Board allows easement approach for water lateral serving two 33rd Street South properties

The Board of Public Works approved a plan to address noncompliant water laterals serving 4423 and 4425 33rd Street South, after staff reported the lateral for 4425 runs through the neighboring lot with no recorded easement.

Tina Erickson of the utilities office told the board that the sanitary sewer connections for the properties already had been corrected to separate laterals, but locating work revealed the water laterals run farther over and feed both properties. A plumber confirmed the 4425 lateral traverses the neighboring lot without a recorded easement. "Therefore we felt it was unreasonable to require them to tap the main in front of their property at this time," Erickson said, adding the lateral is copper from 1998 and is expected to last several more years.

Erickson asked the board to permit an easement in this situation — described in the record as a temporary, permanent easement — until the service line fails or until a future street project would make a direct connection feasible. The homeowner had requested the alternative. Board members discussed whether the issue was isolated or widespread; Erickson said the department is evaluating other blocks and may bundle work in a future street project if several properties are affected.

The board voted to approve the recommended easement approach; the motion passed unanimously. The decision allows the utilities department to document the easement and defer a mandatory main tap until failure or coordinated street work.

The transcript does not include dollar amounts or the easement’s legal form; the action was described in operational terms by utilities staff.