The Sewer Superintendent shall be responsible for the daily
operation and maintenance of the sewer collection system, including
machinery, equipment, mains, manholes, pumps, pump stations and all
other features appertaining thereto. He shall have direct supervision
of any employees assigned to his department. He shall be under the
direct supervision of the Director of Public Works and shall report
all work done and other pertinent data to the Director of Public Works.
A.
The sewer works and all appurtenances thereto shall be under the
supervision and control of the Water and Sewer Utility.
B.
The Superintendent or his authorized agent or any authorized agent
of the municipality shall at all reasonable hours have free access
to all parts of any premises to which sewer services are supplied
or connected for the purpose of inspection or doing anything in connection
with said sewer installation for the purpose of protecting the interest
of the municipality therein, and any person who shall resist or refuse
such access shall, upon conviction, be subject to the penalties hereinafter
prescribed as for any other violation of this chapter.
A.
When the Water and Sewer Utility provides for sewer to pass immediately
adjacent to a property owner's boundary line and within 200 feet of
buildings, structures or houses, upon written notice of the availability
of sewer said property owner shall make the necessary arrangements
to tie into the system provided for within 90 days of delivery of
the written notice. Such written notice shall be served by certified
mail, return receipt requested.
B.
Application for connection to said sewer shall be made in writing
therefor at the Municipal Building, upon a form provided for said
purpose by the Water and Sewer Utility.
C.
If the owner of any building required to be connected to the sewer
system shall fail to make such connection as herein provided, such
connection shall be made under the direction and supervision of the
Superintendent or by the award of one or more contracts for said purpose,
the cost of which shall be certified and filed as a lien against the
property to be collected and enforced as a municipal lien.[1]
D.
All commercial and industrial buildings must have individual sewers.
E.
Grease traps or other appliances necessary to protect the sanitary
sewerage system from stoppage shall be installed by property owners
at their own expense when notified to do so, in writing, by the Superintendent
of the Water and Sewer Utility. If any owner or occupant of any premises
neglects or refuses to comply with such written notice within a reasonable
time, the governing body shall have the right to deny such owner or
occupant the use of the sanitary sewerage system.
F.
No cesspools or privy vaults for sewage shall hereafter be constructed
on any lot accessible to public sewers nor shall it be lawful to continue
a cesspool or privy vault on any lot, piece or parcel of ground abutting
on or contiguous to any public sewer within the municipality. All
discontinued privy vaults and open cesspools shall be cleaned and
filled with clean fill within three months from the date of such discontinuance.
G.
No subsurface plumbing shall be constructed or installed after January
1, 1992. Any subsurface plumbing shall be permitted to continue in
operation but may not be expanded. Any subsurface plumbing in existence
prior to January 1, 1992, which is discontinued in its use shall not
thereafter be permitted to be reinstated. "Subsurface plumbing" is
defined to mean the location of any plumbing fixture below the grade
of the center line of the street in which the sanitary sewer main
is located which services the premises. Any such subsurface plumbing
in existence prior to January 1, 1992, must be equipped, maintained
and approved with a backwater check valve in accordance with the specifications
for such systems as provided in the Uniform Code of New Jersey Plumbing
Subcode.
New connections to existing sewer mains shall be at the expense
of the applicant, including tapping (if approved by the Utility),
fittings, pipe, labor and related materials. Such new connections
and laterals will become the property of the Water and Sewer Utility
to the curbline, except when the sewer main is located in the sidewalk
area, then the Water and Sewer Utility's ownership shall extend to
the right-of-way line. The Water and Sewer Utility will maintain such
new connection and new laterals from the sewer main to the curbline
or property line (depending on the location of the sewer main) after
installation, inspection and approval by the authorized representative
of the Utility. The applicant will be fully responsible for acquiring
and the costs of street permits, excavation and restoration.
The Water and Sewer Utility reserves the right to determine
the size and kind of the service lateral from the main to the vicinity
of the curbline, from the vicinity of the curbline to the property
to be served or from the main in the right-of-way to the property
to be served. Laterals of all sizes shall be constructed of medium
strength cast-iron soil pipe or other piping materials specifically
approved by the Utility. A size four-inch lateral shall be laid at
a minimum grade of 1/4 inch per foot and in a straight line from the
point of connection to the main, where the main is in a right-of-way,
or from the end of the Water and Sewer Utility constructed service
lateral to the structure to be served, and, where possible, shall
be at least four feet below the surface of the ground when final grading
of the property has been completed. Any construction not approved
shall be immediately removed and reconstructed in an approved manner.
No service lateral shall be laid in the same trench with any
gas pipe, water service or any other facility of any public utility
company nor within three feet of any open excavation, vault, or meter
pit, nor shall the location be in conflict with any sidewalk or driveway
or subject to vehicular traffic. All laterals shall be installed within
the limits of the customer's property and be a minimum of three feet
from any property line.
Under no circumstances shall any sanitary fixtures be installed
in a building at an elevation lower than the front curb or street
center line elevation, whichever is higher.
All connections, service laterals, sewer cleanouts and fixtures
furnished by the customer shall be maintained by said customer in
good order, and all piping and connections furnished and owned by
the Water and Sewer Utility and on the property of the customer shall
be protected properly and cared for by the customer. All leaks in
the service lateral or any other pipe or fixture in or upon the premises
served must be repaired immediately by the owner or occupant of the
premises. The customer shall be responsible for notifying the Water
and Sewer Utility of the party, e.g., plumber, engaged by said customer
to do any maintenance work in the customer's service lateral prior
to the work being commenced, and said party shall not backfill any
trench until the work has been inspected and approved by the Water
and Sewer Utility's authorized representative. Any work not acceptable
shall be immediately removed and replaced by work which is acceptable.
The Water and Sewer Utility shall in no way be responsible for
maintaining any portion of the service lateral owned by the customer
or for damage done by sewage escaping therefrom or for lines or fixtures
on the customer's property. The customer shall at all times comply
with applicable municipal regulations with respect thereto and make
changes therein required by reason of changes of grade, relocation
of mains or otherwise.
Where the replacement of the service lateral from the main curb
is necessary, the Water and Sewer Utility will replace the service
in the location as previously used. If the property owner or customer,
for his own convenience, desires the new service lateral at some other
location, all expenses of such relocation in excess of the cost of
laying the service lateral in the same location as previously used
and cutting and disconnecting the old service lateral shall be the
responsibility of the customer.
Under no circumstances will any of the following be connected
to the sanitary sewers, either directly or indirectly:
A.
Foundation underdrains or sump pumps.
B.
Floor drains, area drains or yard drains or drains from swimming
pools.
C.
Rain conductors or downspouts.
D.
Grease pits.
E.
Air-conditioning equipment, except that which will be permitted under
conditions approved by the Water and Sewer Utility.
F.
Stormwater inlets or catch basins.
G.
Drains from pieces of equipment or manufacturing processes, except
when specifically authorized under the provisions of these rates,
rules and regulations.
Service laterals to public buildings, churches, apartment houses,
commercial establishments and industrial establishments shall be installed
to conform to detailed plans and specifications approved by the Utility
Engineer.
Where groundwater is normally above the invert elevation of
the service lateral, cast-iron soil pipe, with properly caulked lead
or rubber O-ring joints, shall be used in construction of the size
four-inch service laterals. Where the trench bottom is soft and yielding,
the Water and Sewer Utility Engineer reserves the right to require
that the service be cast-iron soil pipe laid in partial or total concrete
encasement. Junctions of two different types of pipe, at the option
of the Utility Engineer, may be required to be encased in concrete
of a mix determined by the Utility Engineer.
A service lateral from the vicinity of the curb or the main
in a right-of-way to a property shall not serve more than one property,
but any such property, upon proper application of the owner, may be
served by two or more service laterals, each of which, for billing
purposes, shall be considered as being one customer account.
Where two or more customers are now served through a single
service lateral, any violation of the rates, rules and regulations
of the Water and Sewer Utility with respect to either or any of said
customers shall be deemed a violation as to all, and unless said violation
is corrected after reasonable notice, the Utility may take such action
as may be taken for a single customer, except that such action will
not be taken until a customer who has not violated this chapter has
been given a reasonable opportunity to connect his pipe to a separately
controlled service lateral. Such installations will be billed by the
number of customers on the lateral.
A.
While the Water and Sewer Utility has no responsibility beyond the
curbline, it will, as a public service, clear the curb cleanout at
the request of the customer on his initial request. The Utility will
also verify that the portion of the service line between the curb
and main is clear and, when necessary, take action to clear that section
of the line.
B.
If the curb cleanout is so positioned on the property that there
is a distance between it and the curb, the Water and Sewer Utility
may clear the line, and if it is determined that the blockage was
between the curb cleanout and the curb, the Utility will charge the
customer for clearing the blockage, if requested. The Water and Sewer
Utility will not be held responsible for any damages to piping or
property.
C.
If the customer requests that the Water and Sewer Utility open the
street to clear a blockage and the result of the excavation clearly
indicates that the blockage is on the service line belonging to the
customer, the customer will be assessed all costs of the excavation,
service and repairs.
D.
If the customer has no curb cleanout, any blockage in the service
line between the dwelling and the main shall be considered the responsibility
of the customer.
When the Water and Sewer Utility inspection indicates that a
sewer cap is missing or damaged, the customer will be notified that
the cap must be repaired or replaced within seven days. After that
time period, the Utility will repair or replace the cleanout cap,
and the customer will be charged for parts and service.
No person shall uncover, make any connections, use, alter or
disturb any public sewer, service lateral or appurtenance thereof
without first obtaining a written permit from the Water and Sewer
Utility, accompanied by the required fee.
All excavations for service lateral installation shall be adequately
guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from
hazard. No excavations on Borough property shall be left open after
working hours. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property
disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner
satisfactory to the Sewer Superintendent.
