(A) Responsibility of owner to provide sanitary facilities and connect upon availability of public sewer. The owners of all houses, buildings or other structures used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes, situated within the town and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located or where construction has been funded for public sewers in the town, are hereby required at their expense to install suitable sanitary facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of §§ 53.001 through 53.006, 53.020 through 53.023, 53.035 through 53.049, 53.060 through 53.070 and 53.085 through 53.089, within 120 days after being ordered to do so by the Commission. This section is subject to the public hearing and appeal rights provided for in Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 7-257 et seq.
(B) Utilization of existing disposal system. An existing subsurface disposal system may only be utilized in lieu of the public sanitary sewer when, in the sole discretion of the Commission, unique circumstances exist to justify such utilization, provided that the existing system has been approved in writing by both the Commission and the Director of Health, which approval shall be given only after said Director’s inspection of the subject system, and a finding is made that the same satisfies prevailing public health, sanitation and safety standards. Unique circumstances to allow utilization of an existing system shall be excessive distance from property line to structure, extensive presence of ledge, or other geographical or topographical conditions such as wetlands or grade changes which make sewer connection extremely impractical. Should the system fail at any time after said approval, a connection to the sewer system must be made within 120 days after being ordered to do so by the Commission, subject to the public hearing and appeal rights provided for in Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 7-257 et seq.
(C) Connection to sewers installed wholly or partly at the expense of a party other than the town. When a public sanitary sewer has been constructed and installed wholly or partly at the expense of a party other than the town, the owner of houses, buildings or other structures used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes situated within the town and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which said public sanitary sewer is located may connect said houses, building or structures to the sewer upon his or her request and at his or her expense. Before the public sanitary sewer is installed, the owners of such houses, buildings or structures shall be notified of their opportunity to connect to the sewer and that their existing subsurface disposal systems will be inspected by the Director of Health. An existing subsurface disposal system may be utilized for such houses, buildings, structures, provided that the existing system has been approved in writing by the Director of Health, which approval shall be given only after inspection of the system and a finding that it satisfies prevailing public health, sanitation and safety standards. Should such existing system not be approved by the Director of Health, or should the system fail at any time after said approval, or should a change in use of the premises require an expansion or improvement of an existing subsurface disposal system, a connection to the sewer system must be made within 120 days after being ordered to do so by the Commission, subject to the public hearing and appeal rights provided for in Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 7-257 et seq. Any houses, buildings or structures constructed during or after the installation of any such public sanitary sewer system shall be connected directly with the sewer in accordance with the provisions of §§ 53.001 through 53.006, 53.020 through 53.023, 53.035 through 53.049, 53.060 through 53.070 and 53.085 through 53.089, within 120 days after being ordered to do so by the Commission.
(D) Abandonment of private disposal system. At such time as a public sewer becomes available to the property served by a private sewage disposal system, and when a direct connection is made to the public sewer in compliance with this section within the specified period, any septic tanks, cesspools and similar private sewage disposal facilities shall be abandoned, cleaned of sludge and filled with clean bank-run gravel or dirt.
(Ord. passed 3-17-1991; Ord. passed 9-12-1998)
Editor’s note:
TM Volume 18, page 63; TM Volume 21, page 584