Imperial Beach Municipal Code Ch. 13.04 Sewers

It is the purpose of this chapter to establish regulations for the management of the City's sewer system and to provide for fees for connecting to the City's sewer system, in order to protect the health and safety of Imperial Beach citizens.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

For the purposes of this chapter, and Chapters 13.05 and 13.06, the following words or phrases shall have the meaning ascribed by this section.

"Building sewer"

means that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system which extends from the end of the building drain and which receives the discharge of the building drain and conveys it to the sewer lateral, private sewer, individual sewage disposal system or other point of disposal. Also, "House sewer."

"CAL-OSHA"

means the State Department of Industrial Safety.

"Multifamily residential"

means the residential customer classification with more than one living unit served by a single water meter, and shall include all residential accounts other than single-family residential.

"Persons using"

means persons to whom public sewer service is available, whether the sewer system is actually used or not.

"Plans"

means the drawings, profiles, cross-sections, working drawings and supplemental drawings, or reproductions thereof, approved by the engineer, which show the location, character, dimensions or details of the work.

"Plumbing Code"

means the currently adopted edition of the California Plumbing Code as adopted by ordinance.

"Private sewage disposal system"

means a septic tank with the effluent discharging into a subsurface disposal field (one or more cesspools) or of such other facilities as may be permitted under the procedures set forth in this chapter.

"Public sewer" or "sewer main"

means a common sewer within a public street or right-of-way and directly controlled by public authority.

"Saddle connection"

means a tap installed in the public sewer to connect the sewer lateral to the public sewer.

"Sewage"

means any liquid waste which contains animal or vegetable material in suspension or solution, which may include chemicals in solution.

"Sewer"

means any conduit intended for the reception and transfer of sewage and industrial waste.

"Sewer lateral"

means a sewer, within a public street or right-of-way, proposed to connect the building sewer of any parcel, lot or part of lot with a public sewer or sewer main.

"Single-family residential"

means the residential customer classification where one living unit is served by one water meter, with the exception that where four or more living units are attached they are treated as multifamily residential regardless of the number of water meters.

"Standard plans"

means details of standard structures, devices, or instructions referred to on the plans or in the specifications by title and/or number.

"Standby service charge"

means fees exacted for the benefit that accrues to property by virtue of its having sewer service available to it, even though the sewer service may not actually be used on or by the property.

"Street"

means any road, highway, parkway, freeway, alley, walk or way.

"Utility"

means tracks, overhead or underground wires, pipelines, conduits, ducts, or structures, sewer or storm drains owned, operated or maintained in, along or across a public right-of-way or private easement.

"Work"

means that which is proposed to be constructed or done under the permit or contract, including the furnishing of all labor and materials.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

A. It is unlawful for any person to discharge into the City sewer facility groundwater, surface water, stormwater, or solid or liquid matter from roof downspouts, roof drains, or area drain connections except as authorized by the City Council of the City of Imperial Beach and the wastewater treatment facility receiving the water for treatment.

B. It is unlawful to place, throw, or deposit, or cause or permit to be placed, thrown, or deposited, in any public or building sewer any dead animal, offal or garbage, fish, fruit or vegetable waste, or other solid matters or materials or obstructions of any kind whatever of such nature as shall clog, obstruct, or fill such sewer, or which shall interfere with or prevent the effective use or operation thereof. No person shall cause or permit to be deposited or discharged into any such sewer any water or sewage or liquid waste of any kind containing chemicals, greases, oils, tars or other matters in solution or suspension which may be reason of chemical reaction or precipitation, clog, obstruct or fill the same, or which may in any way damage or interfere with or prevent the effective use thereof, or which may necessitate or require frequent repair, cleaning out or flushing of such sewer to render the same operative or which may obstruct or cause an unwarranted increase in the cost of treatment of the sewage.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992; Ord. 2008-1077 § 1)

A. No person whose premises are so located that a public sewer is within 200 feet of the place of origin of sewage on the premises shall install any septic tank or use any means of disposing of such sewage other than through a connection with the City sewer facility. Each such person shall be required to connect such premises with the sewer system and to pay all costs and charges provided for under this chapter.

B. All persons whose premises are connected to the public sewer shall be responsible for the installation, maintenance and upkeep of the building sewer and the sewer lateral to the point where the lateral attaches to the saddle connection on the public sewer or sewer main.

C. New sewers and connections to the sewer system will meet all requirements of the plumbing code, copies of which are on file with the Department of Public Works and the Building Department; the standard plans and specifications of the City for construction in the public right-of-way; and shall also meet the design requirements as established from time to time by the City Engineer.

D. Except as expressly provided in this code, all work performed and all plans and specifications required under the provisions of this chapter shall conform to the requirements prescribed by the editions of "The San Diego Area—Regional Standard Drawings" and "The Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction" and associated supplements, and "Standard Plans for Public Works Construction" in effect as of November 2, 2008, unless exempted or modified by the City Council of the City of Imperial Beach. To the extent possible, all designs and plans shall provide for vehicular access to all manholes and cleanouts in the sewer main system.

E. All building permit plans or designs shall comply with the currently adopted edition of the California Plumbing Code as set forth in Chapter 15.32 of the municipal code. This compliance includes the duty to eliminate or minimize the sewer system impacts due to fats, oils, and grease discharge.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992; Ord. 2008-1077 § 1; Ord. 2012-1131 § 1)

It is unlawful for any person to make any sewer saddle connections to a public sewer within the boundaries of the City or with any public sewer which is the property of the City, except an officer, employee, or agent of the City authorized to perform such construction or make such connection.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

It is unlawful for any person, other than those permitted by the plumbing code, to make any connection between any sewer lateral or sewer saddle connection and any building sewer upon or within private property within the City, and before any such person may make such connection between the sewer saddle connection and a building sewer within the City he or she shall obtain a permit authorizing the connection to be made. Any such connection must be made to the sewer prior to installation of any plumbing fixtures discharging into the building sewer.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

A. A person desiring a permit to make a connection to a sewer lateral, sewer saddle connection or public sewer shall file with the City an application in writing on a form furnished by the City.

B. When applying for a building sewer connection to the public sewer, the City shall have not less than two full working days for inspection of the property and research of the maps and records to determine the possible existence of any unusual excavation problems which may require special equipment or pose difficulties as regards to obstruction, traffic control, underground water flow, etc. Permits will not be issued until after this inspection has been performed.

C. Within 30 days after any parcel of real property in the City of Imperial Beach containing one or more sewer laterals is sold or ownership of the property is otherwise transferred, the seller or transferor shall submit proof to the City of Imperial Beach that all sewer laterals on the property have been inspected and are in proper working order.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992; Ord. 2008-1077 § 1)

A. The permittee shall adequately uncover the public sewer, and barricade, protect and shore the excavation in accordance with CAL-OSHA instructions so that a saddle connection can be properly made by an authorized person of the City during normal working hours.

B. The permittee shall install the sewer lateral and connect to the saddle connection on the public sewer in accordance with the standard drawings and specifications of the City for construction in the public right-of-way.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

A. When connections are made to the public sewer, sewer lateral or sewer saddle connection, all pipes shall be left exposed and all ditches left open until the connection with the public sewer, sewer saddle connection or sewer lateral has been inspected and approved by an inspector of the City.

B. The following inspections shall be performed on all sewer lateral installations in the public right-of-way:

1. Sewer pipe installation;

2. Excavation backfilling and compaction;

3. Concrete, asphalt paving and job site restoration.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

A. A reinspection fee may be assessed for each inspection or reinspection when such portion of work for which inspection is called is not complete.

B. This section is not to be interpreted as requiring reinspection fees the first time a job is rejected for failure to comply with the requirements of this chapter, but shall be interpreted to control the practice of calling for inspections before the job is ready for such inspection or reinspection.

C. Reinspection fees may be assessed by the sewerage supervisor when it is apparent that the inspector is being used to provide supervision of the work rather than for performance of his or her proper inspection duties.

D. To obtain a reinspection, the applicant shall file an application therefor in writing, upon a form furnished for the purpose, and pay the reinspection fee in accordance with the schedule of fees.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

A. All persons engaged in any work provided for in this chapter shall be held responsible for injury to any property and for all damages.

B. Obstruction removal and/or repair of sewer laterals shall be the responsibility of the property owner.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

A. The City may revoke the permit issued to any person in the event of a violation by the permittee of any provision of this chapter.

B. The City may disconnect from the public sewer any connecting sewer, building sewer or other facility which is constructed, connected or used without permit or which is constructed, connected or used contrary to the provisions of this chapter.

C. Whenever a disconnection from the public sewer has been made for failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter, reconnection shall be made only upon issuance of a permit as provided by this chapter. Before such a permit is issued, the applicant shall reimburse the City for the cost of disconnection made.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

At the time application is made to connect a premises to the sewer system of the City, there shall become due and payable a sewer connection fee. The connection fee shall be imposed as follows: Installation of a saddle connection on the public sewer after adequate exposure of the pipe, excavation protection and shoring in accordance with CAL-OSHA requirements.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

The City Council may from time to time, by resolution duly adopted and published, fix the amounts payable for sewer connection fees and sewer connection inspection fees.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

At the time application is made to connect a premises to the sewer system of the City, there shall become due and payable a sewer connection inspection fee. The sewer connection inspection fee shall be imposed as follows:

A. Inspection of sewer pipe installation, excavation backfilling and compaction, job site restoration (concrete, paving and soil removal);

B. Capping and/or abandonment pursuant to demolition or new construction;

C. Reinspection as required pursuant to Section 13.04.100.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

The City Council may also adopt by resolution any rules and regulations that it may deem necessary for the operation and maintenance of the Imperial Beach sewer facility.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

Violation of any provisions of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor punishable as provided in Chapter 1.12 of this code.

(Ord. 856 § 1, 1992)

A. A public sewer easement must be recorded over any public sewer constructed after November 2, 2008, that is not in the public right-of-way.

B. A public sewer easement must be recorded over any existing public sewer system that transits an adjacent property and not in the public right-of-way after November 2, 2008, for any property development or redevelopment building permit submitted for approval that had not been previously recorded.

(Ord. 2008-1077 § 2)

A. For any inspection authorized or maintenance or repair required by this code or any federal or state law, City employees or their designees have the right of entry to the sewer or any property upon which there is the City's sewer system infrastructure, for purposes of inspection or maintenance or for repair of sewer facilities or connections.

B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the City of Imperial Beach retains all necessary rights to access for maintenance, inspection, or repairs for portions of any sewer main owned or maintained by the City.

(Ord. 2008-1077 § 2)