Village of Mamaroneck's sewer lateral certificate, step by step
Updated October 30, 2026 · 3-minute read · Old House Sewer Lines
The Mamaroneck sewer lateral inspection required by the Village of Mamaroneck ends in a discharge compliance certificate, which every owner must hold before a sale or a major renovation. Section 282-15.1A of the village code says: "Each property owner must obtain discharge compliance certificate prior to any renewal event" (Village of Mamaroneck Code, Chapter 282). The current law is L.L. 16-2017, which replaced a 2007 original.
The steps
Step 1: Check whether a renewal event applies. Two things trigger the requirement. One is a transfer of title, apart from certain family transfers that create a joint tenancy or tenancy in common. The other is a building or plumbing permit for work valued at more than 50% of the property's assessed value. The village form adds that co-ops and units in new construction do not need one (Village of Mamaroneck compliance form).
Step 2: Check for a recent certificate. Under § 282-15.1B the Building Inspector "may waive the requirement" when a certificate was issued within the preceding 10 years and nothing significant has changed. A seller who had the work done for an earlier renovation may already be covered. Ask the Building Department to confirm before booking a plumber.
Step 3: Hire a qualified plumber. The certification must come from a plumber licensed to work within Westchester County, and the village's sample letter has a line for the plumber's county license number. Westchester plumbing licences explains how the county system works.
Step 4: The inspection itself. Section 282-13 spells out the plumber's job. Every storm and sanitary connection is inspected. The plumber certifies that nothing on the lot (no hose, culvert, leader or pump, and no stray drain line) empties liquid into the sanitary pipe, and, under a 2024 amendment (L.L. 2-2024), lists each sump pump on the property and where it empties. The plumber then supplies "a video record of a closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection of the entire sanitary sewer lateral". A pumped or force-main system gets a pressure test in place of video. For how to read what the camera finds, see reading a sewer inspection report.
The code's list of banned inflow is broad. It covers roof leaders, sump pumps, cellar, yard, area and foundation drains, catch basins and cooling towers, among others. Why the village bans those hookups covers the reasoning.
Step 5: File and pay. The village form lists a $150 fee. That figure comes from the form; the village fee schedule itself was not confirmed, so check the amount when filing.
Step 6: If repairs are needed. A failed inspection does not have to stall a closing. The Building Inspector may allow the sale to close if the seller deposits enough to cover the work with the Village Treasurer and agrees that "the work will be completed within six months."
Outside a sale, § 282-15 gives an owner 60 days after learning of a problem, or receiving notice, to bring the lateral into compliance. If that lapses, the village may do the work itself and lien the cost on the property, collectible the same way as village taxes. Violations carry up to $500 and/or 15 days, with each day counted as a new offense (§ 282-15.3). Repair choices are in sewer line repair options.
Background
The village law is older than the county's later push. Westchester's 2016 model agreement for Sound Shore municipalities called for point-of-sale laws combining a plumber's or engineer's certification with lateral video (Westchester County model agreement). Nearby Rye adopted a similar law with a shorter reuse window; see the Rye version.
Key facts
- Law in force: L.L. 16-2017 (Chapter 282, Article IV), replacing L.L. 9-2007 (eCode360).
- Triggers: title transfer, or permitted work above 50% of assessed value.
- The plumber supplies CCTV of the entire lateral and, since 2024, an inventory of sump pumps.
- A certificate issued in the prior 10 years may be accepted if nothing significant changed.
- $150 fee on the village form; co-ops exempt (Village form).
- Escrow lets a sale close if repairs are done within six months.