Santa Maria Municipal Code Art. 2 Use of Sewers: Private Disposal

It is unlawful for any person to discharge or permit to be discharged any waste, wastewater or industrial wastewater, or substance that results in pollution, contamination or nuisance to any public or private property within the City, an area under jurisdiction of the City, or to any natural outlet or watercourse except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with provisions of this chapter, the county, Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Federal Act.

(Prior Code § 20-50(A); Ord. 83-1054 § 1, eff. 6/16/83; Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05)

It is unlawful to use, construct or maintain any private wastewater disposal system including privies, privy vaults, septic tanks, cesspools, seepage pits or any other facility intended or used for the disposal of wastewater except as provided in this chapter.

(Prior Code § 20-50(A); Ord. 83-1054 § 1, eff. 6/16/83)

Existing acceptable private wastewater disposal systems may be continued to be used and maintained by property owners for service of existing dwellings and structures only if no available community sewer exists. Acceptable private wastewater disposal systems include but may not be limited to adequately constructed septic tanks and leach fields. Determination of the acceptability of the private wastewater disposal system shall be the responsibility of the Director of Utilities.

(Prior Code § 20-50(A); Ord. 83-1054 § 1, eff. 6/16/83; Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05)

Unacceptable private wastewater disposal systems including but not limited to privies, privy vaults and open cesspools shall not be used, constructed or maintained under any circumstances. Owners of such systems shall make connection to an available community sewer or construct an acceptable private wastewater disposal system only if no available sewer exists. Either action shall be completed within 60 days of written notification to do so by the Director of Utilities.

(Prior Code § 20-50(A); Ord. 83-1054 § 1, eff. 6/16/83; Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05)

New acceptable private wastewater disposal systems may be used, constructed and maintained where no available sewer exists. The type, location, layout and capacity of the private wastewater disposal system must meet all requirements and recommendations of the Department of Public Health of the State, Regional Water Quality Control Board No. 3, health department of the county and the Director of Utilities.

(Prior Code § 20-50(A); Ord. 83-1054 § 1, eff. 6/16/83; Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05)

The owners of acceptable private wastewater disposal systems shall operate and maintain them in a sanitary manner at all times, at no expense to the City.

(Prior Code § 20-50 (A); Ord. 83-1054 § 1, eff. 6/16/83)

When community sewers are made available for the public welfare and at public expense, the City shall require owners of existing acceptable private wastewater disposal systems to connect thereto. Owners with available sewers already shall connect within two years of written notification to do so by the Director of Utilities. Other owners shall connect within two years upon the completion of an available sewer. At the time of connection to a community sewer, existing septic tanks shall be pumped, demolished and filled with earth, sand or gravel in accordance with the requirements of the health department of the county and the Director of Utilities. The septic tank must be completely bypassed.

(Prior Code § 20-50(A); Ord. 83-1054 § 1, eff. 6/16/83; Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05)

Whenever State or county health authorities or the Director of Utilities declare an individual private disposal system, or the systems in the area, to be a health hazard or to be creating a public nuisance, the owners shall connect to an available public sewer within 60 days. If no available sewer exists, abative and corrective measures shall be accomplished within a period of time as specified by the City.

(Prior Code § 20-50(A); Ord. 83-1054 § 1, eff. 6/16/83; Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05)

The City, at its discretion, may establish separate industrial wastewater collection systems and may require any industrial discharger to discharge its wastewater only to such designated sewers. The City may further require any industrial discharger to separate its sanitary sewage from its industrial wastewater and deliver each of them separately to sewers as designated by the Director of Utilities.

(Prior Code § 20-50(A); Ord. 83-1054 § 1, eff. 6/16/83; Ord. 2005-01, eff. 3/3/05)