Tree roots get into sewers when a sewer pipe develops a crack or other damage and nutrients and moisture leak into the soil, attracting the roots. About 50% of all sewer backups and overflows in the City are caused by tree roots. Not only do sewer lines on private property get clogged, but the roots can grow into the City’s sewers causing spills from those pipes as well.

RESPONSIBILITY:

Responsibility for damage to the sewer lateral caused by City trees depends on why the roots entered the sewer lateral. Generally, and based on industry experience, a broken or misaligned sewer line allows roots to intrude into the sewer lateral. Roots typically do not break sewer lateral lines. The City should only be responsible for private sewer lateral damages, in the rare occurrence when the City has determined that tree roots from a City tree have misaligned or broken the sewer lateral. In all other cases, the City is not responsible. Earth movement, normal expansion, and contraction of the soil, defective construction, improper maintenance, and private property tree roots can cause the sewer lateral to misalign, allowing roots to enter at the joint, or connection.

City of Pomona City Code section 62-399 (g), assigns responsibility to the property owner for maintaining the house connections up to and including the connection to the sewer line.

THE SOLUTION:

Root penetration can be remedied by repairing the faulty sewer pipe and ridding the pipe of roots. The maintenance of private sewers is the responsibility of private property owners (City Code section 62-399(g). The City will repair and clean out public sewer lines.