(a) All connections to the town's sewer main lines, or sewer manholes, shall be performed only by a state- licensed plumber or licensed utility contractor and/or performed by one of their employees under their direct supervision.
(b) Sewer connections will not be made to any existing vacant substandard property or any substandard property becoming vacant until such time as the property has been inspected and brought into compliance with the town, county and state codes and a certificate of occupancy issued.
(c) If an existing sewer connection to a property that for one reason or another becomes uninhabitable, the sewer service line will be cut and plugged at the property line by the town and billing stopped and the account will be closed. If the uninhabitable property is brought into compliance with codes and a certificate of occupancy is issued, then the sewer service line may be re-connected to the property, but will be considered as a new account, new tap and an application with fees shall have to be completed and paid.
(d) No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer, manhole or appurtenance.
(e) All required permits (town, county, state or federal), contractor connection costs, and other expenses incidental to the installation and connection of a sewer service line shall be borne by the owner. This may include costs for obtaining road cut permits, road repair, easements, costs of inspection from third party entities, a pump and storage tank if required for the service connection and other associated costs.
(f) Unless otherwise authorized by the ORC, a separate and independent sewer service line shall be provided for every building; except, 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, courtyard or driveway. The sewer service line from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one sewer service line.
(g) Old sewer service lines may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found upon examination and test by the ORC to meet all requirements of this article.
(h) The size, slope, alignment and materials of construction of a sewer service line, 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 state building and plumbing codes or other applicable rules and regulations of the town and the state. In the absence of code provisions or in amplification thereof, the materials and procedures set forth in the town's utility construction standards shall apply.
(i) Whenever possible, the sewer service line shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. In all buildings in which any building sewer drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such building drain shall be pumped by an individual pump and discharged to the sewer service line. In such case a pump is required; a shut off valve shall be installed at the connection point to the town's sewer. If a pump and storage tank is required, the system shall be pre-approved by the ORC.
(j) No person shall make connection of roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway drains or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a sewer service line or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer.
(k) The connection of the sewer service line into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other applicable rules and regulations of the town and state. All such connections shall be made watertight. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved by the town manager or ORC.
(l) The applicant for a sewer connection shall notify the ORC or customer service representative prior to installation of the sewer service line to schedule a field inspection and approval of the location of service line and connection point to the town's sewer. The actual connection to the town's sewer shall be made under the supervision of the ORC. No sewer service pipe or connection shall be backfilled or covered up without prior inspection from the ORC or his representatives. In a case where a state road has to be cut for installation of a sewer service and connection to the town's sewer, the NCDOT shall be notified and perform an approved inspection.
(m) All excavations for sewer service line installation 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 the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the town.
(n) If the town discovers through inspections and/or testing an unauthorized sewer connection, the town shall notify in writing the owner of the property that the unauthorized connection serves and request the owner to complete a sewer application form, pay a doubled connection fee and two years of back charges, or 100 percent of back charges since the owner obtained title to the property if less than two years. Failure to complete an application may result in further penalties in accordance with section 32-70.
(Code 1989, § 51.08)