A sewer lateral is the underground pipe that connects your property to the city’s sewer main.
It runs from your home — starting at the main drain stack or cleanout near the foundation — underground, through your yard, to the public sewer main in the street or alley. It’s your pipe. The city is responsible for the main in the street; you are responsible for the lateral connecting to it.
Sewer laterals are typically 4″ diameter for residential properties and run 30–100+ feet depending on the property’s distance from the street. They’re buried anywhere from 2 to 10+ feet underground depending on frost depth requirements and local grade.
The lateral is the most important drain pipe on your property. A failure in the lateral affects every fixture in the house. It’s also the pipe most likely to have root intrusion, since it runs through yards with trees and landscaping.
Questions about your pipes? Call Sunburst Environmental at 678-799-4389 — same-day response across Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. Or request a free estimate online.