Sewer Lateral Program

Repairing a Sewer Lateral 
The owner of a single-family home, duplex, or apartment development containing not more than six units and experiencing a problem with the lateral sewer service line is eligible for assistance in repairing the problem. 

Policy & Procedures (pdf)

Residential Sanitary Sewer Lateral Repair Program Application (pdf)

Before Applying for the Program

An owner experiencing a problem with the lateral sewer service line must first contact a plumbing company or a drain and sewer cleaning company to have the line cabled.

Sometimes the problem is not with the line itself, but may have become clogged by materials in the line.

As a common home maintenance expense, the cost of this cabling is not included in the Residential Sanitary Sewer Lateral Repair Program.

If the problem is not resolved by cabling of the line, the home owner can submit an application and most recent cabling bill to the Webster Groves Public Works Department.

What Can I Expect?

After we receive your application and most recent bill for cabling your sewer lateral…

  1. Public Works staff will confirm that real estate taxes have been paid for the calendar year.
  2. The City’s diagnostic contractor will notify you by phone to set up a date and time for an inspection.
  3. Following review of the inspection report, the City will notify you in writing (with a Scope of Work Letter) as to the results of the investigation and whether the lateral is defective and reimbursable under the Program.
  4. At this point, you may obtain 3 bids for repair (a list of contractors can be provided upon request). Bids need to be itemized to reflect the separate costs for material, equipment, and labor and must be submitted to us by mail or email.
  5. Following review of the bids obtained, the City will notify you in writing (with a Bid Approval Letter) that work may commence and you can contact your contractor. Please be aware that the City will only pay 80% of the cost per the lowest bid.
  6. Upon completion of the work, a Completion of Work Statement (obtained from Public Works) must be submitted with an itemized bill from the contractor.
  7. The City will release payment to your contractor.

Things to Know About the Program

✓  The Program’s maximum participation is $3,500, and up to $8,000 if the repair is in the street.

✓  Your contractor must obtain any necessary permits from the City, perform work in compliance with applicable City codes, and submit an itemized bill to the owner upon completion of the repair work.

✓ Your contractor is responsible for excavation, repair or replacement of the defective portion of the line, backfilling, and seeding and strawing of the disturbed portion of the yard. Additional landscaping or landscape restoration work is the homeowner’s responsibility.

✓ Please be aware that if the television inspection fails to demonstrate that the line is defective, the homeowner would be responsible for payment of the City’s diagnostic contractor. To prevent this from happening it’s important to contact a plumbing contractor to have your line cabled before applying for the Program.

Minor Issues Not Included in the Program

  • Cracked Trap Shaft 
  • Only Broken Yard Trap/Cleanout
  • Minor Cracks in Line Without Water
  • Leakage
  • Belly in Lines
  • Sewer Line Located Under Any Part of Your
  • Home Including Additions
  • Blockages That Can Be Cabled