(A) Purpose. The City Council finds that the discharge of water from roof, surface, groundwater, sump pump, footing tile, or swimming pool, or other natural precipitation of the city sanitary sewage system will, and has on numerous occasions in the past, flooded and overloaded the sanitary sewage system to such an extent as to cause significant and grave damage to the waste treatment plant and sanitary sewer trunk system. Such damage is caused by the backup of sewage into the plant, private properties, and pressure damage to trunk lines. The City Council, therefore, finds it essential to the minimization of damage to property and to meet state Pollution Control Agency and city code requirements that the provisions of this section be strictly enforced to avoid emergencies in the future.
(B) Prohibition against discharges into sanitary sewer system. No water from any roof, surface, groundwater, sump pump, footing tile, swimming pool, or other natural precipitation shall be discharged into the sanitary sewer system. Dwellings and other buildings and structures which require, because of infiltration of water into basements, crawl spaces, and the like, a sump pump discharge system shall have a permanently installed discharge line which shall not at any time discharge water into the sanitary sewer system, except as provided herein. A “permanently installed discharge line” shall be one which provides for year around discharge capability to either the outside of the dwelling, building, or structure, or is connected to the city storm sewer, or discharges through the curb and gutter to the street. It shall consist of a rigid discharge line, without valving or quick connections for altering the path of discharge. It shall not be capable of connection or reconnection to the sanitary sewer system.
(C) Disconnection. Before May 2014, any person, firm, or corporation having a roof surface, groundwater, sump pump, footing tile, or swimming pool now connected and/or discharging into the sanitary sewer system shall disconnect and/or remove same. Any disconnects or openings in the sanitary sewer shall be closed in an effective, workmanlike manner, as approved by the city.
(D) Inspection. No later than August 1, 2014, every person owning improved real estate that discharges into the city’s sanitary sewer system shall obtain an inspection of each building located on such property by an inspector designated by the city. The purpose of this inspection shall be to confirm that there is no sump pump or other prohibited discharge into the sanitary sewer system. In lieu of having the city inspect such property, the owner may, no later than August 1, 2014, furnish a certificate from a licensed plumber, in a form acceptable to the city, certifying that the property is in compliance with this section.
(E) Future inspections. Any building may be reinspected on a yearly basis in conjunction with yearly water meter or other inspections.
(F) New home inspections. All new homes will be required to have their sump pump system inspected and be in compliance with this section prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
(G) Waivers.
(1) The City Council shall have the power and duty of hearing and deciding requests for waivers from the applicability of the provisions of this section where strict enforcement would cause undue hardship because of circumstances unique to the individual property under consideration or cause a safety problem. This would also include cases that would not be practical or feasible to correct the clear water discharge problem.
(2) Application for waivers pursuant to this section shall be addressed in writing to the City Administrator. The applications shall at a minimum identify the property for which the waiver is being applied for, the name of the property owner/applicant, and describe in detail what characteristics of the subject property create an undue hardship. Within reasonable time the City Council shall make its decision on the matter and send a copy of such decision to the applicant by regular mail. Upon approval of an application for a waiver, a property owner shall be allowed to discharge directly into the sanitary sewer system for the time specified in the City Council’s written decision. The applicant will be required to agree to pay an additional fee for the additional sewer service, along with the regular monthly charge. Fees for this service will be based on estimated yearly average amounts discharged to the sanitary sewer.
(H) Surcharge and penalties. A surcharge of $100 per month will be added to every sewer bill mailed after August 1, 2014, to property owners who have not obtained a property inspection by that date and to property owners who are not in compliance with this section. The surcharge shall be added every month to be included in monthly bills for properties not complying with this section. All properties found during yearly inspection to have violated this section will be subject to the $100 per month charge for all months between the two most recent inspections, and for each month thereafter until the property owner submits proof to the city that the property is brought into full compliance. In addition to the $100 per month charge, a property owner or other person who is not in compliance this section may be mailed, by regular mail, with a notice that such violation shall cease and desist within a time limit provided by the City Council. If such violation does not cease and desist by the established time limit, the owner of the property or other person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Ord. 305, passed 9-18-2013)