What is a sewer lateral?
The sewer lateral is the portion of the sewer pipe that runs from your home and connects to the sewer main which is usually located under the street adjacent to your property. The sewer main carries wastewater to the village's treatment plant.
What should I do if I have problems with my sewer lateral?
If you are having sewer problems such as water or sewage backing up into your basement, you may have a blocked sewer lateral. You will probably need to contact a plumber. Your first step, however, should be to notify the Village that you are having a problem.
Call: 533-8321
You will be put in touch with the Superintendent of the Waste Water Treatment Plant or someone from the Department of Public Works who should be able to assist or advise you.
Will the Village fix the problem for me?
Property owners are responsible for all costs associated with cleaning and maintaining the sewer lateral. Village personnel will attempt to assist and advise property owners when they are having problems, but they are not authorized to do actual sewer lateral maintenance or repairs.
Part of my sewer lateral is located on Village property. If my sewer lateral needs to be repaired or replaced, who pays for what?
According to current Village policies, property owners are responsible for all costs associated with repair or replacement of all portions of the sewer lateral outside of the sewer main. The property owner may apply to the Village of Campbellsport for reimbursement for the costs associated with the repair or replacement of those portions of the sewer lateral that lie within the public right-of-way, however. The Village has established a special fund for this purpose.
To view or print out a copy of the complete policy as well as the application forms, click on this link: Sewer Lateral Replacement Fund Policy and Application Forms.
How is the Sewer Lateral Replacement Fund financed?
A separate $5.00 fee has been added to the Quarterly Sewer Service Charge for all Village Sewer and Water Utility customers, specifically to finance the Sewer Lateral Replacement Fund. This fee went into effect in December of 2003, and will affect all combined sewer and water bills that customers receive beginning in March of 2004.
I know that my sewer lateral is in bad shape. Do I have to wait until it completely fails before I fix it?
No. Many property owners know that their sewer lateral is old and in poor condition. They may have had repeated problems with tree roots. It makes good sense to replace a defective sewer lateral before it has completely failed. Property owners are able to get competitive bids from contractors in advance, and the work can be scheduled for a time that is more convenient for all parties.
Now, property owners interested in replacing defective sewer laterals before they have failed can complete an application for reimbursement from the Sewer Lateral Replacement Fund prior to having the work completed. That way the property owner can find out in advance how much financial assistance will be available for their project.
