§ 51.08 CONNECTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEM.
   (A)    Properties that are situated within the official service areas of the Big Marine Sewer Utility and currently receive service from said utility shall be required to maintain services with this utility. Such service areas shall be identified and adopted by the City Council from time to time, for the Bliss Facility and the Anderson-Erickson Facility subject to provisions within this chapter. Only properties identified within these service maps may be served by this utility and not yet currently served by the Big Marine Sewer Utility shall also be subject sufficient capacity limits set forth in this code. Properties that meet city development code requirements specified in Ch. 153 of this code, but are unable to be served by the Big Marine Sewer Utility, may by special permit from the City Council obtain a permit for a private on-site septic system should adequate space and design requirements be met under both this city code and Washington County ordinance.
   (B)   Service area maps. The City Council shall adopt service area maps for the Bliss Facility and the Anderson-Erickson Facilities for the utility as of the publication of this amendment. Properties eligible for inclusion include:
      (1)   All properties currently served by one of the utility's two facilities.
      (2)   Parcels that meet all four for the following criteria:
         (a)   Said parcel meets all development minimum standards as specified within the city development regulations found in Ch. 153 of this code of ordinances;
         (b)   The property owner of the parcel can demonstrate with a report from a state licensed septic system designer, consistent with Minn. Rules part 7080, that no appropriate sites for a system can be sited within the property consistent with city and county regulations;
         (c)   That the city deems that inclusion of said property will not hinder the sewer system's sufficient capacity; and
         (d)   The inclusion of said property to the community wastewater system is deemed in the interest of the environmental well-being of Big Marine Lake or other adjacent water sources.
   (C)   New connections. New connections to the community sewage treatment system shall be prohibited unless sufficient capacity is available in all downstream facilities and the property is identified within official service area maps for a facility within this utility.
      (1)   Anderson-Erickson Facility. For the Anderson-Erickson Facility, sufficient capacity is available if the peak flow as measured over the peak three day period is less than 90% of the 6,700 gallon per day system design flow and the peak flow as measured on a monthly basis is less than 90% of the target monthly limit of 5,300 gallons per day.
      (2)   Bliss Facility. For the Bliss Facility, sufficient capacity is available if the peak flow as measured on a monthly basis is less than 90% of 14,800 gallons per day. Nineteen thousand, eight hundred gallons per day is the permitted flow less 5,000 gallons per day of reserve capacity.
   (D)   New connections to the community sewage system shall be prohibited if the system is within 10% of the permit limits of non-flow sampling requirements. The city may also impose new connection moratoriums if a facility is at risk of or has exceeded its sufficient capacity.
   (E)   Connections shall be limited to residential users only and to properties identified within adopted service area maps.
   (F)   Alterations made or proposed that increase user capacity shall be treated as a new connection under this chapter and as such shall be subject to the provisions of § 51.08(D).
   (G)   Any property owner requesting a utility must first apply for a permit with the city that includes a survey, or site plan, as determined by the City Administrator and an analysis from a Minn. Rules part 7080 (2011) licensed onsite sewage treatment system designer documenting the size and location of tanks, piping, and the specifications of pumps to be installed on the property consistent with city design specifications and the Washington County Individual Sewage Treatment System Code.
   (H)   No person shall uncover, make any connection with, or opening into, or use, alter, or disturb any portion of the system or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the city. Further, it shall be a violation for any user upon whose property any portion of the system is located to allow any unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disturbance of any portion of the system or appurtenance thereof on the user's property.
   (I)   All sewer connections shall conform to applicable requirements of the State Building and Plumbing Code and all applicable rules and regulations of the city or county. All connections shall be made gas-tight and water-tight, and verified by proper testing to prevent the infusion of infiltration/inflow. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials shall be approved prior to installation. The connection and inspection shall be made under the supervision of the city building official or his or her designee.
   (J)   All new connections to the system after the effective date of this chapter shall have their own septic tank and pump tank. The sharing of septic tanks among neighboring properties is strictly prohibited. If a dwelling currently sharing a septic tank applies for a permit that involves any material improvements that increase the flow, the property owner will be required to install a separate septic tank unless it can be proven that a non-economic hardship exists, in which case the property owner may apply to the City Council for an exemption from this requirement.
   (K)   New users connecting to the system shall pay to the city a sewer connection fee in accordance with the current fee schedule set by ordinance of the City Council. In addition to the connection fee, the new user is responsible for all of the costs associated with hooking up to the community sewage treatment system, including, but not limited to, the septic tank, pumps, wet wells, control panels, sewer laterals, road repair related to the installation of the new equipment, and any costs incurred by the city in the use of engineers or other third-party consultants.
   (L)   By accepting utility service each user shall allow the city access to inspect any portion of the community sewage treatment system and any connection to the system, including (without limitation) portions of the system and connections accessible from the interior of any structure. Interior inspections shall be conducted during normal business hours of the city and the city shall provide the customer with at least 48 hours of notice before an inspection is to take place. Notice under this section shall be effective upon mailing and shall be mailed to the customer or owner at the address file with the utility. Failure to cooperate with the city's reasonable request for access shall be a violation of this chapter.
(Ord. 202, passed 12-18-2018; Ord. 209, passed 2-19-2019; Ord. 21-04, passed 11-16-2021) Penalty, see § 10.99