Guide · Sewer and water lines
Who repairs sewer and water lines in Greeley, CO?
Two lines serve your Greeley, CO house, and the city's side ends in a different place on each. The water line has a clear split. The sewer line is the resident's, and the city leaves the boundary open. This guide sets out what the city says, what it does not, and who to ask.
Reviewed October 2026
The short version
- Sewer: the city maintains the public mains. The service line to your house is the resident's responsibility.
- Water: the city owns the line up to the property line. You own it from there into the house.
- Whole street affected: call the city first. Only your home: a plumber is the usual first call.
Sewage in the house now? Sewer backup steps
Key Sewer line
- ACity sewer main. The public pipe under the street.
- BWhere the boundary is not stated. The city does not say where, on a given lot, its main ends and your line begins.
- CService line. The resident's responsibility, up to a boundary the city does not state.
- DCleanout. A capped opening into the line. The city does not say who owns it.
Key Water line
- 1City water main. The public pipe under the street.
- 2Property line. The city owns the service line up to it.
- 3Curb stop. The city says your section may include it.
- 4Water meter. The city says your section may include it.
Who repairs sewer and water lines in Greeley: two lines, two different answers
Every house has a sewer line going out and a water line coming in. The City of Greeley describes them differently, and the questions you can settle about each are not the same.
For water, the city describes a clean split at the property line. For sewer, it says the service line is the resident's responsibility, but it does not say where on a given lot the public main takes over. That open boundary is part of why a sewer problem is harder to place than a water one.
The sewer line: what the city says, and what it leaves open
The city looks after the public sewer mains. The pipe between a main and your house is a service line, and that is where the questions start.
What the city says
- It maintains the public sewer mains.
- Residents are responsible for their own sewer service line.
- It is not responsible for maintaining private sewer service lines. For a service-line problem it points residents to a private sewer maintenance company.
- Many of the emergency requests it receives involve a main city line that its wastewater division can address.
What its page leaves open
- Where, on a given lot, the service line ends and the public main begins
- Who owns the cleanout
- Who pays when a particular line fails
These are questions the city's wastewater page does not answer, not rulings either way. When the answer matters, ask the city.
The water line: a sharper split
For water, the city says where its side ends.
The City of Greeley says it owns the water service line from the public main to the property line. The customer owns the service line from the property line into the house, and the city says that section may include the curb stop and the water meter.
"May include" is the city's wording, so how it applies on your lot is worth confirming. The city's page also does not say whether a homeowner may operate the curb stop or the meter. Ask before turning either: City Water and Sewer, a city department.
Lead service lines
The city runs a lead protection program. It keeps a service line inventory map and a self-inspection survey, says it is replacing older service lines, and says it has limited information on the material of the customer-owned portions. If you want to know what your line is made of, the survey and the program itself are the places to start.
Shutting the water off inside the house is covered in How to shut off the water to your house. Replacing the service line itself is a separate job, covered under water service line replacement.
Who to ask, and for what
These are city departments, not plumbing contractors. Pick the row that matches your question.
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Street-wide troubleNeighbors affected, or sewage in the street
Report it to the municipal wastewater utility, the city line for street-wide trouble. The city describes it as open every day, around the clock.
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Only your homeA sewer line that is blocked, slow or damaged
A plumber. The city points residents with a service-line problem to a private sewer maintenance company. When a plumber is the call
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Buying a homeHas this address had sewer problems?
The city's Wastewater Collection Division, the same municipal wastewater utility. What the records can show
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Curb stop or meterMay I operate it? Which part is mine?
City Water and Sewer, the municipal water utility.
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LeadIs my water line lead?
The city's Lead Protection program, a city department.
How a service line fails, and how a plumber finds the fault
Knowing whose line it is matters, and so does knowing what has gone wrong with it. A service line is buried, so a plumber finds the fault by measurement before anything is dug.
The sewer service line
Wastewater moves through it by gravity, so it depends on an even grade. Ground that settles leaves a belly, a low spot where solids collect, and a section that shifts can shear a joint apart. Tree roots enter at joints and grow into a mat that catches paper. Over years a cracked pipe collapses under the soil above it. The first sign is usually the lowest drain in the house filling, a gurgling toilet or an odor at the cleanout.
A plumber confirms the fault with a color fiber-optic camera passed through the cleanout, then marks its position and depth at the surface with a locator. Footage shows whether the pipe can be cleaned, repaired in one spot, lined or replaced. Sewer camera inspection
The water service line
It is under constant pressure, so a failure shows as lost water. Corrosion pits a metal line from the outside and the inside until a pinhole opens, a fitting at the meter or the house wall loosens, and ground movement can pull a joint apart. Because the pipe is pressurized, a small leak is a steady jet that erodes the soil around it.
A plumber confirms a loss at the meter with every fixture off, then isolates the line under test pressure and listens along it with acoustic equipment to find the spot. A wet patch in the yard may be nowhere near the actual leak. Leak detection
What delay costs is paid inside the property line. A leaking sewer line soaks the soil and, when it blocks, backs sewage into the house as blackwater, a contamination risk that soaks drywall and subfloor and brings mold. A leaking water line washes out the ground under paving and slabs and raises the bill every month. Either one is cheaper to repair when it is found by a camera or a gauge than after it fails.
What the city's records can show
The city has tracked sewer emergency calls by property since 1974. Its Wastewater Collection Division says it can tell a buyer about previous sewer-related issues at an address and whether the city or a private owner corrected them.
Records of private lines are thinner. The city's data shows only where a private line connects to the public one, not its route on the property. The system dates to 1889, and the city says records for all properties may not be available or accurate.
To learn where a line runs from the house to the street or easement, the city recommends contacting a private sewer cleaning company. A plumbing or sewer company can also look inside a line with a camera. Sewer camera inspection
- AThe connection point. The city's data shows where the private line meets the public one.
- BThe route across the lot. Not in the city's data, so it may be unknown until someone locates it.
- CThe house.
If sewage is backing up right now
Whose line it is can wait for a minute. These cannot.
- Stop sending water down the drains and keep clear of the affected area.
- Check whether neighbors have the same problem. If they do, or sewage is in the street, report it to the municipal wastewater utility.
- If it is only your home, call a plumber. Sewer backup: what to do and what to skip
When a plumber is the right call
For a problem on your side of either line, a plumber is the usual first call. For a service-line problem the city's own words are "a private sewer maintenance company". Call a plumber with experience in sewer and water service lines to inspect the problem. The city's pages do not say who pays when a line fails, and exact pricing depends on pipe depth, material and what a diagnostic camera finds on site.
A plumber can look inside the line first (sewer camera inspection), and if it is damaged, explain the options (sewer line repair).
A problem on your side of the line?
Say which line it is, what it is doing, and whether neighbors have the same trouble.
Common questions
Who is responsible for a sewer backup in Greeley?
It depends on where the blockage is, and a good first clue is who else is affected. The city maintains the public sewer mains, and residents are responsible for their own service line.
If neighbors have the same trouble, or sewage is in the street, report it to the municipal wastewater utility. If it is only your home, a plumber is the usual first call. Sewer backup
Does the city repair my sewer line?
The city says it is not responsible for maintaining private sewer service lines, and it points residents with a service-line problem to a private sewer maintenance company. A fault on a public main is a different matter: the city says many of the emergency requests it receives involve a main city line that its wastewater division can address.
Where does the city's part of the sewer line end and mine begin?
The city's wastewater page does not say. It says residents are responsible for their own service line, and that its data on private lines shows only where the line connects to the public one. To find out where your line runs, the city recommends a private sewer cleaning company. For what the city has on file for an address, ask its Wastewater Collection Division.
Who owns the curb stop and the water meter?
The city says the customer owns the water service line from the property line into the house, and that this section may include the curb stop and the water meter. "May include" is the city's hedge, so confirm it for your lot. The city's page does not say whether a homeowner may operate them. Ask City Water and Sewer first.
Can I find out whether this house has had sewer problems before?
You can ask. The city's Wastewater Collection Division has tracked sewer emergency calls by property since 1974 and says it can tell a buyer about previous sewer-related issues and whether the city or a private owner corrected them. The city also says its records for all properties may not be available or accurate. Ask the Wastewater Collection Division through the municipal wastewater utility.
Who do I call if the whole street is backed up?
The city's wastewater emergency line, which the city describes as open every day, around the clock. Report it to the municipal wastewater utility. It is a city service, not a plumbing company.
Is my water line lead?
This guide cannot tell you. The city keeps a service line inventory map and a self-inspection survey, and says it has limited information on the material of customer-owned portions. City Lead Protection can point you to them.
What should I do while waiting for a plumber or the city?
If sewage is backing up, stop sending water down the drains and keep clear of the affected area. Check whether neighbors have the same problem; if they do, or sewage is in the street, report it to the municipal wastewater utility. If it is only your home, a plumber is the call.
Related pages
- Sewer backupSewage coming up, and what to do first.
- Sewer line repairHow a damaged line is repaired or replaced.
- Sewer camera inspectionSeeing inside the line.
- Main water shutoffWhere the valve is and how to close it.
- Water service line replacementWhen the line from the street to the house needs replacing.