Chapter XV · Utilities

Article 3. Sewers

Sections 15-301 to 15-325 · 26 sections

15-301 Definitions.

Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the meaning of words and terms as used in this article shall be as follows:

(a)BOD (denoting Biochemical Oxygen Demand) shall mean the quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five (5) days at 20EC, expressed in milligrams per liter.

(b)Building Drain — shall mean that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning five (5) feet (1.5 meters) outside the inner face of the building wall.

(c)Building Sewer — shall mean the extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal.

(d)Combined Sewer — shall mean a sewer receiving both surface runoff and sewage.

(e)Garbage — shall mean solid wastes from the domestic and commercial preparation, cooking and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.

(f)Industrial Wastes — shall mean the liquid wastes from industrial manufacturing processes, trade, or business as distinct from sanitary sewage.

(g)Natural Outlet — shall mean any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake, or other body of surface or groundwater.

(h)Person — shall mean any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation, or group.

(i)pH — shall mean the logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.

(j)Properly Shredded Garbage — shall mean the wastes from the preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food that have been shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle, greater than one-half (1/2) inch (1.27 centimeters) in any dimension.

(k)Public Sewer — shall mean a sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal rights, and is controlled by public authority.

(l)Sanitary Sewer — shall mean a sewer which carries sewage and to which storm, surface, and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.

(m)Sewage — shall mean a combination of the water-carried wastes from residents, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments, together with such ground, surface, and stormwater as may be present.

(n)Sewage Treatment Plant — shall mean any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.

(o)Sewage Works — shall mean all facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing of sewage.

(p)Sewer — shall mean a pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.

(q)Shall is mandatory; May is permissive.

(r)Slug — shall mean any discharge of water, sewage, or industrial waste which in concentration of any given constituent or in quantity of flow exceeds for any period of duration longer than fifteen (15) minutes more than five (5) times the average twenty-four (24) hour concentration or flows during normal operation.

(s)Storm Drain (sometimes termed “storm sewer”) shall mean a sewer which carries storm and surface waters and drainage, but excludes sewage and industrial wastes, other than unpolluted cooling water.

(t)Public Works Director — shall mean the appointed public works director, or the Superintendent of Sewage Works and/or of Water Pollution Control of the City of Haven, or his authorized deputy, agent, or representative.

(u)Suspended Solids — shall mean solids that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in water, sewage, or other liquids, and which are removable by laboratory filtering.

(v)Watercourse — shall mean a channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.

(Ord. 429; Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-302 Discharge prohibited.

It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit, or permit to be deposited in any unsanitary manner on public or private property within the City of Haven, or in any area under the jurisdiction of said city, any human or animal excrement, garbage, or other objectionable waste.

It shall be unlawful to discharge to any natural outlet within the City of Haven, or in any area under the jurisdiction of said city, any sewage or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with subsequent provisions of this article.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-303 Privies; prohibited.

Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-304 Property owners; sewers required.

The owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used for human employment, recreation, or other purposes, situated within the City and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary or combined sewer of the City, is hereby required at his expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article, within ninety (90) days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within one hundred (100) feet (30.5 meters) of the property line.

A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building; except where one building stands at the rear of another on an interior lot and no private sewer is available or can be constructed to the rear building through an adjoining alley, court yard, or driveway, the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-305 Private sewage system.

Where a public sanitary or combined sewer is not available under the provisions of this article, the building sewer shall be connected to a private sewage disposal system complying with the provisions of this article.

Before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the Public Works Director. The application for such permit shall be made on a form furnished by the City, which the applicant shall supplement by any plans, specifications, and other information as are deemed necessary by the Public Works Director. A permit and inspection fee of $100.00 dollars shall be paid to the City at the time the application is filed.

A permit for a private sewage disposal system shall not become effective until the installation is completed to the satisfaction of the Public Works Director. He shall be allowed to inspect the work at any stage of construction and, in any event, the applicant for the permit shall notify the Public Works Director when the work is ready for final inspection, and before any underground portions are covered. The inspection shall be made within 24 hours of the receipt of notice by the Public Works Director.

The type, capacities, location, and layout of a private sewage disposal system shall comply with all recommendations of the Department of Public Health of the State of Kansas. No permit shall be issued for any private sewage disposal system employing subsurface soil absorption facilities where the area of the lot is less than 7,000 square feet. No septic tank or cesspool shall be permitted to discharge to any natural outlet.

At such time as a public sewer becomes available to a property served by a private sewage disposal system, as provided herein, a direct connection shall be made to the public sewer in compliance with this article, and any septic tanks, cesspools, and similar private sewage disposal facilities shall be abandoned and filled with suitable material.

The owner shall operate and maintain the private sewage disposal facilities in a sanitary manner at all times, at no expense to the City.

No statement contained in this article shall be construed to interfere with any additional requirements that may be imposed by the Health Officer.

When a public sewer becomes available, the building sewer shall be connected to said sewer within sixty (60) days and the private sewage disposal system shall be cleaned of sludge and filled with clean bank-run gravel or dirt.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-306 Unauthorized connection.

No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter, or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without fast obtaining a written permit from the Public Works Director.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-307 Sewer permit.

There shall be two (2) classes of building sewer permits:

(a)for residential and commercial service, and

(b)for service to establishments producing industrial wastes.

In either case, the owner or his agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the City. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the Public Works Director. A permit and inspection fee of $100.00 dollars for a residential or commercial building sewer permit and $1,000.00 dollars for an industrial building sewer permit shall be paid to the City at the time the application is filed.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-308 Cost borne by property 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 City from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-309 Existing sewers for new construction.

Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the Public Works Director, to meet all requirements of this article.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-310 Size and slope.

The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction of a building sewer, and the methods to be used in excavating, placing of the pipe, jointing, testing and backfilling the trench, shall all conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other applicable rules and regulations of the City. In the absence of code provisions or in amplification thereof, the materials and procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the A.S.T.M. and W.P.C.F. Manual of Practice No. 9 shall apply.

Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-311 Sewage lift.

At buildings in which the building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such drain shall be lifted by approved artificial means and discharged to the building sewer. The use of any pumping equipment for which cross-connections with a public water supply system are needed, is prohibited. The total costs of pumping equipment and pumping equipment operational costs shall be those of the owner.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-312 Surface runoff; groundwater.

No permit shall make connection of roof downspouts, interior and exterior foundation drains, areaway drains, or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a building sewer or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-313 Sewer connection.

The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing codes or other applicable rules and regulations of the city, or the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the A.S.T.M. and the W.P.C.F. Manual of Practice No. 9. All such connections shall be made gastight and watertight. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved by the Public Works Director before installation.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-314 Supervision of connection.

The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the Public Works Director when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the Public Works Director or his representative.

(Code 2019)

15-315 Sewer excavations; damage.

All excavations for buildings sewers shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, curb and gutters, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the City.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-316 Waters and waste prohibited.

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, including interior and exterior foundation drains, uncontaminated cooling water, or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer.

Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as combined sewers or storm sewers, or to a natural outlet approved by the Public Works Director. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged on approval of the Public Works Director, to a storm sewer, combined sewer, or natural outlet.

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to any public sewers:

(a)Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas.

(b)Any waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids, or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance, or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant, including but not limited to cyanides in excess of two (2) mg/I as CN in the wastes as discharged to the public sewer.

(c)Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5, or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and personnel of the sewage works.

(d)Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the sewage works such as, but not limited to, ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.

15-317 Other substances prohibited.

No permit shall discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, materials, waters, or wastes if it appears likely in the opinion of the Public Works Director that such wastes can harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process, or equipment, have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or can otherwise endanger life, limb, public property, or constitute a nuisance. In forming his opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the Public Works Director will give consideration to such factors as the quantities of subject wastes in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, nature of the sewage treatment process, capacity of the sewage treatment plant, degree of treatability of wastes in the sewage treatment plant, and other pertinent factors. The substances prohibited are:

(a)Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than one hundred fifty (150)°F (65°C).

(b)Any water or wastes containing fats, wax, grease or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of one hundred (100) mg/l or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between thirty-two (32) and one hundred fifty (150) °F (0 and 65°C).

(c)Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. The installation and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of three-fourths (3/4) horsepower (0.76 hp metric) or greater shall be subject to the review and approval of the Public Works Director.

(d)Any waters or wastes containing strong acid iron pickling wastes, or concentrated plating solutions whether neutralized or not.

(e)Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc and similar objectionable or toxic substances; or wastes exerting an excessive chlorine requirement, to such degree that any such material received in the composite sewage at the sewage treatment works exceeds the limits established by the Public Works Director for such materials.

(f)Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste- or odor- producing substances, in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the Public Works Director as necessary, after treatment of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of State, Federal, or other public agencies of jurisdiction for such discharge to the receiving waters.

(g)Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Public Works Director in compliance with applicable State and Federal regulations.

(h)Any waters or wastes having a pH in excess of 9.5.

(i)Materials which exert or cause:

(1)Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but not limited to, Fullers earth, lime slurries, and lime residues) or of dissolved solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride or sodium sulfate).

(2)Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions).

(3)Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand, or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment works.

(4)Unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes constituting “slugs” as defined herein.

(j)Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.

(k)Any waters or wastes having (1) a 5-day BOD greater than 300 parts per million by weight, or (2) containing more than 350 parts per million by weight of suspended solids, or (3) having an average daily flow greater than 2 percent of the average sewage flow of the city, shall be subject to the review of the Public Works Director. Where necessary in the opinion of the Public Works Director, the owner shall provide, at his expense, such preliminary treatment as may be necessary to (1) reduce the biochemical oxygen demand to 300 parts per million by weight, or (2) reduce the suspended solids to 350 parts per million by weight or (3) control the quantities and rates of discharge of such waters or wastes. Plans, specifications, and any other pertinent information relating to proposed preliminary treatment facilities shall be submitted for the approval of the Public Works Director and no construction of such facilities shall be commenced until said approvals are obtained in writing.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-318 Discharge; pre-treatment required.

If any waters or wastes are discharged, or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in Section 15-317, and which in the judgment of the Public Works Director, may have a deleterious effect upon the sewage works, processes, equipment, or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life to constitute a public nuisance, the Public Works Director may:

(a)Reject the wastes,

(b)Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers,

(c)Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge, and/or

(d)Require payment to cover the added cost of handling and treating the wastes not covered by existing taxes or sewer charges under the provisions of Section 15-323.

If the Public Works Director permits the pretreatment or equalization of waste flows, the design and installation of the plants and equipment shall be subject to the review and approval of the Public Works Director, and subject to the requirements of all applicable codes, ordinances and laws.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-319 Grease, oil, sand interceptors.

Grease, oil, and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Public Works Director, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable wastes, sand, or other harmful ingredients; except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the Public Works Director, and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-320 Pre-treatment facilities.

Where preliminary treatment or flow-equalizing facilities are provided for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-321 Manhole required.

When required by the Public Works Director, the owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable control manhole together with such necessary meters and other appurtenances in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling, and measurement of the wastes. Such manhole, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Public Works Director. The manhole shall be installed by the owner at his expense, and shall be maintained by him so as to be safe and accessible at all times.

15-322 Measurements, tests and analyses.

All measurements, tests, and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in this article shall be determined in accordance with the latest edition of “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater”, published by the American Public Health Association, and shall be determined at the control manhole provided, or upon suitable samples taken at said control manhole. In the event that no special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer to the point at which the building sewer is connected. Sampling shall be carried out by customarily accepted methods to reflect the effect of constituents upon the sewage works and to determine the existence of hazards to life, limb, and property. (The particular analyses involved will determine whether a twenty-four (24) hours composite of all outfalls of a premise is appropriate or whether a grab sample or samples should be taken. Normally, but not always, BOD and suspended solids analyses are obtained from 24-hour composites of all outfalls whereas pH’s are determined from periodic grab samples.)

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-323 Special agreement with City.

No statement contained in this article shall be construed as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the City and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the City for treatment, subject to payment therefore, by the industrial concern.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-324 Tampering with sewer.

No unauthorized person shall maliciously, willfully, or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface, or tamper with any structure, appurtenance, or equipment which is part of the sewage works. Any person violating this provision shall be subject to immediate arrest under charge of disorderly conduct.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-325 Public Works Director; authorization; duties.

(a)The Public Works Director and other duly authorized employees of the City bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all properties for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, and testing in accordance with the provisions of this article. The Public Works Director or his representatives shall have no authority to inquire into any processes including metallurgical, chemical, oil, refining, ceramic, paper, or other industries beyond that point having a direct bearing on the kind and source of discharge to the sewers or waterways or facilities for waste treatment.

(b)While performing the necessary work on private properties referred to in subsection (a) above, the Public Works Director or duly authorized employees of the City shall observe all safety rules applicable to the premises established by the company and the company shall be held harmless for injury or death to the City employees and the City shall indemnify the company against loss or damage to its property by City employees and against liability claims and demands for personal injury or property damage asserted against the company and growing out of the gauging and sampling operation, except as such may be caused by negligence or failure of the company to maintain safe conditions as required in Section 15-321.

(c)The Public Works Director and other duly authorized employees of the City bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all private properties through which the City holds a duly negotiated easement for the purposes of, but not limited to, inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, repair, and maintenance of any portion of the sewage works lying within said easement. All entry and subsequent work, if any, on said easement, shall be done in full accordance with the terms of the duly negotiated easement pertaining to the private property involved.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)

15-325 Violation; fine.

(a)Any person found to be violating any provision of this article except Section 15-324 shall be served by the City with written notice stating the nature of the violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. The offender shall, within the period of time stated in such notice, permanently cease all violations.

(b)Any person who shall continue any violation beyond the time limit provided for in subsection (a), shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be fined in the amount not exceeding $500 dollars for each violation. Each 24-hour period in which any such violation shall continue shall be deemed a separate offense.

(c)Any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall become liable to the City for any expense, loss, or damage occasioned the City by reason of such violation.

(Ord. 569; Code 2019)