Chapter 13.05
SEWER USE AND EXTENSIONS
Sections:
13.05.020 Sewer connections required – Use of sewer.
13.05.050 Water and wastewater discharge restrictions.
13.05.060 Wastewater pretreatment requirements.
13.05.080 Sewer connection and reserve capacity capital charge.
13.05.090 Connections – Method.
13.05.100 Inspection and approval by city building inspector or utilities superintendent.
13.05.130 Right of access to inspect – Order to comply.
13.05.140 Sewerage facilities design criteria.
13.05.150 Sewer extension permit.
13.05.170 Penalty for violation.
13.05.180 Requirements for certain businesses.
13.05.010 Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1) “BOD” means biochemical oxygen demand, a parameter of organic strength of water or wastewater, determined by measuring the amount of oxygen utilized during microbial decomposition.
(2) “Cfs” means cubic feet per second.
(3) “Coliform” means bacterial organisms found in the digestive tract of warm-blooded animals.
(4) “DOE” means State of Washington Department of Ecology.
(5) “Domestic flow” refers to wastewater from residential uses.
(6) “EPA” means the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
(7) “Gpd” means gallons per day.
(8) “Lb/day” means pounds per day.
(9) “MGD, mgd” means million gallons per day (flow).
(10) “Mg/l” means milligrams per liter, a unit of the concentration of water or wastewater constituent. It is 0.001 grams of the constituent in 1,000 milliliters of water. It has replaced the unit formerly used commonly, parts per million, to which it is approximately equivalent, in reporting the results of water and wastewater analysis.
(11) “pH” refers to the negative log of the hydrogen ion concentration. Measure of the relative acidic or basic content of a liquid. Ranges from 1 to 14; 1 being the highest acid content and 14 the basic content. A pH of 7 is a neutral solution.
(12) “Ppm” means parts per million. The number of weight or volume units of a minor constituent present with each 1,000,000 units of the major constituent of a solution or mixture. Formerly used to express the results of most water and wastewater analyses, but more recently replaced by the ratio milligrams per liter.
(13) “Sanitary sewer, public sewer” means a pipeline (eight inches in diameter and larger) designed to carry domestic and industrial wastes which run from manhole to manhole and in some cases from cleanout to manhole but does not include side sewers.
(14) “Sewer extension” refers to extension of the sanitary sewer not including side sewers which can be connected to the extended sewer.
(15) “Side sewers, connecting sewer, service connection” means the pipeline (usually four- or six-inch diameter) that carries domestic and industrial waste from a building or residence to the sewer line (usually connecting directly into the sewer pipe between manholes via side sewer tees).
(16) “Storm sewers” means a pipeline designed to carry surface water and ground water which can discharge to a drainage way or stream. (Ord. 285 § 1, 1986)
13.05.020 Sewer connections required – Use of sewer.
The owner of each lot or parcel of real property within the city limits served by the sanitary sewerage disposal system of the city as it is constructed and as it may be improved or extended in the future, upon which such lot or parcel of real property there shall be situated in building or structure for human occupation or use for any purpose, shall, within 30 days from receipt of written notice from the city clerk/treasurer mailed to the owners of the premises at the street address of such premises (or to the address to which real estate tax statements are mailed as disclosed in the records of the office of the Clallam County treasurer), cause a connection to be made between the city’s sanitary sewage disposal system and the existing building drain piping for sewage waste but not for roof and stormwater downspouts and drainage, in each such building or structure; provided, where one building is located at the rear of another on the same lot and the building in the rear has no frontage on an alley or street in which a sewer is located, the building sewer from the front buildings may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer provided a cleanout is constructed to the ground surface beyond the connection from the rear building. No existing septic tanks are to be connected into the collection system. Abandoned septic tanks are to be bypassed and backfilled or removed.
No building, house, or other structure for which sewer connection shall have been made mandatory by this chapter shall hereafter be occupied, resided in, nor shall any business be operated therefrom, unless and until said building, house or structure shall have been connected to the city’s sanitary sewerage system and its owner or occupier shall have paid all connection charges to the city of Forks in accord with the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 285 § 2, 1986)
13.05.030 Area to be served.
The area to be served by the sanitary sewerage disposal system of the city as it is constructed is specified as the boundary of the utility local improvement district defined in city Ordinance No. 264. The real property served by the sanitary sewerage disposal system of the city as it may be improved or extended in the future shall be as specified in any sewer connection permit issued allowing service to any property outside the boundaries of the utility local improvement district as established in Ordinance No. 264. (Ord. 285 § 3, 1986)
13.05.040 Failure to connect.
In the event that property within the area to be connected to the sewer, as defined in this chapter, has not been connected within the time allotted by FMC 13.05.020, the city council shall direct the owner of the premises to connect to the sewers. If the connection is not made promptly, as determined by the council, the property owner shall be subject to penalties described in FMC 13.05.160. (Ord. 285 § 4, 1986)
13.05.050 Water and wastewater discharge restrictions.
(1) No person or business firm shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water or ground water including roof runoff and foundation drainage to any sanitary sewer. Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to drainage ways or to sewers which are specifically designated as storm sewers as approved by the city council.
(2) Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall discharge or cause to be discharged, any of the following described waters or wastes to any public sewer:
(a) Any liquid or vapor having a temperature so high as to inhibit biological activity or increase the wastewater treatment plant influent temperature higher than 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit);
(b) Any water or waste which may contain more than 50 parts per million, by weight of fat, oil, or grease;
(c) Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel, oil, or any other materials that may create a fire or explosive hazard;
(d) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded;
(e) Any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, paunch manure, or any other solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or other interference with the proper operation of the sewage works;
(f) Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5 or higher than 9 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the wastewater collection and treatment system;
(g) Any waters or wastes containing a toxic or poisonous substance, or any of the compounds or metals on EPA’s list of priority pollutants, in sufficient quantity to: damage or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans, animals or vegetation, create any violation of water quality standards in the receiving waters, accumulate in receiving wetland sediment over life of the treatment system in concentrations to constitute a future hazard to humans, animals, or vegetation, create a violation of regulations for disposal of sludge by land spreading;
(h) Any waters or wastes containing any pollutant (including biological oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids) in volume or strength to cause unit process upset at the wastewater treatment plant or violation of the NPDES permit;
(i) Any noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable of creating a public nuisance;
(j) Septic tank septage, except for septage received under septage disposal permits. After the sewerage treatment plant is in operation, the utilities superintendent shall determine the amount of septic tank septage which can be received by the system during any intervals of time without any risk of overloading the capacity of the treatment plant. Permits allowing persons to make use of the available septage capacity may be issued upon such terms and conditions as may be set from time to time by the city council by resolution. Failure by the permittee to abide by the terms of such a permit shall be considered a violation of the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 285 § 5, 1986)
13.05.060 Wastewater pretreatment requirements.
Any person or business firm violating any provisions of FMC 13.05.050 or being in violation of any provisions of FMC 13.05.050 upon connection to the sewer shall, upon recommendation of the city utilities superintendent and directive by the city council, be required to construct and operate at the individuals’ or firm’s own expense a wastewater pretreatment facility and/or equalization basin capable of removing and/or decreasing strength or quantity of said restricted waters or wastes prior to discharge to the sewer. At the time the directive to pretreat is issued, the city council shall set limitations on the discharge of restricted waters and wastes to city sewers as to volume, waste strength (BOD and suspended solids), and maximum concentrations on other restricted parameters. (Ord. 285 § 6, 1986)
13.05.070 Connection permit.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any persons to make any opening in any sewer or drain or connect any private sewer to city sewer or service connection without complying with all of the provisions of this chapter, and obtaining a connection permit from the city to make such connection or opening. The sewer connection charges called for in FMC 13.05.080 shall be collected by the city clerk/treasurer prior to issuance of any connection permit.
(2) In order to obtain a permit, the property owner or his designated agent shall file an application stating the name of the owner or occupant of the premises to be connected, the number of buildings thereon, and the purposes for which they are to be occupied, together with plans and specifications showing the course and depth of the drain from the connection with the public sewer to its terminus within the building and premises, which plans and specifications shall be made in duplicate and presented at the time of application. The city building inspector shall examine said plans and may change or modify the same and designate the manner and route from which said connecting sewer shall be connected with the building and places where such connections with the public sewer shall be made, and specify the material and size of such connecting sewer in accordance with FMC 13.05.140, and shall endorse his approval on such plans and specifications originally prepared, or as modified and changed, and retain one copy thereof in the office of the city clerk/treasurer or such other place as the city council may designate. Upon presentation of the plans so approved by the city building inspector, the city clerk/treasurer shall issue the permit, which permit shall contain or have attached to it the other copy of such approved plans and specifications, and it shall be unlawful for any person to extend any private sewer or drain beyond the limits of the building or property for which a permit has been given. (Ord. 285 § 7, 1986)
13.05.080 Sewer connection and reserve capacity capital charge.
(1) A basic connection charge of $100.00 shall be assessed and paid at the time of application for a permit to connect to the system, in addition to any applicable building and/or plumbing permit charges.
(2) One basic connection charge will be assessed for each individual connection discharging to the sewer. The city council reserves the right to increase the basic connection charge for users which produce wastewater in quantity or strength so as to use a disproportionately large fraction of the wastewater facilities capacity.
(3) Areas of land located outside the boundaries of the ULID as established by Ordinance No. 264 shall be allowed to connect to the system only in accordance with a special connection permit. Such special connection permits will be issued only upon a determination by the city utilities superintendent that the sewerage produced from the new area to be served will not unduly reduce the ability of the sewerage system and treatment capacity to handle all sewerage produced within the ULID established by Ordinance No. 264, including sewerage produced by all anticipated future uses of such land. The fee for such a permit shall be the basic connection charge set out above, together with an amount reasonably determined by the city clerk/treasurer to be equal to the amount which would have been imposed as an assessment on the said property under Ordinance No. 280, if the said real estate had been part of Utility Local Improvement District No. 1 at the time of passage of Ordinance No. 280; or the cost of construction of a sewer lateral constructed from the main line to the property line in question, whichever is larger. All sewer laterals within the street right-of-way will remain the property of the city of Forks and will be constructed by the city of Forks or its duly designated agent. (Ord. 285 § 8, 1986)
13.05.090 Connections – Method.
All connections to public sewers and all abandonment of existing wastewater disposal facilities shall be made in a workmanlike manner in accordance with FMC 13.05.140 and in accordance with any special instructions from the city building inspector or utilities superintendent. (Ord. 285 § 9, 1986)
13.05.100 Inspection and approval by city building inspector or utilities superintendent.
All work done in pursuance of any connection or extension permit granted, as heretofore prescribed, shall be under the inspection and subject to the approval and acceptance of the city building inspector or utilities superintendent, or an authorized representative. The grade, materials and manner of construction of any sewer or drain built under permit shall be in accordance with FMC 13.05.140. Upon acceptance of the work the city building inspector shall issue a notice of approval and acceptance of sewer connection, with one copy to the property owner or designated agent as authorization to backfill and use the connection, one copy to the city clerk/treasurer to initiate billing for sewer use, and one copy for the file. (Ord. 285 § 10, 1986)
13.05.110 Excavations.
(1) All excavations made by any permittee adjacent to or abutting any street, alley, avenue or other public place shall be guarded both night and day by a display of proper signals and lights.
(2) At the time of application for permit, the applicant shall satisfy the city of the applicant or his duly authorized agent’s ability to indemnify the city and said applicant or agent shall be liable personally for all accidents and damages caused by the failure of the applicant or agent to comply with this section. Liability coverage in the amount of $50,000 (or as amended from time to time by action of the city council) shall be deemed to be sufficient indemnification to the city. (Ord. 285 § 11, 1986)
13.05.120 Delay of work.
All work adjacent to or abutting any street or public place must be prosecuted to completion with due diligence, and if, within the judgment of the city utilities superintendent, any excavation is left open beyond a reasonable time he/she shall cause the same to be refilled forthwith without notice, and any costs incurred in such work, or for correcting work improperly done by the permittee, shall be charged to the permittee. (Ord. 285 § 12, 1986)
13.05.130 Right of access to inspect – Order to comply.
The city utilities superintendent or an authorized representative shall have the right to enter at all reasonable times upon any lands, buildings or premises required by this chapter to be connected to the sanitary sewer to disconnect the source or sources of stormwater, ground water or surface water from the sanitary sewer or to ascertain whether the provisions of this chapter have been, or are being, complied with, and if they shall find that such lands, buildings, or premises connections or disconnections do not conform to the provisions of this chapter, to notify the owner or his agent of the fact. It shall thereupon be the duty of such owner or agent, to cause alterations, repairs or reconstruction of items not meeting provisions of this chapter as to make them conform to these provisions within 15 days from the time of receiving such notice. (Ord. 285 § 13, 1986)
13.05.140 Sewerage facilities design criteria.
(1) All sewer extensions, side sewers, pump stations and other collection or transport facilities for the sewer system shall comply with the “Criteria for Sewage Works Design”, State of Washington Department of Ecology, February 1978, latest updated version, and the Uniform Plumbing Code as adopted by the city. Plans for sewer extensions shall be certified by a professional engineer registered in the state of Washington and shall be submitted to:
Department of Ecology
4350 150th Avenue Northeast
Redmond, Washington 98052
and
City of Forks
PO Box 1998
Forks, Washington 98331
to be checked for compliance. DOE letter or stamp signifying the sewer extension plans comply with DOE criteria must be submitted to the city prior to city approval of the sewer extension.
(2) All other installation work and materials shall conform to the following specifications: “Standard Specifications for Municipal Public Works Construction”, prepared by Washington State Chapter American Public Works Association, latest edition (APWA standard specifications).
(3) All trenches in paved areas are to be backfilled with bank run gravel or other material approved by the city utilities superintendent in accordance with Section 26 of APWA standard specifications and compacted to at least 90 percent of the modified Proctor maximum laboratory dry density (ASTM D1557-70).
(4) The owner’s engineer shall inspect and certify to the city that the work has been done and completed per drawings and specifications.
(5) City personnel shall be present during testing of sanitary sewers. (Ord. 285 § 14, 1986)
13.05.150 Sewer extension permit.
This section pertains to extension of the sewer for subdivisions, multiple living units, industry or similar extension of the sewer line other than side sewers. Owner must make application for a permit to extend city sewer facilities. The sum of $50.00 shall be charged to cover the cost of processing, checking and recording the plans and specifications for the extension of the sewer line, in addition to any side sewer connection charges. Permit shall be issued upon approval of sewer extension plans and specifications by the utilities superintendent subsequent to DOE approval, as provided for in the next preceding section. All side sewer connections to the sewer extension shall be handled according to the various applicable sections of this chapter. Sewer extensions outside ULID No. 1 area are also subject to FMC 13.05.080. (Ord. 285 § 15, 1986)
13.05.160 Charges – Liens.
All charges levied by and specified within this chapter, including but not limited to the base connection charge, shall be paid promptly. Charges which are delinquent for a period of 60 days shall together with any penalties added thereto and interest thereon at the rate of eight percent per year, be a lien against the property upon which the service was received, subject only to the lien for general taxes. The sewerage lien may be enforced by any method permitted by Chapter 35.67 RCW. (Ord. 285 § 16, 1986)
13.05.170 Penalty for violation.
Any person who shall violate or fail to comply with any provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of $300.00 initially and increasing by 10 percent daily thereafter up to a maximum allowed by law or until compliance with this chapter is achieved, or by imprisonment for a term up to 30 days, or by both fine and imprisonment. Court costs will also be assessed to any person convicted of violating this chapter. (Ord. 285 § 17, 1986)
13.05.180 Requirements for certain businesses.
Whereas certain businesses affect the health and well being of the community, they are required to comply not only with the general provisions of this chapter, but also the following specific requirements:
(1) Restaurant/Food Service. A person engaged in business which involves a deli, restaurant, snack bar, or similar such business shall provide proof of the following upon request from the public works director:
(a) Applicable licenses and/or permits required for the operation of such a business from the county health department; and
(b) Installation of, inspection of, and proof of cleaning and proper disposal of materials removed from a grease trap, or some alternative means of proper disposal. If a grease trap or alternative method of disposal is utilized, said item shall be subject to inspection by the city at any time during the course of the operating of the business. Proof of cleaning and disposal of materials cleaned shall be done in writing and provided at the time of request. Cleaning of such devices may be done by the person owning the business; provided, that materials cleaned from the device are not disposed of in such a manner as to introduce them to the city’s stormwater drainage or sanitary sewer system. (Ord. 566 § 7, 2009; Ord. 515 § 5, 2004)