(a) Control of Sewer Systems. The sanitary sewer system of the City, or in any area under the jurisdiction of the City, shall be under the charge and control of the Board of Public Utilities under whose supervision the sewer system shall be used by property owners. No unauthorized 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 Administrator.
(b) Classes of Permits. There shall be two classes of building sewer permit:
(1) For residential, commercial, institutional or governmental service, and
(2) For service to an industrial user.
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 Administrator. County Sewer District users shall obtain permits from the County.
(c) Permit Limitations. Permits granted under this chapter shall be for a specific wastewater, and such permits shall be granted only after approval of plans as set forth herein. Subsequent wastewaters of different quantity, quality or characteristics shall be covered by separate permits.
(d) Permit Refusal. The Administrator may refuse to issue a permit for a new connection to the sanitary sewer system unless there is available capacity in all downstream facilities, including treatment plant capacity for BOD5 and suspended solids removal. Capacity shall be determined on the basis of design criteria previously approved or established by OEPA.
(e) Connection Charges. In addition to the permit specified in subsection (b) hereof, all new users (including the County Sewer District users) connecting to the City wastewater system shall pay the connection charge as called for in the City's Sewer Service Rate Ordinance.
(f) Cost of Building Sewer. All costs and expenses incidental to the installation and connection of the building sewer to the public 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.
(g) Building Sewer Limitations. Every building which is the source of the heretofore described acceptable wastewater shall be provided with a separate and independent building sewer. Where one building stands at the rear of another or 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, the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer. In the case of industry, several buildings may be served by one building sewer provided the sewer is adequately sized, and provided it is approved by the Administrator.
(h) 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 Administrator or his representative to meet all requirements of this chapter.
(i) Combined Sewers. The construction of or extensions to combined sewers is hereby prohibited, unless approved by the OEPA.
(j) Private Sanitary Sewers. "Private" (as opposed to "public") sanitary sewers shall continue to be owned by the private owners now owning same until such time as the owner and the City mutually agree to a transfer of ownership to the City. Such sewers shall be controlled by the City but shall be operated and maintained by their owners, unless the City agrees in writing to provide this service in which case a proper easement shall be dedicated to the City. Plans and specifications for private sanitary sewers shall be approved by the Administrator prior to the start of construction. Design and construction shall be in accordance with the appropriate specifications of the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) and the Water Pollution Control Federation (WPCF) "Manual of Practice No. 9."
(k) Design and Construction of Building Sewers. The minimum size and slope, alignment and materials of construction of a building sewer, and the methods to be used in excavating, placing of the pipe, jointing, testing and backfilling the trench, shall all conform to the requirements of the Building and Plumbing Code or other applicable rules and regulations of the City, or its designated representative, and approved by the Administrator. In the absence of Code provisions, or in amplification thereof, the materials and procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the American Society of Testing Materials and Water Pollution Control Federation Manual of Practice No. 9 shall apply. Specifically, building sewers shall be not less than six inches in diameter, shall be constructed at a grade of not less than one-eighth of an inch to the horizontal foot (preferably one-fourth inch per foot where conditions permit a steeper slope), and shall be in accordance with the following:
(1) Joints for vitrified clay bell and spigot pipe shall be compression joints as defined by ASTM Designation: C-425. Poured joints and joints of the slip seal type shall not be approved.
(2) For concrete sanitary sewer pipe, flexible watertight joints conforming to ASTM Designation: C-443 are required.
(3) If satisfactory materials other than clay or concrete are used for sanitary sewer pipe, the joint shall meet standards equal to the standards set forth above for clay and concrete pipe.
(4) Manholes shall be either poured-in-place concrete or precast concrete manhole sections. Precast concrete manhole sections shall conform to ASTM Designation: C-443.
(5) Revisions of the specifications referred to herein shall be accepted provided the revision upgrades the quality of the sewer construction.
(6) Sanitary sewer specifications shall include provisions for testing the tightness of the sewer by an infiltration or exfiltration process or by any other approved process. The testing, as well as the sewer construction, shall be under the direction of a qualified engineer or a competent inspector directed by an engineer.
(7) Building sewers shall be constructed in accordance with specifications equal to those indicated above.
(8) Sanitary sewer plans submitted for approval shall either be accompanied by separate contract specifications or sewer specifications on the plans.
Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. Basement floor drains and fixtures installed in basements at the owner's risk of damage may be discharged into the sanitary sewer when properly trapped against back pressure. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, wastewater carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer.
(l) Illegal Connections. No person shall make connections of roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway drains, driveway 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.
(m) Building Sewer. The connection of the building sewer into the public sanitary sewer shall conform to the same requirements as specified in subsection (k) hereof. All such connections shall be made gastight and watertight. Any deviations from the prescribed procedures and materials shall be approved by the Administrator before installation.
(n) Inspection. The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the Administrator when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sanitary sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the Administrator or his authorized representative. The connection to the public sanitary sewer and the connection between the building drain and the building sewer, as well as the full length of the building sewer, shall remain uncovered until approved by the Administrator or his representative.
(o) Safety and Restoration. All excavations for building sewer installations shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of construction shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the City and in accordance with City standards.
(Ord. 40. Passed 8-1-88.)