Streamline Sewer Lateral Inspection Programs for Cities, Plumbers & Property Owners
Upload, review, and approve CCTV inspection reports
Reduce risk, time, and liability with data-driven dashboards
Automate notifications & compliance audits
Powered by the Forward Lateral Software Platform
Outcomes-Based Results
Modeled spill-risk reduction
We dive deep into existing data to model out a current understanding of a sewer shed, and what it could look like with state of the art condition assessment.
Transparent compliance cycles
Data-rich dashboards that will get rave reviews at council.
The right people see what’s happening, what’s next, and who is responsible. No guessing. No confusion. No “where is my inspection?” phone calls. Just auto-emails and clean reports as the process evolves.
Fantastic public-facing reports
Our clean reports are sent to the property owner or real estate agent so they can view on their phones, get competitive bids, not have to learn “plumbing” to get through the process.
OUR SEWER SPILL PREVENTION PROGRAM
Forward Lateral and our Sewer Spill Prevention Program. This is how results get delivered. Software is great, but the ideas the software must deliver on is where we get started. PSL philosophy, if you will.
How it works
Free consult
Deep dive current program, analyze tech stacks and data, understand potential for improved outcomes
Understand of ordinance & triggers for inspections
Public outreach and consult
Produce “Priority List” paper for PSL updates
Standardize process & language
Train staff for trial run on new software
Update GIS/AI data tracking
On-going Platform + Support
Two Flexible Paths for Running Your Private Sewer Lateral Program
Forward Lateral supports both push-camera and CCTV inspection van inspectors — and both feed directly into the same compliance and reporting system.
Which path will you choose?
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Pathway 1 — Plumber-Submitted Inspections (Push Camera Workflow)
Perfect for established PSL programs or cities that want distributed inspections performed by licensed contractors.
How it works
Homeowners directly hire approved plumbers
Plumbers upload CCTV videos directly into Forward Lateral
Staff review the inspection report, outlines next steps
Homeowners receive reviewed inspection report & next steps (including shopping the inspection for fair pricing)
Shop repairs → select plumber → permits → repairs → sign-offs
Full transparent audit trail
Best for
All private sewer lateral programs
Robust construction/ADU & point-of-sale triggers
Cities that already rely on local plumbers
Big cities or small districts
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Pathway 2 — Sewer Lateral Van Workflow (Mainline + Lateral Capture)
Ideal for cities performing annual mainline work — maximize field crews by capturing private laterals simultaneously in the context of a big picture wastewater program.
How it works
Your mainline CCTV crew records lateral “pop-ins”
The van captures short videos of laterals from the main and creates an inspection report in Forward Lateral (like a plumber would)
Van crew leaves door hanger for property owner to verify name/email
City reviews inspection → property owner receives inspection → select plumber → permits → repairs → sign-offs
Inspection report is just like plumber-uploaded footage
Best for
Cities doing proactive systemwide CCTV
Neighborhood rehab campaigns
Development of new wastewater program
Reducing reliance on plumbers for initial inspections
Meet Sewer Pirate!
We trained AI assistant Sewer Pirate. He might be the PSL program accelerator you’ve been looking for!
Jesse here — founder of Forward Lateral.
Back in 2018, while permitting an ADU in Santa Barbara, I had a lot of basic but important questions about my private sewer lateral — and no fast way to get really specific answers.
Questions like:
Can multiple contractors handle different parts of the repair, like the lateral and the wye?
How do I get fair pricing, or easily compare second opinions?
What repair options are actually allowed?
Can some materials, like cast iron, be repaired while others, like Orangeburg, must be replaced?
I didn’t want a long meeting or a deep technical explanation. I just needed quick, reliable answers so I could build a clear repair game plan, choose the right contractor, and confirm details with the city — ideally with a short phone call instead of an in-person visit.
Fast forward to 2025. With major advances in AI, we trained our own assistant: Sewer Pirate.
Sewer Pirate is designed specifically for private sewer lateral programs. It draws first from municipal code, then city websites and policies, and only lastly from general reference material — so the guidance reflects how your city actually operates.
How Sewer Pirate Helps
For property owners: Sewer Pirate explains inspection results in plain language and answers common questions, helping owners understand requirements, options, and next steps without needing plumbing expertise.
For municipalities: Sewer Pirate assists review technicians by generating clear, consistent summaries and next steps after an inspection outcome is selected — maintaining a single, professional voice that staff can easily edit or customize as needed.
The result is better understanding, faster more consistent reviews styles, and a more transparent experience for everyone involved.
Jesse Aizenstat, Founder and CEO
Big things have small beginnings. Forward Lateral was built to streamline PSL programs, reduce I&I across sewersheds, generate meaningful new data, help property owners get competitive bids, keep plumbing contractors organized, leverage the power of AI, and ultimately reduce sewer spills.