Merced Municipal Code Ch. 15.08 Construction

Whenever any person wishes to connect any building or premises to the city sewer system, he shall first make application to the engineer for a sewer connection permit, and such person shall pay the cost thereof as herein provided. The engineer shall make an estimate of the cost of all material, labor and equipment required to make the connection and extending the same to the property line of the property, for which the connection is to be made, closest to such connection. The applicant for the permit shall thereupon deposit with the city the amount of the estimate, together with all other fees provided for in this chapter, and thereupon the permit shall be issued. After receiving the fees and the amount of moneys provided for in the estimate of the engineer, it shall be the duty of the engineer to cause such connection to be made with the city sewer and extended to the property line of the applicant nearest the point of the connection and the cost thereof charged against the deposit, and any excess of the deposit shall be refunded to the applicant.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

A. No person, other than employees of the city, or persons contracting to do work for the city, shall construct or cause to be constructed, or alter or cause to be altered, any public sewer any connection or industrial connection sewer over six inches in diameter, or other sewer facility within the city where existing or proposed wastewater flows will discharge directly or indirectly to facilities of the city without first obtaining approval of sewer construction plans from the city engineer.

B. The applicant shall submit to the city engineer for approval, construction plans and such specifications and other details as required to describe fully the proposed sewer 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.

C. Plans for sewer construction shall not be approved by the city engineer for any facility which will convey industrial wastewater unless the discharger has first obtained a permit for industrial wastewater discharge.

D. Plans for sewer construction shall meet all design requirements as established from time to time by the city engineer. The construction work shall be performed by a properly licensed contractor. Inspection of all sewer construction under this section shall be made by personnel of the city in the manner described in Section 15.08.030. An approval of plans for sewer construction shall expire one year after date of approval unless construction has been initiated.

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

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

A. All sewer to be attached to the city sewer system shall be inspected by personnel of the city during construction. At least forty-eight hours prior to cutting into a city sewer, the city shall be notified. In making a connection to a city sewer, no physical alteration of the city's facilities shall commence until an inspector is present.

B. No wastewater shall be discharged into any public sewer prior to obtaining inspection and approval of sewage construction by the city. Following satisfactory completion of construction, the city will issue a construction inspection certificate upon request.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

No person shall repair or cause to be repaired any connection of any building or premises with the city sewer without first obtaining a permit to do so from the engineer but such person shall pay the cost thereof as herein provided. Upon application for such permit, the engineer shall make an estimate of all costs for material, labor and equipment for repairing the connection including the opening and repairing of any street or alley disturb thereby. The engineer shy not issue the permit for repairs until the applicant shall deposit with the city the amount of the estimate of the cost of such repair herein provided for which deposit shall be used to pay said cost. Upon receipt of the amount of such estimate, the engineer shall cause such repair to be made and the cost thereof charged against the deposit, and any excess of the deposit shall be refunded to the applicant.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

Subtrunk sewers and sewer later may be extended by an applicant in accordance with this chapter. Engineering and inspection costs equal to three percent of the total cost of installation shall be deposited with the city before applicant begins such work. If the proposed subtrunk sewer extension is to serve a developed or populated area, the city may elect to perform the extension work. Where a subtrunk sewer or sewer lateral is to be extended to serve a parcel of land, said sewer line shall extend the full frontage of said parcel unless it is determined by the city that the line is not likely to be extended to serve any other property. The inside diameter of every sewer line to be installed shall not be less than eight inches, except as may be determined by the city.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

In the event the applicant installs sewer line extension facilities, he shall furnish the city a corporate surety bond written by a company approved by the city, in an amount at least equal to the estimate made by applicant's engineer (and approved by the city) of the installation costs to guarantee faithful performance by the applicant, and a surety bond in an amount equal to at least one-half of the estimate to guarantee claims of persons employed by applicant and claims of persons who fish materials, supplies, and implements used by applicant on such work.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

When sanitary sewers are installed in public streets or easements pursuant to the regulations of the city and they have been accepted by the city, they shall become the property of the city and a part of the sewer system of the city. House and building sewer lines, including their connection to subtrunk sewers or sewer laterals, shall not be considered city property or become a part of the city sewer system, and their maintenance and repair shall not be the responsibility of the city.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

No person shall connect property outside of the city to the sewage system without first obtaining the consent of the city council, paying the fees and charges imposed by the city and signing an agreement to annex to the city. In considering applications for furnishing sewer service to property located outside of the city, the council may impose such additional reasonable conditions to the granting of such privilege as it deems to be in the best interest of the city. However, the city is under no obligation to provide sewer service outside of the city limits.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

There shall be a separate connection to the sewage system for each building served; except, that when authorized by the director, two or more buildings on the same lot may be served by the same connection.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

If the proposed sewer extension is to serve a developed or populated area, the city may elect to perform the extension work.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

Where a subtrunk sewer or sewer lateral is to be extended to serve a parcel of land, the sewer line shall extend the full frontage of the parcel, unless it is determined by the director that the line is not likely to be extended to serve any other property.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

The inside diameter of every sewer line to be installed shall not be less than eight inches, except as may be determined by the director.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

A. Whenever an applicant applies for a permit to connect property fronting a sewer line, the installation cost of which was paid by a previous applicant, or the city, such applicant shall pay to the city prior to the granting of such permit an amount calculated as "A" in the following formula:

A = F × C × 0.75, where:

1. F equals the number of feet of applicant's property fronting on the sewer line.

2. C equals the cost per foot of installing the sewer line.

3. 0.75 equals the factor composed of 0.50 (for one of the two sides fronting on sewer line), 0.10 (for street intersection allowance), and 0.15 (for administration and collection of the fee).

B. When the city engineer determines that only one side of a street can be benefited by a sewer line installed by a previous applicant or the city, subsequent applicants for permits to connect thereto shall pay to the city prior to the granting of such permits an amount calculated as "A" in the following formula:

A = F × C × 1.35, where:

1. F equals the number of feet of applicant's property fronting on the sewer line.

2. C equals the cost per foot of installing the sewer line.

3. 1.35 equals the factor composed of 1.00 (the total cost of the installation), and .20 (for street intersection allowance), and 0.15 (for administration and collection of the fee).

C. Notwithstanding subsections A and B above, an applicant shall not owe an extension fee if the sewer line was installed by a previous applicant over ten years prior to the date of applicant's application, or if the sewer line was installed through an assessment district or solely with state and federal grant monies.

(Ord. 2042 § 1, 2000: Ord. 1665 § 3, 1987: Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

A. Amounts collected as provided in Section 15.08.130 (excluding the 0.15 fee for administration and collection) shall be paid by the city to the applicant who paid the cost of installing the main until the applicant has received an amount calculated as "R" in the following formula:

R = T − (0.60 × C × F), where:

1. T equals cost of installing the sewer line;

2. C equals cost per foot of installing the sewer line;

3. F equals number of feet of installing applicant's property fronting on main.

B. When the city engineer has determined that only one side of a street can be benefited and has made collections on that basis, amounts so collected (excluding the.0.15 fee for administration and collection) shall be paid by the city to the applicant who paid the cost of installing the sewer line until said applicant has received an amount calculated as "R" in the following formula:

R = T − (1.20 × C × F), where:

1. T equals total cost of installing the sewer line;

2. C equals cost per foot of installing sewer line;

3. F equals number of feet of installing applicant's property fronting on sewer line.

(Ord. 2042 § 2, 2000: Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

A. Except as otherwise provided under subsection B, for lines installed by applicants, the city shall not make refunds to the installing applicants after the tenth anniversary of the date the sewer line was accepted by the city.

B. For lines installed by the University of California, Merced pursuant to the Contract for Water and Sewer Services Between the City of Merced and the Regents of the University of California, recorded as Document No. 2003-028581 in the official records of the county of Merced, the city shall not make refunds to the University of California, Merced after the fortieth anniversary of the date of that contract (as amended), entered into as of October 1, 2003.

(Ord. 2168 § 6, 2004: Ord. 1665 § 2, 1987: Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

(Ord. No. 2580, § 1, 8-18-2025)

A sewer line more than ten inches in diameter shall be considered oversize and the city shall pay directly to the installing applicant the difference in cost between the average cost of installing a ten-inch diameter sewer line and the actual cost of installing the oversize sewer line; provided, that the installing applicant does not need more than a ten-inch diameter sewer line to serve his own premises. The city will determine the average cost of installing a ten-inch diameter sewer line and its findings shall be conclusive.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

Applicants subject to the charge identified in Sections 15.08.130, 15.16.030, 15.16.040, 15.16.050, and 15.16.070 shall pay such charge prior to obtaining the permit to connect the property to the sewer line, except that if the line and/or laterals are installed by the City and the applicant is to connect a single-family residence to the sewer line and the residence is, or will be owner-occupied by an at or below median-income family as determined by the income limits established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or its successor, then the applicant may elect to pay the charge in twenty (20) annual installments, plus interest thereon on the unpaid balance. Interest shall be calculated on an annual basis based on the previous year's average interest rate earned on city investments. Applicants who make the election shall execute a promissory note and deed of trust evidencing the debt to the city.

(Ord. 1787 § 1, 1991: Ord. 1665 § 1, 1987).

(Ord. No. 2471, § 1, 12-5-2016)

The value of BOD to be used in determining the strength of waste of an industrial user shall be the average of at least four grab samples taken by the city at a time when the wastes are considered representative and at reasonable intervals during the billing period and analyzed by the city. When an industrial user requests additional tests for BOD, he shall pay a sampling fee of fifty dollars for each such sampling.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).

Each user shall be responsible for the construction, maintenance and repair of his house and/or building sewer line. Each user shall be liable for damages which may result to the sewage system from his failure to keep his house or building sewer line in good order. Whenever any house sewer line connected with the public sewer becomes obstructed, broken or out of order, the director shall, if the owner, agent or occupant of the premises fails to repair the same after five days' notice so to do, cause such sewer line to be removed, reconstructed, replaced, altered or cleaned as he may deem expedient, at the expense of the owner, agent or occupant of such premises, and the cost thereof shall be collected in the manner provided in Chapter 15.12.

(Ord. 1489 § 1 (part), 1983).