Yuba City Municipal Code Art. 3 Sewer Construction

(a) Permits required. No person shall construct a building sewer or service lateral or make a connection with any public sewer without first obtaining a written permit from the City and paying all the fees and connection charges as required thereby.

(b) Design and construction requirements. The design and construction of building sewers and service laterals, including the connections, shall be in accordance with the requirements of the City, latest edition of the International Building Code and California Plumbing Code, and in accordance with the City's standard specifications.

(c) Separate sewers. No two adjacent buildings fronting on the same street shall be permitted to join in the use of the same service lateral. Every building or industrial facility shall be separately connected with a public sewer if such public sewer exists in the street upon which the property abuts or in an easement which will serve such property.

(1) One or more buildings located on property belonging to the same owner may be served, upon approval of the Public Works Director, with the same service lateral during the period of such ownership. Upon the subsequent subdivision and sale of a portion of such lot, the portion not directly connected to such public sewer shall be separately connected to a public sewer after obtaining appropriate permit from the City, and it shall be unlawful for the owner thereof to continue to use or maintain such indirect connection. All fees and charges associated with the separation shall be paid prior to any construction work related to the separation.

(2) Should adjacent buildings or parcels belonging to different owners share an existing service lateral, the property owners shall be required to separate and build separate laterals to each building or parcel upon the failure of the shared-use lateral. Repairs to a shared-use lateral may only be made by permission of the Public Works Director.

(d) Old building sewers. Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, upon inspection and test, to meet all the requirements of the City, by permission of the Public Works Director. Anyone wishing to utilize existing or old service laterals must submit supportive documentation such as pipe TV analysis and any other tests required by the City. The applicant shall be responsible for all costs associated with this application including preparation of the required supportive documents.

(e) Cleanouts. Cleanouts in building sewers shall be provided in accordance with the latest edition of California Plumbing Code, the standard specifications, and any other City requirements. All cleanouts shall be maintained watertight.

(f) Sewers too low. In all buildings in which any building sewer is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, the sanitary sewage carried by such building sewer shall be lifted by artificial means approved by the Public Works Director through an agreement with the conditions and discharged to the public sewer at the expense of the owner. The owner shall be responsible for the proper operation and maintenance of such system at his/her own expense.

(g) Connections to public sewers. The connection of the service lateral into the public sewer shall be made in accordance with the standard specifications and other City requirements and at the applicant's expense. The property owner shall be obligated to install and maintain the service lateral at his/her sole expense from the sewer main to the building being served. Where the City has partially constructed the service lateral from the main to the property line in order to avoid the further or future tearing up of the streets, it shall be the property owner's obligation to reimburse the City for the actual cost of that portion of the sewer service lateral constructed by the City. Property owners shall be solely responsible for the entire cost of the sewer service lateral from the main to the building being serviced, which shall be collected at the time of the connection to the public sewer system. The connection to the public sewer shall be made in the presence of a City inspector and under their supervision and direction. Any damage to the public sewer shall be repaired in conformance with the standard specifications and other City requirements at the cost of the applicant.

(h) Maintenance of service lateral. Service laterals shall be maintained by the owner of the property served thereby. The City shall have the right to conduct maintenance inspection, and/or repair to the service lateral if needed, and it shall be the property owner's obligation to reimburse the City for the actual cost of such repair and inspection. Failure to reimburse the City shall be addressed as established by Section 6-5.206 of this Code.

(i) Testing. All building sewers and service laterals shall be tested in accordance with the standard specifications.

(j) Prohibited cross connections. Sanitary sewer pipes shall not be connected to the storm drain system. The discharge of sanitary sewer/wastewater to the storm drain system is prohibited. It shall be the property owner's responsibility to avoid any cross connections during construction. This condition is applicable in all the circumstances, unless exceptions are approved by the Public Works Director, even if the improvement plans/drawings and construction work are approved by the City. The discharge of sanitary sewer/wastewater to the storm drain system is prohibited.

(1) The Public Works Director may notify and require property owner(s) with cross connections to eliminate the cross connection, and install backflow prevention devices, at the property owner(s) expense if the elimination is reasonably necessary as determined by the Public Works Director.

(k) Maintenance and repair; indemnity.

(1) The property owner shall maintain in good condition, and shall be responsible, regardless of the cause, for all required repairs to the customer's private sewer line and all other sewer pipe(s) and appurtenances on property owner's premises. Property owner shall comply with all requirements under this Code prior to excavating anywhere within the public right-of-way for the purpose of maintaining and/or repairing the private sewer line.

(2) The property owner shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the City, its officers, and employees from and against any and all claims, actions, costs (including attorney fees), damages, or other liability arising from the condition, operation, maintenance, or repair of any sewer line, pipe, or appurtenance that the owner is required to maintain and repair hereunder.

(l) Private sewer lines—No infiltration or leaks.

(1) If any private service lateral is found to have a leak or defect that could result in infiltration and/or contamination of ground water or storm runoff, or a result in a wastewater leak or overflow, and the Public Works Director determines that the leak or defect should be repaired to protect the public health, welfare, or safety, or any regulatory agency requires the leak or defect to be repaired, the Public Works Director may notify the owner of the property where the private sewer line is located that the owner must repair the line, and the owner of the line shall promptly upon notification repair the line to the satisfaction of the City. The City may require reasonable inspection of work performed and the property owner shall be responsible to pay fees/costs associated with these inspections.

(2) If the owner of the property where the private sewer line is located fails to make the determined repairs, the condition resulting from the leak or defect in the private sewer line shall be deemed to constitute a public nuisance, and the Public Works Director shall be authorized to commence and carry out proceedings for abatement of the condition and repair of the leak or defect. When, in the opinion of the Public Works Director, the leak or defect causes or threatens to cause a condition that presents an imminent danger to the public health, safety, or welfare, or the environment, or a violation of an NPDES permit, the Director may summarily abate the condition and repair the leak or defect. The owner shall be liable for the costs incurred by the City for any abatement and repair, including any related inspection and testing costs, arising from the leak or defect, and the cost therefor shall be invoiced to the owner. If the invoice is not paid within 30 days, the Public Works Director may commence proceedings for recovery of these costs in accordance with the provisions of this Code.

(i) Nuisance abatement and cost recovery shall be in accordance with Title 4, Chapter 8 Nuisance Abatement Code of this Code.

(m) Private sewer lines. Private sewer lines serving two or more buildings or structures located on the same lot or parcel, and all appurtenances thereto, that are not maintained by the City, shall be constructed to meet the City standards of construction of public sewer lines, unless different standards are approved by the Public Works Director.

(n) Separate connection requirement for each commercial and industrial business. Separate sewer connection is required for each commercial and industrial business regardless of the single and/or multiple ownership of the property location of the business. For example, if there are four businesses on one property owned by one owner, then four separate sewer connections are required. Exceptions to this requirement may be made by the Public Works Director on a case-by-case basis as determined to be reasonably necessary. Total fee shall be paid prior to any connection to the POTW pipelines.

(o) Warranty; indemnity. In addition to other applicable conditions and requirements, the applicant and/or contractor shall comply with the City's standard specifications and special provisions for warranty and indemnity.

(p) Septic tank effluent pumping system. Certain properties within the City may be served by a septic tank effluent pumping (STEP) system, which is located on private property and owned by the subject property owners; however, the City is responsible for the STEP system operation.

(1) The City shall maintain the system, including both preventative maintenance and repair, of all STEP equipment downstream of the house wastewater connection, at the septic tank. Equipment shall include pumps, filters, piping, associated electrical equipment, and other components required to keep the existing STEP system in operation.

(2) It is the responsibility of the property owner(s) to notify the City of Yuba City immediately upon notice of any problems or concerns with the STEP system.

(Ord. No. 007-16, § 2, 6-21-2016; Ord. No. 001-22, § 3, 1-18-2022)

(a) Permits required. No person shall construct, extend, or connect to any public sewer without first obtaining a written permit from the City and paying all the fees and connection charges and furnishing the bonds as required therein. Such fees shall include, but are not limited to, plan check and inspection fees, which shall be based upon the City's adopted fee schedule. Costs shall be based upon the engineer's estimate or awarded contractor's bid, as approved by the City, and deducting therefrom the amount of any City contribution to the work of construction for oversizing or over-width. The provisions of this section requiring permits shall not be construed to apply to contractors constructing sewers and appurtenances under contracts awarded and entered into by the City.

(b) Design and construction standards. The minimum standards for the design and construction of sewers within the City shall be in accordance with the standard specifications and this article. The Public Works Director may permit modifications or may require higher standards where unusual conditions are encountered.

(c) Plans, profiles, and specifications required. The application for a permit for public sewer construction shall be accompanied by a complete set of plans, profiles, and specifications, complying with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations of the City, prepared by a civil engineer registered in the State of California, showing all details of the proposed work based on an accurate survey of the ground. The application, together with the plans, profiles, and specifications, shall be examined by the Public Works Director, who shall approve them as filed or require them to be modified as they deem necessary for proper installation. When the Public Works Director is satisfied that the proposed work is proper and the plans, profiles, and specifications are sufficient and correct, they shall order the issuance of a permit predicated upon the payment of all connection charges and fees and furnishing the bonds and deposits as required by the City. The permit shall prescribe such terms and conditions as the Public Works Director finds necessary in the public interest.

(d) Subdivisions. The requirements of this chapter shall be fully complied with before any final subdivision map shall be approved by the City. The final subdivision map shall provide for the dedication for public use of streets, easements, or rights-of-way in which public sewer lines are to be constructed.

(e) Easements or rights-of-way. In the event an easement is required for the extension of the public sewer or the making of connections, the applicant shall procure and have accepted by the City a proper easement or grant of right-of-way having a minimum width sufficient by law to allow the laying and maintenance of such extension or connection.

(f) Persons authorized to perform work. Only properly licensed contractors with all required permits shall be authorized to perform the work of public sewer construction within the City. All terms and conditions of the permit issued by the City to the applicant shall be binding on the contractor. The requirements of this section shall apply to service laterals installed concurrently with public sewer construction.

(g) Compliance with other regulations. Any person constructing a sewer within a street shall comply with all State, County, or City laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations pertaining to the cutting of pavement; the opening, barricading, lighting, and protecting of trenches; and the backfilling and repaving thereof, and shall obtain all permits and pay all fees required by the department having jurisdiction prior to the issuance of a permit by the City.

(h) "As-built" drawings. As a condition of final acceptance by the City, copies of "as-built" drawings showing the actual locations and depth of all mains, structures, wyes, laterals, and other changes to the construction drawings shall be filed with the City.

(i) Completion of sewerage works required. Before accepting any sewerage works by the City and prior to the admission of any sewage into the system, the sewerage works shall be tested and shall be completed in full compliance with all the requirements of the standard specifications and to the satisfaction of the Public Works Director.

(j) Reimbursement agreements. Where the cost of the public sewer main extension has been deposited or paid by the person making such extension, the City may thereafter collect from any person connecting to such extension, except the person originally installing such extension, that portion of the cost of such extension as approved by the City in the reimbursement agreement. All reimbursement agreements shall be approved by Council.

Such sums as are thus actually received by the City shall be paid by the City to the person originally making such extension, but the City shall in no way be obligated to ensure that the person making such extension is paid the total cost thereof nor to initiate any action nor incur any expense to collect any sum to be paid such person; nor shall such refund be made from any other revenues of the City. Where more than one person contributes toward the making of the extension, such sums as are actually collected shall be refunded to such persons, pro rata, according to the amounts which they severally contribute towards the cost of the extension and pursuant to the preceding plan. Reimbursement agreement(s) shall not exceed 15 years in duration or as approved by the City Council.

(k) Special reimbursement agreement. Where special conditions exist, in the opinion of the City, relating to any agreement pursuant to this chapter, they shall be the subject of a special contract between the City and the person making the public sewer main extension. Said agreement shall be approved by Council.

(l) Extent. All public sewer extensions shall extend to the far property line of developed property, unless otherwise approved by the Public Works Director.

(Ord. No. 001-22, § 3, 1-18-2022)

(a) Design calculations. Design calculations submitted for City review shall be in a neat, acceptable form and shall indicate the date and the signature of the supervising engineer and State registration number.

(1) When required. Design calculations will be required for all subdivision sewers or where, in the judgment of the Public Works Director, they are necessary. Design calculations shall include all possible sewage flows.

(2) Sewers and pipelines. Design calculations for sewers and pipelines shall be presented in tabular form and shall include the following information for each section of sewer: the terminal manhole designation, ground elevations at the terminal manholes, incremental and cumulative tributary areas, incremental and cumulative tributary population, incremental average and maximum domestic sewage flow, incremental infiltration allowance, cumulative design flow, invert elevations of terminal manholes, length of sewer run, and sewer size, slope, capacity, and velocity.

(3) Pumping stations. Design calculations for pumping stations shall include soils data, structural design calculations, hydraulic calculations (including the basis for average and peak flows), calculations for wet-well volumes, curves indicating force-main characteristics, and individual and combined pump-head capacity curves.

(b) Unit design factors.

(1) Sewage flow.

(i) All gravity sewers shall be sized to carry the design peak hour wet weather flow, as predicted by the current hydraulic model of the collection system, at a maximum d/D ration of 0.8.

(ii) 2,000 gallons per acre.

(2) Approval of estimated flows. All the estimated flows for any design work should be approved by the Public Works Director.

(c) Gravity sewers.

(1) Minimum size: main sewers. The minimum diameter for the main sewer shall be 8 in. The use of 6 in. pipe may be authorized subject to the following conditions:

(i) No possibility of future extension;

(ii) Maximum tributary population of 260; and

(iii) Minimum slope on dead-end runs of 0.5%.

(2) Minimum size; service laterals. The minimum diameter for sewer services shall be 4 in. For service laterals serving commercial or industrial buildings or multiple family living units, the minimum diameter shall be as required by the applicable sections of the currently adopted Uniform Plumbing Code.

(3) Minimum slopes. For service laterals, the minimum slope shall be 2% for 4 in. and one percent for 6 in. pipe. For main sewers, the minimum slope shall be that required to obtain a velocity of 2 ft. per second when the sewer is flowing full or one-half full. Pipelines that are expected to flow less than half-full throughout their life, or for more than ten years, shall be constructed at a greater slope where feasible, in order to promote self-cleaning velocities in the partially full pipe. For the purposes of computing velocity, the Manning's coefficient of roughness "n" shall be .013.

(4) Steep slopes. For main sewers installed on steep slopes, special design features may be required. Depending upon conditions of the specific installation, such items as underdrains, check dams, special anchorage, or special pipe material may be required. Based upon the data supplied, the Public Works Director will assess each case and recommend certain special requirements.

(5) Minimum depth. The minimum depth of cover for any public sewer shall be 3 ft. If it is impossible to obtain the specified minimum depth, the sewer shall be encased in concrete, or other acceptable protective measures shall be taken. For sewer services, the minimum depths of cover shall be 3 ft. at the property line. Where the minimum depths of cover set forth in this subsection are impossible to obtain, concrete encased pipe or other suitable protection shall be required.

(6) Manholes. Manholes shall be provided at every line or grade change and at every point where the sewer changes size. In addition, manholes shall be provided at maximum intervals of 400 ft., in sewers 12 in in diameter and smaller, and 500 ft. in sewers larger than 12 in. in diameter.

(7) Cleanouts. Cleanouts will be permitted only on dead-end runs where the length of sewer downstream to the next manhole is less than 300 ft.

(8) Types of pipe permitted. The types of pipe permitted for sanitary sewers shall be as indicated in Section 15 of the standard special provisions or as approved by the Public Works Director. The Public Works Director shall make sole determination of the types of pipe permitted for each specific project.

(9) Cleanouts and sewer services. Each sewer service shall have a cleanout installed as set forth in the current Uniform Plumbing Code.

(d) Force mains. Force mains shall be designed using a Hazen-Williams coefficient of roughness "C" of 100.

(e) Pumping stations. Pumping station designs vary according to the location and nature of flows. Each specific design shall be in general accordance with similar designs of existing pumping stations. The design parameters shall be thoroughly reviewed with the Public Works Director prior to commencing with the detailed design. The Public Works Director shall be the sole judge as to all design features for pumping stations.

(f) Construction specifications and details. The construction of sanitary sewers and related facilities shall be in accordance with Sections 13 and 15 of the latest edition of the City standard special provisions and with the applicable City standard drawings.

(1) Ratio of peak to average flow. Peaking hours and calculations shall be per the City's current wastewater treatment facility and collection system master plan.

(2) Industrial sewage flow. Sewage flow for industrial areas shall be determined per the City's current wastewater treatment facility and collection system master plan.

(g) Public Works Director's approval. The Public Works Director shall have the right to change any sanitary sewer design criteria and/or to add additional requirements.

(Ord. No. 007-16, § 2, 6-21-2016; Ord. No. 001-22, § 3, 1-18-2022)

(a) All work to be inspected. All sewer construction work shall be inspected by an inspector acting for the City to ensure compliance with all the requirements of the City. No sewer shall be covered at any point until it has been inspected and passed for acceptance. No sewer shall be connected to the City's public sewer until the work covered by the permit has been completed, inspected, and approved by the inspector. At a minimum, inspections shall take place at the stages listed below:

(1) Installation of bedding material;

(2) Installation of pipe prior to initial backfill (including service laterals);

(3) Installation of initial backfill;

(4) Installation of final backfill; and

(5) Installation of manholes and cleanouts.

All sanitary sewer lines shall be tested between manholes or between manholes and cleanouts by the test methods specified in the City's standard specifications and/or special provisions. Tests for final acceptance shall be made after the line has been backfilled and subgrade compaction requirements have been obtained within the street section. After pressure testing has been completed, all gravity sewer mains shall be cleaned and televised before permanent paving is applied. In addition, sewer manholes shall be vacuum-tested for leakage. Before the sewer lines are accepted, they shall be cleaned and flushed of all foreign matter to the satisfaction of the City. In addition to these requirements, the City reserves the right to perform final cleaning and televised inspection(s), and the applicant shall be responsible to pay all the costs associated with final cleaning and televised inspections. The applicant shall be responsible to correct all defects to the satisfaction of the City and at no cost to the City before acceptance.

Failure to comply with the specifications or meet the minimum requirements may result in rejection of the work.

If the test proves satisfactory to the City and the sewer has been cleaned of all debris accumulated from construction operations, the Public Works Director shall issue a certificate of satisfactory completion.

(b) Time limits on permits. If work under a permit is not commenced within six months after the date of the issuance of the permit, or if, after partial completion, the work is discontinued for a period of six months without obtaining a time extension or one year with two six-month time extensions, the permit shall thereupon become void, and no further work shall be done until a new permit has been secured. A new permit, with fee in effect at the time of issuance of the new permit, shall be obtained prior to any additional work.

(c) Notification. It shall be the duty of the person doing the work authorized by the permit to notify the Public Works Department that such work is ready for inspection. It shall be the duty of the person doing the work to make sure that the work will stand the tests required by the City before giving such notification.

(d) Condemned work. When any work has been inspected and the work condemned and no certification of satisfactory completion given, a written notice to that effect shall be given instructing the owner of the premises, or the agent of such owner, to repair the sewer or other work authorized by the permit in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations of the City.

(e) All costs paid by owners. All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of any sewer or other work for which a permit has been issued shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the City from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the work.

(f) Street excavation permits. A separate permit shall be secured from the City, County, and/or State as required by owner(s) or contractor(s) intending to excavate in a public street for the purpose of installing sewers or making sewer connections. A City encroachment permit shall be obtained for work in the City right-of-way, in accordance with Sections 6-1 and 6-2 of this Code.

(g) Liability. The City and its officers, agents, and employees shall not be answerable for any liability, injury, or death to any person or damage to any property arising during or growing out of the performance of any work by such applicant. The applicant shall be answerable for, and shall hold the City and its officers, agents, and employees harmless from, any liability imposed by law upon the City or its officers, agents, or employees, including all costs, expenses, fees, and interest incurred in defending the same or in seeking to enforce this provision. The applicant shall be solely liable for any defects in the performance of their work or any failure which may develop therein.

(Ord. No. 007-16, § 2, 6-21-2016; Ord. No. 001-22, § 3, 1-18-2022)