a limited time rebates of up to $1,000 for repairs should become available if the county’s Sewer Lateral Ordinance passes. Details on these plans, and for a low-interest loan program that would allow qualified property owners to pay for repairs over a period of several years, are still being developed.

The meeting will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at the Sonoma Charter School, 17202 Sonoma Highway in Sonoma.

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