# Sewer Lateral in Denver, CO: Who Pays? | Who Pays the Repair?

> Who pays for sewer lateral in Denver, CO? The City and County of Denver maintains only the public sewer mains.

**Who pays:** owner

Denver: the property owner pays, the city is "only responsible for main public sewers"; the service line from your building to the main is yours.

**Boundary:** The City and County of Denver maintains only the public sewer mains. The private tap/service line from the building to the main is the property owner’s responsibility.

**Property owner:** Denver DOTI Wastewater FAQ: "The City and County of Denver is only responsible for main public sewers. For information about your private tap/service line, we recommend you to hire a licensed plumbing company that provides such services."

**City / agency:** City maintains and repairs public sewer mains; sanitary sewer billing handled through Denver Water.

## Sources
- [Denver sewer responsibility explainer](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/who-is-responsible-for-sewer-line-repair-denver) (accessed 2026-08-19)
- [Denver DOTI: Wastewater Management FAQ (city responsible only for public mains)](https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Department-of-Transportation-and-Infrastructure/Programs-Services/Wastewater-Management/FAQ) — "The City and County of Denver is only responsible for main public sewers. For information about your private tap/service line, we recommend you to hire a licensed plumbing company that provides such services." (accessed 2026-09-27)
- [Denver DOTI: Wastewater Management FAQ (city responsible only for public mains)](https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Department-of-Transportation-and-Infrastructure/Programs-Services/Wastewater-Management/FAQ) — "only responsible for main public sewers" (accessed 2026-09-27)

_Last verified 2026-08-23. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/denver-co-sewer-lateral/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._