Who is responsible for the sewer pipe under our Milpitas front yard?
You are. Since the code was amended in January 2021, the user owns the entire house sewer, the section on private property, and is responsible for clearing, maintaining, repairing and replacing it. The code also requires a capped cleanout at the property line. For the section under the street, the house lateral, check with Public Works before any digging.
Why does the water pressure in our hillside Milpitas house seem so high?
Because of where the house sits. The city's water master plan lists static pressures from the high 30s up to 170 psi, with the highest numbers in the uppermost hillside zone. The city's water heater rules require a pressure regulator with a strainer wherever pressure exceeds 80 psi, which a plumber can confirm with a gauge.
Is Milpitas water hard enough to need a softener?
That depends on your address. Valley Water supply, serving the area west of I-880 and the part south of Calaveras Boulevard west of I-680, averaged 100.5 ppm in 2025. SFPUC water, serving the rest, averaged 60. The city keeps the two apart under normal conditions, so check the water supply map in its annual water quality report first.
Does our Milpitas house have a lead service line?
The city's initial service line inventory, sent to the state's Division of Drinking Water on October 16, 2024, found no lead or galvanized service lines, public or private, that need replacing. Pipe and fixtures inside the house are another matter, and the water quality report suggests flushing the pipes for several minutes before using tap water for drinking or cooking.
Why did the inspector ask about our fireplace chimney during a plumbing final?
Milpitas requires smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and spark arresters on chimneys serving solid-fuel fireplaces before it finals a residential permit, a sewer line or water heater permit included. If the inspector cannot check them in person, the owner can sign the city's certificate of compliance and hand it over at the final inspection.
What is the valve the city wants on our new gas water heater?
An excess flow gas shut-off device, which detects a sudden surge in gas flow, such as when a pipe breaks, and shuts it off. Milpitas requires one at the appliance outlet whenever a gas appliance is replaced. If the gas line itself is altered, a seismic or excess flow valve is also required downstream of the meter.
