(a) No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with, or opening into, use, alter or disturb any sanitary sewer or appurtenance of the city without first obtaining a written permit from the Superintendent.
(b) There shall be two classes of sewer service permits: for residential and commercial service; and for service to establishments producing industrial wastes. In either case, the owner or his or her 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. An adequate and responsible bond shall be required and delivered to the city for the purpose of repairing and replacing any damage done to any public street or way by reason of such installation of a sewer connection or a sewer before such permit is issued. The city shall determine the amount of such bond.
(c) All costs and expenses incidental to the installation, connection and maintenance of the customer service line 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 customer service line, and such installation shall be done by a certified plumber or a person approved by the Superintendent under whose supervision the installation shall be made.
(d) A separate and independent customer service line shall be provided for every building or series of buildings located on a single parcel of land by the applicant. Old building sewers may be used in connection with new customer service lines only when they are found, on examination by the Superintendent, to meet all requirements of this article.
(e) The slope, alignment and materials of construction of a customer 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 sanitary sewer specifications used by the city. All customer service lines must be a minimum of four inches in diameter and must be of standard strength vitrified clay pipe provided with ASTM C-425 type special joints, medium weight ductile iron pipe with O-ring rubber joints, Class 2400 asbestos-cement pipe, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sewer pipe meeting ASTM Spec. 2729. Adequate soil cover to protect the service line from crushing or frost action is required. No customer service line shall be laid in the same trench with any gas and/or water line and must be separated by at least ten feet from any water line. The slope of the customer service line shall be no less than one-eighth inch per foot. All excavations for customer 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 city.
(f) The customer service line shall be connected to a sanitary sewer at the place designated by the Superintendent and shall be made by the city employees under the supervision of the Superintendent. The invert of a customer service line at the point of connection shall be at the same or higher elevation than the invert of the sanitary sewer.
(g) No person shall make connection of roof downspouts, foundation drains, areaway drains or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a customer service line or lateral sewer which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a sanitary sewer. Upon determination that this type of connection has been made, the city shall cause the owner to be notified by certified mail that he or she shall remove such connection within 30 days. Should the owner fall to do so, penalties called for under § 925.99(b) shall be invoked.
(h) Except as otherwise provided in this article, each improved property shall be connected separately and independently with a lateral through an independent customer service line. Grouping of more than one improved property on one customer service line shall not be permitted except under special circumstances and for good sanitary reasons or other good causes shown and then only after special permission of the Superintendent as may be prescribed by Council; provided, however, a single customer service line may be permitted to serve a school, mobile home park, apartment house or other permanent multiple unit property.
(i) Where an improved property, at the time connection to a sanitary sewer is required, shall be served by its own sewage disposal system or device, the existing sewer line shall be broken on the structure side of such sewage disposal system or device and attachment shall be made, with proper fittings, to continue such sewer line as a customer service line. The Superintendent may, at his or her discretion, permit the utilization of an existing sewer line provided an inspection discloses that it is reasonably true to grade and alignment and in good condition. In case of an existing sewer line utilizing a type of sewer pipe not specified herein, the Superintendent shall have the right to require the owner to uncover the full extent of the pipe to determine its condition and may require its replacement with approved pipe as outlined herein if the inspection discloses such pipe to be deteriorated in any manner. The cost of replacing the pipe where necessary, shall be the sole responsibility of the owner thereof.
(j) No customer service line shall be covered until it has been inspected and approved by the Superintendent or his or her representative. Every customer service line shall be maintained in a sanitary and safe operating condition by the owner of such improved property.
(k) The applicant for the sewer service permit shall notify the Superintendent when the customer service line is ready for inspection and connection to the sanitary sewer. The connection and testing shall be made by the Superintendent or his or her representative.