El Centro Municipal Code Art. III Restrictions on Same Lot Sewage Disposal

For the purposes of this article, the following additional words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

Construction shall mean construction, repair, alteration or relocation of a sewage disposal system.

Drainage system shall mean and include all the piping within public or private premises which conveys sewage or other liquid waste to a point of disposal, but does not include the mains or laterals of a public sewer system.

Engineering tests shall mean percolation tests as developed by the Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center, as such tests are set forth or defined in Public Health Service Publication No. 526, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, or any other percolation tests which the health officer may designate. At the discretion of the health officer, such engineering tests may include, but need not be limited to, soil borings to a depth of ten (10) feet for a proposed leaching type sewage disposal system or twenty (20) feet if seepage pits are to be utilized.

Multiple-family residence shall mean a detached building occupied, intended or designed for occupancy by two (2) or more families living independently of each other, but under one (1) roof; or a series of separate one (1) family buildings connected together by a common roof. Multi-family residence includes, but is not limited to duplexes and apartment building.

Permit shall mean a sanitation permit issued by the health officer after all tests have been made and the requirements of this article met.

Place of business shall mean any structure or building constructed or intended to be used for the operation of a commercial or industrial enterprise.

Public sanitary sewer shall mean any sewage collection or conveyance system operated and maintained by any municipality, district or public corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the state.

Registered civil engineer shall mean any person registered as a civil engineer in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 7, Division 3, Business and Professions Code of the state commencing with Section 6700.

Septic tank shall mean a watertight receptacle which receives the discharge of a drainage system or a part thereof which is designated and constructed so as to allow for gravity separation and retention of suspended and floatable matter, digest organic matter through a period of detention, and allow the liquid to discharge into the soil outside the tank through a subsurface disposal system or into a cesspool meeting the requirements of this chapter.

Sewage shall mean any and all waste substances, liquid or solid, associated with human habitation, or which contains or may be contaminated with human or animal excreta or excrement, offal or any feculent matter.

Sewage disposal shall mean any septic tank, privy, structure, vault, or pit for disposal or treatment of sewage and any drainage system or other type system for the disposal of sewage.

Sewage system shall mean the system of pipes and pumps designed to transport sewage to the city wastewater treatment facility.

Single-family residence shall mean any structure occupied, intended, or designed for occupancy by one (1) family for living or sleeping purposes as its principal use.

(Ord. No. 17-02, § 2, 2-21-17)

Same lot sewage disposal is prohibited within the city limits of the City of El Centro.

(Ord. No. 17-02, § 2, 2-21-17)

(a) Lots or parcels of land that are within the city limits upon the date of adoption of this chapter, that have septic tank systems for sewage disposal, shall be required to hook up to the city water and sewer systems at such time as the city system is reasonably accessible as determined by the health officer.

(b) Lots or parcels of land that come within the city limits after the date of adoption of this article, that have septic tank systems for sewage disposal, shall be required to hook up to the city water and sewer system at such time as the city system is reasonably accessible as determined by the health officer.

(c) Lots or parcels of land that are within the city limits upon the date of adoption of this article, that have septic tank systems for sewage disposal, shall be allowed to maintain and repair their systems until such time as the city system is reasonably accessible as determined by the health officer.

(d) County of Imperial permits are required for repair activities of septic tank systems.

(Ord. No. 17-02, § 2, 2-21-17)