Ventura Municipal Code § 8.200.090 Private sewage disposal system pumping reports

6 Cross reference(s): Sewer service, Division 2 of Title 22.

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to cause or permit the contents, or any part thereof, of any privy vault, cesspool, or septic tank containing any night soil, slop water or filthy water, matter or substance to flow, discharge or be deposited upon the surface of any premises, private or public, or of any public street or other public place or to discharge or allow any such matter or substance to be discharged into any public or private drainage system, including, without limitation, any public or private street, alley, sewer system, storm drain, maintenance hole or like facility.

B. No person shall place or otherwise discharge any sewage, liquid or other material obtained from a cesspool or other sewerage system located outside the boundaries of the city into a maintenance hole or other part of the city sewerage system.

C. When sewage is overflowing or being discharged upon the surface of any premises, the building official may order the occupant or occupants thereof to abate the same forthwith. If the occupant or occupants fail to abate such overflow or discharge as ordered, the building official may order such occupant or occupants to vacate the premises within 24 hours. (Code 1971, § 4621)

For the purposes of this chapter, the term “private sewage disposal system” is hereby defined to mean any vault, drywell, tank or other receptacle which has been used or is capable of being used for the reception of house drainage or human excrement. (Code 1971, § 4622)

A private sewage disposal system may be maintained or used within the city limits; provided, that the sewage disposal system meets the following conditions:

A. Meets the requirements of the Uniform Plumbing Code;

B. Conforms to the applicable standards established by the Ventura County department of environmental health;

C. Has served the property prior to the property having been annexed to the city of Ventura or has been approved through the appeals process established in Section 8.200.060(B);

D. Is maintained in accordance with all of the provisions of this chapter;

E. Does not constitute a health hazard; and

F. Does not meet any of the criteria set forth in Section 8.200.040 that would require discontinuance of the system and connection to the public sewer system. (Code 1971, § 8623)

A. Connection to the public sewer system shall be required for:

1. All new development within the city limits.

2. Any building or lot where an addition or alteration will cause the liquid capacity of the septic tank to be exceeded based on the prescribed standards in Appendix I of the Uniform Plumbing Code.

3. Any building addition that will require the relocation of the septic tank on the lot in order to meet the horizontal clearance requirements of Appendix I of the Uniform Plumbing Code.

4. Any property served by a private sewage disposal system that meets any of the following criteria; and where the property is located within 200 feet of a public sewer, as measured along a public or private access way available to the property:

a. The system allows, or is in a condition which unreasonably risks, the overflow or upward percolation of any treated or untreated sewage or sludge from the system; or

b. The system requires replacement of a septic tank in order to abate the problem of upward percolation of effluent; or

c. Effluent from the system is polluting or contaminating any stream, watercourse or groundwater basin.

d. The system constitutes a health hazard as determined by the Ventura County director of environmental health.

Normal maintenance of, and minor repairs to, a system such as repairs to a crushed line shall not constitute grounds for determining that the private sewage disposal system has failed and that connection to the public sewer system is required.

B. Any property served by a private sewage disposal system that meets any of the criteria listed in subsection (A)(4) of this section, and where the property is located greater than 200 feet from a public sewer, may repair the private sewage disposal system. Such repair shall be limited to the portion of system causing the health hazard and shall meet all the requirements of Ventura County environmental health department and shall wherever feasible be done in a manner to facilitate future connection to the public sewer. Any repaired or replaced septic tank shall not be oversized to facilitate future building additions. (Code 1971, § 4624)

Whenever it has been determined by the building official that any property served by a private sewage disposal system requires connection to the public sewer system pursuant to this chapter, the connection shall be accomplished no later than 60 days from the date notification to connect is given in writing. For purposes of this section, notice shall be deemed to have been given at the time it is personally delivered, or, if given by mail, at the time it is deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the owner of the property at the last-known address available to the city. In the event that an appeal hearing is requested and a hearing is held, the 60 days’ period within which to connect to the public sewer system shall be stayed and shall run from the date a decision is reached after the hearing. (Code 1971, § 4625)

A. Existing Construction. Whenever a notice to connect property served by a private sewage disposal system is given, a property owner may file an appeal of the building official’s decision with the building and safety board of appeals. The appeal shall be filed within 15 days from the date the notice to connect is given. The appeal shall specifically set forth the grounds for appeal and reason or basis for disagreement with the decision of the building official. The board of appeals shall determine one of the following:

1. The property owner can abate the health hazard other than by connecting to the public sewer and how such abatement should occur.

2. Connection to the public sewer shall be postponed until a specified time certain and temporary measures are established to abate the health hazard.

3. Connection to the public sewer shall proceed as required in the notice to connect.

B. New Construction or Additions. For new building construction or additions to existing structures, appeals for alternate materials or methods of construction other than direct connection to the public sewer may be made to the public works director. The public works director shall have the authority to hear appeals and grant alternates where such alternates provide equivalent levels of health and safety. Should the appellant not be in agreement with the decision of the public works director, the appellant may file an appeal with the building and safety board of appeals. The appeal shall be filed within 15 days after the final decision by the public works director. The appeal shall specifically set forth the grounds for appeal and reason or basis for disagreement with the decision of the public works director. The board of appeals shall determine one of the following:

1. The public works director’s decision was reasonable and that determination shall stand.

2. Based on findings, there are other alternates that will provide equivalent levels of health and safety. Such alternates shall be specifically delineated in upholding the appeal. (Code 1971, § 4626)

When requested by the building official, any private sewage disposal system pumping service operation within the city limits shall submit a true and correct report showing the dates on which pumping occurred within the last year at the requested address. (Code 1971, § 4627)

It shall be unlawful for any person to fail, refuse or neglect to disinfect and fill with noncombustible matter, or fresh earth, sand or gravel, to the satisfaction of the Ventura County department of environmental health, any private sewage disposal system existing on any premises where the plumbing and house drainage of said premises has been connected to an accepted public sewer. (Code 1971, § 4628)

A. Any private sewage disposal system pumping service operating within the city limits shall submit, on a quarterly basis, to the superintendent of building and safety a true and correct report showing the address of each sewage disposal system within the city that was pumped during the reporting period involved, and the date or dates on which pumping occurred at each address.

B. Each cesspool or private sewage disposal system cleaning vehicle operating on any city street shall have displayed, on each side, in block letters not less than three inches in height, the name of the person or company operating the vehicle. (Code 1971, § 4629)