Ripon Municipal Code Ch. 13.08 Sewer Connections

Sections: 13.08.010 Compliance with Sewer Regulations Required. 13.08.020 Construction Standards. 13.08.030 Connection Required When. 13.08.040 Connection Compliance Required. 13.08.050 Permit - Required. 13.08.060 Permit - Application. 13.08.070 Permit - Conditions for Revocation. 13.08.080 Responsibility for Damage to Sewers-repair. 13.08.090 Unlawful connections. 13.08.100 Unlawful deposit. 13.08.110 Notice to Connect. 13.08.120 Licensed Plumbers or Contractors Required. 13.08.130 Inspection Required.

Required. A. For the purpose of this chapter, a public sewer shall be deemed to be available to a building if such sewer is within two hundred fifty (250) feet of the nearest property line of the lot upon which such building is located. B. Pursuant to the authority of Section 4762 of the Health and Safety Code of the state, the city finds and declares that the maintenance or use of private sewage disposal systems constitutes a public nuisance and finds it to be in the public interest that properties to which a public sewer is available be required to connect thereto. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

The city has adopted standard specifications and details for construction of sewers and appurtenances, which are on file in the office of the City Engineer. Said standard specifications and details are referred to and made a part of this code by reference as well as the most recent version of the Uniform Plumbing Code. For good cause, the City Engineer may, in his sole discretion, allow deviations from the adopted standard specifications and details. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

A. When a public sewer becomes available, as defined in Section 13.08.010, to a building served by a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall connect the building to the public sewer within six (6) months after public sewer is available. This time frame may be extended by the City Engineer, in his sole discretion, upon a showing of good cause. B. Where septic tanks or any private septic systems or equipment are abandoned as a result of connecting any building to the public sewer, the owner of the property to which such connection is made shall properly abandon all such tanks, systems or equipment according to all state and local regulations within ninety (90) days after the time of connecting to the public sewer. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

A. All connections of private drains or sewers within the public sewer of the city shall be made in accordance with this chapter and at the places designated by the City Engineer. B. All maintenance of a building connection between the building and the city sewer main is the responsibility of the lot owner or appropriate owner's association exclusive of the city sewer main. C. Whenever any building connection is broken such that earth and other materials must be removed to remove the stoppage between the building sewer system and the city sewer main, said condition shall constitute a public nuisance, and the repair must be completed within two (2) days from the date of discovery of the breakage. If this is not completed within this specified time frame, the City Engineer may cause the deficiency to be abated and cause the cost of such abatement to be made a lien

215 Sewer Connections 9/09 upon the affected property, which lien may be foreclosed in court or collected together with the regular property taxes on said property. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

A. No person or corporation shall make any connection with any part of the public sewers or opening into such public sewers without the written permit of the City Engineer. B. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be deemed to require the application for, or the issuance of, a permit for the purpose of removing stoppages or repairing leaks in a building or sewer lateral, except when it is necessary to replace any part of such sewer. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

Except as provided in Section 13.08.050, any person desiring to perform work involving sewers shall make a request in writing to the city, providing specific details of the proposed work and any other such information as the city may require. The work to be performed shall be done in accordance with city standards and codes. Approval of the proposed work will be issued in the form of an encroachment permit, a building permit, approved subdivision plans or other permit applicable to the overall project involved. The applicant shall pay all such permit and inspection fees associated with the approval. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

All permits to connect with the sewers shall be given upon the express conditions that the city engineer may at any time before the work is completed revoke and annual the same unless the work is done in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. No person or party interested shall have any right to claim damages in consequence of such permit being revoked or annulled. Such work shall be done strictly in accordance with the terms of the permit. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

for Damage to Sewers-repair. A. The applicant to whom a permit for construction has been issued and the person performing the work under such permit shall be liable for all damages. Such applicant shall hold the city and its employees and agents harmless from all loss, including expenses incurred in defending any action against the city arising out of such construction work. B. The applicant shall be liable for defects in the work and for any failure, which may develop in the facilities because of defective work or materials. C. The cost of repairing the damage if not paid by the person causing the same within thirty days shall become a lien upon the property owned or occupied by the person causing the damage, and may be foreclosed in the same manner as claims for labor or materials under the lien laws of the state, except that no equity of redemption shall apply. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

No person or corporation shall connect any open gutter, cesspool, privy, vault or cistern with any public sewer or with any private sewer connecting with a public sewer. (Ord. 35 § 10, 1949)

No person or corporation shall deposit any garbage, offal, dead animals, sand, rags, potato peelings, vegetable offal, or any substance having a tendency to obstruct the flow of sewage in any manhole, water closet, sink, or any other plumbing fixture or fixtures connected with the sewer system of the city. This provision shall apply to garbage disposal units connected with the public sewers. (Ord. 35 § 10, 1949)

A. It shall be the duty of the City Engineer to notify in writing all persons owning or occupying,

216 Sewer Connections 9/09 or having under his or her control any premises situated or being within two hundred fifty feet of a public sewer in the city, where the City Engineer has determined that the premises are in an unsafe condition, to connect their private drains, water closets, basins, sinks, baths, and other plumbing fixtures with such sewer in the manner provided for in this chapter. B. Any person owning or occupying, or having under his or her control any premises as provided in this section who shall fail, refuse or neglect to commence work within ten days from the date of service of the aforesaid notice and diligently and without interruption prosecute the same to completion shall forfeit as a penalty therefore the sum of twenty-five dollars for each day's delay in commencing the work after the expiration of the ten days' notice as aforesaid and after commencement thereof. Such penalty shall be recovered for the use of the city by prosecution and the court having jurisdiction thereof, and shall be paid into the treasury of the city to the use of the city. Should the owner or occupant or person having under his or her control such premises still fail, neglect or refuse to connect their private drains, sinks and privies with such sewer the City Engineer may order the performance of the work and the costs thereof shall be recoverable in an action brought in the name of the city for such purpose or the costs of such work may be paid from moneys recovered as a penalty under this section. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

Required. No person or persons except licensed plumbers or contractors or one to whom a permit has been especially granted by the city for the doing of such work shall be permitted to connect any private drain from any building premises or fixtures with the public sewer system of the city. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

No connection with the public sewers shall be completed or covered until an opportunity for inspection has been afforded to the City Engineer or his designee, and any work covered or concealed prior to inspection shall be uncovered and opened at the expense of the person so covering or concealing the same, provided that in all of the connections with the public sewers, all work shall be done in accordance with the most recent plumbing code adopted as the official code of the city by the city council, copies of which most recent plumbing code are on file in the office of the city clerk, and are available for inspection as to the requirements pertaining to such work. (Ord. 776 §1, 2009)

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