Homeowners question sewer line program

City extends opt-out period amid confusion over notices regarding private sewer laterals

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The city on Monday attempted to address residents’ concerns about a new program aimed at helping Long Beach comply with the federal Clean Water Act and easing the burden on homeowners who could face thousands of dollars in costs if they need to repair or replace damaged sewer lateral lines.

More than 200 people packed the Long Beach Public Library to hear from city officials and representatives of Brady Risk Environmental, a company based in Halesite, N.Y. that provides sewer pipe protection services to alleviate risks to the environment.

The meeting was held in part to address confusion among residents who received a letter in August informing them that they had 30 days to opt out of a program in which they would be automatically enrolled and billed $100 per year to have Brady Risk inspect and repair their private sewer lines, in an effort to prevent wastewater in pipes from leaking into groundwater and waterways.

Representatives likened the program to an insurance policy, saying that aside from the service fee, homeowners will not be charged for the inspection and repairs.

A sewer lateral is an underground pipe that connects a residence or business to sewer mains, carrying sewage to the city’s sewer treatment plant. The city said that because most of the thousands of laterals in town were built of cast iron, many have exceeded their estimated lifespan and need repairs.

Following a public hearing in January, the City Council approved a measure that holds homeowners responsible for any necessary repairs to their laterals, part of an attempt to settle a federal lawsuit, Thomas v. City of Long Beach. The suit was filed in 2012 by a coalition of environmental activists who claimed that residents’ damaged sewer laterals had gradually caused wastewater to seep into Reynolds Channel — a violation of the Clean Water Act — and that the city failed to take action to curtail the discharge.

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