Coral Gables shifts responsibility for sewer laterals in right-of-way; modest fee increase approved

The Coral Gables City Commission on June 10 approved an ordinance that makes the city responsible for certain sanitary sewer laterals located in the public right-of-way and established circumstances when property owners would still be responsible.

The change, part of an amendment to city code section 78-101, applies only to gravity laterals in the public right-of-way, city staff said during the meeting. The ordinance also establishes triggers requiring lateral replacement during substantial new construction or major improvements.

Commissioner Vince Lago, the item sponsor, said the change corrects an unusual local practice that leaves homeowners responsible for laterals under public streets in other jurisdictions. “Everywhere else except in Coral Gables, the right of way is the utility’s responsibility,” a city staff member explained in the meeting.

Why it matters: City officials said the ordinance prevents long-term leaks and groundwater infiltration from deteriorating private laterals that extend under public streets. City staff estimated the patchwork private-repair practice produced deferred maintenance and frequent failures that are often difficult for property owners to address.

Payment and fiscal impact: To fund the change the commission also approved a related resolution setting a modest increase in sewer fees. Staff said the monthly increase would be “a couple of dollars per month” for a typical residential user and should raise roughly $300,000 a year to fund the city’s incremental responsibility. City staff described the fee increase as intended to be small relative to the cost of full lateral replacements, which staff said can range widely depending on location — single spot repairs are relatively inexpensive but full lateral replacements can run “anywhere between about $10,000 and $25,000–$30,000,” a staff member said.

Scope and limitations: The ordinance clarifies that the new city responsibility covers gravity-fed laterals in the right-of-way and does not apply to home sewer systems serving homes with vacuum or grinder pumps. The code text also narrows responsibility when a tree on private property causes lateral damage; in those cases owners may have some responsibility. The ordinance includes standard codification, severability and effective-date language.

Commission discussion and vote: Commissioners pushed staff to clarify how much a typical homeowner saves under the new rule and what the fiscal impact will be for the utilities fund. Staff said estimates vary by year and by the size of repair needed, reiterating the earlier cost ranges and the projected $300,000 annual revenue from the fee change. The commission adopted the ordinance on a unanimous roll call vote.