Who Is Responsible for the Sewer Line: The Homeowner or the Town?

The two parts of your sewer connection

• The sewer lateral: the private pipe carrying waste from your house toward the street.
• The sewer main: the public pipe under the street that collects waste from many properties.

Where the line of responsibility usually falls

Many towns make the owner responsible for the lateral up to the property line or curb; some make the owner responsible all the way to the connection at the main. Ordinances differ between towns in Union, Essex, Hudson, Bergen and the other counties, so the only reliable answer for your address is your municipal engineering or public works department, or your local sewerage authority.

How to tell whether the problem is yours or the town's

• If only your house is backing up, the blockage is usually in your lateral.
• If neighbors are also backing up, the public main may be the issue. Call your town's public works line.
• A camera inspection shows where the blockage or break is and how far from the house, which settles the question.

What to do next

1. Stop using water if sewage is backing up.
2. Call a drain and sewer company to clear your lateral and locate the problem. Our locate and mark service shows exactly where the line runs.
3. If the camera shows the problem is in the public main, share the recording with your town.

Frequently asked questions