(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) All disposal by any person into the sewer system is unlawful except those discharges in compliance with federal standards promulgated pursuant to the federal act and more stringent state and local standards.
(C) 1. Permit Classes: There shall be two (2) classes of building sewer permits:
(a) For residential and commercial services, and
(b) 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 city. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the superintendent. A permit and inspection fee of twenty five dollars ($25.00) for a residential or commercial building sewer permit shall be paid to the city at the time the application is filed.
A building sewer permit only will be issued and a sewer connection only shall be allowed if it can be demonstrated that the downstream sewerage facilities, including sanitary sewers, pump stations and wastewater treatment facilities, have sufficient reserve capacity to adequately handle the additional anticipated waste load. The applicant, as a condition of permit authorization, must provide information describing its wastewater constituents, characteristics and type of activity.
2. Main Trunk Sanitary Sewers: The city shall be responsible for the construction, maintenance, repair, and proper operation of the main trunk sanitary sewers wherever located within the city limits.
3. Sanitary Sewer Service Lines:
(a) The property owner shall be responsible for the construction, connection, maintenance, repair and proper operation of the sanitary sewer service line from the point where it connects with the city sanitary sewer main to the property owner's building. All costs incident to the construction, maintenance, repair and proper operation, including street surface repairs, shall be the responsibility of the property owner.
(b) Where there is an obstruction in the city sanitary sewer main or in the sanitary sewer service line which causes the sewage to back up into the building, the property owner shall notify the public works department. The public works department shall inspect the city sanitary sewer main to determine its condition. Where the obstruction is determined to be in the city sanitary sewer main, the city shall be responsible for the cost of removing said obstruction. Where the obstruction is determined to be in the sanitary sewer service line from the point where it connects with the city sanitary sewer main to the property owner's building, the property owner shall be responsible for the cost of removing said obstruction.
(c) Any disputes concerning sanitary sewer service line construction, maintenance, repair or operation shall be resolved in accordance with section 7-6-16 of this title. (Ord. 1458, 6-22-1993)
(D) All costs and expenses 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.
(E) A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building; except 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 building 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.
(F) Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the superintendent, to meet all requirements of this chapter.
(G) The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction of a building sewer, 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 building and plumbing codes, per subsection 7-5-2(D) of this chapter, or other applicable rules and regulations of the city. In the absence of code provisions or in amplification thereof, the materials and procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM and WPCF manual of practice no. 9 and "Standard Specifications For Water And Sewer Main Construction In Illinois" shall apply. (1977 Code; amd. Ord. 1248, 11-23-1982)
(H) The building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation above the basement floor, to permit gravity flow to the public sewer. No direct basement floor drains shall be permitted, except as approved by the council.
Removal of basement floor drains: It is declared to be the policy of the city to encourage the removal of sanitary sewer floor drains and to that end, the mayor and council have established a program wherein property owners wishing to disconnect their sanitary sewer floor drains can apply for partial reimbursement of said removal expenses. Anyone seeking to participate in this program shall make application to the city on a form provided by the city public works department. The terms and conditions of such program as well as the maximum reimbursement paid to the participant shall be as provided in said application. (Ord. 1782, 1-25-2005)
(I) The maintenance and connection of roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway drains, or other sources of surface runoff or ground water to a building sewer or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer is prohibited.
Existing roof drains, footing tile, or other illegal connection to the public sanitary sewers will be disconnected from said sewers within ninety (90) days after written notice from the city to do such work. The expense of such work shall be paid by the property owner. The superintendent shall determine if the disconnection has been made in satisfactory fashion.
Existing roof drains discharging at the foundation wall shall be extended by a suitable means, as approved by the superintendent, to a point, at least six feet (6') away from the foundation wall. This work shall be done and paid for by the owner. All such roof drains must be extended away from the footing wall within six (6) months after written notice from the city to do such work. All new homes must have extended roof drains as a part of construction.
Violators may be subject to penalties per section 7-5-9 of this chapter.
(J) Each connection shall be made at the "Y" designated for that property. Only where the designated "Y" is not located within three feet (3') of the point of measurements furnished by the superintendent, will a tap in connection be allowed.
The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing codes or other applicable rules and regulations of the city, or the procedures set forth in the appropriate specifications of the ASTM and the WPCF manual of practice no. 9 and the "Standard Specifications For Water And Sewer Main Construction In Illinois". Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved by the superintendent before installation.
(K) 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. Each and every part of a sewer connection shall be inspected and approved by the waterworks superintendent or his representative before being concealed or backfilled.
(L) All excavations for building sewer installation shall comply with the provisions of this code relating to excavations in streets 1 and 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. (1977 Code; amd. Ord. 1248, 11-23-1982)
(M) Upon the completion of a sanitary sewer service line by the property owner, the city public works department may perform site restoration and may reimburse the property owner in the amount up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) in the instance of a residential building or up to seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) in the instance of a commercial or industrial building, on the following terms and conditions: 1) prior to the commencement of such work, the property owner submitted to the director of public works a written application to the city for site restoration or reimbursement on a form approved by the director of public works; and 2) prior to the commencement of such work, the application was approved by the director of public works. The application shall include a complete waiver of claims and hold harmless agreement made by the property owner in favor of the city for all claims that may arise in the course of the provision of services hereunder. No reimbursement for services shall be authorized pursuant to this section for any work in connection with a new subdivision, or the alteration, repair, enlargement, conversion or replacement of an existing building. (Ord. 1683, 11-27-2001)
Notes
| 1 | 1. See title 8, chapter 3 of this code. |