(A) No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter, or disturb any public sewer or its appurtenances without first obtaining a written permit from the city.
(B) All disposal by any person into the sewer system shall conform to the State Plumbing Code. Connections for the purpose of discharging clear waters shall be directed to the storm sewer system. Any discharge that cannot be directed to the storm sewer system must be approved by permit authorized by the city.
(C) There shall be two classes of building sewer permits for residential wastewater service, and to commercial, institutional/governmental, or industrial wastewater service. In either case, the owner or his or her agent shall make a request, in writing, to the city describing the volume and nature of the discharge. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the city.
(D) A building sewer permit will only be issued and a sewer connection shall only be allowed if it can be demonstrated that the downstream sewerage facilities, including sewers and pump stations, have sufficient reserve capacity to adequately and efficiently handle the additional anticipated waste load.
(E) 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.
(F) A separate and independent building sewer connection shall be provided for every building. Each independent sewer connection (lateral) shall be owned and maintained by the property owner from the building to the main line and shall be maintained by the property owner.
(G) The city reserves the right to connect any eligible building or contract for connection at the owner’s expense. Should the owner fail to pay or contract for payment of such expenses, the city may:
(1) File the expenses for reimbursement with the county, to be collected with property taxes; or
(2) Utilize available legal remedies to collect the expenses. Should the city collect such expenses over time, a reasonable interest rate, to be established by the City Council resolution, shall be assessed. Extended delinquency is cause for disconnecting the service, which costs for both disconnection and reconnection will be billed to the property owner.
(H) Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the city and paid for by the property owner, to meet all requirements of this subchapter.
(I) The size, slope, alignment, and 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 §§ 153.110 through 153.126, or to 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 State Plumbing Code shall apply.
(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 and within three feet of any bearing wall, which might thereby be weakened. 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, in conformance with §§ 153.110 through 153.126.
(K) The purpose of sewer lateral replacement program (LRP) inspection and repair is to decrease the volume of inflow and infiltration (I&I) which enters the sewers by repairing or replacing private sewer laterals. The program shall initiate inspections periodically so that the condition of private laterals can be accurately assessed and repaired or replaced as necessary.
(1) For private sewer laterals installed prior to 2015, an owner must have his or her private sewer lateral inspected by video for defects when any of the following events occur:
(a) A pre-2010 built house or business prior to its sale closing;
(b) An owner takes out a building permit for more than $10,000 for a house or $25,000 for a business which was constructed more than five years prior;
(c) An inspection of a sewer main line is conducted by city sewer crews or an approved agent who identifies excessive inflow and infiltration from a private sewer lateral or identifies that private sewer lateral repairs are needed from the close circuit television (CCTV) inspection in the main line;
(d) No house or business shall be required to have its lateral inspected more than once every five years. If the city determines that the lateral is in need of repair, the city will review the video of the lateral inspection and rate it based on the city’s most current sewer lateral replacement program. A sewer lateral receiving a rating of 1,000 points or more would require repair or replacement; and
(e) Once a lateral has a failed rating of 1,000 points or more, the property owner will be notified by the city and the property owner shall repair the lateral within 90 days. If the lateral has not been repaired after 90 days, an additional charge, to be established by resolution of the City Council, will be billed to the owner for noncompliance.
(2) Beginning in 2030, an owner who had their private sewer lateral installed on or after 2015 must have his, her, or their private sewer lateral inspected by video for defects when any of the following events occur:
(a) A house or business is to be sold which was constructed prior to 2010, before the sale closes;
(b) An owner takes out a building permit for more than $10,000 for a house or $25,000 for a business which was constructed more than five years prior;
(c) An inspection of a sewer main line is conducted by city sewer crews or an approved agent who identifies excessive inflow and infiltration from a private sewer lateral or identifies that private sewer lateral repairs are needed from the close circuit television (CCTV) inspection in the main line;
(d) No house or business shall be required to have its lateral inspected more than once every five years. If the city determines that the lateral is in need of repair, the city will review the video of the lateral inspection and rate it based on the city’s most current sewer lateral replacement program. A sewer lateral receiving a rating of 1,000 points or more would require repair or replacement; and
(e) Once a lateral has a failed rating of 1,000 points or more, the property owner will be notified by the city and the property owner shall repair the lateral within 90 days. If the lateral has not been repaired after 90 days, an additional charge, to be established by resolution of the City Council, will be billed to the owner for noncompliance.
(3) The owner may apply for an extension of up to ten months to complete repairs. The extension period will begin at the end of the 90-day period. The fine, to be established by resolution of the City Council, will continue to accrue during this extension period and will be due in full at the end of the 10 month extension if work is not completed. All penalty fines collected will go into the Sewer Repair and Maintenance Fund.
(4) Should the owner fail to pay the bill or have his or her lateral repaired, the city may repair the lateral and file the expenses for reimbursement with the county, to be collected with property taxes, or utilize available legal remedies to collect the expenses. Should the city collect such expenses over time, a reasonable interest rate, to be established by the City Council resolution, may be assessed. Extended delinquency is cause for disconnecting the service, which costs for both disconnection and reconnection will be billed to the property.
(L) Existing sump pumps, roof drains, and roof downspouts that currently discharge to the sanitary sewer system shall be redirected to the storm sewer system and/or disconnected, mechanically severed, or altered. Replaced connections shall conform to the standards described in division (B) above.
(M) All future connections of sump pumps, roof drains, and roof downspouts shall be built to the standards described in division (B) above. No person(s) shall connect sump pumps, roof drains, and roof downspouts for the purpose of discharging clear waters to a building sewer or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer.
(N) The connection of building sewer laterals into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the Building Code, and specifically §§ 153.110 through 153.126, or other applicable rules and regulations of the city, or to the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the International Plumbing Code. All such connections shall be made gastight and watertight. Any deviations from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved by the city before installation. The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the city when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the city or an authorized representative.
(O) All excavations for building sewer installation shall take reasonable safety measures to protect the public from hazard, following established industry standards for excavation and installation existing at the time of the excavation/installation. Streets, sidewalks, parkways, and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the city.
(P) The city and the South Fork Sewer District (SFSD) have an active memorandum of understanding, established on March 16, 1978, that explains the responsibilities of each governing body (Appendix No. 1 on file in the city).
(Q) No person shall disconnect any sewage connection without first notifying the city. After such notification and approval by the city, the connection may be disconnected and sealed in such a manner so as to prevent the passage of any liquid, substance, gas, or odor into or out of said sewage line. Pipe sealing shall be completed using a sewer cap or repair coupling. Sealing shall not in any way impede the flow of sewage within the sewage main, and shall be of sufficient thickness, strength, and design to equal the sewage main. The city shall be notified upon completion of sealing, and any excavation for such a sealing shall be left open for sufficient time for the city to inspect the same.
(Prior Code, § 10-2-3) (Ord. 2018-05, passed 12-12-2018) Penalty, see § 51.99