Every residence, place of residence, or other building or place where persons congregate, reside, or are employed, and which cannot reasonably, in the opinion of the city, be provided with a connection to a public sanitary sewerage system, shall be provided with a private water flush toilet and sewage disposal system by the owner or agent or occupant of the premises; said water flush-toilet system to be built or rebuilt, constructed, altered or reconstructed, and maintained in such manner as to meet the requirements of construction and maintenance herein described.
At any residence, place of business or other building where there is installed a water flush system or sewage disposal system which is not connected to a public sewer system, and where the customary population equivalent does not exceed fifteen in number, there shall be established or installed a private sewage disposal system, located entirely within the parcel of property to be served by such system, which shall be so constructed as to meet the requirements of construction and maintenance herein described.
(a) Septic Tanks. Septic tanks shall be of type, construction and location as recommended by the health officer. If it is necessary to install the tank above ground surface, it must be made airtight and odor-tight. The septic tank distribution box, if used, and all inlets and outlets thereto, shall be watertight.
Capacity shall be specified by the health officer. It shall be constructed of concrete, heart grade redwood, or some other material of equal durable and waterproof qualities approved by the health officer.
Effluent from tanks must discharge into an approved absorption field. The construction shall be such that the sewage shall at no time flow over the top of the ground. The absorption field shall be laid at a grade of not more than two inches in one hundred feet. The effluent lines shall be laid in a trench at least twenty-four inches wide, which has a layer of one to two-inch loose rock on the bottom at least twelve inches deep and at least four inches over the top of said effluent lines. Minimum length of the effluent leaching lines shall be two hundred feet. Additional length of effluent line may be required by the health officer if unusual conditions are encountered. In any case where the topography or area of any lot, piece or parcel of land upon which a septic tank is erected, maintained, constructed, or is proposed to be erected, maintained or constructed, is such that the minimum requirements for the length of effluent leaching lines cannot be complied with, the health officer may grant a special permit for the erection, construction or maintenance of shorter effluent leaching lines, or other means of effluent disposal, if in his judgment such other means or shorter effluent lines are sufficient to provide for the efficient disposal of the effluent without endangering public health or safety.
(b) Cesspools. It shall be unlawful to use a cesspool for the disposal of sewage without a special permit from the health officer.
(c) Sewer Wells. All sewer wells are hereby declared to be a public nuisance. It shall be unlawful to drill, construct, maintain or operate a sewer well.
(d) Other. Other types of private sewage disposal systems, utilizing either aerobic or anaerobic treatment processes, may be used with the approval of the health officer. The burden of proof regarding the efficacy and safety of a proposed disposal system will be upon the person who proposes such use.
At any residence, a place of business, or other building where there is installed a water flush system of sewage disposal, which is not connected to a public sewer system, and where the customary users exceed an equivalent population of fifteen in number, city may require that sewage disposal be governed by terms of a special agreement with the city. Construction, operation, and maintenance of such systems shall also be governed by requirements of a permit issued by the health officer.
Upon application for permit to install and use any private sewage disposal system not operated under terms of a special agreement with the city, applicant shall agree to maintain such system in accordance with requirements of Section 16.10.020. Further, applicant shall agree to provide the premises with a connection to a public sanitary sewerage system within a period of time, to be established by the city, following availability of such sewerage system.
The period of time to be allowed for connection to the public sewerage system shall be specified by the city at the time public sewerage facilities are made available. In no case shall the time allowed for connection exceed five years from the time sewerage facilities become available.
(Ord. 4642 § 24, 2000: Ord. 1927 (part), 1960: prior code § 30.03)