(a) No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connection with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or the appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit therefor from the City Clerk.
Before a permit may be issued for excavating for plumbing in the City, the contractor applying for such permit shall have executed unto the City and deposited with the City Treasurer a corporate surety bond in the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) and a minimum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) liability insurance conditioned that he or she will perform faithfully all work with due care and skill and in accordance with the laws, rules and regulations established under the authority or any ordinances of the City pertaining to plumbing. Such bond shall state that the person will indemnify and save harmless the City and the owner of the premises against all damages, costs, expenses, outlays and claims of every nature and kind arising out of unskillfulness or negligence on his or her part in connection with plumbing or excavating for plumbing as prescribed in this chapter. Such bond shall remain in force and must be executed for one year, except that on such expiration it shall remain in force as to all penalties, claims and demands that may have occurred thereunder prior to such expiration.
Nothing in this section shall prohibit any bona fide owner from personally installing plumbing in his or her own residence, provided that such owner:
(1) Applies for and secures a permit in accordance with subsection (a) hereof;
(2) Pays the required fees;
(3) Does the work himself or herself in accordance with this chapter;
(4) Applies for an inspection; and
(5) Receives the approval of the City inspector.
(b) There shall be two classes of building sewer permits: one for residential and commercial service and one for service to establishments producing industrial waste. In either case, the owner or his or her agent shall make application on a form furnished by the City Clerk. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the inspector. A permit and inspection fee as determined by Council shall be paid to the City Treasurer at the time the application is filed.
(c) All costs and expenses incidental to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner or the person installing the building sewer for such owner shall indemnify the City from any loss or damage that may be directly occasioned by the installation.
(d) A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building. However, 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 through an adjoining alley, court, yard or driveway, the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer. Other exceptions will be allowed only by special permission granted by the Superintendent of Public Works.
(e) Old building sewers or portions thereof may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the inspector, to meet all requirements of this chapter.
(f) The building sewer shall be constructed from vitrified clay sewer pipe and fittings, extra heavy cast iron soil pipe or ABS or PVC plastic pipe. All of such materials shall meet current A.S.T.M. specifications. If installed in filled or unstable ground, the building sewer shall be cast iron soil pipe, except that vitrified clay pipe or plastic pipe may be accepted if laid on a suitable improved bed or cradle as approved by the inspector.
(g) All joints and connections shall be made gas and watertight and shall conform to the manufacturers' recommendations. If no clean out opening is installed inside the dwelling where the sewer line goes outside, then a riser and clean out opening shall be installed outside the dwelling as near the entrance of the sewer line to the building as practical.
(h) The size and slope of the building sewer shall be subject to the approval of the inspector, but in no event shall the diameter be less than four inches. The slope of such four-inch pipe shall be not less than one-eighth inch per foot. A slope of one-fourth inch per foot shall be used wherever practical.
(i) The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall be made at the "Y" branch designated for that property. Any connection not made at the designated "Y" branch in the main sewer shall be made only as directed by the inspector.
(j) Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. No building sewer shall be laid parallel to or within three feet of any bearing wall which might be weakened thereby. 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 inspector. Pipe laying and backfill shall be performed in accordance with current A.S.T.M. specifications, except that no backfill shall be placed until the work has been approved by the inspector or his or her representative.
(k) In all buildings in which a building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such drain shall be lifted by approved artificial means and discharged to the building sewer.
(l) The applicant for the building sewer shall notify the inspector when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the inspector or his or her representative.
(m) All excavations for building sewer installations shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazards. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the inspector.
(n) Prior to the demolition of any building or facility containing a building sewer connection to a public sewer, the building sewer connection shall be abandoned and plugged in accordance with procedures and specifications set forth by the Superintendent of Public Works.
(c) Abandoned building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the Superintendent of Public Works, to meet all requirements of the City Codes and upon payment of all current connection charges and benefit charges existing at the time of reconnection.
(d) In regard to any property wherein the sewer connection is abandoned at the owner’s request, City charges will be suspended only upon compliance with subsection (n) above.
(Ord. 133. Passed 5-4-71; Ord. 323. Passed 2-20-14.)