A.
No person shall uncover, make any connections with, use, alter, or
disturb any wastewater sewer or storm sewer without first obtaining
a written permit from the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or
authorized representative. Prior to applying for a permit from the
Town, if the applicant's land lies outside the corporate limits
of the Town of Elkton, the applicant shall obtain at least preliminary
approval from the County of Rockingham for the development project.
Preliminary approval may take whatever form is acceptable to both
the county and the Manager, and need not commit the county to final
approval. Such evidences of county approval shall be submitted with
the application to the Town.
B.
There shall be two classes of permits for connections to the Town's
treatment works and treatment facilities: Class I - residential; Class
II - industrial. In all cases, the owner shall make application for
a permit to connect to the Town's treatment works on a form furnished
by the Town. The permit application shall be supplemented by wastewater
information required to administer this chapter. A permit and inspection
fee for a Class I or a Class II connection permit shall be paid to
the Town at the time the application is filed in such amount as is
set by the Elkton Town Council from time to time in the latest approved
rate schedule.
C.
The Town may furnish sewer service outside Town limits, if requested
and approved by Council or its authorized representative.
D.
Where the intended use of the applicant's land is residential
involving four or fewer units, the Manager shall either approve or
reject the application. Where there is any other intended use, the
Manager shall forward the permit application to the Planning Commission
for its recommendation. After consideration by the Commission, the
permit application shall be forwarded to the Town Council, with the
recommendations of both the Commission and the Manager for final approval
or rejection.
E.
Prior to acting on the application, for residential projects of five
or more units, and for all other categories of projects, the Manager
shall require, and for residential projects of four or fewer units,
the Manager may require, that the applicant submit appropriate engineering
reports or studies that demonstrate the anticipated impact on the
Town's sanitary sewer system, along with any recommendations
for changes or additions to the Town's infrastructure indicated
because of the proposed new connections. All engineering studies and
reports shall be paid for by the applicant.
F.
Connections to a storm sewer shall be subject to a permit and inspection
fee and accompanied by a fee in an amount adopted by the Town Council,
from time to time. Such connections shall be subject to the provisions
of this chapter and the approval of the Town Manager, Public Works
Director and/or authorized representative.
G.
Any permit issued under this provision shall expire if construction
on the unit for which it was issued is not commenced within three
months of the date of issuance, or if the building permit issued by
Rockingham County is canceled or expires for any reason, but shall
expire in any event at the expiration of 18 months after the date
of issuance if the project is not completed. Once a permit expires,
a new permit must be obtained by filling a new permit application
and paying all fees and charges at the rates in effect at the time
of application.
H.
Terms of this section may be modified on a project-by-project basis only by the Town Council acting to approve a contract with a specific developer by ordinance. Contracts between the Town and a specific developer already approved and signed prior to the adoption of Chapter 135, Sewer Use, are hereby reaffirmed and ratified as if so approved.
I.
Permits issued under this section are nontransferable.
J.
The Manager may charge a reasonable fee to cover time and expenses
of processing the application.
A.
Connection charges within Town. Before a connection to the Town sewer
system is made within the Town, the applicant therefor shall pay to
the Town Treasurer a connection fee in accordance with the Town-adopted
water and sewer rates. The Sewer Department shall run all sewer lines
to the applicant's property line for a distance not to exceed
100 feet. If the distance exceeds 100 feet, the applicant shall pay
all costs in excess of 100 feet; provided, however, that if the Town
Council determines it to be in the best interests of the Town to extend
existing sewer lines partly or wholly at Town expense, it may enter
into agreements with individuals, landowners, or developers whereby
such extensions of existing sewer lines shall be accomplished and
costs thereof shared as mutually agreed; or, in the proper case, the
Town Council may resolve to extend the Town sewer system wholly at
Town expense. In determining the best interests of the Town, the Council
shall consider:
(1)
The number of potential connections which such extension of the system
might be expected to facilitate;
(2)
The enhancement to the value or capability of the existing system
that would result from such extension;
(3)
The value of any easements that would be granted to the Town under
such agreements;
(4)
The potential for increased revenue from utility service charges
and taxes that could be expected to result from future development
made possible by extension of the sewer system; and
(5)
The potential for increased employment opportunities and economic
development that might reasonably be expected to follow such extension
of the sewer system.
B.
Connection charges outside the Town. Before a connection to the Town
sewer system is made outside the Town, the applicant for connection
to the Town sewer system shall pay to the Town Treasurer a connection
fee in accordance with the Town-adopted water and sewer rates. The
applicant shall install at his or her expense the connecting line
to existing available Elkton sewer lines. The installation must meet
Town requirements and becomes Town property when connected to the
Town lines; provided, however, that if it is in the best interest
of the Town to extend existing sewer line partly or wholly at Town
expense, it may enter into agreements with individuals, landowners,
or developers whereby such extensions of existing sewer lines shall
be accomplished and the costs thereof shared as mutually agreed; or,
in the proper case, the Town Council may resolve to extend the Town
sewer system wholly at Town expense. In determining the best interests
of the Town, the Council shall consider:
(1)
The number of potential connections which such extension of the system
might be expected to facilitate;
(2)
The enhancement to the value or capability of the existing system
that would result from such extension;
(3)
The value of any easements that would be granted to the Town under
such agreements;
(4)
The potential for increased revenue from utility service charges
and taxes that could be expected to result from future development
made possible by extension of the sewer system; and
(5)
The potential for increased employment opportunities and economic
development that might reasonably be expected to follow such extension
of the sewer system.
C.
Subdivisions inside Town.
(1)
In case of subdivisions inside the Town, the owner shall install
all sewer mains at his or her own expense in the particular subdivision.
Such installation shall be in accordance with the standards of the
Town Sewer Department, which standards shall be on file in the office
of the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or the authorized representative.
The sewer main shall be of a diameter determined by the Town and in
no case less than six inches in diameter.
(2)
In addition to the requirements of this section, the individual homeowner
shall pay the regular sewer connection charges for the property.
(3)
After all sewer mains in a subdivision inside the Town have been
installed to the satisfaction of the Town Manager or the authorized
representative, they shall become the property of the Town and shall
be maintained by the Town.
D.
Connection charges for accessory buildings. In the event a property owner desires to obtain a connection to the Town sewer system for an accessory building as defined in § 110-302 of this Code, and the Town approves such connection, then the applicant shall pay to the Town Treasurer an accessory building connection fee in accordance with the Town adopted fees, which fee shall be determined in the Town's sole discretion. In addition, the applicant shall be responsible to pay for all costs involved with installing all sewer lines to the property and connecting to the Town's sewer system.
[Added 2-20-2017]
E.
Timing of connection.
[Added 4-16-2018]
(1)
If the applicant does not connect to the Town sewer system within
six months from the date the connection was purchased, the applicant
shall be entitled to:
(2)
However, any connection purchased but used after six months from
the date of purchase shall be at the then-current rate, and the applicant
shall pay any increase in the connection fees.
[Amended 2-20-2017]
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, courtyard, or driveway, or except where the building is an accessory building as defined in § 110-302 of this Code. When this occurs, the building sewer serving the front building may be extended to the rear building, or the building sewer serving the main building may be extended to the accessory building, and the whole considered as one building sewer. The Town assumes no obligation or responsibility for damage caused by or resulting from any single building sewer which serves two buildings.
Existing building sewers may be used for connection of new buildings
only when they are found, on examination and testing by the Town Manager,
Public Works Director and/or authorized representative, to meet the
requirements of this chapter.
The size, slope, alignment, construction materials, trench excavation
and backfill methods, pipe placement, jointing and testing methods
used in the construction and installation of a building sewer shall
conform to the building and plumbing code or other applicable requirements
of the Town. In the absence of code provisions or in amplification
thereof, the materials and procedures set forth in appropriate specifications
of the ASTM and WPCF shall apply.
Whenever practicable, the building sewer shall be brought to
a building at an elevation below the basement floor. In buildings
in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the
Town's treatment works, wastewater carried by such building drain
shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to a building
sewer draining to the Town sewer.
A.
No person shall connect roof, foundation, areaway, parking lot, roadway, or other surface runoff or groundwater drains to any sewer which is connected to a treatment works unless such connection is authorized, in writing, by the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative. The connection of such drains shall conform to codes specified in § 135-22A or as specified by the Town Manager as a condition of approval of such connection.
B.
Except as provided above, roof, foundation, areaway, parking lot,
roadway, or other surface runoff or groundwater drains shall discharge
to natural outlets or storm sewers.
A.
The connection of a building sewer into a treatment works shall conform
to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other applicable
requirements of the Town, or the procedures set forth in appropriate
specifications of the Commonwealth of Virginia Sewerage Regulations,
Uniform Building Code of Virginia, and American Society of Testing
Materials. The connections shall be made gastight and watertight and
verified by proper testing. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures
and materials must be approved in writing by the Town Manager, Public
Works Director and/or authorized representative before installation.
B.
A copy of all such standards adopted by the Town Council for sewer
main construction or extension shall be maintained in the office of
the Town Manager or the authorized representative and be open to public
inspection.
A.
Inspection of new service connection. The applicant for a building
sewer or other drainage connection permit shall notify the Town Manager,
Public Works Director and/or authorized representative when such sewer
or drainage connection is ready for inspection prior to its connection
to the Town's treatment works. Inspection will be performed by
the Public Works Director and/or authorized representative.
B.
Inflow and infiltration inspections. The Town Manager, Public Works
Director and/or authorized representative, bearing proper credentials
and identification, shall be permitted to enter all private property
that is connected to the Town's sanitary sewer system for the
purposes of inspecting the premises for contributing sources of inflow
and infiltration. These inspections are for the purposes of identifying
improper connections of drainage and stormwater items such as foundation
drains, roof leaders, sump pumps, floor drains, and similar items.
Any identified items will be documented in writing and provided to
the property owner for correction.
C.
Sewer connection cleanout services. Upon request, the Town will provide
a cleanout service for private sewer connections in accordance with
rules and regulations established by the Town Manager, Public Works
Director and/or authorized representative. A private sewer connection
is determined to be the connection from the main line to the structure
owned or occupied by the sewer service customer. When it is determined
by the Town Manager or the authorized representative that stoppage
of the sewer connection is the responsibility of the customer, a special
charge for these cleanout services shall be made in accordance with
rates set and established by the Council. A copy of such schedule
of rates and a copy of such rules and regulations shall be maintained
in the office of the Town Manager or the authorized representative
and in the Treasurer's office and shall be available for public
inspection during working hours. Billing for sewer cleanout services
shall be made and included on the customer's water and sewer
bill, and provisions relating to the imposition of penalties and termination
of service for nonpayment set out elsewhere in this chapter shall
be applicable to the sewer connection cleanout services charge.
Excavations for building sewer installation 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 Town.
The Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative
shall not issue a permit for any class of connection to the Town's
treatment works or treatment facilities unless there is sufficient
capacity, not legally committed to other users, in the treatment works
and treatment facilities to convey and adequately treat the quantity
of wastewater which the requested connection will add to the treatment
works or treatment facility. The Town Manager, Public Works Director
and/or authorized representative may permit such a connection if there
are legally binding commitments to provide the needed capacity.
