(a) Unauthorized Connections. No authorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the superintendent.
(b) Classes of Permits; Applications; Fees. There shall be two (2) classes of building sewer permits:
(1) For residential and commercial service.
(2) For services to establishments producing industrial.
In either case, the owner or his agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the city. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the superintendent. A permit and inspection fee for a sewer permit shall be paid to the city at the time the application is filed. The prevailing charges for making a tap into the city's sewer system shall be as determined from time to time by the board of commissioners. Any person, including industrial users, granted a sewer permit shall be authorized for so long as he shall comply with all conditions and requirements set forth in this division. However, if any person, including industrial users, shall have his authorization to discharge sewage revoked or terminated pursuant to section 18-63(d), then such person shall be required to make application as set forth in this subsection (b) for another permit and in addition to the requirements set forth in this subsection (b) shall satisfy the superintendent that all violations which resulted in the termination of its authorization have been remedied.
(c) Costs, and Expenses Borne by Owner; Indemnification of City. All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the city from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.
(d) Separate Sewers Required. A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building, unless where one building stands at the rear of another on an interior lot and no private sewer is available or can be constructed to the rear building through an adjoining alley, court, yard or driveway, then the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one (1) building sewer. The city will not assume any obligation or responsibility for damage caused by or resulting from any such single connection mentioned above. A separate connection fee will be assessed for each building served.
(e) Use of Old Building Sewers. Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found on examination and test by the superintendent to meet all requirements of this division.
(f) Cast-Iron Pipe Specifications. All new building sewers shall be cast-iron soil pipe, ASTM A-74, latest revision, unglazed clay sewer pipe, ASTM C-261, latest revision, vitrified clay sewer pipe, ASTM C-700, latest revision, ductile iron pipe, AWWA specification C-151 cement lined or PVC pipe, ASTM D-3034, latest revision, and shall meet requirements of the state plumbing code. Joints shall be as set out in subsection (i). Any part of the building sewer that is located within five (5) feet of a water service pipe shall be constructed with cast-iron soil pipe or ductile iron pipe unless the building sewer is at least one (1) foot deeper in the ground than the water service. In the latter case, vitrified clay pipe may be used. Cast-iron soil pipe or ductile iron pipe may be required by the superintendent where the building sewer is exposed to damage or stoppage by tree roots. The superintendent may also require cast-iron soil pipe or ductile iron pipe in filled or unstable ground, in areas where the cover over the building sewer is less than three (3) feet.
(g) Laying of Building Sewer, Depth. No building sewer shall be laid parallel to within three (3) feet of any bearing wall which might thereby be weakened. The depth shall be sufficient to afford twenty-four (24) inches of cover over pipe except where exposed to vehicular traffic. Portions of the building sewer subjected to vehicular traffic shall have a minimum cover of thirty-six (36) inches, or be encased in a six-inch envelope of concrete. The building sewer shall be laid at uniform grade and in straight alignment insofar as possible,
(h) Size and Slope. The size and slope of the building sewer shall be subject to the approval of the superintendent. In general, the building sewer shall not be less than six (6) inches in diameter if constructed of clay pipe or PVC pipe, or not less than four (4) inches in diameter if constructed of cast-iron soil pipe. If any part of the building sewer for a resident carries only laundry or kitchen wastes, not including wastes from a garbage grinder or the discharge from a sump pump, and is constructed of vitrified clay pipe, it may be four (4) inches in diameter instead of six (6) inches in diameter. Any part of the building sewer receiving the waste from a toilet, the waste from a garbage grinder or the discharge from a sump pump shall be six-inch vitrified clay or four-inch cast iron. The slope of the building sewer shall in no event be less than one-eighth inch per foot. No building sewer shall be laid parallel to or within three (3) feet of any bearing wall which might thereby be weakened. The depth shall be sufficient to afford protection from frost. The building sewer shall be laid at uniform grade and in straight alignment insofar as possible. Changes in direction shall be made only with properly curved pipe and fittings.
(i) Joints and Connections. All new joints and connections shall be made gastight and watertight and shall comply with the state plumbing code.
(j) Connection to Public Sewer. The building sewer shall be connected into the public sewer at the curb or property line, if a service branch sewer or wye is available at a suitable location. Where no property located service branch sewer or wye is available an authorized agent of the superintendent will cut a neat hole into the main line of the public sewer and install a suitable wye or tee saddle and extend a service branch sewer at such a point of connection with a wye saddle shall be in the upper quadrant of the main line of the public sewer. A neat workmanlike connection not extending past the inner surface of the main public sewer will be made and the saddle made secure and watertight by encasement in concrete.
(k) Elevation. Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer. No sanitary inlet which is lower than six (6) inches above the top of the lowest of the two (2) adjacent public sanitary sewer manholes shall be connected by direct drainage to the building sanitary sewer.
(l) Trenches. All excavations required for the installation of a building sewer shall be open trench work unless otherwise approved by the superintendent; and all such trenches shall be kept open until the pipe has been inspected, tested and approved by the superintendent. Except where bends are supplied, trenches shall be straight in direction and grade to accommodate prefabricated joints. Trenches shall be at least twenty (20) inches wide opposite center line of the pipe. Building sanitary sewers laid in undisturbed ground must be laid on at least six (6) inches of pea gravel, sand, or other approved grillage to support the pipe. The trench shall be filled with the same approved grillage on each side of the pipe and six (6) inches over the same.
(m) Connection of Surface Runoff or Groundwater to Building Senior. No person shall make connection of roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway drains, or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a building sewer or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer.
(n) New Connections From Inflow Sources. New connections to the sanitary sewer systems from inflow sources is prohibited, as defined and in satisfaction of the requirements of Regulation No. 35.927.4 promulgated under Title II of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, or any amendment thereof.
(o) Barricading and Lighting; Restoring Excavations. All excavations for building sewer installation shall be adequately guarded for barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazards. Furthermore, all pertinent and applicable OSHA requirement shall be met. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the superintendent.
(p) Connection at Property Line or Easement; Wye or Tee Connections. The building sewer shall be connected into the public sewer at the easement or property line. Where no properly located service branch is available, an authorized agent of the superintendent shall cut a neat hole into the main line of the public sewer and a suitable wye or tee saddle installed to receive the building sewer. The invert of the building sewer at such point of connection with a saddle shall be in the upper quadrant of the main line of the public sewer. A neat workmanlike connection not extending past the inner surface of the public sewer shall be made and the saddle made secure and watertight by encasement in epoxy cement specially prepared for this purpose. A wye and H bend fitting shall be installed at the property line between the public sewer and the building sewer. This fitting shall serve the purpose of a cleanout and for applying the smoke test during inspection of the line. After the testing, a riser will be inserted in this fitting and brought flush with the ground surface. A stopper or plug, outfitted with a type joint applicable to the pipe used, shall seal this riser against the intrusion of groundwater or surface water.
(q) Inspections, Notification. The applicant for the building sewer permit, or his licensed plumber, shall notify the superintendent when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The inspection shall be made within a reasonable period of time after the receipt of notice. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the superintendent or his representative.
(r) Testing. All building sewers shall be smoke or air tested through the wye and H bend fitting at the public sewer connection, with public sewer tightly plugged off, after connections at both ends are made and after all pipe is properly bedded and backfilled to the top of pipe. At time of test, any openings into the building drain inside the building shall be water trapped or plugged. Any leakage of smoke from building sewer or building drain and plumbing shall be located at test and repaired to stand repetition of smoke test without leakage. A suitable low-pressure air test may be considered to be equal to smoke testing. All trenches or other excavated areas shall be kept open until the pipe has been tested and approved by the superintendent.
(Ord. No. 1277, Art. V, 7-8-80; Ord. No. 1358, § 1, 1-28-86)