Emergency Info
Line Ownership
Questions have arisen regarding who has responsibility for performing maintenance and has ownership of lines within the District. As a general rule, maintenance and repair of lines extending from an owner's home to the District main are the responsibility of the owner. This includes any problems that occur with the owner's tap, joining the owner's "service line" to the District's "main." In instances where an obstruction has occurred in the District's main which has been caused by the improper use of the sewer system by the owner, the owner is responsible to the District, and perhaps to other owners impacted, for damages suffered.
Root Removal and Service Line Maintenance
As a result of age, deterioration or inadequately installed service lines, the District has, at an increasing level, experienced deteriorating service line problems. These line problems result in backups in owner's homes, infiltration of ground water into the sewer line system, and increasing needs for owners to contract for root removal service. Root Removal particularly causes problems and obstructions in the District's mains. As a general rule, if homeowners have roots removed more than twice, significant problems with the service line likely exist and the owner needs to consider service line replacement. The process of cutting roots in service lines and discharging them into the main results in potential damage to lift stations and obstruction of mains which can present potential liability for the owner. If you have questions regarding the frequency with which you have had to roto root, please do not hesitate to contact the District.
What To Do in the Event of a Backup
In the event that you experience a backup, you should immediately call the Cherry Hills Santitation District main office at (970) 493-6133 or Bill Wallen (maintenance manager) at (970) 215-5454. The District maintains a 24-hour alert line and representatives of the District will immediately be paged or customers will be referred to a second contact number. Unless the District has been negligent, it does not have liability for sewer backups, but by contacting the District there is usually an ability to address the need for immediate clean-up services and avoid possible impacts on other owners.
Easements
The lines, manhole covers serving the lines, and manhole covers by which the District accesses its lines are located within easements owned by the District, the District has the ability to enter onto the property to excavate lines it maintains and may or may not be liable for the cost of repairing landscaping which was reasonably removed at the time of performance of work. Unless specific rights were reserved in the easement, the landowner's ability to plant landscaping, erect structures, including patios, or build fences over easements is limited. Any improvements placed over the easement are subject to removal without reimbursement at the cost of the property owner. Similarly, placing dirt, landscaping or other improvements over covers to manholes is prohibited.
Access
In exercising the right to access its easements and lines within its easements, the District has the ability to move a property owner's improvements in and within the District's easements, including fencing and landscaping. Under no circumstances should permanent improvements be constructed within an easement area and, to the degree permanent improvements encroach on the easement, those improvements, including houses, patios, decks, fences and the like, are subject to removal at the property owner's cost. Similarly, to the degree that lots are re-graded or gardens are added over easement areas, the District has the ability to remove, without the necessary obligation to restore the improvements, and if the grade has been altered or manholes have been obscured, the District may require that the manhole access be raised and, in raising those accesses, may assess the cost of additional collars or other required modifications to the homeowner. Property owners proceed to the extent at their own risk. District easement improvements are not to be obstructed, interfered with or modified and digging should not occur within District easements unless approvals have been obtained from the District.
