Alhambra Municipal Code Ch. 16.08 General Provisions

This title shall be known as the “Sanitary Sewer Code of the City of Alhambra” and may be cited as such.

('86 Code, § 16.08.010) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51; Am. Ord. 3088, passed - - )

The Director of Public Works and the Building Inspector shall enforce and administer the provisions of this title unless otherwise specified and for such purpose shall have the powers of a peace officer.

('86 Code, § 16.08.020) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51)

Whenever a power is granted to, or a duty is imposed upon the Director of Public Works, or any other public officer, the power may be exercised or the duty may be performed by a deputy of the officer or a person authorized by the officer.

('86 Code, § 16.08.030) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51)

The Director of Public Works and the Building Inspector may grant an exception to any requirement of this title if he finds that literal compliance herewith is impossible or impractical because of peculiar con-ditions in no way the fault of the person requesting such exception and that the purposes of this title will be accomplished and public safety secured by an alternative construction or procedure.

('86 Code, § 16.08.040) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51)

Sewage treatment plants and sewage pump plants under the jurisdiction of a county sanitation district are exempted from all the provisions of this title.

('86 Code, § 16.08.050) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51)

(A) All excavations shall have sufficient width to allow proper workmanship and permit adequate inspection and shall be supported in the manner set forth in the rules, orders and regulations prescribed by the industrial accident commission of the state.

(B) Sheet piling and other timbers shall be withdrawn in such a manner as to prevent the caving in of all walls of the excavation or disturbance of the sewer pipe.

('86 Code, § 16.08.060) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

Cross-reference:

For further provisions concerning street excavations, see Chapter 13.20

The Director of Public Works, the Building Inspector or the Chief Engineer may inspect as often as he deems necessary, every sewage pumping plant, sewage treatment plant, industrial liquid waste pretreatment plant, house connection sewer, interceptor, dilution basin, neutralization basin, backwater trap or valve, or other similar appurtenances to ascertain whether such facilities are maintained and operated in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. All persons shall permit the Director of Public Works, the Building Inspector or the Chief Engineer to have access to all such facilities at all reasonable times.

('86 Code, § 16.08.070) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

(A) Any tree growing in any public street, sidewalk, parkway, or along the line of any public sewer or sewer lateral connection is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and may be removed by the Director of Public Works if he finds:

(1) That such tree endangers the security or usefulness of any such public sewer or sewer lateral connection, and

(2) In the case of an existing sewer lateral connection, that such existing sewer lateral connection is reasonably impervious to street tree roots.

(B) If any such existing sewer lateral connection is found not to be reasonably impervious to street tree roots, then the Director of Public Works may defer the removal of such tree until such time as the property owner, at his own cost, replaces the existing sewer lateral connection with another that is reasonably impervious to street tree roots.

('86 Code, § 16.08.080) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51 Ord. 3481, passed - - )

No person shall remove or cause to be removed, or damage or cause to be damaged any portion of any public sewer, or any house connection sewer in a public easement, or use or cause to be used or cause to be taken, any water from any sewer or flushing apparatus for any use whatever.

('86 Code, § 16.08.090) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

The City Engineer, the Building Inspector or the Chief Engineer may make inspections at any reasonable time of all interceptors or other installations on any premises, shall require that any such interceptor or other installation shall be used, maintained and repaired as required by this chapter and shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition, and may prosecute any person managing, operating or having control of any such premises, or portion thereof, for failing, refusing or neglecting to comply with the provisions of this section.

('86 Code, § 16.08.100) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51; Am. Ord. 4541, passed 4-27-09; Am. Ord. 4542, passed 5-11-09) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

All industrial liquid waste pretreatment plants grease interceptors, sand interceptors, sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping plants or ejectors, septic tanks, cesspools, dry wells, dilution chambers and neutralization tanks shall be constructed in accordance with the Uniform Plumbing Code adopted by Chapter 20.24 of this code, unless otherwise provided in this chapter.

('86 Code, § 16.08.110) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

(A) It is hereby declared to be a nuisance and it shall be unlawful for any person to use, maintain or suffer, or permit to be used or maintained upon any premises owned, controlled or occupied by him, any cesspool, except cesspools constructed prior to September 18, 1951, when a public sewer is available to such premises. Any existing cesspools shall not be permitted to be pumped out, or otherwise emptied, to any degree for future use when a public sewer is available for the disposal of the sewage conveyed into the cesspool.

(B) For the purpose of this section a public sewer shall be deemed available to any premises if it shall lie in the street, alley or easement abutting the premises. In the application of this section any rear portion of any lot, regardless of the matter of owner-ship, shall be deemed to be a part of the premises included within the lot as shown by the recorded subdivision of which it is a part. Should any sewer in front of any premises be of insufficient depth to serve the rear portion of such lot by gravity, any person desiring to install plumbing thereon shall make provision for conveying sewage therefrom to the public sewer by pumping or by transmission to some other public sewer, it being the intent hereof that when any portion of the city has been equipped with sewers, cesspools therein shall be prohibited, even though it may not be physically possible to provide gravity sewer service.

('86 Code, § 16.08.120) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

(A) Declaration of nuisance. It is hereby declared to be a nuisance and it shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain, or suffer or permit to be kept or maintained at or upon any premises in city owned, occupied or controlled by him, any privy or dry closet for the reception of human excrement or fecal matter.

(B) Chemical toilets at work sites. It shall be unlawful for any person to commence or proceed with the erection, construction, alteration, repair, raising, adding to, removal or demolition of any building unless there shall be provided for the use of any person employed or working upon any such building or portion thereof, a sanitary chemical toilet or a water flush toilet connected to a sewer, enclosed within a suitable building or structure. Such toilets shall be located upon or within a reasonable distance of the lot or premises upon which such construction work is being done and shall in no case be located more than 500 feet from the site of the proposed work. The Building Inspector shall not approve the foundation for any building unless and until toilet facilities provided for the use of persons employed or working thereon shall have been first inspected and approved by the Building Inspector.

('86 Code, § 16.08.130) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

(A) The requirements contained in this chapter, covering the maintenance of sanitary sewer treatment plants, sewage pumping plants, dairy screen chambers, interceptors or other appurtenances, shall apply to all such facilities now existing or hereafter constructed. All such facilities shall be maintained by the owner thereof in a safe and sanitary condition, and all devices or safeguards which are required by this chapter for the operation of such facilities shall be maintained in good working order.

(B) This section shall not be construed as permitting the removal or neglect of any devices or safeguards on existing facilities unless authorized in writing by the Director of Public Works and/or the Superintendent of Building.

('86 Code, § 16.08.140) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51; Am. Ord. 3088, passed - - ) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

No person shall construct a new public sewer or connect to or tap an existing public sewer of this city or maintain a connection or tap to such sewer without obtaining a permit to do so from the Director of Public Works.