City of Rye- New Law Requiring Inspection of all
Private Sewer Laterals Prior to Sale of Property
The Rye City Council adopted Local Law 4-2021, which requires property owners to obtain a Discharge Compliance Certificate from the City Building Department prior to the transfer of title of any real property in the City. Enforcement of this law will begin on January 1, 2022.
The purpose of the law is to ensure that the private sewer line (i.e. “sewer lateral”) extending from a building to a public sewer line is operating correctly and is free of conditions such as cracks or breaks that may allow infiltration of stormwater or groundwater into the pipe, and that the lateral does not have any unauthorized connections such as sump-pump discharges, roof leaders or yard drains. Infiltration and unauthorized inflows contribute to overwhelming public sewer systems so that they do not operate properly and potentially release untreated sewage into waterbodies.
Under the new law, property owners will be required to submit to the Building Department a certification from a licensed plumber that the lateral has been inspected. A video recording of the lateral will also be required, which will allow the Building Department to verify the plumber’s certification and determine if any corrective measures to the lateral are necessary.
For a copy of the Sewer Discharge Compliance Application, click here.
