Sutter County Municipal Code Ch. 1760 Stormwater Connections

The purpose of this Chapter is to prescribe and regulate the connection of stormwater drainage runoff to the public stormwater system.

This Chapter shall apply to all County owned and/or maintained drainage and stormwater facilities. This Chapter does not apply to drainage or stormwater facilities owned and operated by Reclamation Districts or Drainage Districts.

(a) Connection: New premises within an existing County stormwater service area and within 400 feet of an existing public drainage line or channel of sufficient capacity shall connect to that line or channel for drainage needs at the expense of the property owner.

(b) Line or Channel Extension: Applicants requesting services requiring line or channel extensions shall be responsible for all costs associated with the installation of those line or channel extensions. At the discretion of the County, the parties may enter into a reimbursement agreement whereby the applicant may be allowed to recover a portion of those costs from fees paid for future connections to the extension. Where stormwater line or channel extensions are required for subdivisions, the owner and/or sub-divider shall be responsible for all costs associated with the installation of stormwater facilities required within the subdivision and any extension of stormwater transmission lines or channels from the subdivision to the nearest existing line or channel with sufficient capacity to serve the area. Upon acceptance by the County, the County will assume ownership, maintenance and control of the lines or channels.

No person may connect to or otherwise redirect the flow of water so as to cause additional drainage to enter roadside ditches except in those situations where an exception has been granted by the Director.

No person, except a duly authorized employee or agent of the County, shall make any connection to the County stormwater drainage system unless specifically authorized to do so by an encroachment permit, building permit, or approved public improvement plan issued by the County. The applicant shall pay applicable plan review and processing fees, the amount of which shall be fixed, from time to time, by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.

All service connections shall be constructed in accordance with the Sutter County Design/Improvement Standards; shall be the size deemed appropriate by the County; and, shall be installed at the location required by the permit. Service connection installations may be made only to property abutting public streets or to those which abut County stormwater collection lines or channels. Service connections installed in subdivisions prior to the construction of streets or in advance of street improvements shall be utilized by the applicant in the installed location.

A connection fee shall be paid at that time the building permit is issued to the applicant. Permit processing fees shall be in addition to the connection fee. The amount of these fees shall be established from time to time by a resolution of the Board of Supervisors.

Only duly authorized County employees or licensed contractors to whom a permit has been especially issued, shall be permitted to connect any private drainage line, ditch, or other runoff source to the public stormwater system. No unauthorized person shall uncover, open, connect, use, alter or otherwise disturb any public stormwater line, channel, facility, or stormwater system appurtenance.

Where premises are connected to the County stormwater line or channels, it is the responsibility of the property owner, at the owner's expense to maintain the stormwater service lateral from the premises to the County-owned service connection point. Such line or channel maintenance shall include cleaning of the lateral and removal of tree roots. The property owner is also responsible for repairs of the lateral line within the property boundaries. The County will repair damaged and deteriorated lateral lines in the County right-of-way at County expense, unless such damage was caused by the property owner.

Any person who violates this Chapter shall be responsible for any damage caused to the County stormwater system or any other County property.

(Ord. 1523, Sec. 3, Dec. 8, 2009)