Kern County Municipal Code Art. IV Sewerage Construction and Sewer Use

A. No person, other than employees of the districts, persons contracting to do work for the districts, or maintenance workers of the local sewering agency, shall construct or cause to be constructed, or alter or cause to be altered, any public sewer, lateral sewer, house connection or industrial connection sewer over six (6) inches in diameter, sewage pumping plant, pollution control plant, or other sewerage facility within the districts where existing or proposed wastewater flows will discharge directly or indirectly to facilities of the districts without first obtaining approval of sewerage construction plans from the chief engineer. Construction without prior approval shall be in violation of this chapter.

B. The applicant shall submit to the chief engineer for approval, construction plans and such specifications and other details as required to describe fully a proposed sewerage facility. The plans shall have been prepared under the supervision of and shall be signed by an engineer of suitable training registered in the state of California.

C. Plans for sewerage construction for any facility which will convey industrial wastewater will not be approved by the chief engineer unless the discharger has first obtained a districts' permit for industrial wastewater discharge or the discharger has received written permission from the chief engineer after agreeing not to discharge industrial wastewaters until a districts' permit for industrial wastewater discharge is obtained.

D. Plans for sewerage construction shall meet all design requirements of the districts and shall also meet all design requirements as established from time to time by the chief engineer.

E. Inspection of all sewerage construction under this section shall be made by personnel of the districts in the manner described in Section 14.24.610 of this chapter.

F. An approval of plans for sewerage construction shall expire one (1) year after date of approval unless construction has been initiated by that time.

(Prior code § 3911.3.01)

A. Any person desiring to connect a sewer six (6) inches or smaller in diameter directly to a trunk sewer of the districts shall make written application to the chief engineer on a districts' trunk sewer connection permit application form.

The applicant shall complete the form and furnish such additional information as required by the chief engineer to substantiate that the proposed work or use will comply with the provisions of this chapter.

B. A trunk sewer connection permit will not be issued for any sewer which will convey industrial waste- water unless the discharger has first obtained a districts' permit for industrial wastewater discharge.

C. Direct attachment of a sewer six (6) inches or smaller in diameter to a trunk sewer will be permitted only if the chief engineer determines that a suitable local sewer is not available, that adequate trunk sewer capacity exists, that the connection will function properly and that the connection will not adversely affect existing or anticipated facilities or operations of the districts.

D. Sewers six (6) inches or smaller in diameter to be attached directly to a trunk sewer shall be constructed in a manner and at the location specified by the districts. Inspection of the connections to a trunk sewer shall be made by personnel of the districts in the manner described in Section 14.24.630 of this chapter.

E. No sewer exceeding six (6) inches in diameter shall be connected directly to a trunk sewer without the prior approval of plans for sewerage construction, in accordance with Section 14.24.610 of this chapter.

F. A district's trunk sewer connection permit shall expire one hundred twenty (120) days after issuance if the permit has not been used within that time.

(Prior code § 3911.3.02)

A. All sewers to be attached directly to a trunk sewer shall be inspected by personnel of the districts during construction. At least twenty-four (24) hours prior to cutting into a district's sewer, or commencing construction of a manhole on a district's sewer, the district shall be notified. In making a connection to a trunk sewer, no physical alteration of the district's facilities shall commence until an inspector is present.

B. Sewerage facilities which will not be directly connected to districts' sewer will not be inspected routinely by the districts during construction. Upon completion of construction and prior to removal of the downstream bulkhead and upon receiving twenty-four (24) hours notice, the districts will inspect the work to determine whether it has been constructed in a satisfactory manner and to determine whether all facilities are cleaned of construction debris that could be flushed into the districts' sewers.

C. No wastewater shall be discharged into any sewerage facility tributary to a district's facility prior to obtaining inspection and approval of sewerage construction by the districts,

D. Following satisfactory completion of construction, the districts will issue a construction inspection certificate upon request.

(Prior code § 3911.3.03)

Approval of plans for sewerage construction and trunk sewer connection permits are not transferable from one person to another person or from one location to another location.

(Prior code § 3911.3.04)

No industrial wastewaters (as defined in Section 14.24.220 of this chapter) shall be discharged to a trunk sewer or to a sewer discharging directly or indirectly to a trunk sewer until a permit for industrial wastewater discharge has been approved by the districts. Discharge of industrial wastewater without a permit is a violation of this chapter.

(Prior code § 3911.3.05)

The work of adjusting manholes on districts' sewers to new grades will be performed by personnel of the districts in cooperation with the contractor and in accordance with established procedures of the districts. The person proposing or performing work necessitating the adjustment of manholes on districts' sewers to a new grade is responsible for notifying the districts in advance of the work.

(Prior code § 3911.3.06)

A. The districts reserve the right to inspect any existing lateral or collecting sewers that discharge wastewater directly or indirectly to trunk sewers. If it is found that such lateral or collecting sewers are improperly used or improperly maintained, thereby causing discharge of septic wastewater, excessive groundwater, debris or any other objectionable substance to the districts' sewers, the chief engineer will give notice of the unsatisfactory condition to the offending discharger and to the local sewering agency and shall direct the condition be corrected.

B. In cases of continued noncompliance with the districts' directive, the districts may disconnect the offending sewer from the districts' sewerage system.

(Prior code § 3911.3.07)

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged to a trunk sewer, either directly or indirectly, any waste that creates a stoppage, breakage, plugging, any reduction in sewer capacity or any other damage to sewers or sewerage facilities of the districts. Any excessive sewer or sewerage maintenance expenses attributable thereto will be charged to the offending discharger by the districts.

(Prior code § 3911.3.08)