National City Municipal Code Ch. 14.06 Sewer Connections

For the purpose of this chapter:

A. "Person" means and includes an individual, partnership, firm, association or corporation.

B. "Private property" means all those lands lying within the corporate limits of National City, except those lands owned or controlled by the city and shown as a separate lot of parcel on maps filed in either the county recorder's office or the county clerk's office, or on resubdivisions authorized by the city council as provided in ordinances of the city regulating such resubdivisions or lot splits, as shown on the current tax roll for the city.

C. "Public sewers" means and includes any and all publicly owned pipelines, manholes, lamp holes, inspection holes, cleanouts, accessories, equipment or appurtenances to any and all devices used for the disposal of the sewage of the city within the boundary lines of streets, alleys, rights-of-way or public easements.

D. "Sewer lateral" or "lateral" means that part of any sewer extending from the sewer main in a public street, alley, easement or right-of-way to private property for the use of such property.

E. "Sewer system service," also referred to herein as service," means and is the making available of the city sewer system to any parcel of property by the city.

(Ord. 1489 §§ 2—6, 1975)

It is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, association or corporation to install, or cause to be installed, a septic tank, a cesspool, or other device or devices, for disposal of sewage in the city where the building to be connected is within two hundred feet of the available sewer system after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter. The sewer system shall be deemed available where a building connection pipe may be laid with a fall of one-quarter inch per foot.

(Ord. 1489 § 13, 1975)

If private property which is sought to be connected with a public sewer system has actually been assessed to pay for the cost and expenses of the construction of such public sewer system, or if the public sewer system has been constructed for the use of the private property by private contract by an owner of the private property or his assignor at no expense to the city, either partially or wholly, from its funds or from money derived from a bond issue authorized by an election, the city engineer shall issue a permit upon the payment of connection and permit fees as set forth in this chapter.

(Ord. 2052 § 1, 1993: Ord. 1489 § 7, 1975)

Upon the receipt of an application for a permit under the provisions of this chapter, the city engineer shall, if the same is in accord with provisions hereof, and if the fee has been paid to the treasurer, issue a permit to the owners of the property to be served, in duplicate, one copy to be delivered to the permittee and one copy to be kept in the city engineer's office.

(Ord. 2052 § 2, 1993: Ord. 1489 § 22, 1975)

It is unlawful for any person, other than the city, its officers, agents, permittees and/or employees, to connect any pipe, drain or sewer with, or to open or penetrate, any public sewer in the city, or to damage, remove or open any portion of any manhole, flush tank, lamp hole, inspection pipe or any other part or appurtenance to any public sewer. All sewer laterals from mains to the property line shall be constructed by the city. All connections to the sewer main in a public street, alley, easement or right-of-way shall be made by the city.

(Ord. 1489 § 8, 1975)

A. In addition to any fee or other charge which the city may make for connecting with the public sewer, the owner or applicant for such connection shall pay to the city for constructing and laying a sewer lateral as defined in Section 14.06.010D, a fee as established in the fee schedule adopted by the city council.

B. Under abnormal conditions, additional appropriate charges shall be established by the city engineer. Abnormal conditions include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

1. Deep sewer laterals in excess of eight feet;

2. Difficult or unusual excavations;

3. Unusual obstructions or hazards;

4. Sewer connections where the conduit is larger than six inches inside diameter;

5. If, in the opinion of the city engineer, the estimated sewage flow from any property is in excess of one thousand gallons per day, the fee shall be determined by multiplying the estimated flow, in gallons per day, by $0.653. The city engineer may further require the installation of a flow meter. If actual flows exceed the estimated flow, an adjustment to the fee may also be required as determined by the city engineer.

C. In case a connection is made to a public sewer where the sewer main or service lateral is already installed across private property, the property owner shall install the building sewer to the sewer main and shall uncover the existing sewer main so that a connection can be made, which connection shall be made by the city.

(Ord. 2018 § 11, 1991; Ord. 1798, 1983: Ord. 1625, 1978: Ord. 1489 § 9, 1975)

In addition to a fee for permit or other charge which the city may make for connecting to the public sewer system, the owner or applicant (excluding those exempted by Section 14.06.030) for sewer system service to any property whose dimensions parallel to the street are fifty feet or less shall, upon making application for such service, pay the minimum sum of three hundred dollars to the city. Where the subject property is over fifty feet in width, the minimum charge shall be six dollars per foot of frontage.

(Ord. 1489 § 10, 1975)

The size and number of service laterals serving any property shall be determined by the city engineer and such laterals shall be connected only upon the order of the city engineer after the appropriate fees contained in Sections 14.06.050 and 14.06.060 have been paid. The building sewer shall be inspected and approved prior to connections to the service lateral.

(Ord. 2052 § 3, 1993: Ord. 1489 § 11, 1975)

No connection to the public sewers shall be made, or any work done thereon, either in the public streets or alleys, or within property lines, until a permit for such construction and work has been issued therefor by the city. Permits for sewer connection shall be issued only to persons who have plumbing already installed in their premises, or have taken out permits therefor under the provisions of city ordinances. Applications for permits required by the provisions of this chapter shall be made to the director of building and housing.

(Ord. 1489 § 21, 1975)

It shall be the duty of the city engineer to keep on file all records of sewer permits issued. It shall be the duty of the city engineer to plat sewer lines constructed hereunder on the plats in his office.

(Ord. 2052 § 4, 1993: Ord. 1489 § 24, 1975)

There is created a sewers appeal board consisting of the director of building and safety, the city engineer and a representative of the city council to be appointed by the mayor. Any applicant for service from the sewer system who presents a special or peculiar case may be referred to the sewers appeal board by the city engineer for decision on the amount of charge to be made in addition to the three-hundred-dollar minimum charge; or any applicant who desires to present a plan of sewer service different from the number of services required by the city engineer may make a written request to the sewers appeal board for a decision. Nothing in this section shall deny the right of appeal of the applicant to the city council for the fixing of the charges; provided, however, that such appeal to the city council is made within thirty days from the date of the decision rendered by the sewers appeal board and the decision of the city council on any such appeal shall be final.

(Ord. 2052 § 5, 1993: Ord. 1489 § 12, 1975)

Upon the issuance of a permit under the provisions of this chapter, the city engineer shall proceed with the work called for by the permit, and upon completion shall file with the city engineer a copy of that permit with a notation thereon that the work has been completed and the connection made and the date of completion, together with an itemized statement of the cost thereof, and accurate location of same.

(Ord. 1489 § 23, 1975)

All public sewers constructed and conduits leading thereto installed under the provisions of this chapter shall be left uncovered until the city engineer has given permission to cover the same. Existing buildings within two hundred feet of the available city sewer system shall be connected to the city sewer system at such times as the private sewer system fails or is ineffective in the disposal of liquid and solid wastes.

(Ord. 1489 § 25, 1975)

Every building sewer or drainage piping installed within the public right-of-way and the property lines that is to be connected with the public sewers shall be of approved materials listed in the Uniform Plumbing Code and shall be installed according to the listing of their approval. Piping conveying industrial, chemical or process wastes from their point of origin to sewer connected pretreatment facilities shall be of such material and design as to adequately perform its intended function to the satisfaction of the director of building and safety. Drainage discharge piping from pretreatment facilities or interceptors shall conform to standard drainage installation procedures. The installation and testing of approved materials shall be in accordance with installation and testing procedures contained in the Uniform Plumbing Code. No connection in any manner shall be made between drainage piping or sewers on private property and the public sewers until inspected and approved by the city engineer or director of building and safety, as applicable.

(Ord. 2052 § 6 1993: Ord. 1489 § 15, 1975)

Every building with plumbing fixtures shall be separately and independently connected to the public sewer; except, where one building stands in the rear of another building on an interior lot, the building drain from the front building may be extended to the rear building or where two or more buildings on the same property under one ownership and not subdividable may be served by a single adequately sized connection to the public sewer. Whenever a sewer line is to be installed at the cost of the property owners on or across any street, alley, easement or right-of-way or any ground dedicated to the city for any purpose, or across private property, and when said sewer is to be connected to the public sewer, or may become a part of the public sewer system, the sewer line shall be installed under the supervision of the city engineer and the city shall have the right to make extensions and connections thereto at all times. Before any lateral connections are made to any such sewer, so installed by property owners, a permit thereof must be taken out and the regular fees paid.

(Ord. 1489 § 14, 1975)

A. The property owner is responsible for the building connection line from the house to the main. The owner or occupant is responsible for calling a licensed private plumbing contractor if a stoppage occurs. City crews cannot respond to requests for service unless the owner or occupant has first obtained the service of a licensed plumber. If the licensed plumber is unsuccessful in cleaning the line and in his opinion determines that the stoppage is located in the right-of-way portion of the building connection, the plumber shall call the department of public works and request city service.

B. Whenever it is necessary for the city to relieve stoppage in laterals, if the obstruction is in the street between the sewer main and the property line, and is due to waste matter which should not have been placed in the sewer, the owner of such property shall pay to the city the cost of the removal of such obstruction.

(Ord. 1852, 1985; Ord. 1489 § 20, 1975)

The building sewer or drainage piping installed within property lines and the building connection serving such building sewer or drainage piping shall be maintained by the property owner.

(Ord. 1489 § 16, 1975)

Except as provided in Section 14.06.190 of this chapter, it is unlawful for any person to deposit, by any means whatsoever, into any plumbing fixture, floor drain, interceptor, sink, receptacle or device which is connected to the drainage system, public sewer, private sewer, septic tank or cesspool, any ashes; cinders; solids; rags; inflammable, poisonous or explosive liquids or gases; oils; grease or any other organic, chemical or industrial waste that may be detrimental to the public sewer system or detrimental to the functioning of the sewage treatment plant. No cesspool, septic tank, seepage pit or drainfield shall be connected to any public sewer or to any building sewer leading to such public sewer.

Unless approved by the director of building and safety, no rain, surface or subsurface water shall be connected to or discharged into any sewerage system. Roofs, inner courts, vent shafts, light wells or similar areas having rainwater drain, shall discharge to the outside of the building or to the gutter and shall not be connected to the sewerage system.

(Ord. 2052 § 7, 1993: Ord. 1489 § 18, 1975)

A. Chemical or industrial liquid wastes shall not be discharged into the public sewer system without obtaining an industrial waste permit and the approval of the San Diego Metropolitan Sewerage System to discharge such wastes into the public sewer. Wastes that are known to be detrimental to the public sewer system or detrimental to the functioning of the sewage treatment plant shall be treated and disposed of as found necessary and directed by the San Diego Metropolitan Sewerage System or other authority having jurisdiction.

B. Solid wastes resulting from the preparation of any food or drink prepared on premises where such foods or drinks are served or proposed to be served for consumption shall not discharge into the public sewer system in concentrations that may result in separation from effluent and adherence to sewer structures and appurtenances, accumulate and/or cause or contribute to blockages in the sewer system or at the sewer system lateral which connects the food service establishment to the sewer system. Premises where food or drink are served or proposed to be served for consumption are required to install, operate and maintain a grease control device of an approved type and adequate size in accordance with the current edition of the California Plumbing Code, see Chapter 15.20.

C. Interceptors (including grease, oil and sand, etc.) shall be provided when, in the judgment of the director of building and safety or the public works director, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease, flammable wastes, sandy solids, acid or alkaline substances or other ingredients harmful to the building drainage system, the public or private sewer or to public or private sewage disposal facilities in accordance to the FOG Chapter, see Chapter 14.24.

(Ord. 2052 § 8, 1993: Ord. 1489 § 19, 1975)

(Ord. No. 2024-2531, § 1, 4-16-2024)

When any person shall have violated or failed to comply with any of the requirements of this chapter or when, through any such violation or failure to comply by any person doing the work, it is necessary to make extra inspections of the work, there shall be charged said person a fee of ten dollars for such extra inspection made necessary on account of such violation or failure to comply.

(Ord. 1489 § 17, 1975)

Any money collected under the provisions of this chapter shall be credited as follows:

A. Permit inspection and connection fees to the sewer service revenue fund of the city;

B. Sewer system charges to the sewer service revenue fund of the city.

(Ord. 1721, 1980: Ord. 1489 § 22 (part), 1975)

Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed a violator of this chapter and shall be subject to all penalties provided under law. In addition, such violators may be subject to penalty provisions contained within the Business and Professions Code of the state of California and enforced by the registrar of contractors.

(Ord. 1489 § 26, 1975)