Lexington, KY Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 16-41
- Leak repair duty
- Property owner, not the urban county
- Trigger
- Leak found during smoke test before backfill
- Tap installation cost
- $250.00 per trip to site
- Inspecting office
- Division of Engineering
- Backfill rule
- No backfill until inspection passes
Summary
When a new building sewer tap into Lexington-Fayette's public sanitary sewer is smoke tested and inspected by the Division of Engineering before backfill, any leak the inspection turns up is not the urban county government's problem to fix. Code of Ordinances § 16-41 puts repair squarely on the property owner, and backfill cannot proceed until the leak is corrected and the connection passes.
The completed connection shall be smoke tested and inspected by the division of engineering prior to backfill being placed. The repair of any leak found shall be the responsibility of the property owner.
Full Breakdown
Section 16-41, "Building sewers and connections," in Chapter 16 (Sewage, Garbage, Refuse and Weeds) governs every tap that connects a residential, commercial or industrial building to the Urban County Government's public sanitary sewer. The owner or agent applies on a form furnished by the government, and all costs of installing and connecting the building sewer are borne by the owner, who must indemnify the urban county government against any resulting loss or damage. 00 per trip to the site. Once the tap permit issues, only the division of sanitary sewers may make the actual tap into the mainline sewer.
" Separately, § 16-41 also regulates basement and below-grade sanitary facilities, requiring a permit from the division of building inspection and division of engineering, and setting a one-foot elevation buffer above the nearest downstream manhole lid before gravity service is allowed; facilities below that line must discharge through a sewage pump instead.
Violations & Fines
Backfilling before the Division of Engineering signs off on the smoke test voids the inspection, leaving the owner responsible for uncovering, repairing and retesting the connection at their own expense. Chapter 16 sewer offenses are enforced under the article XII penalty schedule referenced at § 16-40, with each day a violation continues treated as a separate offense; the urban county engineer can also halt lateral sewer construction outright until an owner complies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays to fix a leak found during a Lexington sewer connection inspection?
When is a new building sewer connection inspected in Lexington-Fayette?
Can I backfill my sewer connection before a found leak is repaired?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lexington
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