(A) 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 Superintendent.
(B) (1) There shall be two classes of building sewer permits:
(a) For residential and commercial service; and
(b) For service to establishments producing industrial wastes. In either case, the owner, or the owner’s 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 Superintendent.
(2) (a) Before a permit may be issued for excavating for plumbing in any public street, way, or alley, the person applying for such permit shall have executed unto the city and deposited with the City Clerk a corporate surety in the sum of $5,000, or cash equivalent, conditioned that the applicant will perform faithfully all work with due care and skill, and in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations established under the authority of any ordinances of the city pertaining to plumbing.
(b) This bond shall state that the person will indemnify and save harmless the city and the owner of the premises against all damages, costs, expenses, outlay, and claims of every nature and kind arising out of unskillfulness or negligence on the applicant’s part in connection with plumbing or excavating for plumbing as prescribed in this chapter. Such bond or cash equivalent shall remain in force and must be executed and/or retained for a period of two years except that on such expiration it shall remain in force as to all penalties, claims, and demands that may have accrued thereunder prior to such expiration.
(C) All cost and expense incident to the installation and connection of the building 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.
(D) A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building.
(E) Old building sewers may be used in connection with new building sewers only when they are found, upon examination and testing by the Superintendent, to meet all requirements of this chapter. The Superintendent may require that the old sewer be excavated for the purpose of facilitating inspection. No old cesspool or septic tank shall be connected to any portion of a building sewer that is also connected to the public sewer. Cesspools and septic tanks shall be located and drained in a manner approved by the Superintendent and removed or filled with legally permissible material approved by the Superintendent.
(F) The building sewer shall be constructed in accordance with applicable portions of the last published State Plumbing Code, and applicable specifications of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
(1) Each connection to the public sewer shall be made to the fittings designated for that property. If a fitting in the public sewer is not available for the designated property, the connection shall then be made under the direct supervision of the Superintendent. Connections to the public sewer not made to an existing wye or tee shall be made by installing a wye branch fitting or a saddle approved by the city and using a hole cutter. Chisel cutting is not allowed. The connection shall be rendered water and gastight, by use of rubber gaskets. The building sewer shall not protrude into the public sewer.
(2) All building sewers shall be constructed of the following materials conforming to the indicated standards:
(a) Cast iron soil pipe.
1. For pipe and fittings: ASTM A-74 “Standard Specification for Cast Iron Soil Pipe and Fittings”or ASTM A888 “Hubless Cast Iron Soil Pipe and Fittings.”
2. For joints: ASTM C-564 “Standard Specification for Rubber Gaskets for Cast Iron Soil Pipe and Fittings.”
3. For couplings: CISPI310 “Coupling for Hubless CISP and Fittings,” and polyvinyl chloride pipe (PVC).
(b) Polyvinyl chloride. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and joints shall be installed according to the manufacturers’ recommendations and shall conform to:
1. For pipe: ASTM D-3034, For “PVC Sewer Pipe.”
Minimum wall thickness (SDR 26 or 23.5) | |
4” | 0.162” |
6” | 0.241” |
8” | 0.323” |
2. For fittings: ASTM F1336 for “PVC Gasketed Sewer Fittings,” SDR 26 or 23.5.
3. For joints: ASTM D-3212, “Flexible Elastomeric Seals.”
(3) No building sewer for residential or commercial buildings shall be less than four inches in diameter. No building sewer for industries or multiple dwellings shall be less than six inches in diameter.
(4) Unless otherwise authorized, all building sewers shall have a grade of not less than one-eighth inch per foot. A grade of one-fourth inch per foot shall be used wherever practical.
(5) All excavation shall be open trench work unless authorized by the Superintendent. The foundation in the trench shall be formed to prevent any subsequent settlement of the pipes. Appropriate pipe bedding shall be placed. Bell holes shall be dug. Where the floor of the trench is of hard or rocky material, the trench shall be excavated to four inches below the pipe and brought back to the proper grade with crushed stone or similar material so as to provide a firm foundation and uniform support for the building sewer line. Backfilling shall be placed in layers and solidly tamped or packed up to two feet above the pipe. Back-filling shall not be done until final inspection is made by the Superintendent. Building sewers shall be laid straight at uniform grade between connections or fittings.
(6) Cleanouts shall be provided for each change in direction or grade if the change exceeds 45 degrees and at least every 100 feet.
(G) Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. The depth shall be sufficient to afford protection from frost. All excavations required for the installation of a building sewer shall be open trench work unless otherwise approved by the said Superintendent. Pipe laying and backfill shall be performed in accordance with ASTM. Specification (Designation D2321). No backfill shall be placed until the work has been inspected by the Superintendent, or the Superintendent’s representative. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer.
(H) No person shall make connection of roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway 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.
(I) The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the Plumbing Code or other applicable rules and regulations of the city, or the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM. All such connections shall be made gastight and watertight. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved by the Superintendent before installation.
(J) Each and every part of the building sewer shall be inspected and approved by the Superintendent before being concealed or back-filled. The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the Superintendent when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the Superintendent, or the Superintendent’s representative.
(K) All excavations for building sewer 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 city.
(L) The city shall, in no event, be held responsible for claims made against it by reason of the breaking of any mains or service pipes, or by reason of any other interruption of the service caused by the breaking of machinery or stoppage for necessary repairs; and no person shall be entitled to damages nor have any portion of a payment refunded for any interruption.
(M) The premises receiving sanitary sewer service shall, at all reasonable hours, be subject to inspection by duly authorized personnel of the city.
(N) (1) The owner of the property served by a building sewer shall be responsible for the operation, maintenance, repair, blockage, surface replacement, and any damage resulting from operation, maintenance, repair, and blockage of said building sewer from the point of connection with the building drain to the public sewer. If the operation, maintenance, repair, and/or blockage requires street removal, the city will be responsible for the removal and replacement of asphalt, concrete, oil, and base rock.
(2) The property owner shall be responsible for removal and disposal of all excavation materials, and shall be responsible for placement and proper compaction of imported crushed stone backfill. The city must approve and authorize costs, contractor, and specifications of removal and replacement of said street before the work is started. All work shall be done in accordance with required regulations and specification in place at that time.
(Prior Code, § 6-2-5) (Ord. 02-02, passed 2-19-2002; Ord. 03-04, passed 9-9-2003)