# Sewer Lateral Repair in Albuquerque, NM: Who Pays? | Who Pays the Repair?

> In Albuquerque the Water Authority owns only the main sewer line; the sewer lateral beneath the property and its connection are the owner’s.

**Who pays:** owner

In Albuquerque, the Water Authority owns only the main sewer line in the street, the sewer lateral beneath the property, and the pipe connecting it to the main, are the owner’s.

**Boundary:** Per the Water Authority’s Sewer Use Ordinance, only the main sewer line is owned and maintained by the Water Authority. The owner owns the drains inside the building, the "sewer lateral" beneath the property, and the pipe/components connecting the lateral to the utility-owned sewer in the street or alley.

**Property owner:** Own and maintain the sewer lateral beneath the property plus the pipe and components connecting it to the utility-owned sewer in the street or alley.

**City / agency:** The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority owns and maintains only the main sewer line.

## Sources
- [Sewer System: Sewer Line Responsibility (privately owned portions)](https://www.abcwua.org/sewer-system-sewer-line-responsibility/) — "Privately owned portions of the sewer system include the drains inside the home or business, the “sewer lateral” beneath the property to which those drains connect, and the pipe and components necessary to connect the sewer lateral to the utility-owned sewer in the street or alley." (accessed 2026-09-11)
- [Sewer System: Sewer Line Responsibility (utility owns only the main)](https://www.abcwua.org/sewer-system-sewer-line-responsibility/) — "Per the Water Authority’s Sewer Use Ordinance, only the main sewer line is owned and maintained by the Water Authority." (accessed 2026-09-11)

_Last verified 2026-09-12. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/albuquerque-nm-sewer-lateral/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._