As part of the Town’s efforts to eliminate the discharge of raw sewage into the San Francisco Bay, it is encouraging and incentivizing the voluntary repair or replacement of faulty sewer laterals by private property owners. Broken laterals allow excess water to seep into the system, overwhelming the wastewater treatment plants, and raw sewage to seep out. It can also result in sewer backups both inside and outside the home.
On May 14, 2012, the City Council will hear the first reading of a proposed Private Sewer Lateral Inspection Ordinance. The proposed ordinance calls for the inspection of private sewer laterals at the Town’s cost, and financial assistance for property owners who voluntarily repair defective private sewer laterals. As per the proposed ordinance, if private property owners authorize sewer lateral repairs in conjunction with work on the main sewer system, their cost will be significantly reduced. The Town will waive permit fees and also considering providing low-interest loans for the property owner’s remaining share of the cost.
Whenever the Town repairs a public sewer main, connecting sewer laterals would be subject to the provisions of the proposed ordinance. The Town plans to implement sewer main repairs in phases, with priority given to the most critically defective areas.
The Town is conducting two community meetings to share more information about its sewer main repair program and the proposed Private Sewer Lateral Inspection Ordinance. Please attend one of the following meetings to learn more:
Saturday, April 21st at 11:30 a.m. Hillsborough Town Hall 1600 Floribunda Avenue
Thursday, April 26th at 6:30 p.m. Hillsborough Town Hall 1600 Floribunda Avenue
Help Stop Pollution of the San Francisco Bay!
Storm water entering a leaking sewer lateral on your property can contribute to sewer overflows and pollution. This inflow and infiltration enters the sewer system and overwhelms the wastewater treatment plants, resulting in the discharge of raw sewage into the San Francisco Bay.
Interested in learning more about how inflow and infiltration occur? Watch this short, but informative video produced by the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority!
Existing Sewer Lateral Inspection Program
The Town is offering free video inspection of sewer laterals to residents. Inspections are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and will be performed by Town-approved contractors. All videos will be reviewed by the City Engineer. Sewer Rehabilitation Reimbursements up to $500 will be offered to residents who replace the full length of their serwer laterals with High Density Poly-ethylene pipe or other seamless liners. Residents can select a plumber and apply for the reimbursement after the work is performed.
Residents can participate in one or both programs. Separate applications are required for the programs. Applications for both programs are available at, Town Hall or via the following links:
This program has been implemented as part of a Supplemental Enviornmental Program ordered by the Regional Water Quality Control Board (Region 2) as part of Cease and Desist Order R2-2009-0020 which prescribes measures needed to avoid sanitary sewer overflows from the Town of Hillsborough's sewer system.
The Town of Hillsborough1600 Floribunda Avenue, Hillsborough, CA 94010 (650) 375-7400
