Utilities Division Easement Maintenance

Frequently Asked Questions

The City-County Utilities Commission has hired Ronnie’s Trucking and Grading to clear overgrown sewer easements. Clearing the easements will ensure that Utilities crews can quickly access sewer lines in the event of a sewer backflow or line break. Clearing the easements will also reduce the likelihood damaged to the sewer line by tree roots.

The Q &A below addresses many common questions about this project. For more information, contact Mike Patton with the Utilities Division at 771-5121.

Easement Clearing Q & A

Q: What is a sewer easement?
A: A sewer easement is a strip of land that carries a sewer line, usually underground. Most easements are 20 feet wide. The Utilities Division does not actually own this land, but the easement gives it right to use and maintain the land for the sewer line.

Q: How does Utilities get the easement?
A: The Utilities Division acquires most easements when neighborhoods are built, and earlier in some cases. Once granted, the easement remains in effect when the property changes hands from one owner to the next.

Q: Why didn’t I know there was a sewer easement on my land?
A: The easement should be noted in the survey taken of your property before you bought it. It should also be noted in the deed.

Q: Why is the Utilities Division doing this project?
A: We need to provide and maintain access to our existing easements. Many of our easements are currently overgrown with trees, vines and brush which restrict access to our lines.

Q: Why hasn’t the easement been maintained before?
A: The Utilities Division has some 1,560 miles of sewer lines and does not have enough staff to keep all the easements maintained. To catch up it is hiring an independent contractor.

Q: What happens if the work is not done?
A: If there is a sewer overflow, we will not be able to get to the problem without cutting our way in, allowing the overflow to continue for an extended period. Trees and their roots will grow around and under manholes and sewer lines. Should they then fall, they would damage the manhole and/or the sewer line, causing a sewer overflow.

Q: What is the Utilities Division going to do along my property?
A: It depends on the condition of the easement. If there are only grass and weeds, no work will be done. If there are vines, briars and trees, the entire 20-foot easement will be cleared. In some cases, clearing the easement will necessitate the removal of large trees. Brush, vines, small trees and limbs will be mulched and left on the easement. Larger trees will be cut up and removed.

Q: How long will the work last?
A: Individual property owners should be affected for only a few days.

Q: How often will this easement need to be cleared?
A: Once we clear the sewer easement, we plan to mow along the easement every 2 to 3 years to keep the vegetation under control.

Q: Where the easements are on my property and have to be cleared, will I be charged for the work?
A: No. The City/County Utilities Division will bear all of the project costs.

Q: What effect will this have on my property?
A: Work crews will have to clear the 20-foot easement(s) on your property. They will access the easement by traveling from public roads along the easements.

Q: Is it necessary to clear the entire 20-foot width of the easement? Wouldn’t a smaller width be sufficient?
A: It is necessary to clear the entire 20-foot-width. Experience has shown that when we have less cleared, particularly around manholes, we can not get our equipment in to perform maintenance on the system.