Sewer Laterals
A private sewer lateral connects the interior plumbing of a home to the public sewer system. The property owner is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the sewer lateral in the same way that you would replace your furnace or roof if they were damaged or broken. The private lateral extends to the edge of the right-of-way, and property owners are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the entire lateral, including the connection to the public sewer system.
Gwinnett County standards require a sewer cleanout on the lateral at the right-of-way. This cleanout is a pipe that provides access to the section of the pipe between the sewer lateral and the sewer main. The cleanout should have a plastic cap and may come all the way to the ground surface or may be covered by a plastic box that is set level with the ground. There may be two sewer cleanouts or more on a sewer lateral: one located at the right-of-way which will be the responsibility of the County to maintain, and one set closer to the home which is part of the private sewer lateral and the responsibility of the homeowner. These cleanouts allow the line to be inspected or cleared of any blockages.
Taking Care of Your Lateral
- Locate your lateral cleanout and make sure the cap is in good condition.
- Consider having your private lateral inspected by a licensed plumber.
- Repair or replace damaged laterals and cleanouts when needed.
- Don’t plant trees or shrubs with deep roots close to your private lateral.
- Consider adding an upper lateral rider to your homeowners insurance policy.
- Install a sanitary backwater device if your lowest plumbing fixture is below grade of an upstream manhole.
- If you are buying a house, consider adding a lateral inspection to the home inspection.
Backwater Devices
If your lowest plumbing fixture, such as a basement toilet or sink, is four feet or more below the next upstream manhole, Georgia plumbing code requires that you have a sanitary backwater valve between your home and the public sewer. These valves are often placed on your lateral but may be inside the home. This is not a new requirement in the state, but if your home is older, you may want to check if it has one installed. Maintenance of the valve is the responsibility of the homeowner.
If the public sewer experiences an increase in flow and sewage backs up at the upstream manhole, the backwater device closes and stops the sewage from leaving the main and entering your home. If the plumbing code requires your property to have a backwater valve, and it is not present, the County would not be responsible for any damages to your home resulting from a sewage backup in the main. See the graphic at the bottom of this page to get a better idea of whether or not your home needs a backwater valve.
Stormwater and Laterals
Gwinnett County has a separate stormwater system to manage run-off generated during wet weather, but these storms also impact the sewer collection system. Stormwater that enters the sewer system is called inflow and infiltration, or I/I. This I/I reduces the amount of space that is left in the pipes to handle the flow of sewage and increases the costs of sewage treatment.
Inflow occurs when rain flows rapidly into the pipes through an opening in the system or an improper connection. For instance, a manhole lid which is left off the manhole, or a roof drain connected to the sewer lateral would be sources of inflow. Infiltration is water that seeps into the sewer system slowly through cracks in the pipe, leaking joints, or other such small defects. National studies have shown that damaged laterals significantly contribute to the I/I problem and that more than 80 percent of I/I in a sewer system comes from faulty laterals. Aging infrastructure is another key factor in I/I, and DWR regularly inspects the sewer mains to identify these sources of I/I so that they can be repaired or the pipe can be replaced.
DWR uses special cameras mounted on long poles, cameras mounted on remote control vehicles, and smoke testing to find areas in the collections system where there are I/I issues. If a defect is identified on your property from one of these tests, DWR will notify you so that you can address the issue and help us preserve and protect this important infrastructure.
Taking Care of Your Lateral
- Locate your lateral cleanout and make sure the cap is in good condition.
- Consider having your private lateral inspected by a licensed plumber.
- Repair or replace damaged laterals and cleanouts when needed.
- Don’t plant trees or shrubs with deep roots close to your private lateral.
- Consider adding an upper lateral rider to your homeowners insurance policy.
- Install a sanitary backwater device if your lowest plumbing fixture is below grade of an upstream manhole.
- If you are buying a house, consider adding a lateral inspection to the home inspection.
