§ 98-86. Building sewers and connections.

(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 city.

(b)

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 judgement of the city. A permit and inspection fee shall be paid at the time the application is filed.

(c)

All costs and expenses incidental 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.

(d)

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 front building sewer may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer; however, the city does not and will not assume any obligation or responsibility for damage caused by or resulting from any such single connection aforementioned.

(e)

Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test, to meet all requirements of this article. The owner shall provide information to the city as the city deems required or adequate.

(f)

The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction of a building sewer, and the methods to be used in construction shall all conform to the requirements of the building code, the Southern Standard Plumbing Code 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 American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Water Pollution Control Federation (WPCF) Manual of Practice No. 9 shall apply.

(g)

Additionally, the following materials and methods shall apply to building sewers within the city's supervision:

(1)

The building sewer shall be cast iron soil pipe, ASTM Specification A74, latest revision, or equal; ductile iron pipe, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Specification A21.51, latest revision, or equal; or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sewer pipe, ASTM Specification D3034, latest revision. All 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 or ductile iron pipe with bolted mechanical joints may be required by the city where the 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 plastic pipe may be acceptable if laid on a suitable concrete bed or cradle as approved by the city.

(2)

The size and slope of the building sewer shall be subject to the approval of the city, but in no event shall the diameter be less than four inches. The slope of such four-inch pipe shall not be less than one-eighth inch per foot. Furthermore, the appropriate requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) shall be followed.

(3)

The depth shall be sufficient to afford protection from frost, and the building sewer shall be laid at uniform grade and with straight alignment insofar as possible. Changes in direction shall be made only with properly curved pipes and fittings. Building sewers shall not be placed in the same trench with water service lines.

(4)

An excavation required for the installation of a building sewer shall be open trench work unless otherwise approved by the city. Pipe laying and backfill shall be performed in accordance with ASTM Specification C12, latest revision, except that no backfill shall be placed until the work has been inspected and approved.

(5)

All joints and connections shall be made gastight and watertight. Push-on joints for cast iron soil pipe shall have neoprene gaskets in accordance with the requirements of ASTM C-564.

(6)

Push-on joints for ductile iron pipe shall also have neoprene gaskets and be installed according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

(7)

PVC pipe joint material shall be of the bell and spigot type, sealed with a rubber "O"-ring gasket, having a composition and texture which is resistant to the common ingredients of sewage, industrial wastes (including oils), and groundwater, and which will endure permanently under the conditions likely to be imposed by this use. Installation of the gasket shall be done in accordance with the pipe manufacturer's instructions using all the necessary materials, lubricants and equipment recommended by the manufacturer.

(8)

Other jointing materials may be used only when approved by the city.

(9)

The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall be made at the "Y" branch, if such a branch is available at a suitable location. If the public sewer is 12 inches in diameter or less, and no properly located "Y" branch is available, the city shall, at the owner's expense, cut a neat hole into the public sewer, with entry in the downstream direction at an angle of about 45 degrees, and install a 45-degree elbow 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 an elevation of at least one-tenth foot above the invert of the public sewer. A neat smooth 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 city.

(h)

Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the lowest occupiable floor. No building sewer shall be laid parallel to or 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 building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer.

(i)

No person shall make connection of roof downspouts, foundation drains, areaway drains or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a building sewer or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer unless such connection is approved for purposes of disposal of polluted surface drainage.

(j)

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 and testing shall be made under the inspection of the city's representative.

(k)

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 city.

(l)

The city will define the availability of sewers and any costs associated with sewer permits or construction.

(m)

The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other applicable rules and regulations of the city or the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM and the WPCF Manual of Practice No. 9. All such connections shall be made gastight and watertight and verified by proper testing. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved by the city before installation.

(n)

If any house sewer permits the entrance of infiltration or inflow, the city may:

(1)

Require the owner to repair the house sewer.

(2)

Charge the owner a sewer rate that reflects the costs of the additional expense of sewage treatment from the owner's property.

(3)

Require the owner to disconnect his sewer from the city sewer system.

(Ord. No. 2008-0005, 5-12-2008)