Homebuilder says sewer grade left lateral too low; council takes issue under advisement

Tim Clark, a contractor building a single-family house in Spring City, told the council on Jan. 2 that the sewer lateral from his new home sits about 22 inches below the municipal sewer line where he expected to connect, and that correcting the mismatch has cost roughly $5,200 so far.

Clark said his measurements show the bottom of an upstream manhole is 10 feet, 3 inches and that grades along Fourth East and other nearby points vary. “The total came out about $5,200—that’s not in the homeowner,” Clark told the council, describing efforts to dig and tie in and the difficulty of matching the lateral to the sewer grade. He asked whether the city would “help compensate for some of the problems.”

Why it matters: If sewer mains on older streets were laid at varying grades or without consistent laser control, new builds can face costly tie-in problems—particularly where basements and foundation elevations limit how low a house’s plumbing can be set.

City council members and staff questioned whether the public sewer line is actually "rising" in the trench, and what parties share responsibility. City participant Corey (identified in the meeting as a staff member) said the 8-inch sewer main “should be laid at 1% or less” and that “the only way to know if it’s rising like Tim claims is to run a camera down.” Councilmember Marty McCain and others said the problem could stem from several sources—how the sewer was originally laid, contractor decisions, or how the house foundation elevation was set.

Council reaction and next steps: Council members expressed sympathy for Clark’s situation but did not commit city funds. Several members said multiple parties could share responsibility, naming the sewer contractor who installed the line and the building contractor. The council agreed to “take that under advisement” and asked staff to gather more information on exact sewer depths and whether the city has records or obligations that would require it to contribute to repairs or regrading.

No formal motion or vote was taken on compensation. Clark said he would continue coordinating with Branch Cox (a contractor mentioned in the discussion) and city staff to clarify as-built elevations and options. Councilmembers repeatedly emphasized that, under current practice, homeowners and their contractors normally verify sewer depth before finalizing foundation elevations.

Ending: Councilmembers asked staff to follow up with field measurements and, if necessary, procedural steps the city can take to reduce similar surprises for future builds.