Sewer System
A property owner's sewer pipes are called service laterals and run from the connection at the home to the connection with the public sewer. Maintenance and repair of service laterals are the responsibility of the property owner to where it connects to the City sewer main.
Residential Plumbing Systems and Sewer Laterals
The City is responsible for maintaining the sewer system main (the large collector pipes connected to individual sewer user). Property owners are responsible for plumbing systems on their property and sewer laterals for the entire distance to the connection to the sewer main. Plumbing and laterals on both private property and within the public right-of-way must be maintained in proper working order to prevent discharge of sewage from overflows or leakage into buildings, onto the ground, or into the storm drain system.
For questions about plumbing problems within buildings, please call the Building and Safety Services Section at (510) 577-3405.
For questions about sewer lateral problems that may impact the storm drain system, please call the Environmental Services Section at (510) 577-3401.
The City is responsible for:
- Operating and maintaining local and regional sewer lines
- Protecting City property & streets, the local storm drain system, sewage collection system and other public areas
- Collecting, treating and disposing of wastewater
Sewage spills occur when the wastewater in underground pipes overflows through a manhole, cleanout, or broken pipe. Common causes of spills include:
- Grease build-up
- Tree roots
- Broken/cracked pipes
- Missing or broken cleanout caps
- Undersized sewers
- Groundwater/rainwater entering the sewer system
The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) requires that all public wastewater collection system agencies in California with more than one mile of sewer pipe be regulated under General Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR). The WDR mandates that the City prepare a Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) following the guidelines set forth in the WDR and report SSOs using an electronic reporting system. In addition the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) requires that the SSMP incorporate the guidelines in the SSMP Development Guide prepared by the RWQCB in cooperation with the Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA).
In July 2009, the City of San Leandro City Council approved the first version of the SSMP, prepared in compliance with requirements of SWRCB Order No. 2006-0003. In 2013, SWRCB Order No. WQO 2013-0058 was issued, amending the Monitoring and Reporting Program for Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems.
City Service Area and Sewer System
The City of San Leandro is located in Alameda County and is surrounded by Oakland to the north, San Lorenzo and Hayward to the south, San Francisco Bay to the west, with open space preserves and Castro Valley to the east. As of 2013, the City has a population of approximately 88,000 based on estimates from the U. S. Census Bureau. The City covers approximately 13 square miles with a population density of 6,750 persons per square mile. The City is substantially built out and experienced an overall decrease in industry over the last fifteen years.
The City’s sewer system consists of approximately 130 miles of pipe, ranging from 6 inches to 42 inches in diameter, and 13 remote lift stations. The sewers in the City system range in age from new to over 70 years old. The oldest sewers are located in the northeastern portion of the City from the Oakland city limits to Castro Street roughly between the Southern Pacific Railroad and MacArthur Boulevard. This portion includes the downtown area and the oldest residential areas of the City.
The City maintains roughly two thirds of the sewers within the City limits, primarily serving the northern portion of the City. The remainder of the City is served by the Oro Loma Sanitary District. The sewage from the City sewer system is conveyed to and treated at the San Leandro Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP).
The treatment plant produces high quality secondary effluent at a rate of 4.8 million gallons per day (mgd). An average of 2.5 dry tons of biosolids suitable for recycling are removed from the plant treatment process each day.
SSMP Documents
In January 2017, the City Council approved by resolution an updated version of the City's SSMP. This revision includes updated reporting requirements as well as specifying new technologies incorporated into the maintenance plan during the last five years. It also specifies the City's updated plans that comply with SWRCB Order No. WQO 2013-0058 and includes the updated Overflow Emergency Response Plan. All SSMP-related documents are available for download via the links below.