Chapter 8.37
BUILDING SEWER MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
Sections:
8.37.060 Inspections and testing.
8.37.070 Notice to property owners.
8.37.010 Definitions.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following words shall have the meaning specified in this section.
A. “Building sewer” means the pipeline conveying sewage from the plumbing fixtures in the structure to a point where the private property ends and the public right-of-way beings. The building sewer is located on private property and is maintained by the property owner.
B. “Sewer lateral” means the pipeline conveying sewage from the building sewer to the sewer main pipeline. The sewer lateral is located in the public right-of-way and is maintained by the city of Lakeport municipal sewer district (CLMSD).
C. “Building sewer leakage test” means the procedure approved by the CLMSD board of directors to determine the amount of leakage in the building sewer.
D. “RUE” means residential unit equivalent and it is the average amount of sewage generated by a detached single-family dwelling in the city. The volume of the sewage flow generated by an RUE is approximately two hundred gallons per day which is equal to approximately eight hundred cubic feet per month. The RUE flow rate does not include the extraneous leakage that may occur in the piping between the property line and the plumbing fixtures inside (and outside) the structure. (Ord. 764 (part), 1994)
8.37.020 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish standards for the allowable amount of leakage from building sewers and to identify a procedure for accomplishing the repair of those building sewers that have been determined to leak excessively. (Ord. 764 (part), 1994)
8.37.030 Scope.
Provisions of this chapter apply to all building sewers within the CLMSD service area. (Ord. 764 (part), 1994)
8.37.040 General provisions.
A. Property owners within the CLMSD service area shall grant access to CLMSD staff for the purposes of inspection and testing of building sewers.
B. All repairs made to building sewers shall be made in accordance with the most recent requirements of the Uniform Plumbing Code and all other applicable sanitary code requirements and specifications.
C. Building sewers shall be initially tested at no cost to property owners. Any follow-up testing needed because a building sewer fails to meet the standard established by the chapter shall be at the expense of the property owner.
D. Property owners that have building sewers on their property which fail the building sewer leakage test shall repair the leaks and have all retesting completed within three hundred sixty-five days of written notice to do so by CLMSD.
E. Property owners that have repaired building sewers following notification to do so by CLMSD shall notify CLMSD in writing of the completion of such repairs.
F. Building sewers that have been repaired shall not be approved as acceptable to CLMSD until the repaired building sewer has passed the building sewer leakage retesting and, payment for such retesting has been made to CLMSD by the property owner.
G. The owners of properties with failed building sewers that have not been repaired within the time specified shall be subject to the penalty provisions of this chapter.
H. Sewer laterals and building sewers shall be tested from time to time by CLMSD staff at no expense to property owners.
I. CLMSD and/or the city shall have no liability for any smoke damage, flooding or overflows that occurs during testing and inspection because of faulty piping, leaks, missing cleanout plugs, illegal connections, etc. (Ord. 776 (part), 1996; Ord. 764 (part), 1994)
8.37.050 Standard.
A. Hydrostatic Testing. Building sewers shall not leak at more than a rate of one hundred gallons per day for each RUE that the building sewer is serving.
B. Smoke Testing. Building sewers shall not leak such as to allow visible smoke to occur. (Ord. 776 (part), 1996: Ord. 764 (part), 1994)
8.37.060 Inspections and testing.
A. Building sewers shall be hydrostatically tested by temporarily plugging the building sewer at the property line and filling it with water up to a level equal to that of the lowest floor of the structure where the plumbing fixtures are served by gravity; in areas subject to flooding, the water level used for testing laterals may be up to the level of the one hundred-year flood as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps.
B. Building sewers may be smoke tested individually or collectively by forcing smoke into the building sewer from the sewer lateral or from the sewer main. (Ord. 776 (Part), 1996: Ord. 764 (part), 1994)
8.37.070 Notice to property owners.
A. The property owner shall be notified a minimum of twenty-four hours before any building sewer leakage tests are to occur on his property.
B. The owners of the properties having building sewers which fail to meet the leakage standard shall be notified by first class mail of such failed tests. A copy of the test report shall be provided to the owner along with the date by which the building sewer is to be repaired. (Ord. 764 (part), 1994)
8.37.080 Violation--Penalty.
Any property owner failing to repair failed building sewers after being properly notified by CLMSD shall be guilty of an infraction for each and every day beyond the specified date that the required repairs have not been made. Upon conviction of failure to repair a building sewer, the property owner shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars per day for each building sewer not repaired and shall be liable for any administrative expenses incurred by the city and/or CLMSD in getting the repairs completed by the property owner. (Ord. 764 (part), 1994)