The city of Statesboro now has a new policy in effect for sharing the cost of repairing or replacing collapsed sewer pipeline laterals from single-family homes, since City Council approved the ordinance amendment on a second reading July 21.

Now, the city will simply excavate, refill and patch, or pay contractors to excavate, refill and patch, sidewalk segments and street pavement when these must be cut to access the sewer laterals. But the laterals themselves are still considered private property all the way to the city-owned main, so the cost of the actual plumbing work and lateral pipe is still the responsibility of homeowners.

To obtain the city's approval to cover its share of the work, a homeowner must still communicate with the city staff, have a licensed plumbing or utility contractor do a video inspection of the work, and meet other requirements, such as having all city utility bills and city taxes paid in full.

Previous policies

In decades past, Statesboro's city government held homeowners entirely responsible for such repairs, even having homeowners pay private contractors for the cost of patching city sidewalks and paved streets where these were cut to access the pipelines.

More recently, under a council-approved policy from November 2023, the city had operated a Sewer Lateral Replacement Assistance Program. But it required measurements for use in a formula for the city and property owner to share the expense of both plumbing and paving. In the two and a half years through June 2026, the program had assisted only six resident homeowners with a total of $23,000 paid out by the city.

New key wording

Two sentences from the new amendment show how it simplifies the division of costs between homeowners and the city, no longer requiring a formula.

"The city will be responsible for the cost of excavating and replacing impacted public improved surfaces" (in other words) "road, curb and gutter, sidewalk, etc.," the key passage states. "It will be the responsibility of the property owner to cover all other costs associated with the sewer lateral repair, including all associated plumbing costs."

Also, where the previous program offered assistance only for resident homeowners — in other words, those in owner-occupied homes — the new policy is also available to owners of single-family homes that are vacant or rented out. However, it still does not apply to apartment complexes or nonresidential properties.

The council had voted the amendment forward from a first reading July 7. Final adoption July 21 was by a 4-0 council vote.