(a) Permit Required to Use Sewer. 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 Manager.
(b) Building Sewer Permits and Fees.
(1) There shall be two classes of building sewer permits: one for residential and commercial service, and the other for service to establishments producing industrial wastes. In either case, the owner or his agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the Sanitary Board.
(2) The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the Manager. A permit and inspection fee of ten dollars ($10.00) for a residential or commercial building sewer permit and twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for an industrial building sewer permit shall be paid to the Manager of the Sanitary Board at the time the application is filed.
(c) Property Owner Responsible for Costs. All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the property owner, who shall indemnify the Sanitary Board for any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.
(d) Use of Old Building Sewers. Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the Manager, to meet all requirements of this chapter.
(e) Pipes and Joints. The building sewer shall be cast iron soil pipe, ASTM specification A74-42 or equal; vitrified clay sewer pipe, ASTM specification C13-44T or equal; or other suitable material approved by the Manager. Joints shall be tight and waterproof. Any part of the building sewer that is located within ten feet of a water service pipe shall be constructed of cast iron soil pipe with leaded joints. Cast iron pipe with leaded joints may be required by the Manager where the building sewer is exposed to damage by tree roots. If installed in filled or unstable ground, the building sewer shall be of cast iron soil pipe, except that nonmetallic material may be accepted if laid on a suitable concrete bed or cradle as approved by the Manager.
(f) Size and Slope of Sewer. The size and slope of the building sewer shall be subject to the approval of the Manager, but in no event shall the diameter be less than four inches. The slope of such four-inch pipe shall be not less than three-sixteenths inch per foot.
(g) Pipe Laying Regulations. 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 thereby be weakened. The depth shall be sufficient to afford protection from frost. The building sewer shall be laid at uniform grade and in straight alignment insofar as possible. Changes in direction shall be made with properly curved pipe and fittings.
(h) Where Gravity Flow Not Possible. In all buildings in which any 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.
(i) Excavation Regulations. All excavations required for the installation of a building sewer shall be open trench work unless otherwise approved by the Manager. Pipe laying and backfill shall be performed in accordance with ASTM specification C12-19 except that no backfill shall be placed until the work has been inspected.
(j) Joints and Connections.
(1) All joints and connections shall be made gastight and watertight.
(2) Cast iron pipe joints shall be firmly packed with oakum or hemp and filled with molten lead, Federal Specification QQ-1-156, not less than one inch deep. Lead shall be run in one pouring and calked tight. No paint, varnish or other coatings shall be permitted on the jointing material until after the joint has been tested and approved.
(3) All joints in vitrified clay pipe or between such pipe and metals shall be made with approved hot-poured jointing material or cement mortar as specified herein.
(4) Material for hot-poured joints shall not soften sufficiently to destroy the effectiveness of the joint when subjected to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, nor be soluble in any of the wastes carried by the drainage system. The joint shall first be calked tight with jute, hemp or similar approved material.
(5) Cement joints shall be made by packing a closely twisted jute or oakum gasket of suitable size to fill partly the annular space between the pipes. The remaining space shall be filled and firmly compacted with mortar composed of one part Portland cement and three parts mortar sand. The material shall be mixed dry; only sufficient water shall be added to make the mixture workable. Mortar which has begun to set shall not be used or retempered. Lime putty or hydrated lime may be substituted to the extent of not more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the volume of the Portland cement that may be added.
(6) Other jointing materials and methods may be used only by approval of the Manager.
(k) Connection to Public Sewer. The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall be made at the "Y" branch, if such branch is available at a suitable location. If the public sewer is twelve inches in diameter or less, and no properly located "Y" branch is available, the property owner shall at his expense install a "Y" branch in the public sewer at the location specified by the Manager. Where the public sewer is greater than twelve inches in diameter, and no properly located "Y" branch is available, a neat hole may be cut into the public sewer to receive the building sewer, with entry in the downstream direction at an angle of about forty-five degrees. A forty-five degree ell may be used to make the connection, with the spigot end cut so as not to extend past the inner surface of the public sewer. The invert of the building sewer at the point of connection shall be at the same or at a higher elevation than the invert of the public sewer. A smooth, neat joint shall be made, and the connection made secure and watertight by encasement in concrete. Special fittings may be used for the connection only when approved by the Manager.
(l) Notification When Ready to Connect. The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the Manager when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the Manager or his representative.
(m) Excavations; Precautions and Restoration. 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 Sanitary Board.
(1975 Code Sec. 15-41 to 15-53)