Homeowner Responsibilities under Local Law 4-2021

Pursuant to Local Law 4-2021, property owners in the City of Rye are required to obtain a Discharge Compliance Certificate from the City of Rye Building Department prior to the transfer of title of any real property or other certain building or plumbing improvements. The purpose of the law is to insure that the private sewer line 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.

The City of Rye’s Sewer Discharge Compliance Application is available here.

Private Sewer Lateral Protection and Maintenance

Property owners are responsible for maintaining all private sewer laterals (lines) that extend from their property to the City’s sewer lines. Repairs to private sewer lines can be expensive and time-consuming. Repairs are also not typically covered by homeowner’s insurance.

The City has identified a resource to help residents protect their private sewer lines:

• American Water Resources (AWR) offers a Sewer Line Protection Program that provides repairs to clogs and blockages of a covered sewer line caused by normal wear and tear. AWR takes care of the costs of permits required to excavate and complete covered repairs; as well as refilling, raking/leveling and seeding of excavated portion of customer’s property; and restoration of public sidewalks and roadways if they’re excavated to complete a covered repair. They also follow-up with an inspection of a customer’s sewer line after a covered repair is complete. Plans cost approximately $9/month.

AWR can be reached by phone at 1-866-513-8520 or via email at awr.customerservice@amwater.com. You can also visit their website.