(a) Control of sewer systems. The sewer systems of the sewer districts of the city, or in any area under the jurisdiction of the city, shall be under the charge and control of the Director, under whose supervision the sewer systems shall be used by property owners. No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or openings into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the Director.
(b) Classes of permits; fees.
(1) There shall be two classes of building sewer permits:
A. For residential and commercial service; and
B. For service to an industrial user.
(2) 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 Director. A permit and inspection fee as set forth in the fee schedule in Part Two - Title Twelve, Chapter 298 of these Codified Ordinances for a residential or commercial building sewer permit or for an industrial building sewer permit, shall be paid to the city at the time the application is filed.
(c) Permit limitations. Permits granted under this chapter shall be for a specific wastewater, and such permits shall be granted only after approval of plans as set forth herein. Subsequent wastewaters of different quantity, quality or characteristics shall be covered by separate permits.
(d) Permit refusal. The Director may refuse to issue a permit for a new connection to the sanitary sewer system unless there is available capacity in all downstream facilities, including treatment plant capacity for BOD5, suspended solids and phosphorus removal. Capacity shall be determined on the basis of design criteria previously approved or established by OEPA.
(e) Connection charges. In addition to the permit and inspection fee specified in subsection (b) hereof, all new users connecting to the Xenia sanitary sewer system, either inside or outside the city, shall pay the connection charges set forth in the fee schedule in Part Two - Title Twelve, Chapter 298 of these Codified Ordinances.
(f) Cost of building sewers. All costs and expenses incidental to the installation and connection of the building sewer to the public sewer or to an available service connection 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.
(g) Building sewer limitations. Every building which is the source of the heretofore described acceptable wastewater shall be provided with a separate and independent building sewer. 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. In the case of industry, several buildings may be served by one building sewer, provided the sewer is adequately sized and provided, further, that it is approved by the Director.
(h) Existing building sewers. Existing building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the Director or his or her representative, to meet all requirements of this chapter.
(i) Combined sewers. The construction of or extension to combined sewers is hereby prohibited, unless approved by the OEPA.
(j) Private sanitary sewers. Private (as opposed to public) sanitary sewers shall continue to be owned by the private owners now owning the same until such time as the owner and the city mutually agree to a transfer of ownership to the city. Such sewers shall be controlled by the city, but shall be operated and maintained by their owners, unless the city agrees, in writing, to provide this service, in which case a proper easement shall be dedicated to the city.
(k) Design and construction of building sewers.
(1) The minimum size and 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 the Building and Plumbing Codes or other law of the city or regulations of its designated representative. In the absence of code provisions or in amplification thereof, the materials and procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the American Society of Testing Materials and the Water Pollution Control Federation Manual of Practice No. 9 shall apply.
(2) Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, wastewater carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer.
(l) Illegal connections. No person shall make connections of roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway drains, driveway 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.
(m) Building sewer connections. The connection of the building sewer with the public sanitary sewer shall conform to the same requirements specified in subsection (k) hereof. All such connections shall be made gastight and watertight. Any deviations from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved by the Director before installation.
(n) Inspections. The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the Director when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sanitary sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the Director or his or her authorized representative.
(o) Safety and restoration. All excavations for building sewer installations 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 construction shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the city and in accordance with city standards.
(Ord. 79-33, passed 6-14-1979)