Fixing a broken sewer lateral under a city street can cost a homeowner anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000, but an ordinance appearing before the Chattanooga City Council in October would shift those expenses to the city.
Sewer laterals are pipes that connect a home's plumbing to the sanitary sewer system.
"To many of our residents, that would be sort of a catastrophic financial event to have to come up with a $25,000 repair bill," Councilman Chip Henderson of Lookout Valley said by phone.
Under the proposal, which Henderson introduced during a committee meeting on Tuesday, the city would be responsible for repairing or replacing any damaged or broken sewer laterals that are 4 inches in size or smaller and in a city right of way.
City Engineer and Assistant Public Works Administrator Bill Payne told the council on Tuesday that if the break is on private property, or if the lateral is larger than 4 inches in diameter, the damages would continue to be the responsibility of the property owner.
Payne said larger laterals typically appear on properties that use a lot of water, including multibuilding apartment complexes or industrial sites.
In order to qualify, Henderson said, property owners would need to have a bidirectional cleanout at the edge of the right of way, have a plumber verify the location of the damage and then provide video evidence to the city.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga homeowners on hook for cost of replacing sewer lines)
Councilwoman Jenny Hill, of North Chattanooga voiced support for the ordinance on Tuesday, stating that she's heard from a constituent who has struggled from this exact problem. Henderson said he's had two residents reach out to him over the past year with this issue.
"This is a common problem throughout portions of our city that were developed at given times that are just sort of aging out with their sewer infrastructure and wastewater infrastructure," Hill said Tuesday.
Payne said city officials don't anticipate the ordinance would result in any increases in wastewater fees this year, and any change next year would be negligible.
City ordinances require two votes from the council before they're approved. The first reading will occur on Oct. 4. The panel meets 6 p.m. Tuesdays at 1000 Lindsay St.
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249. Follow him on Twitter @flavid_doyd.