Backed Up? First Question: Whose Pipe Is It?
Scottsdale Water spells out the split, and it surprises a lot of homeowners:
- The sewer main under the street belongs to the city.
- The lateral is all the piping from that main to your house, and its maintenance and repair are the customer's responsibility.
- The tap, the sleeve where your service line connects to the main, is also the property owner's to repair if the problem is there.
If the backup turns out to be in the main, the city repairs it and handles property damage claims through its Risk Management office. Scottsdale Water can even send a crew to help work out where the backup starts. Call customer service at 480-312-5650.
0+
Homes Served across Mesa & East Valley
0+
Commercial Jobs — restaurants, offices, retail
0+
Years Experience — licensed & insured
Seventy Years of Sewer Lines
Scottsdale's homes range from 1950s and 1960s ranch houses in south Scottsdale, through McCormick Ranch in the 1970s, to DC Ranch and Grayhawk from the 1990s on. U.S. Census data shows about 29% were built before 1980.
In the older half of the city, a long lateral and mature trees are a recipe for roots in the joints. In the newer half, it's usually grease or wipes. A camera inspection shows which, and how far down the lateral it sits, before you pay for a bigger fix.
Roots and heavy buildup usually need hydro jetting rather than a cable. A broken section of lateral needs repair; see our sewer line page.
Scottsdale Water's Kitchen Advice
Two tips straight from the city that prevent most kitchen-line calls:
- Pour cooking oil and grease into a small container with absorbent material, and throw it away. Hot water doesn't wash grease away; it just moves it.
- Scrape food from dishes into the trash, not the garbage disposal.
When the lateral does back up: main-line cleaning through an accessible cleanout is $99 (residential, no pools; mention the offer when you book). Every other call starts with a $99 service call that's credited to the repair if you go ahead.