The City of Livermore owns, maintains, and repairs all 300 miles of public sewer mains within city limits. These sewer mains are located underneath city streets and easements.

Every building has a separate pipe called a sewer lateral that connects to the sewer main. The property owner is responsible for maintaining, repairing, and replacing their sewer lateral from the building to the point of connection to the sewer main.

What do I do if my property has a sewer backup?

If your home's toilets, tubs, and other drains are draining slowly or have stopped, your property may be experiencing a sewer backup.

Often it is not obvious whether the problem area is in the sewer lateral or the sewer main. Because of this, the City of Livermore recommends calling its Water Resources Division before calling a plumber.

Water Resources staff will come out to inspect the sewer main 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, at no cost to the property owner. If a problem is found within the sewer main, staff will fix it as soon as possible.

If Water Resources staff do not find any issues in the sewer main, the property owner will be informed that the blockage is likely within the sewer lateral. In this case, the property owner is responsible for maintenance and repair.

Livermore homeowners are encouraged to install permitted cleanouts

What is a cleanout?

A cleanout is a direct access point that plumbing professionals use to reach clogs and backups in a property’s sewer lateral. In Livermore, permitted cleanouts are located within 18 inches of the back of the sidewalk or within the landscape strip if the property has one.

Why should my property have a cleanout?

The City of Livermore encourages residents to install permitted one or two-way cleanouts to allow for easy access for sewer lateral maintenance and repairs.

To incentivize installing cleanouts, the City of Livermore launched its Sewer Lateral Program over twenty years ago. Through this program, City staff will clear any blockages found in the sewer lateral between the sewer main and the cleanout if the property is a single-family home with a permitted cleanout.

My property does not have a permitted cleanout. How do I install one?

Property owners or their plumbers can obtain a City of Livermore Plumbing Permit for cleanout installations through our online permit portal.

I need to repair or replace my sewer lateral. What do I do?

1. Obtain a Plumbing Permit through the City of Livermore online permitting portal. For questions related to plumbing permits or sewer lateral repairs, contact the City of Livermore Building Division at (925) 960-4410.
   
   
2. If the work requires removing or replacing sidewalks, curbs, gutters, streets, or any other City infrastructure, you will need to obtain an Encroachment Permit as well. Visit the City of Livermore Encroachment Permit webpage for more information. For questions related to encroachment permits, contact the City of Livermore Engineering Division at (925) 960-4500.
   
   
3. When digging to make sewer repairs, it is important to know where other utilities are located to avoid damaging them. Most utility companies belong to a locating service called Underground Service Alert (USA). Call USA at 811 48 hours before you dig. Utility companies will be notified and will mark the location of their utility lines free of charge.

How do I keep my sewer lateral in good condition?

Visit our Prevent Sewer Issues webpage to learn how you can prevent clogs and extend the life of your sewer lateral pipe.

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