The Napa Berryessa Resort Improvement District (NBRID) maintains all public sewer mains, and lower laterals within its service area (PDF) which includes Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the Berryessa Highlands subdivision, as well as the 10 parcel subdivision Oakridge Berryessa Estates. This includes ~29,000 ft. of sewer mainline that is located both within public streets and easements dedicated for NBRID’s use.
Each residential building has a separate connection to the public sewer main line which is called a sewer lateral. Each sewer lateral has two components:
- Lower lateral – from the curb to the street (District’s responsibility)
- Upper lateral – from the curb to the house and beyond (property owner’s responsibility)
It is the property owner’s responsibility to maintain and repair the upper sewer lateral from the house to the property line cleanout. NBRID maintains the lower sewer lateral and main line. The cleanout is typically located behind the property line and is the connection point between the upper and lower lateral. This cleanout is designed to go one direction (downstream) and cannot be used by homeowners or plumbers to clean the upper lateral. The cap on most cleanouts are designed to fit loosely, allowing it to come off in the event of a backup in the lower lateral or sewer main.