Etna Municipal Code § 13.04.010 Interfering with sewer – Supervision required

It is unlawful for any person to interfere or connect with or in any way or manner disturb any of the sewers belonging to the city, except under the direct supervision of the superintendent of public works or his deputy or those employed under him, who are excepted from the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 68 § 010, 1970)

Any person convicted of the violation of any of the provisions of EMC § 13.04.010 shall be punished by a fine of not less than $10.00 nor more than $200.00 or by imprisonment in the city/county jail for not less than 10 days nor more than 100 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(Ord. 68 § 020, 1970)

Any person, firm or corporation who may desire to connect a branch sewer to any of the public sewers belonging to the city must obtain the permission of the superintendent of public works, who must either have one of his employees to do the work, or actually superintend the same himself or by deputy.

(Ord. 68 § 030, 1970)

A. No person, firm or corporation shall construct, maintain or suffer to be or remain on his or its premises, or under his or its control, any privy, privy vault, cesspool, urinal, sink, drain, or bathtub, unless the same is connected, in case there is a sewer in the street on which the premises are situated, with such sewer. And every and all such connection with such sewer shall communicate with a dwelling house and shall be constructed with a trap or other apparatus which will effectually prevent the escape of all gases therefrom.

B. Existing septic tanks serving houses that are unable to connect to sewer mains shall be governed by the following:

1. The city will purchase new septic tanks when needed and will maintain said tanks within existing city boundaries if persons are unable to connect with sewer mains.

2. Replacement installations of said tanks will be done by and at the expense of property owners.

3. The city shall assume no responsibility for the installation or maintenance of leach lines of the sewer lines leading from a house to a septic tank.

4. All tanks and tank installations shall meet with Siskiyou County health and building department standards.

5. If it shall become feasible due to changes in mains, etc., any person currently utilizing septic tanks shall, as soon as possible, connect to the city sewer mains under regulations currently in effect.

(Ord. 68 § 040, 1970)

A. No connection shall be made with or to any sewer under any public street or alley in the city except pursuant to written permit issued by the city clerk.

B. Any person, firm or corporation desiring to make a connection to or with any such sewer pursuant to EMC § 13.04.040 must make a written application therefor to the city clerk, at the City Hall, setting forth the name of the applicant, the description of the premises for which sewer connection is desired, the date on which connection will be made and the place at which connection will be made. Such application must be signed by the applicant, or in the case of a firm or corporation by its duly authorized member or agent.

C. At the time of presentation of such application, the applicant shall pay to the city clerk the sewer connection charge, hereinafter provided for. No application shall be accepted, nor any permit issued by the city clerk until such payment is made.

D. The city clerk, upon presentation of such application in proper form, and payment of the sewer connection charge, shall issue to the applicant a permit authorizing the desired connection upon the terms and conditions following:

1. No connection to or with any such sewer shall be made except under the direct supervision of the superintendent of public works, or his duly authorized representative.

2. No actual physical connection to existing sewer mains, lines or pipes shall be made by the applicant or his agent, but that in all such cases, the city, by its authorized employee, shall make the tap and connect thereto the first joint of sewer pipe, at which joint the applicant shall make his connection. The applicant shall furnish all necessary materials for such connection. Such pipe and material as used shall be specified by the superintendent of public works.

3. In no event shall any such sewer connection be made or laid from the connecting joint to the house or other structure which is to be served at any grade other than that which shall be specified by the director of public works, in person or by his duly authorized representative, is directed upon the presentation to him of any such application, to furnish the applicant the necessary data establishing the grade at which the connecting line shall be laid.

4. No such connecting line shall be laid or constructed otherwise than in conformity with specifications of the city plumbing code.

5. No such connecting line so laid and made shall be covered or backfilled until the same shall have been inspected by the superintendent of public works, or his duly authorized representative, and covering or backfilling by him authorized, which authority shall in no event be by him given until such connection and connecting line shall conform to the requirements hereof.

6. The applicant shall, promptly upon the approval of the connection and connecting line, proceed to cover the same and backfill the trench wherein the same shall be laid.

E. All persons, firms, or corporations taking or receiving sewer service from the city sewer system shall pay a monthly service fee as designated by resolution of the council.

F. All connections to sewer, pursuant to permit, shall be made in a good and workmanlike manner and any connection not so made shall be broken by the superintendent of public works unless promptly modified upon his direction to do so.

G. All sewer line shall be the responsibility of the property owner until said line dumps into the city sewer main.

(Ord. 68 § 050, 1970; Amendment dated 7/17/1978)

No person, firm or corporation shall permit the discharge from any privy, privy vault, cesspool, urinal, sink, drain, bathtub, or private drain or sewer to connect with or run into or upon any street, lane or alley of the city, or upon the surface of the ground or upon the property or premises of another.

(Ord. 68 § 060, 1970)

Every person, firm or corporation who shall keep or maintain any cesspool, drain or conduit within the city (providing connections cannot be made, as provided in EMC § 13.04.040, with a sewer) in or through which any fetid or offensive substance, whether liquid or solid, is allowed to run, accumulate or remain, and which in its nature is liable from exposure to become offensive to the senses or to health, shall keep the same covered to the depth of not less than two feet in thickness of solid earth.

(Ord. 68 § 070, 1970)

No person, firm or corporation shall suffer or permit any premises belonging to or occupied by him or it, or any cellar, vault, privy, urinal, pool, sewer or private drain thereon or therein, to become nauseous, foul, offensive or prejudicial to public health or comfort.

(Ord. 68 § 080, 1970)

Any privy, privy vault, cesspool, urinal, sink, drain, bathtub, sewer, conduit or place which does not conform to the conditions and requirements as set forth in this chapter and any privy, privy vault, cesspool, urinal, sink, drain or bathtub which shall remain unconnected with the sewer as provided in EMC § 13.04.040 for the space of two weeks after notice from the board of health is a public nuisance.

(Ord. 68 § 090, 1970)

The board of health is authorized and empowered to see that the provisions of this chapter are carried out and complied with, and if after two weeks' notice to the party owning or having the same in control such person, firm or corporation shall fail or neglect to make the changes ordered by the board of health in order to conform to the requirements of this article, then the board may make such changes and the expense shall be at the cost of the party to whom such notice and order shall be given.

(Ord. 68 § 100, 1970)

Every person violating any of the provisions of EMC § 13.04.040 through § 13.04.100 is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than $5.00 and not to exceed $50.00, or be imprisoned in the city/county jail not less than five days and not to exceed 50 days or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(Ord. 68 § 110, 1970)