In Northglenn, the homeowner is responsible for the sewer service lateral from the house to the city main, and many of those laterals date from the late 1950s and 1960s. When one has cracked or filled with roots along its length, replacement is usually the lasting fix. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Northglenn.
Is the sewer lateral the city's or mine?
It's yours. The City of Northglenn maintains the mains and says homeowners are responsible for the sewer service lateral from the house to the city main. The city's system is unusual for the metro area: it maintains about 120 miles of sewer mains and 10 lift stations and treats wastewater at its own plant on Weld County Road 2, about nine miles north of the city, rather than sending it to Metro Water Recovery. For water or sewer line issues, call 303.280.7803, or 303.451.1289 after hours, especially if neighbors are affected too.
Why are so many Northglenn laterals due for replacement?
Northglenn began in 1959 as Perl-Mack's planned community, and much of its housing dates from that original build-out in the late 1950s and 1960s. Sewer laterals from that era were commonly clay or cast iron. Over sixty years, clay joints tend to let roots in and cast iron tends to scale and thin, so a camera often shows problems along much of the run rather than in one spot. Newer infill such as Karl's Farm is a different story, with plastic pipe that usually fails only from settling or later digging.
What does Northglenn require before the work starts?
A permit. The city's Building Division, with services provided by SAFEbuilt, requires permits for outside water and sewer line replacement or repair. Call 303.450.8745 for the Building Division or 303.450.8748 to request inspections. The plumber will usually file the permit and book the inspection before the trench is backfilled. If the camera shows the cast iron under the house is in the same shape as the yard pipe, doing both at once avoids a second round of work.
A local note
On the original Perl-Mack streets, laterals tend to be similar in age and material from house to house, so if a neighbor has already replaced theirs, ask what was found. It isn't proof of your line's condition, but it is a useful hint. Your own camera inspection is still what decides between a spot repair, lining, bursting or a new trench.
Sewer Line Replacement questions in Northglenn
Where does my responsibility for the sewer line end?
What were older sewer service lines around here usually made of?
Who issues the permit for a sewer line replacement here?
How does a plumber decide between repairing a sewer line and replacing it?
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