Lateral Replacement Grant Program

ALL FUNDING FOR THE 2023/24 LRGP HAS NOW BEEN OBLIGATED.
YOU MAY EMAIL LRGP@CVSAN.ORG OR CALL (510) 606-1300 WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR TO INQUIRE ABOUT BEING PLACED ON THE WAITLIST. THANK YOU.

What is a Private Sewer Lateral?
Within the Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan), the private sewer lateral (lateral) is defined as the portion of the sewer system, beginning at the junction with the building plumbing system, usually located within two feet of the foundation wall of the building, and extending to and including the connection to the public sewer main. The lateral is the private property of the property owner who is, therefore, responsible for all costs relating to the installation, connection, maintenance, repair, construction, alteration, abandonment, or removal of the lateral.

These laterals are often a significant source of inflow and infiltration (I&I), which is when unwanted water enters the wastewater collection system, causing sanitary sewer overflows. The Lateral Replacement Grant Program (LRGP) is designed to help defray a portion of the costs when the property owner or their agent is required to replace the lateral, including the connection to the public sewer main.

$75,000 AUTHORIZED for the 2023/24 Fiscal Year (FY)
CVSan has allocated funds to renew LRGP through fiscal year (FY) 2023/24 commencing Monday, August 14, 2023, at 7:30 a.m.  Please contact CVSan at (510) 606-1300 for additional information.

Notice: All work for the LRGP must be performed by a CVSan qualified contractor.

IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS – Before beginning ANY construction work:

• The property owner must submit a completed application with price quotations from at least three CVSan qualified contractors via email to LRGP@cvsan.org on or after Monday, August 14, 2023 at 7:30 a.m. Your application will be placed in a queue in the order in which it is received. A CVSan staff member will call you in your queue order to schedule a video inspection.
• A recorded video inspection must be performed by a CVSan qualified contractor and witnessed by CVSan personnel.
• A Letter of Approval must be issued by CVSan to the property owner.

Warning: If the above requirements are not met prior to commencement of construction work, no funds will be obligated to the property owner.

Amount of Grant
The maximum amount of assistance for any one residential lateral replacement or repair is 50% of the lowest  bid received by a CVSan qualified contractor up to a maximum reimbursement of $2,000. Only a replacement of more than 50% of the lateral, which completely eliminates I&I, is eligible for the program. Not all applications will be granted. All applications are subject to a Condition Rating by CVSan.

The property owner is responsible for notifying the CVSan qualified contractor they select that their entire lateral must pass CVSan inspection requirements (even if only a partial replacement was performed) in order to be eligible for reimbursement. Grant payments will be made to the property owner(s).

Application
The property owner(s) will submit a Lateral Replacement Grant Program application via email to LRGP@cvsan.org, prior to commencement of work. The application will be reviewed by CVSan staff, and the determination of eligibility will be made by the designated representative whose decision will be final.

Grant funds are available for FY 2023/24 starting Monday, August 14, 2023 at 7:30 a.m. Applications submitted before 7:30 a.m. on Monday, August 14, 2023 will not be considered valid and may result in disqualification from the current program year. Funds will be obligated on a first come, first qualified, first-served basis, until all funds are allocated or the end of the FY (June 30, 2024).

Funds will be obligated for a period not to exceed 90 days from approval. The obligation period will include all work, inspection(s), payment to the contractor by the property owner, and submission of “Paid-In-Full” invoice to CVSan.

Work not completed by June 30, 2024 will not be eligible for payment and may result in disqualification from the current program year.

For consideration of the FY 2023/24 LRGP, applications must be submitted prior to the lateral qualifying for grant funding. Property owners must complete the current 2023/24 form and submit it with copies of price quotations from at least three CVSan qualified contractors from the 2023/24 Qualified Contractors List via email to LRGP@cvsan.org. Applications are accepted on a continual basis until the program year is completed or all funds are allocated.

Lateral Inspection
A lateral inspection must be performed prior to the repair or replacement of the lateral in order for grant funding to be considered. Inspecting and testing methods will include the following technique:

Recorded Video Inspection
Video inspection will reveal the condition of the lateral and each service connection. Video inspection will be done by a CVSan qualified contractor and observed by CVSan personnel who will document the inspection. The video inspection must be adequately viewable and recorded. Cleaning and/or de-clogging may be necessary prior to the inspection.

Important Requirements:

1. The property owner submits an application and copies of three valid price quotations from CVSan qualified contractors to CVSan via email to LRGP@cvsan.org no earlier than Monday, August 14, 2023 at 7:30 a.m. Qualification for funding is determined after the recorded video inspection. All applications are subject to a Condition Rating by CVSan. Not all applications will be approved. Applications submitted by a contractor or CVSan field personnel will not be accepted.
2. Schedule an appointment – After you have submitted a completed application and three valid price quotations, no earlier than Monday, August 14, 2023 at 7:30 a.m., a CVSan staff member will call you in the order in which your application was received to schedule a recorded video inspection appointment.
3. Recorded video inspection observations will be scheduled beginning Wednesday, August 16, 2023.
4. A Letter of Approval must be issued by CVSan to the property owner prior to the beginning of any work. NOTICE: If IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS (see above) are not met prior to commencement of construction work, no funds will be obligated to the property owner.
5. The property owner/contractor obtains all required permit(s).
6. The property owner schedules work directly with the contractor. CVSan will not schedule any work.
7. The construction inspection of replacement work by CVSan personnel is completed prior to backfilling and will be scheduled by the property owner/contractor during or after obtaining all required permit(s).
8. The property owner submits a copy of the “Paid-In-Full” invoice to CVSan for the work performed by the contractor.
9. CVSan processes the “Paid-In-Full” invoice for payment. Payment will be made within 30 days. Please note, your “Paid-In-Full” invoice should be stamped “Paid-In-Full” or written and initialed by the contractor that it is “Paid-In-Full”.