Who Is Responsible for the Sewer Line: You or the City?
In Fort Collins, Loveland and nearby towns, the owner usually maintains the sewer line up to the main. Town-by-town rules, backups and permits.
Usually you are. In Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor and Berthoud, the property owner is responsible for the sewer service line (the lateral) from the house all the way to the public main, while the city or town maintains the main itself. In Fort Collins that includes the stretch of your line under the street, and sanitation districts and other towns set their own rules.
Call (970) 999-1365 for a camera inspection that shows where the problem is and whose side it is on.
Call nowThe general rule: you own the lateral, the city owns the main
Two pipes matter when you are working out who pays:
- The building sewer, or lateral, is the private line that carries everything from your house to the public sewer. It usually includes the cleanout and the connection at the main.
- The main is the public pipe, usually under the street or in an easement, that collects waste from many homes and carries it to the treatment plant.
Across much of the US, the owner maintains the lateral and the city or district maintains the main. The split point varies: some cities take care of the part of the lateral in the public right of way and leave the owner responsible only up to the property line or curb. Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor and Berthoud leave the whole lateral with the owner.
A note on wording: many people call their lateral the “main sewer line” because it is the main drain for the house. When a utility talks about “the main”, it means the public pipe in the street.
Who is responsible for sewer lines in Northern Colorado?
| Area | Main | Service line | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins | Fort Collins Utilities | Owner, from the home to the city main in the street, including resulting damage | Report backups to 970-221-6700 |
| Loveland | Loveland Water and Power | Customer, up to the main | Joint sewer service agreement form for shared lines |
| Windsor | Town of Windsor | Homeowner, up to the connection with the town main | Service providers must notify the town of sewer work; Public Works 970-674-2400 |
| Berthoud | Town (mains, manholes and regional lift stations) | Owner, including the attachment to the main | Ordinance 708 |
| Boxelder Sanitation District | The district | Confirm with the district | Serves portions of Fort Collins, Windsor, Severance, Timnath and unincorporated Larimer and Weld counties |
| Wellington | Town of Wellington | Owner, under town construction standards about 11 years old | Confirm with Wellington Public Works |
| Johnstown | Town of Johnstown (Sanitary Sewer Utility Enterprise) | Code section 13-3 covers owner obligations | Confirm with the town |
| Unincorporated areas | Often none, because many homes use septic | Owner, for a private septic system | Some areas are on a sanitation district |
Your sewer bill shows who serves your address, and that provider’s rules are the ones that apply. Not every Fort Collins address is on the city system: the Boxelder Sanitation District, formed in 1965, maintains about 100 miles of sewer line across its service area, and the South Fort Collins Sanitation District serves parts of south Fort Collins.
Fort Collins. Fort Collins Utilities makes the owner responsible for maintaining and repairing the service line from the home to the city main, plus any damage it causes. If a blockage is between the house and the main, the owner pays for cleanup and repair, including street or driveway damage. If it is in the city main, the city clears it and pays for janitorial cleanup of the affected area. More on local rules: sewer and water line repair in Fort Collins.
Loveland. Loveland Water and Power maintains the sewer mains, and customers are responsible for the connection up to the main. See sewer line repair in Loveland.
Unincorporated Larimer County. Outside town limits, many homes use a septic system, and a private system, from the house line to the tank and drain field, is typically the owner’s to maintain. Some rural addresses are on a sanitation district instead. See unincorporated Larimer County.
When is the city responsible for sewer lines?
The city, town or district is responsible for the public main and its own structures, such as manholes and lift stations. So the city fixes sewer lines when:
- The main is blocked or broken. In Fort Collins, the city clears a blocked main and pays for janitorial cleanup of the affected area.
- Public structures fail, such as a manhole or a lift station. Berthoud’s ordinance names its mains, manholes and regional lift stations as town responsibilities.
In Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor and Berthoud, the city or town does not repair your lateral, even where it runs under the street.
Who is responsible for the sewer line under the street?
In Fort Collins, the owner. The service line runs from the house to the city main in the street, and the owner is responsible for all of it, including street or driveway damage when the blockage is between the house and the main. Loveland, Windsor and Berthoud also run the owner’s responsibility up to the main.
If you moved here from a city that maintains the part under the street, this can come as a surprise. It also affects cost: a repair near the main may mean opening the street, which typically adds right-of-way approval, traffic control and pavement patching.
Is the city responsible for a sewer backup?
Only when the blockage is in the city’s main. That is why your first call during a backup goes to the utility:
- Stop using water so the backup does not get worse.
- Call the utility. In Fort Collins, call Fort Collins Utilities at 970-221-6700. In Windsor, call Public Works at 970-674-2400. In Loveland, call Loveland Water and Power. Elsewhere, call your town or district.
- If the main is clear, the blockage is in your line. Call us at (970) 999-1365; active sewage backups are scheduled first.
If several neighbors back up at once, the main is the likely cause. Our sewer backup page covers cleanup and documentation, and our guide to homeowners insurance and sewer lines explains what a water backup endorsement may cover.
The water line splits at the curb stop
Water service lines follow a similar pattern, but the dividing point is the curb stop, the shutoff valve between the water main and the house.
- Fort Collins: Utilities maintains the main to the curb stop, the curb stop itself and the meter. The owner is responsible for the service line from the curb stop to the house, any damage it causes and the plumbing inside. Only Utilities staff may operate the curb stop, so repairs are scheduled around the city’s shutoff. Utilities also has an online lookup that shows whether a galvanized service line is on record for your address.
- Loveland: the municipal code makes the owner responsible for the water service line from the curb stop into the building.
Old galvanized steel lines corrode from the inside, and polybutylene, common from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, is another material worth checking for. See water line repair for repair and replacement options.
Street cuts, permits and 811
A City of Fort Collins plumbing permit costs $65 plus sales tax on the project valuation. Clearing a stoppage or stopping a leak is exempt, but replacing concealed pipe is new work that needs a permit, and homeowners doing their own work file a homeowner affidavit. Work that opens the street typically needs separate city approval as well.
Every dig starts with a call to 811 so buried gas, electric and water lines are marked first. We pull the permits, request the 811 locates and schedule the inspections. If the camera shows your line needs more than cleaning, our sewer line replacement page explains the options, from a spot repair to trenchless methods.
Shared sewer lines
Some older homes share one lateral with a neighbor before it reaches the main. When the shared section fails, responsibility usually depends on any agreement or easement on record. Loveland Water and Power has a joint sewer service agreement form for shared lines, so Loveland owners should check whether one is on file before work starts. A camera inspection shows where the damage sits, which helps both owners settle who pays.
Once you know the problem is on your side, our page on sewer line repair in Fort Collins explains how we find and fix it.
Sewer line responsibility FAQ
Who is responsible for sewer line repair, the homeowner or the city?
In Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor and Berthoud, the homeowner is responsible for the service line from the house to the main, and the city or town maintains the main. Sanitation districts and other towns set their own rules.
Who is responsible for the sewer line under the street?
In Fort Collins, the owner. The service line runs to the city main in the street, and the owner pays for street or driveway damage when the blockage is between the house and the main.
Does the city fix sewer lines?
The city fixes its own mains, manholes and lift stations. The service line from your house to the main is usually yours to repair.
Is the city responsible for a sewer backup?
Only when the blockage is in the city’s main. In Fort Collins, the city then clears it and pays for janitorial cleanup of the affected area, so call 970-221-6700 first to have the main checked.
Who is responsible for the main sewer line?
The public main in the street is maintained by the city, town or sanitation district. The line many people call their main sewer line, from the house to that public main, is usually the owner’s.
Who pays to fix a shared sewer line?
It usually depends on the agreement or easement on record. In Loveland, check for a joint sewer service agreement; Loveland Water and Power has a form for these.
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Read guideSewer or water line trouble?
Call for a camera inspection that shows where the problem is.
Camera inspection first, written and itemized quotes, and trenchless options where they fit.
Sewer and water line repair for Fort Collins, Loveland and Larimer County. Camera inspection first, written and itemized quotes, licensed sewer technicians.
Call (970) 999-1365