Chapter 7.20
BUILDING SEWERS AND CONNECTIONS
Sections:
7.20.010 Nonauthorized connections, disturbances, etc., of public sewer forbidden.
7.20.020 Building sewer permits.
7.20.030 Building sewer permits – Procedure for obtaining.
7.20.040 Side sewer contractor registration required.
7.20.050 Wyes, tees, stubs – Location.
7.20.060 Costs of building sewer borne by owner.
7.20.070 Building sewer for each building – Exceptions.
7.20.080 Reuse of old building sewers.
7.20.090 Building sewer – Specifications.
7.20.100 Building sewer – Size, slope, and length.
7.20.110 Building sewer – Elevation – Direction.
7.20.120 Information from District.
7.20.130 Building sewer – Excavation – Pipe laying.
7.20.140 Building sewers – Joints and connections.
7.20.150 Building sewer – Connection to public sewer.
7.20.160 Building sewer – Inspection.
7.20.170 Protection of excavations – Restoration of public property.
7.20.180 Unlawful connections to public sewer.
7.20.190 Private sewers – Conveyance to District.
7.20.200 Connection of nonassessed property.
7.20.210 Disconnection of building sewer.
7.20.220 Model home construction.
7.20.010 Nonauthorized connections, disturbances, etc., of public sewer forbidden.
No person other than representatives of the District shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter, or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written building sewer permit from the Superintendent. [Res. 62 § 4.01, 1968.]
7.20.020 Building sewer permits.
The owner or his agent shall make application for a building sewer permit on a special form furnished by the District. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the Superintendent, including, in case of a new building, a plan or diagram of plumbing and drainage facilities. [Res. 62 § 4.02, 1968.]
7.20.030 Building sewer permits – Procedure for obtaining.
Building sewer permits shall be obtained in the following manner:
(1) Building sewer permits shall be issued only upon proper application at the office of the District.
(2) A permit which includes building sewer work in a public area or the connection with or opening into any public sewer other than through the normal opening of a wye, tee or stub may be issued only to a registered side sewer contractor.
(3) A permit which includes building sewer work on private property only may be issued to the owner of the property or to a registered side sewer contractor, but such permit shall not allow the owner to connect the building sewer to a public sewer except through the normal opening of a wye, tee, or stub under the supervision of the Superintendent or his representative.
(4) Building sewer permits shall not be transferable. No authorized person, including any registered side sewer contractor, shall lay any pipe pursuant to any other person’s permit.
(5) The applicant for a building sewer permit shall supply the Superintendent with the following information:
(a) Owner’s name;
(b) Address of property to be served;
(c) Owner’s mailing address;
(d) Name and address to which bills shall be sent;
(e) Registered side sewer contractor’s name and proof of qualification under LSSDC 7.20.040;
(f) Legal description of property to be served;
(g) All outside dimensions of building to be served;
(h) Location of buildings on property to be served;
(i) Purpose of building; and
(j) Full course of the proposed side sewer.
(6) A permit shall be obtained and the fees therefor paid before any side sewer work is started.
(7) No permit shall be issued for side sewer connection before the main sewer is accepted.
(8) The permit card must be posted on the job prior to commencing the work and must be readily accessible to the inspector for the District.
(9) A registered side sewer contractor shall meet with the inspector on the job whenever so directed. [Res. 62 § 4.03, 1968.]
7.20.040 Side sewer contractor registration required.
For the purpose of assuring safe and quality construction of building sewers, safe and quality connection of building sewers to the public sewers of the District and affording satisfactory protection to the sewer users of the District, no person, other than the owner of the property involved, may construct, install, repair, reconstruct, excavate, or connect to the public sewers of the District any building sewer, unless he is a side sewer contractor holding a valid unsuspended current certificate of registration issued by the Department of Licensing of the State of Washington pursuant to Chapter 18.27 RCW.
All such registered side sewer contractors shall adhere at all times to the then current requirements of the District relating to building sewers, connections to public sewers, and side sewer contractors, including reasonable requirements of the Superintendent relating to construction, installation, reconstruction and repair of building sewers, and shall be liable for all damages to the public sewers of the District and the sewage treatment plant caused by his work. [Res. 62 § 4.04, 1968.]
7.20.050 Wyes, tees, stubs – Location.
Wyes, tees and stubs shall be located in the following manner:
(1) Connection will be made at the point designated by the Superintendent.
(2) If a side sewer tee or stub is not found at the measurement given by the Superintendent, the contractor shall prospect two feet in all directions from the measurement given and if not found, then notify the Superintendent.
(3) Wyes may be used only if the Superintendent permits and at a location approved by the Superintendent. [Res. 62 § 4.05, 1968.]
7.20.060 Costs of building sewer borne by owner.
All costs and expense incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the District from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer. [Res. 62 § 4.06, 1968.]
7.20.070 Building sewer for each building – Exceptions.
A single building sewer shall be provided for every building unless the connection of more than one building to a single building sewer is approved by the Superintendent prior to the construction of such building sewer. No more than one multiple dwelling, industrial, or commercial building shall be connected to a building sewer, unless otherwise approved by the Superintendent.
If the building sewer is to exist on more than one building site, approved documents assuring that all properties involved shall have perpetual use of the side sewer, and having provisions for maintenance and access for repair purposes, shall be signed by the recorded owners. This document shall be acknowledged and recorded with the County Auditor, and a copy thereof furnished to the District. [Res. 62 § 4.07, 1968.]
7.20.080 Reuse of old building sewers.
Old building sewers, including septic tank lines, may be used only when they are found, on examination and test by the Superintendent, to meet all requirements of this title. The owner or his agent shall demonstrate to the Superintendent that no connection to such building sewer or septic tank line exists which conveys any material prohibited by Chapter 7.10 LSSDC. [Res. 62 § 4.08, 1968.]
7.20.090 Building sewer – Specifications.
The building sewer shall be cast iron soil pipe, ASTM Specification A-74, with leaded joints or approved flexible gaskets, vitrified clay with “Brant” or approved equal rubber joint gaskets, concrete pipe with approved rubber joint gaskets, plastic joints, cement-asbestos with standard couplings and fittings, or other suitable material approved by the Superintendent. Joints shall be gastight and watertight. Any part of the building sewer that is located within less than five feet of a water service pipe shall be constructed of cast iron soil pipe with leaded joints or approved flexible gaskets unless such part is at least three feet lower than such water pipe. If installed in filled or unstable ground, the building sewer shall be of cast iron soil pipe, except that nonmetallic material may be accepted if laid on a suitable concrete bed or cradle as approved by the Superintendent. [Res. 62 § 4.09, 1968.]
7.20.100 Building sewer – Size, slope, and length.
The size, slope and length of the building sewer shall be subject to the inspection, verification and approval of the Superintendent, but in no event shall the diameter be less than four inches for one connection to a single-family residence and six inches for connections to from two to not more than four single-family residences. The size of building sewers for other connections shall be determined by the Superintendent. The slope of such building sewer shall be not less than two percent for four-inch and six-inch pipe unless the depth of the public sewer requires a lesser slope, and such lesser slope is approved by the Superintendent or the consulting engineers of the District, who may require the owner to release the District from all liability for damages caused by such lesser slope. The maximum permitted length of four-inch pipe used as a building sewer shall be 100 feet. The maximum permitted length of six-inch pipe, or a combination of four-inch and six-inch pipe, used as a building sewer shall be 200 feet. [Res. 223 § 2, 1978; Res. 62 § 4.10, 1968.]
7.20.110 Building sewer – Elevation – Direction.
Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. No building sewer shall be laid under any building or within two and one-half feet of any foundation wall, unless the building sewer is constructed of cast iron pipe. The minimum depth of trench shall be 18 inches. The building sewer shall be laid at uniform grade and in straight alignment insofar as possible. Changes in direction shall be made only with properly curved pipe and fittings, as approved by the Superintendent. Fittings shall be used at all major changes in direction and a cleanout shall be provided at such fittings. Wherever any building drain is constructed too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sewage carried by such drain shall be lifted by approved artificial means and discharged into the public sewer at the owner’s expense. [Res. 62 § 4.11, 1968.]
7.20.120 Information from District.
The owner of any building shall be responsible for obtaining from the Superintendent the location and elevation of the sewer tee or sewer stub at the point of connection and, in the case of new construction, for planning the building and plumbing to provide adequate slope for the building sewer. The applicant for permit shall be responsible for determining the available grade between building drain and sewer tee or stub. [Res. 62 § 4.12, 1968.]
7.20.130 Building sewer – Excavation – Pipe laying.
All excavations required for the installation of a building sewer shall be open trench work unless otherwise approved by the Superintendent. Pipe laying and backfill shall be performed in accordance with the following specifications:
(1) Pipe shall be carefully bedded, either by forming the trench bottom to support the bottom one-quarter of the pipe or by overexcavating and bedding with granular material, thoroughly tamped or trod under and alongside the pipe.
(2) No large rocks shall be left in the trench bottom which may damage the pipe and no large rocks shall be placed in the backfill.
(3) Pipes shall be laid with spigot ends downstream and all changes of direction shall be made by suitable fittings as provided in LSSDC 7.20.110. Trench shall be free of water during laying of pipe.
(4) No backfill shall be placed over the pipe until the work has been inspected and approved.
(5) Backfill shall be placed by hand and be thoroughly tamped or trod to six inches above the top of the pipe.
(6) Only the owner or a registered side sewer contractor may excavate in the vicinity of a public sewer and stubs.
(7) No downspouts or outside drains shall be connected to a building sewer.
(8) With respect to building sewer connections to public sewers in or adjacent to Lake Stevens, the excavation for the connection into the public sewer or stub serving the public sewer and the connection thereto shall be made only under the visual inspection of the Superintendent or his representative. [Res. 62 § 4.13, 1968.]
7.20.140 Building sewers – Joints and connections.
All joints and connections shall be made gastight and watertight in accordance with District specifications. Cast iron pipe joints shall be made with firmly packed oakum or hemp and filled with molten lead, Federal Specification QQ-L-156, not less than one inch deep, or approved flexible gaskets. Lead shall be run in one pouring and calked tight. No paint, varnish, or other coatings shall be permitted on the jointing material until after the joint has been tested and approved by the Superintendent. Concrete and vitrified clay pipe joints shall be made with flexible gaskets installed in accordance with manufacturer’s directions. All joints between dissimilar pipes shall be made with suitable adaptor couplings, special fabricated coupling, or cement mortar approved by the Superintendent. Other jointing materials and methods may be used only by approval of the Superintendent. [Res. 62 § 4.14, 1968.]
7.20.150 Building sewer – Connection to public sewer.
The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall be made at a stub, if such stub is available at the suitable location, or to a right-angle sewer tee. If no properly located stub or tee is available, a neat hole may be cut into the public sewer and a premanufactured tee installed with entry at right angles, which hole may be cut only by a registered side sewer contractor. The invert of the sewer tee at the point of connection shall be at a higher elevation than the invert of the public sewer. A smooth neat joint shall be made. Special fittings may be used for the connection only when approved by the Superintendent. [Res. 62 § 4.15, 1968.]
7.20.160 Building sewer – Inspection.
The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the Superintendent when the building sewer is ready for inspection. The grade, materials, and manner of construction shall be subject to approval of the Superintendent or a regularly appointed sewer inspector. The Superintendent may require any test to demonstrate that the building sewer meets the standards specified herein. Such tests may be infiltration tests, exfiltration, air, tests or a combination of them. [Res. 62 § 4.16, 1968.]
7.20.170 Protection of excavations – Restoration of public property.
All excavations for building sewer installations shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the District and/or the Snohomish County Engineer, when applicable. [Res. 62 § 4.17, 1968.]
7.20.180 Unlawful connections to public sewer.
Any person who makes or causes to be made any connection to the public sewers of the District without receiving a permit therefor or executing the standard participation contract provided by the District before such connection shall be subject to the penalties set forth in LSSDC 7.60.010, and $200.00 in additional charges payable to the District. [Res. 62 § 4.18, 1968.]
7.20.190 Private sewers – Conveyance to District.
A private sewer constructed in a public right-of-way or in an easement conveyed to the District may be conveyed to the District subject to acceptance by the District. If the District accepts that conveyance, the sewer thereafter shall be a public sewer under the jurisdiction of the District. Prior to accepting the conveyance, the District may require that the grantor of the private sewer satisfy certain construction and other reasonable standards, including, but not limited to, the payment of a connection charge, if applicable, and inspection fee and the execution of a standard participation contract. [Res. 62 § 4.19, 1968.]
7.20.200 Connection of nonassessed property.
The owners of property outside the boundaries of the District or of property within the District which has not been subject to special assessments for sewers by the District may, if the Board of Sewer Commissioners consents, connect structures on that property to the public sewer of the District and obtain sewage disposal service by entering into a standard participation contract, provided for by Chapter 7.35 LSSDC. [Res. 62 § 4.20, 1968.]
7.20.210 Disconnection of building sewer.
No structure may be disconnected from a building sewer, and no building sewer may be disconnected from a public sewer, for any reason without prior written notification to, and approval of, the District (acting through its Superintendent). No approval shall be given unless the disconnection is lawful under this title and other applicable laws, and satisfactory protection is given by the owner or his contractor to the public sewers of the District, including, but not limited to, the satisfactory capping of the building sewer or public sewer. Sewer service charges for any structure disconnected or to be disconnected shall continue until such disconnection is approved by the District and the building and public sewer capped and otherwise protected to the satisfaction of the Superintendent. [Res. 62 § 4.21, 1968.]
7.20.220 Model home construction.
(1) A developer shall be allowed to install sewer service to one model home in a plat prior to recordation.
(2) The developer shall be required to make application for sewer service and pay the District’s side sewer service permit fee for the model home. The developer shall be required to pay, in advance, the applicable connection fee prior to the model home being connected to the District’s facilities, and also shall be required to post the required maintenance bond.
(3) The developer shall be required to deposit with the District an amount equal to six months of sewer service fees before a side sewer service permit will be issued by the District for the model home. If the plat is unrecorded after the first six months, the District’s monthly service fee may be instituted, or the District (in its discretion) may require an additional deposit in an amount equal to six months of sewer service fees to be deposited with the District. In all cases the developer will be solely responsible for the continued payment of the appropriate sewer service fees for the model home, and the District’s regulations for delinquent sewer service fees shall apply in full force.
(4) No other sided sewer services shall be allowed within the plat until such time as all fees (including but not limited to administrative, engineering, legal, and charge in lieu of assessments) have been paid in full to the District. Furthermore, all documentation relating to any applicable developer extension agreements and/or relating to the final acceptance of the plat for sewer service shall have been submitted and accepted by the District. [Res. 565 §§ 1 – 4, 1994.]