Who Is Responsible for the Sewer Lateral in Orem?
Short answer: you are. The City of Orem says plainly that homeowners "are responsible for their lateral sewer and water line repairs." The lateral is the private pipe that carries everything from your house to the city's sewer main, and when it cracks, sags or fills with roots, the repair bill and the mess in the basement are usually yours.
The city also notes that many residents assumed it covered those lines. It doesn't. This guide explains where the lateral runs, how to tell a lateral problem from a city main problem, who to call in what order, and how insurance usually treats a sewer backup.
What is a sewer lateral?
Every drain in your house, from the toilets to the basement floor drain, feeds one building sewer line. Outside the foundation, that pipe becomes the lateral. It runs under the yard, and often under the park strip and part of the street, to the public main. Orem's public sewer collection system is roughly 340 miles of pipe, according to the city's water reclamation page. The lateral is the private branch that ties your home into it.
Orem's construction standards call for new laterals to be 4-inch PVC laid at a slope of at least 2%, with a cleanout within 5 feet of the building. Many Orem homes are older than those standards. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts Orem's median year built at 1989, with 37% of homes built before 1980. An older lateral may be a different material, may have shifted, and may never have been looked at since the house was built.
Where does the homeowner's responsibility end in Orem?
The city's service line page (orem.gov/serviceline) puts lateral sewer and water line repairs on the homeowner. In practice the city owns and maintains the main, and the property owner owns the line that connects to it. Exactly where that line starts and stops on your lot, and who handles digging in the street, is a question for Orem Public Works before any work begins. Ask them directly and write down who you spoke with.
Before a backup ever happens: find your cleanout. It's usually a capped pipe stub a few feet outside the foundation or in the basement. Plumbers use it to clear and camera the line, and knowing where it is saves time when sewage is coming up a floor drain.
Is it my lateral or the city main?
A few patterns help you guess before anyone arrives, though only a camera or a crew can say for sure.
- One fixture backs up, the rest drain fine. That's usually a clog in a branch line inside the house, not the lateral.
- Several drains slow down at once, toilets gurgle, and the lowest drain backs up. That points to a blockage somewhere between the house and the main: the building sewer or the lateral.
- Neighbors on the same street report backups at the same time. That suggests a problem in the public main.
- Water rises in the floor drain when you run the washer or flush upstairs. Your own wastewater has nowhere to go, so stop using water.
If you think the main might be involved, call the city first. Orem's water reclamation page says the city responds to sewer emergencies around the clock and offers camera inspections of residential laterals. A city crew checking the main costs you nothing, and it tells you whether a plumber is the next call.
Who to call, in order
Stop the water going down
Don't flush, run the dishwasher or start a load of laundry. Every gallon you send down can come back up through the basement drain.
Call the City of Orem if a main problem is possible
If the neighbors are affected or you're not sure, the city can check the main and tell you whether the problem is on its side.
Call a licensed plumber for the lateral
Clearing, camera inspection, spot repair or replacement of a private sewer line is plumbing work. In Utah, plumbing must be done by a licensed plumbing contractor. Ask for the license number and check it on the DOPL license lookup.
Call a restoration company for the cleanup
Sewage in a basement is Category 3, or "black," water. Removing it, tearing out what can't be cleaned, disinfecting and drying is a separate job from fixing the pipe. Independent restoration companies in Utah Valley typically offer 24/7 emergency response for this. Our sewage backup cleanup page explains what that work involves.
What causes lateral failures in Utah Valley?
Most lateral problems come down to a handful of causes:
- Tree roots find small gaps at pipe joints and grow into them, catching paper and grease.
- Age and settling. Sections of older pipe can sag, crack or separate, leaving low spots where solids collect.
- Grease and "flushable" wipes. Both build up in the line over time, especially where the slope is shallow.
- Storm surges. During heavy rain, water that gets into sewers can push the system past capacity. In the August 2024 storm, Orem's public works director told the Daily Herald the rain "probably exceeded a 100-year event," and some homes built below road grade took 2 to 3 feet of water. A flooded basement from surface water is a different problem than a lateral backup, but the cleanup can overlap.
A camera inspection is the only reliable way to know what shape your lateral is in. If your home is one of Orem's older ones, or you've had more than one slow-drain episode, it's a reasonable thing to ask a plumber about before the next backup.
Does insurance cover a sewer backup?
Often not under a standard policy alone. Sewer and drain backup coverage is commonly sold as a separate endorsement, and many homeowners don't have it until they've needed it. Some carriers also sell a service-line endorsement that can help with the cost of repairing the buried line itself. Flood insurance is a different product again: the Utah Insurance Department notes that an NFIP flood policy covers sewer or drain backup only when an active surface flood directly caused it.
Check your declarations page for a backup or water-backup endorsement and its limit, and ask your agent before you need it. If you file a claim, your policy's deductible applies. Utah regulations generally require your insurer to acknowledge a claim within 15 days. Our post on Utah water damage insurance claims covers the rest of the process.
The City of Orem also partners with Service Line Warranties of America, which offers an optional lateral repair plan to residents. The city notes the plan doesn't cover shared laterals. Whether a plan like that makes sense for you depends on your home and your existing coverage. Read the terms and compare it with an insurance endorsement.
What sewage cleanup costs
National cost guides put black-water extraction at about $7 to $7.50 per square foot (Fixr, 2025), compared with about $3.75 to $4.25 for clean water. The higher rate reflects protective gear, disinfection, and the fact that porous materials such as carpet, pad and the bottom of the drywall usually have to go. The plumbing repair to the lateral itself is a separate bill. Utah Valley quotes vary, and our Orem water damage cost guide has the full table and a planning calculator.
Staying safe around a sewage backup
Raw sewage carries bacteria and other pathogens. Until the cleanup crew arrives:
- Keep children and pets out of the area.
- Wear rubber boots and gloves if you must go in, and wash thoroughly afterward.
- Don't run a household vacuum or fan through it, which can spread contamination.
- Don't touch electrical outlets or cords while standing in water. Cut power to wet circuits only if you can reach the panel safely.
- If anyone gets sick after contact, see a doctor and mention the sewage exposure.
When you're ready, you can describe the backup once on our free quote form. Independent, locally licensed restoration companies will contact you directly, and any quote comes from them, not from us.
Questions people ask
Does the City of Orem pay for sewer lateral repairs?
No. The City of Orem says homeowners are responsible for their lateral sewer and water line repairs. The city maintains the public main. If you aren't sure whether a blockage is in your lateral or the main, call the city first so a crew can check its side.
Who do I call when sewage backs up in my Orem basement?
Stop using water, then call the City of Orem if neighbors are affected or the main may be involved. A licensed plumber clears or repairs your lateral. A water damage restoration company handles the sewage cleanup, tear-out, disinfection and drying.
Does homeowners insurance cover a sewer line backup?
Often only if you have a sewer or water backup endorsement. Many standard policies exclude it otherwise, and flood insurance covers backup only when an active surface flood caused it. Check your declarations page and ask your agent or adjuster.
How do I know if my sewer lateral is damaged?
Repeated slow drains, gurgling toilets, and backups at the lowest floor drain are common signs. A camera inspection by a licensed plumber, or through the city's inspection program, is the only reliable way to see cracks, sags or root intrusion.