Sewer & Water Line Repair in LaPorte, CO
Sewer and water line repair in LaPorte, CO, where some homes are on Fort Collins sewer, others on septic, and most predate 1980.
- Camera inspection first
- Written, itemized quotes
- Licensed and insured
Photo: Walter Powers, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fort Collins Sewer Line Repair repairs and replaces sewer lines, including the pipe from a house to its septic tank, and water service lines in LaPorte, the unincorporated community on the Cache la Poudre River about 4 miles northwest of Fort Collins. LaPorte runs on two systems: parts of it are on Fort Collins Utilities sewer and 264 parcels still have county septic records, so the first question on any job is whether your house drains to a city main or a tank.
Call (970) 999-1365 for a camera inspection and a written quote in LaPorte.
Call nowLaPorte homes by the numbers
LaPorte, which the Census Bureau spells Laporte, is a census-designated place covering 6.1 square miles of land, with 1,771 residents and 962 housing units, on US 287 north of Fort Collins. Its homes are far older than those in Fort Collins, where the median dates from 1992:
- Median year built: 1977
- Built before 1980: 64% of homes
- Built in 2010 or later: essentially none (an estimate of zero, from a small sample)
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates.)
Is LaPorte on city sewer or septic?
Both, depending on the house. Fort Collins Utilities’ Design Criteria Manual says it provides wastewater service to parts of the community of Laporte. The state’s district map shows no sanitation district here, and 264 parcels inside the community have county septic records, out of 1,186 tax parcels that touch it.
A Fort Collins Utilities wastewater charge on your bill usually means sewer. If you are unsure, our technicians follow the line with a camera to a main or a tank. Our guide to septic vs. sewer in Larimer County compares the two.
| Fort Collins Utilities sewer | Septic system | |
|---|---|---|
| Your line ends at | The main in the street | Your septic tank |
| You maintain | The pipe from the house to the main | The whole private system |
| Drains backing up | Call Utilities first: 970-221-6700 | A full tank needs pumping; a blocked pipe is our job |
On Fort Collins sewer, Utilities says customers “own and maintain sewer service pipe between the house and the sewer main (located in the street).” A blockage in that pipe is the owner’s to clear and repair, including street or driveway damage, while one in the city main is the utility’s.
Who provides water in LaPorte?
The same manual says Fort Collins supplies water to parts of the community of Laporte. It also lists West Fort Collins Water District, at 2711 N Overland Trail in LaPorte, and LaPorte’s census reference point sits inside that district’s boundary. Your water source decides where your part starts:
- Fort Collins Utilities: you are responsible for the “water service line from the curb stop to the service address,” and only Utilities staff may operate the curb stop.
- West Fort Collins Water District: we confirm the district’s rule on where your part begins before we quote.
- A private well: the whole line from the well to the house is yours.
Water lines in homes of LaPorte’s age may be galvanized steel, which corrodes from the inside, or polybutylene, common from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s and known for cracking. Larimer County’s minimum frost depth is 30 inches, and a shallower line can freeze.
Shallow wells and the river: why leaks matter here
State records show 51 built domestic and household wells within a mile of LaPorte’s mapped center, with a median depth of just 22 feet, against 65 feet around Bellvue, 1.8 miles west. Wells that shallow draw on groundwater near the surface, and the Cache la Poudre River runs through the community. Wastewater escaping a cracked sewer pipe or septic line goes into that ground, so a known crack or root intrusion is worth fixing, not snaking every few months.
What the camera tends to find in older LaPorte lines
Many LaPorte homes may still have original pipe, whether it runs to a main or a tank:
- Vitrified clay: joints that let roots in.
- Cast iron: corrosion and scale that narrow the pipe.
- Orangeburg fiber pipe: commonly installed from the 1940s to the early 1970s; it flattens and can collapse.
- Bellies and offset joints: sections that settled or shifted.
The footage decides the fix: a spot repair for one bad joint, lining for cracked pipe that holds its shape, pipe bursting for a broken straight run, or excavation for a collapse or lost slope.
Permits and who to call in LaPorte
Septic permits go through the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE), as they do across unincorporated Larimer County. State and county laws require a permit before building or fixing a septic system. For a repair limited to the pipe from the house to the tank, we check with LCDHE whether one is needed.
We pull the permits, request the 811 locates and schedule the inspections, and our locator marks private lines that 811 usually does not. Every job is done by licensed sewer technicians and covered by liability insurance.
Buying a home in LaPorte
- On septic: Larimer County requires an inspection by a certified inspector, with the report sent to LCDHE before closing, unless the transfer is exempt. An Agreement to Repair allows repairs within 180 days after closing, and if the inspection flags the pipe to the tank, we quote that repair in writing.
- On Fort Collins sewer: book a sewer scope during your inspection period. A standard home inspection usually does not look inside the line, and with 64% of homes here built before 1980, yours may be clay, cast iron or fiber pipe.
Our services in LaPorte
See our main sewer line repair page for causes, repair methods and costs.
Other areas we serve
Nearby places we also cover:
LaPorte FAQ
Is my LaPorte home on city sewer or septic?
It could be either: Fort Collins Utilities serves parts of LaPorte, and 264 parcels there have county septic records. Your bill or a camera inspection settles it.
Who do I call first when sewage backs up in LaPorte?
On Fort Collins Utilities sewer, call its backup line at 970-221-6700 to check the main. If the main is flowing, or you are on septic and the tank is not due for pumping, call us.
Why does a cracked sewer line matter more in LaPorte?
Nearby wells have a median depth of just 22 feet, and the Poudre River runs through the community, so leaking wastewater is worth stopping promptly.
Could my LaPorte home have Orangeburg sewer pipe?
It could. Orangeburg fiber pipe was common from the 1940s to the early 1970s, and LaPorte’s median home dates from 1977. A camera inspection shows whether yours is fiber.
Sewer or water line trouble?
Call for sewer, septic line and water line work in LaPorte.
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