San Joaquin County Municipal Code Ch. 2 Utility District Regulations

For the purpose of this chapter certain words and phrases are defined and certain provisions shall be construed as stated herein, unless it shall be apparent from their context that they have a different meaning, as follows:

(a) Approved means accepted or acceptable under an applicable specification or standard stated or cited in the Uniform Plumbing Code as adopted by Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 8-3000) of Division 3 of Title 8 of this Ordinance Code.

(b) District means any special district empowered to operate and maintain water, storm drainage or sewer facilities, operated by the County including, but not limited to, County Service Areas.

(c) Sewage means any and all waste substances, liquid or solid, associated with human habitation or which may be contaminated with human or animal excreta or excrement, offal or any feculent matter.

(d) Sewage Disposal Plant means those lands, structures and equipment necessary for the processing and disposal of sewage.

(e) District Sewerage System means those district trunk, collector, lateral and branch lines, manholes, lamp holes, and pumping stations installed for transporting sewage from the building sewer line to a sewage disposal plant.

(f) Sewage Disposal System means and includes the combined sewerage system and the sewage disposal plant.

(g) Wye Branch or Y Branch means that outlet provided in the sewerage system lateral or branch line for the connection of the district sewer line to the sewerage system.

(h) Cleanout means the cast iron or approved plastic riser fitted with approved cleanout plug installed at the point where the building sewer connects to the district sewer line.

(i) Building Sewer Line means the part of the piping of a drainage system which begins at the end of the building drain, two (2) feet outside of the building foundation and extends to the district sewer line.

(j) District Sewer Line means that part of the piping of a drainage system located in the public right-of-way or dedicated easement and extends from the connection to the main to its connection to the building sewer line at the public right-of-way or easement line.

(k) Domestic Sewage means the waterborne wastes derived from the ordinary living processes and of such character as to permit satisfactory disposal without special treatment.

(l) Building Drain Line is that part of the lowest piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other drainage lines within the walls of a building and conveys it to the building sewer line at a distance of two (2) feet outside of the building wall.

(m) Industrial Waste means any and all liquid or waterborne wastes from industrial or commercial processes, except domestic sewage.

(n) Special Wastes means wastes which require special methods of handling or pretreatment.

(o) District Water System means all district wells, pumps, tanks, filters, water treatment equipment, valves, water distribution mains, and water distribution branch lines to include fire hydrants, fire hydrant piping, and fire hydrant shut-off valves and fire hydrant connections to the main distribution line.

(p) Water Main or Water Line means the water supply pipe conveying potable water for public use.

(q) Valve Box and Cover means an approved housing and cover to protect and make readily available the house service shut-off valve installed at the water service line.

(r) District Water Service Line means the water pipe extending from the water main (with valve and valve box cover) to the public right-of-way or dedicated easement lines.

(s) Building Water Service Line means the water pipe beginning from the building extending to the district water service line.

(t) Water Service Connection means the tap in the water main supplying water to the district service line.

(u) Fire Hydrant means the connection to the main distribution line, the lateral piping, the hydrant shut-off valve, and aboveground hydrant.

(v) Storm Drainage means that rainfall or overland flow resulting from rainfall that falls on the drainage area.

(w) Storm Drainage System means the district trunk, ditch, collection and lateral pipelines, manholes, catch basins, pumping stations and ponds installed for the transportation of stormwater runoff from its point of collection to disposal area.

(x) Catch Basin means that device installed in the curb, gutter or any other place in the drainage area to collect stormwater runoff and direct it to the underground pipelines of the storm drainage system.

(y) Manhole means that device installed at intervals along the trunk, collector and lateral pipelines of the sewerage system or storm drainage system for the purpose of allowing access to those pipelines for maintenance purposes.

(z) Storm Drainage Pumping Station means that structure containing pumps installed for the purpose of pumping and discharging storm drainage.

(aa) Ponds means those depressions within the district excavated for the purpose of evaporating, percolating or temporarily retaining storm drainage.

(bb) Ditch means that longitudinal trench adjacent to a road or other area placed for the purpose of collecting and conveying storm drainage or overland nonrunoff flow.

(Ord. 2422; 2565)

It shall be the duty of the Director of Public Works, or his authorized representative, to inspect and approve as to adequacy and workmanship any sewage disposal system, any storm drainage system, or any water system or any addition thereto being installed for any district.

It shall be the duty of the Building Inspector or his authorized representative to inspect and approve, as to conformity with the provisions of this chapter, all building sewers and all building water service lines. No such installation of a building sewer line or building water service line shall be covered until it has been inspected and approved, as prescribed in the Uniform Plumbing Code.

(Ord. 2422; 2565)

It shall be unlawful to connect a building sewer line to a district sewerage system or connect a building water service line to a district water main without having secured a permit from the County Building Inspection Department and paid the fee prescribed herein. No connection shall be made to any district sewer line or to any district water main prior to the approval of said district sewer system or district water system by the Director of Public Works.

(Ord. 2422)

The permit fee to be paid to the County Building Inspection Department for each connection to a District Sewerage System or a District Water Main shall be as prescribed in Division 1, Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 8-1000) of Title 8 (Building Regulations).

(Ord. 2422; 2469)

Building sewer lines, cleanouts, and district sewer line to be connected to a district sewerage system shall be installed at the property owner's expense and shall meet the standards prescribed in the Uniform Plumbing Code and the following requirements:

(a) Building sewer shall be of cast iron, first quality salt-glazed vitrified clay sewer pipe with approved rubber or plastic couplers, first quality concrete sewer pipe with approved rubber or plastic couplers, transite sewer pipe or approved Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) or Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) pipe schedule 40 or better, except that any building or foundation wall shall be of cast iron, approved Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) or Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) pipe.

(b) District sewer line for each lot or parcel of property shall be connected to the district sewerage system only at the wye branch installed at each lot and no building sewer from any other lot or property shall be connected thereto; except that, when due to unusual circumstances it is extremely difficult or impossible to connect at this point, the Director of Public Works may grant permission to tap and saddle the available district lateral or branch line with approved saddle and to this saddle connect a single lot or parcel building sewer. Taps, when permitted, shall be with approved wye saddles two (2) pipe sizes smaller than the district sewage system but not less than four (4) inches in diameter, or an approved wye fitting the same size and material as the district sewer system, provided said installation is approved by the Director of Public Works.

(c) Building sewer shall be provided with an accessible cleanout at the connection to the district sewer line and said cleanout shall be brought to a point not more than six (6) inches above nor more than four (4) inches below the surface of the surrounding ground, encased in an 16″ × 16″ × 4″ thick concrete support. A permanent record of the exact location of said cleanout with reference to permanent structures on the property shall be maintained by the property owner and shall be made readily available to any authorized district representative. Any expense incurred in locating cleanouts shall be borne by the property owner.

(d) All building sewer lines shall be evenly and firmly bedded, nonmetallic pipe shall be layed on a bed of sand or loam six (6) inches deep, and properly graded and approved by the County Building Inspector before being covered or the trench back-filled.

(e) Where the installation of a district sewer line requires work in any County right-of-way or dedicated easement, an encroachment permit shall first be secured from the Department of Public Works. A performance bond shall be posted with the Director of Public Works and all back-fill, after building sewer line has been approved, shall be placed in accordance with the requirements established for such work by the Director of Public Works.

(f) Where the installation of a district sewer line requires tapping into a manhole, the outlet shall enter the manhole at the same level as the district sewer system.

(Ord. 2422)

Users of sewers shall not permit the flow or entry into a district sewerage system of any of the following:

(I) (a)

Waste water from automobile washing or garage floors. (1) Exception as allowed in the Uniform Plumbing Code.

(b) Roof drainage or drainage waste resulting from natural runoff or irrigation.

(c) Gasoline, cleaning solvents, paints, thinners, oils, or greases other than normal residential kitchen wastes.

(d) Cloth, rope, metals, and solids of any kind.

(e) Garbage and similar waste material except when processed by approved garbage disposal units.

(f) Waste water from any restaurant, bar, or other kitchen where food is prepared for public consumption unless first directed through an approved grease trap, as required by the Uniform Plumbing Code.

(g) Waste drainage from water cooled refrigeration air conditioning.

(II) No person shall place or cause to be placed in the storm drainage system the following:

(a) Gasoline, cleaning solvents, paints, thinners, oils, or grease, acids, soaps, or caustics.

(b) Cloth, rope, metals, and solids of any kind.

(c) Garbage and similar waste material.

(d) Grass clippings and leaves.

(e) Waste water from any restaurant, bar, or other kitchen where food is prepared for public consumption.

(f) Waste water from any chemical or fertilizer processing or distribution plant.

(g) Pesticides.

(III) No person shall cause or permit any water furnished to him or her, by district, to run to waste in or on any gutter, sidewalk, street, or other area.

(Ord. 2422; 2565)

It shall be the district's responsibility to maintain all of the district's trunk collectors, laterals, branch pipelines, manholes, sewage disposal plants, storm drainage system, and district sewer line. District shall repair, maintain, and clean all such lines at district expense. It will be the property owner's responsibility to install the district sewer line and dedicate such line to the district after approval by the Building Inspector. It shall be the owner's responsibility to maintain, repair, and clean, at his own expense, all building sewer lines, cleanout and including the connection to the district sewer line.

(Ord. 2422; 2565)

Building water service line and the district water service line to be connected to a district water system shall be installed at the property owner's expense and shall meet the following requirements:

(a) Building water service line piping and fittings shall be of brass, copper, cast iron, galvanized malleable iron, galvanized wrought iron, galvanized steel or approved nonmetallic pipe. All fittings shall be approved for their use.

(b) Building water service line for each lot or parcel of land shall be connected only at the district water service connection designated for that particular lot or parcel of land, and no other water service line for any other lot or parcel of land shall connect thereto.

(c) District water service line shall include a corporation cock at the water service connection immediately followed by four (4) feet of looped copper, approved polyethylene plastic service pipe, or equally approved flexible connection.

(d) The property owner shall install over the corporation cock or shut-off valve a valve box and cover of concrete or approved equal, and said valve box and cover shall be so maintained that it will be visible and readily accessible at all times. Said valve box and cover shall be dedicated to the district.

(e) Building water service line and district water service connection shall not be less than three-quarters (¾) inch or more than one and one-quarter (1 ¼) inch, except that for special installations where the Director of Public Works may grant permission for a larger water service connection and shut-off valve.

(f) Four-inch nonmetallic district water lines shall be saddled where tapped for water service connections.

(g) Where district water mains are of metal, the property owner shall install an insulated coupling between the corporation cock or shutoff valve and the building water service line.

(h) Where district water mains are located in public road rights-of-way the district water service line shall be brought inside the curb or sidewalk line before setting the corporation cock or shutoff valve and protecting valve box and cover.

(i) Where the installation of a building water service line requires work in any county right-of-way or dedicated easement, an encroachment permit shall first be secured from the Director of Public Works. A performance bond shall be posted with the Director of Public Works and all backfill, after building water service line has been approved, shall be placed in accordance with the requirements established for such works by the Director of Public Works.

(Ord. 2422)

All residences, places of business, schools, or other buildings or places where persons reside, congregate, or are employed must be connected to the district water system in which they are located. No building water service line connected to any district water line shall be interconnected to any other water supply line, either public or private, unless the connection includes an approved double check valve assembly, or an approved reduced pressure principle backflow prevention device, as required by State law and regulations and this Code.

(Ord. 2422; 3310)

It shall be the district's responsibility to maintain all the district's water mains and water lines, fire hydrants and district water service lines. District shall maintain, service and repair all such lines at district expense. Water shall be shut off to any district water main or district water line only by authorized district personnel. Any person requiring this service shall first arrange for permission and time with the Director of Public Works or his authorized representative. It shall be the owner's responsibility to install the district water service line and dedicate such line to the district after approval by the Building Inspector. It shall be the owner's responsibility to maintain and repair at his own expense all building water service lines. Owner shall make immediate repairs to eliminate leaks in building water service line and leaking valves, faucets and fixtures on his premises.

(Ord. 2422)

District reserves the right to install water meters and set rates for the use of water. District also reserves the right to set rates for sewer and storm drainage services.

(Ord. 2422, 2565)

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the San Joaquin County Utilities Ordinance.

(Ord. 2422)

This chapter shall not be applicable to any district which discharges wastewater into a treatment works operated by the City of Stockton and which wastewater discharge is controlled by Division 6 of this Title 5 of this code.

(Ord. 2689)