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1. Who is responsible for repair costs associated with a sewer lateral repair?

The homeowner is responsible for repairing problems with their sewer lateral. Average costs of these repairs are typically $3,000 or more. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) does not pay for sewer lateral repairs. The city Sewer Lateral Insurance program is designed to assist the homeowner in covering this expense.

2. How does Ellisville’s Sewer Lateral Program work?

Ellisville’s program applies to residential property containing 6 or fewer dwelling units. The cost of the program is funded through an annual fee of $28, which will be placed on the property owner’s county property tax bill.

The portion of the private sewer lateral covered by the insurance program is the pipe which carries household wastes to the MSD sewer main and which lies between the structure foundation wall, or exterior wall, to the main in the street or sewer easement. It does not include a sewer line located under any part of the building, nor include pumps or lift equipment. Properties that do not connect to MSD sewer mains or have individual disposal systems such as septic fields are not assessed the annual fees and are excluded from the insurance program.

3. What steps do I take if there is a cave-in in the street or yard area that may be caused by a sewer collapse?

In the event a cave-in appears in a yard or in the street that you believe is caused by a defective sewer lateral, notify Holly Woodland at 636-227-9660.

The city and Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) will investigate the cave-in, and the homeowner will be notified in the event it is caused by a breach or defect in the private sewer lateral. If the cave-in is caused by a private sewer lateral, the homeowner is responsible for its replacement. The homeowner may be eligible for assistance under the city’s sewer lateral insurance program and may file an application with the city.

4. What steps do I take if my sewer lateral becomes blocked?

If you experience a blockage of your sewer lateral service line, the first thing to do is have your sewer lateral cabled. Cabling a blocked sewer lateral is a home maintenance expense, thus the cost of cabling is not reimbursable under this insurance program. If the blockage is not resolved by cabling of the line, you should contact Holly Woodland at 636-227-9660 about filing an application with the city.

5. How do I apply for the insurance program?

Applications are available at City Hall, 1 Weis Ave. The city may authorize you to make arrangements with a city contractor to camera inspect the line. If cabling is required prior to the camera inspection and if the camera inspection shows that no further problem exists following the cabling of the line, you will be responsible for reimbursing the city for the cost of cabling.

If the inspection shows that the sewer lateral service line requires repair or replacement, the city will authorize you to arrange for three written bids for such repair or replacement from the city’s list of authorized contractors.

After obtaining the three written bids and submitting them to the city, the city will select a contractor to perform the work. The contractor must obtain any necessary permits from the city and perform the work in compliance with applicable codes. The contractor must submit an itemized bill to the city upon completion of the work. If the contractor requests a change in price from the bid after the work has begun, such changes must be approved by the Ellisville Engineering Division.

6. What work is covered by the insurance?

The corrective work which is subject to reimbursement from the insurance fund is limited to excavation, repair or replacement of only the defective portion of the sewer line, backfilling, repairing sidewalks, driveways, and street pavement, and seeding and strawing of the disturbed portion of the yard.

It is the responsibility of the contractor (and covered by the insurance policy) to replace or repair sidewalks, driveways, and streets damaged or removed in order to accomplish the repair. In the event that accessory structures such as fences, sheds, garages, etc. are in the path of the lateral and lie over the damaged portion of the lateral, the city reserves the right to reroute the lateral, or to remove and replace any fences, landscaping or accessory structures. The city insurance program covers repair, relocation, or damage to underground sprinkler systems, underground dog fences, trees, fences, and landscaping.

Any services that you contract for which deal with work inside the walls of the home or which are outside of the coverage of this insurance program are not the responsibility of the city and will not be subject to reimbursement by this insurance fund.

7. How do I get the insurance fund payment?

After the work is completed by the contractor to your satisfaction, the following items are necessary for payment to the contractor:

• City form showing authorization to participate in the insurance program
• Itemized bill from contractor to perform the work
• Lien waivers from the contractor
• A statement that the work has been completed to your satisfaction
• Upon receipt and approval, the city will forward payment to the approved contractor