A. Administration: The administration of this section will be the responsibility of the building official or his designated representative and his approval will be a condition precedent to the issuance of any building permit. It will be the duty of the building official or his representative to investigate the standards set forth in this section, together with any and all other standards which may be included in the future pertaining to drainage of subsurface waters and to recommend in writing to the city council whether the proposed improvements should be allowed upon the said properties and shall further recommend any additional requirements which he believes to be in the best interests of the city to ensure that there is no damage to persons or property within the area of the proposed improvement. Such recommendations might include the use of subdrains to lower the water table or other methods which the building official or his designated representative determines would be in the best interest of the residents of the city, said residents to include both those in the area at the present time as well as others who may be in this area at some time in the future.
B. Permission Required For Improvements: It shall be unlawful for any person to make any improvements upon their ground where subsurface water exists without obtaining the written permission of the building official. This requirement shall include, but not be limited to, subdividers, persons developing ground for industrial and/or commercial purposes and homeowners constructing improvements upon their own property.
C. Minimum Standards Maintained: Before written permission is issued, the building official shall ensure that the following minimum standards are maintained:
1. Test Holes: All persons shall dig test holes upon said properties to a depth sufficient to determine the extent of the subsurface water table in the proposed development, to include the depth thereof and any other information regarding same which may be required by the city.
2. Footings: All footings shall be at least two feet (2') above the highest water table elevations and the type of house construction or other development shall be governed by this standard. Otherwise, a foundation drain shall be installed around footings and drained into a positive drainage system.
3. Inspection Of Table: In areas where soil conservation maps indicate high water tables and in all other questionable areas that might be designated as high water tables by the building official, no building permits will be issued without water table inspection during high water table season.
4. Table Elevations: All applications must supply data as to water table elevations.
5. Land Developers:
a. Drainage Easements: The land developer shall provide drainage easements along side or front lot lines as may be required for drainage purposes; the size of said easement shall be determined by the building official and shall, in all events, be a minimum of seven feet (7'). The building official shall recommend whether the drainage easement shall be separated from other utility easements or shall be used concurrently with said easements.
b. Drainage: The building official shall require the land developer to provide for adequate and proper drainage of subsurface water from the land being developed. A registered engineer must engineer and plan all subsurface drain lines and two (2) copies of the plan for such drain lines must be submitted to the building official for his approval and for approval by the city engineer. No ditch or canal shall be approved as suitable for the use of subsurface water drainage without the written permission of the appropriate canal company or of the water users for such use. No ditch or canal shall be used for subsurface water drainage unless adequately improved to handle such water as might be reasonably expected to flow from the canal and ditch water, subsurface runoff water, subsurface water drainage and other water expected to reach such canal or ditch. No ditch, canal or other open waterway shall be permitted within property dedicated or to be dedicated for public use. The land developer shall remove such waterways from property to be so dedicated before the submission of the final plat.
6. Grading: All grading of any kind shall be done so as to ensure that the drainage is away from the proposed improvements and in such a manner as to prevent any conveying or trapping of water adjacent to the basement and foundation walls of the improvement.
D. Failure To Comply: The building official is hereby given authority to revoke any building permits and/or certificates until the applicant shall comply with the provisions of this section. (Ord. 2008-05, 7-22-2008)