Private Sewer Lateral Program

The current property owner is ultimately responsible for the sewer lateral compliance.  It is up to the buyer, the seller, and the real estate agent to negotiate this in escrow.  If the sewer lateral does not pass the CCTV inspection, then the current owner has the option to correct the sewer lateral to become compliant or provide the cost of the work to the buyer.  A time-extension process is available if the buyer/seller negotiates to take on the sewer lateral compliance after the close of escrow.

No, CVSan will not accept time-extension requests after the close of escrow.

Yes, CVSan has a List of Qualified Contractors that is used for CVSan’s Lateral Replacement Grant Program (LRGP). The most current list can be found a the bottom of the page. Please note that it is not required to use someone from this list.

No, it is not required to use the same contractor for both types of work. CVSan recommends obtaining at least three estimates to ensure best price.

Either the property owner, the realtor or the sewer contractor may obtain the CCTV Inspection or sewer repair permit. Typically, the sewer contractor will obtain the permits and schedule the inspections. CVSan recommends choosing a sewer contractor and coordinating who will obtain the permits before paying for any permits.

A sewer lateral inspection would not be required if the property meets any of the following conditions:

1. If the property has a valid Sewer Lateral Compliance Certificate.
2. If the property has a connection or capacity permit approved by CVSan staff shows that the sewer lateral was originally constructed 30 years or less before the anticipated date of sale.
3. If the property has a sewer repair permit approved by CVSan documents that the sewer lateral was replaced in full within 30 years before the anticipated date of sale.
4. If the property has a sewer repair permit approved by CVSan documents that the permitted work replaced at least 50 percent of the sewer lateral within 10 years before July 1, 2019.
5. If the property undergoes transfer to a bank due to foreclosure.
6. If the property undergoes an inter-family transfer.

Orangeburg, or bituminous fiber pipe is a lightweight, but brittle material made of layers of wood pulp and pitch pressed together. This pipe material tends to deform when subjected to concentrated pressures over long periods of time. Widespread usage of Orangeburg began during the World War II period due to a shortage of cast iron materials.

Orangeburg pipe is almost impossible to maintain because of its material makeup. When roots intrude into the pipe, the mechanical rooter tears out pieces of pipe while it cleans, leading to collapse as well as collapsing from age.

If the property owner is required to completely replace the sewer lateral, then the Sewer Lateral Compliance Certificate would be valid for 30 years from the work approved date indicated on the CVSan repair permit.  If the sewer lateral passed the CCTV inspection without any work required, or the sewer lateral only required a repair, then the Compliance Certificate would be valid for 10 years from the date the work was approved by CVSan staff.

The property address will only be required to obtain another Sewer Lateral Compliance Certificate if the property is being sold.

The CCTV Inspection results will be valid for 6 months from the date the video inspection was reviewed as indicated on the CCTV Inspection permit.

No, if the property owner elects to fully replace the sewer lateral then a CCTV inspection will not be required. The property owner or their sewer contractor will be required to obtain the sewer repair permit from CVSan before any work is done on the sewer lateral.
The CCTV inspection is only required for any work less than a full replacement.

The CCTV Inspection permit is only required if the property owner wants to determine the sewer lateral condition and needs to obtain the Sewer Lateral Compliance Certificate. The CCTV Inspection permit is not required if the property owner does not need to obtain the Sewer Lateral Compliance Certificate.

The CCTV Inspection permit pays for CVSan staff’s time to witness the video inspection and more importantly, to review the video for any defects that need to be repaired.

The online permit portal can do the following:

1. Check the compliance status of a given property.
2. View, print, or download a Sewer Lateral Compliance Certificate.
3. Pay for a sewer repair permit or a CCTV Inspection permit.
4. Schedule, reschedule, or cancel an inspection appointment.

When CVSan reviews CCTV videos, staff looks for the presence of sewer lateral structural issues such as offset joints, cracks, breaks, and root intrusions. CVSan will also look for any improper connections to the sewer lateral, and approved pipe material.
In addition, CVSan staff is reviewing the sewer lateral’s pipe material. CVSan’s approved pipe materials are Vitrified Clay Pipe (VCP), Cast Iron Pipe (CIP), Ductile Iron Pipe (DIP), and High-Density Polyethylene SDR 17 (HDPE – SDR 17).
Non-approved pipe materials are Orangeburg (also known as bituminous fiber), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), and Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC). If the sewer lateral is made of these non-approved pipe materials, the sewer lateral will be required to replaced. CVSan recommends having a sewer contractor assess the sewer lateral’s pipe material before obtaining the CCTV Inspection permit. If the sewer contractor determines that the pipe is made of one of these non-approved pipe materials, CVSan recommends the property owner to skip the CCTV inspection and obtain the sewer repair permit to replace the sewer lateral.

If the buyer or seller elects to take on the sewer lateral compliance after the close of escrow, a time-extension request form along with a $4,500 refundable deposit must be submitted to CVSan for review. Once CVSan reviews the necessary documents, a time-extension permit will be issued.  The time-extension permit allows the applicant 180 days from the date the time-extension permit is issued to obtain a sewer lateral compliance certificate.  Once the applicant obtains a sewer lateral compliance certificate, the $4,500 deposit will be refunded in full back to the refund recipient designated on the time-extension request form.  The applicant will lose the $4,500 deposit if the time-extension permit expires before obtaining a sewer lateral compliance certificate.

Yes, the applicant may elect to handle the time-extension process in escrow. The time-extension request form and the $4,500 can be held by the title company before the close of escrow. At the close of escrow, the title company will send the time-extension request form and the $4,500 deposit to CVSan’s main office located at 21040 Marshall Street, Castro Valley, CA 94546.

Yes, the buyer or seller has the option to obtain the sewer lateral compliance certificate after the close of escrow without submitting a deposit. For this option, the buyer or seller or their sewer contractor must pay for either a sewer repair permit or a CCTV inspection permit and complete the sewer lateral compliance within 90 days after the close of escrow. It is not required that a sewer repair permit or CCTV inspection be issued prior to close of escrow. Unlike the 180-day time-extension permit, the buyer or seller must obtain the sewer lateral compliance certificate within 90 days from the close of escrow.