In the District of Oak Bay, homeowners have the responsibility of maintaining storm and sewer laterals, from their property to where it connects to the public sanitary sewer main past the residents’ property line.  

Costs and work associated with the maintenance of the laterals are the responsibility of the property owner. For reference, view the District of Oak Bay Bylaw 3891, Section 7.1. [PDF – 475 KB] 

Your sewer lateral connects your house’s drainage to the public sewer system. It’s important to keep these connections maintained for the health of your house’s plumbing system.

Preventative maintenance of laterals

As a homeowner, you can perform easy, regular maintenance of laterals that could improve longevity and possibly avoid backups. This includes: 

• Performing routine camera inspections to assess lateral condition every 1-3 years 
• Avoiding planting trees or shrubs over lateral locations 
• Scheduling lateral rodding 
• Perform CCTV inspection before to ensure there is no conflict with gas utilities 
• When present, removing blockages and tree roots 

It’s also important to be cautious of what you put down your drains, which can help prevent backups and failures. Some materials that should not be put down drains include: 

• Hygienic and medical products including “flushable wipes” 
• Medications and supplements 
• Non-biodegradable waste materials 
• Pet products  
• Ex. kitty litter, aquarium gravel, bagged feces, etc. 
• Pool water 
• Solid food and food waste 

What happens if my lateral fails? 

Service laterals can fail for several reasons including complete root intrusion, deterioration due to age, miscellaneous blockages and more. If your sewer lateral has failed, a plumber will be able to locate the failure which will help determine the next steps: 

• Private side of property line: It’s recommended that you work with a plumber to replace the service from the property line to the house. The District also recommends that the contractor reaches out to the Engineering Department to confirm the proposed invert elevation at the property line. 
• Public side of property line: Contact the District of Oak Bay Engineering Department to purchase a replacement lateral from the property line to the main. This service connection will follow the prices outlined in the District of Oak Bay’s Bylaw 3891, Schedule “A”, Section 1 - [PDF – 475 KB] 

Contact Oak Bay Engineering 

If you have any further questions, please contact the District of Oak Bay’s Engineering Department by calling 250-598-3311 or email engineering@oakbay.ca