[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township of Cedar Grove 3-30-1953, Ch. 18, Art. 2, of the former Revised Ordinances; amended in its entirety 3-4-1963. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 119.
Public health nuisances — See Ch. 179.
Public improvement specifications — See Ch. 201.
Individual sewage disposal systems — See Ch. 213.
Streets and sidewalks — See Ch. 230.
Subdivision of land — See Ch. 234.
Water — See Ch. 259.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY
Municipal and County Sewerage Act — See N.J.S.A. 40A:26A-1 et seq.
[Amended 12-21-1970 by Ord. No. 70-25; 2-5-2007 by Ord. No. 07-666]
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meanings stated herein unless their use in the text of this chapter clearly demonstrates a different meaning. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words used in the plural number include the singular number, and words used in the singular number include the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory. The definitions below are the same as or based on corresponding definitions in the New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) rules at N.J.A.C. 7:14A-1.2.
BOD (denoting "biochemical oxygen demand")
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days at 20º C.), expressed in milligrams per liter.
BUILDING SEWER
The extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal.
CHLORINE DEMAND
The quantity of chlorine which must be added per unit volume to produce a residual chlorine concentration of 2.0 milligrams per liter after 15 minutes under standard laboratory conditions, expressed in milligrams per liter.
COD (denoting "chemical oxygen demand")
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the chemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedures, expressed in milligrams per liter.
DOMESTIC SEWAGE
Waste and wastewater from humans or household operations.
GARBAGE
Solid wastes from the preparation, cooking and disposing of foods and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.
ILLICIT CONNECTION
Any physical or nonphysical connection that discharges domestic sewage, noncontact cooling water, process wastewater, or other industrial waste (other than stormwater) to the municipal separate storm sewer system operated by the Township of Cedar Grove, unless that discharge is authorized under an NJPDES permit other than the Tier A municipal stormwater general permit (NJPDES Permit No. NJ0141852). Nonphysical connections may include, but are not limited to, leaks, flows, or overflows into the municipal separate storm sewer system.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Nondomestic waste, including, but not limited to, those pollutants regulated under Section 307(a), (b), or (c) of the Federal Clean Water Act [33 U.S.C. § 1317(a), (b), or (c)].
MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEM (MS4)
A conveyance or system of conveyance (including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, or storm drains) that is owned or operated by the Township of Cedar Grove or other public body and is designated and used for collecting and conveying stormwater.
NATURAL OUTLET
Any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface or ground water.
NJPDES PERMIT
A permit issued by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to implement the New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) rules at N.J.A.C. 7:14A.
NONCONTACT COOLING WATER
Water used to reduce temperature for the purpose of cooling. Such waters do not come into direct contact with any raw material, intermediate product (other than heat) or finished product. Noncontact cooling water may, however, contain algaecides, or biocides to control fouling of equipment such as heat exchangers, and/or corrosion inhibitors.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, or political subdivision of this state subject to municipal jurisdiction.
pH
The logarithm of the reciprocal of the hydrogen ions concentration in moles per liter.
PROCESS WASTEWATER
Any water which, during manufacturing or processing, comes into direct contact with or results from the production or use of any raw material, intermediate product, finished product, by-product, or waste product. Process wastewater includes, but is not limited to, leachate and cooling water other than noncontact cooling water.
PUBLIC SEWER
A sewer which is controlled by public authority.
SANITARY SEWER
A sewer which carries sewage as defined in this section.
SEWAGE
A combination of the water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions and industrial establishments.
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT
Any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.
SEWER
A pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
STORM SEWER or STORM DRAIN
A sewer which carries storm- and surface waters and drainage.
STORMWATER
Water resulting from precipitation (including rain and snow) that runs off the land’s surface, is transmitted to the subsurface, is captured by separate storm sewers or other sewerage or drainage facilities, or is conveyed by snow removal equipment.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
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.
WATERCOURSE
A channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continually or intermittently.
It shall be unlawful to discharge into any natural outlet within the Township or in or upon any area under the jurisdiction of said Township any sanitary sewage, industrial wastes or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with this chapter.
A. 
The owner of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment or recreation or other purposes, situated within the Township and abutting on or having a permanent right of access to any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is located a public sanitary sewer of the Township, shall at his expense:
(1) 
Install suitable toilet facilities therein.
(2) 
Connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, within 90 days after the date of official notice from the Township Manager to so do, provided that said public sewer is within 100 feet of any property line.
B. 
At such time as a public sewer becomes available to a property served by an individual sewage disposal system, as provided in Chapter 213, Sewage Disposal Systems, Individual, a direct connection shall be made to the public sewer in compliance with this chapter, and any septic tanks, cesspools and similar individual sewage disposal facilities shall be abandoned or removed or filled with suitable material as directed by the Health Officer.
C. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Subsection B, the Council may, for a period of one year and at its discretion from year to year thereafter, waive the requirements thereof relating to immediate sewer connections of dwellings with the comprehensive sanitary sewer system. Such waiver by the Council shall be based upon the following conditions:
(1) 
The owner has submitted evidence of substantial hardship.
(2) 
The Health Officer finds that the existing septic tank system is working properly.
(3) 
The Health Officer and the Township Manager recommend the requested waiver.
It shall be unlawful to make any connection to the sewer without first obtaining a written permit from the Department of Public Works as provided in § 217-15, and such connections shall be made by a licensed plumber under the direction and supervision of the Township Engineer or his representative and in the manner hereinafter set forth.
[Amended 5-16-1977 by Ord. No. 77-45]
A. 
All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the Township from any loss or damage that may indirectly or directly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer. The maintenance of the building sewer shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property served.
B. 
The Township shall, however, repair structural damage to that portion of any building sewer which lies under the public roadway, provided that such structural damage is not caused or contributed to by any act or omission of the owner of the property served.
C. 
The Township assumes no responsibility for any other damages or consequential damages which may be related to the structural defect or repair.
D. 
The Township Engineer shall preliminarily determine, from all facts and information made available to him, whether the building sewer malfunction is of a maintenance nature or the result of structural damage before any work is undertaken by the Township. The property owner shall bear the responsibility to demonstrate to the Township that the malfunction of the sanitary sewer lateral is not of a maintenance nature but rather a structural failure. The substantiation shall be by a licensed plumber or by a firm recognized in the sewer maintenance business, and at the cost of the homeowner.
E. 
In the event that the Township undertakes excavation and it is later determined that the malfunction is not such structural failure for which the Township is responsible, the owner shall bear the cost of the work done or materials provided by the Township.
F. 
The Township shall have the right to proceed against third parties for any structural repair made at its expense.
A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building; except that, where one building stands at the rear of another on an interior lot and no building 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. In the case of multiple housing units, it is not necessary to have a separate and independent building sewer for every building, but instead the sewage from the various principal buildings shall be gathered together into one or more building sewers of a size satisfactory to the Township Engineer and carried out to the nearest public sewer adjacent to the property.
Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the Township Engineer or his representative, to meet all the requirements of this chapter.
A. 
Pipes. The building sewer shall be either cast-iron soil pipe (Commercial Standard CS-188-59 of the Department of Commerce) or asbestos-cement pipe conforming to the following specifications: That portion of the building sewer from the main to the curb shall be six-inch-diameter, Class 2400, and that portion of the building sewer from the curb to the house shall be either four-inch-diameter standard pipe Class 1500 or, if six-inch diameter, extra heavy pipe Class 2400 with a maximum length per section of 6 1/2 feet. Joints shall be tight and waterproof. Cast-iron pipe with leaded joints may be required by the Township Engineer where the building sewer is exposed to damage by tree roots. If installed in filled or unstable ground or at a depth providing less than three feet of cover under driveways or roadways, the sewer shall be of cast-iron soil pipe, except that nonmetallic material may be accepted if installed on a suitable concrete bed or cradle as approved by the Township Engineer.
B. 
Size and slope. The size and slope of the building sewer shall be subject to the approval of the Township Engineer, but in no event shall the diameter be less than four inches for cast-iron soil pipe and asbestos-cement house connection pipe. The slope of such four-inch pipe shall not be less than 1/4 inch per foot, and of such six-inch pipe shall not be less than 1/8 inch per foot.
C. 
Location. Whenever possible, the building sewer for new construction shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. In existing buildings where no plumbing facilities are provided in the basement, the building sewer may be above the cellar floor. Building sewers shall not be laid parallel to or within three feet of any bearing wall, which might thereby be weakened. The depth shall be sufficient to afford protection from frost. 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. Where required, a standpipe with a brass plug shall be furnished at the curb.
D. 
Sewage pump. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such drain shall be lifted by a sewage pump of a type acceptable to the Township Engineer and discharged to the building sewer.
E. 
Trench work. All excavations required for the installation of a building sewer shall be open trench work or another method which would permit proper inspection. Pipelaying and backfill shall be performed according to the manufacturer's recommendations; however, no blocking of pipes will be allowed except under fittings. Backfill shall be placed by hand and tamped to a height one foot above the pipe. No backfill shall be placed until the piping has been inspected.
F. 
Joints and connections.
(1) 
All joints and connections shall be made gastight and watertight.
(2) 
Caulked joints for cast-iron bell and spigot soil pipe shall be firmly packed with oakum or hemp and secured with molten lead. At least 12 ounces of soft lead shall be used for each inch in diameter of the pipe used. Lead shall be run in one pouring and caulked tight.
(3) 
Sulfur-base compound joints used with a cast-iron bell and spigot building sewer line shall be caulked with jute or hemp leaving a two-and-one-half-inch uniform depth for securing the joint with the compound. Care shall be taken to prevent overheating the compound, which should not be poured until the surface is free from bubbles and shows a mirrorlike appearance. Manufacturer's instructions shall be followed in the preparation and pouring of the compound jointing material.
(4) 
Asbestos-cement sewer pipe joints shall be made with sleeve couplings of the same composition as the pipe and sealed with rubber rings in accordance with the specifications of the manufacturer.
(5) 
Joints between asbestos-cement pipe and metal pipe shall be made by means of an adapter coupling approved by the Township Engineer, or his representative, and caulked as specified above.
(6) 
Other jointing materials and methods equal to the standards approved above may be used only by approval of the Township Engineer.
The holder of the building sewer permit shall notify the Department of Public Works when the building sewer is ready for inspection. The installation shall be made under the supervision of the Township Engineer, or his representative, within 24 hours of the receipt of notice by the Township engineering office.
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 Township Engineer.
In addition to the requirements of this chapter, where the applicant for the building sewer permit must connect to a public sewer discharging into the sewerage system of an adjacent municipality or governing body, the provisions of any ordinance or ordinances, rules and regulations of such municipality or governing body concerning the connection to a public sewer shall govern and apply, as well as the applicable terms of any agreement in connection herewith entered into between the Township and such adjoining municipality.
[Amended 12-21-1970 by Ord. No. 70-25]
A. 
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, cooling water or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer.
B. 
Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to any public sanitary sewer:
(1) 
Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150º F.
(2) 
Any waters or wastes which may contain more than 100 milligrams per liter of fat, oil or grease.
(3) 
Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid, gas or vapor.
(4) 
Any garbage.
(5) 
Any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, manure or any other solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or interference with the proper operation of the sewage works.
(6) 
Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 9.0 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the sewage works.
(7) 
Any waters or wastes containing chemicals or chemical compounds of a strength which would impair metal, concrete, wood or painted structures or of a poisonous or toxic nature in sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant. These include arsenic and arsenicals, copper and copper salts, mercury and mercurials, silver and silver compounds, zinc, toxic dyes (organic and minerals), sulfonamides, phenols and their derivatives, creosols, alcohols, formaldehydes, chlorine in excess of 25 parts per million, iodine, fluorine, bromine, all strong oxidizing agents, such as peroxides, chromates, dichromates, permanganates, etc., compounds producing hydrogen sulphide or any other toxic, inflammable or explosive gases, either upon acidification, alkalization, reduction or oxidation and strong reducing agents, such as nitrates, sulfites, sulphides, etc.
(8) 
Any waters or wastes containing more than 350 milligrams per liter by weight of suspended solids or containing suspended solids of such character and quantity that unusual attention or expense is required to handle such materials at the sewage treatment plant.
(9) 
Any waters or wastes containing inert (nonvolatile) solids in either suspended, dissolved or colloidal state, of such character and/or quantity as to adversely affect treatment processes.
(10) 
Any waters or wastes from industrial, hospital or laboratory procedures which contains viable pathogenic organisms.
(11) 
Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as will adversely affect treatment processes or, after treatment of the composite sewage, fail to meet requirements of state, federal or other public agencies having jurisdiction over the receiving waters.
(12) 
Any waters or wastes which contain materials which exert or cause discoloration within the sewage treatment plant or in the receiving waters or exhibit a true color of more than 100 units on the platinum-cobalt scale.
(13) 
Any unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes resulting in the application of shock or slug loads at the sewage treatment plant.
(14) 
Any waters or wastes having an average daily flow greater than 10,000 gallons; provided, however, that the Council may waive such requirements by contract with any user if the best interests of the Township so require.
(15) 
Any waters or wastes having a five-day biochemical oxygen demand greater than 300 milligrams per liter by weight.
(16) 
Any waters or wastes having a chemical oxygen demand greater than 250 milligrams per liter by weight.
(17) 
Any waters or wastes having a chlorine demand greater than 20 milligrams per liter by weight.
(18) 
Any noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable of creating a public nuisance.
[Amended 8-27-1979 by Ord. No. 79-105]
A. 
Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when necessary, in the opinion of the Health Officer, 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.
B. 
When the need for such an interceptor is determined, a plumbing permit shall be obtained prior to the installation. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the Plumbing Inspector for adequate removal of grease, oil, sand or other ingredients which may be harmful to the public sewer system, with proper installation certified by the Plumbing Inspector. Interceptors shall be located for ready accessibility and ease of cleaning in inspection. The owner shall furnish design data indicating required interceptor capacity and installation detail with the permit application. An interceptor shall be of substantial construction, watertight and equipped with easily removable covers, which, when bolted in place, shall be gastight and watertight.
C. 
Interceptors shall be maintained and regularly cleaned by the owner.
D. 
If the owner fails to provide a required interceptor or fails to regularly clean an installed interceptor, the general penalty provisions in the Township Code shall apply.
A. 
Where preliminary treatment facilities are provided for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.
B. 
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged through an illicit connection to the municipal separate storm sewer system operated by the township of Cedar Grove any domestic sewage, noncontact cooling water, process wastewater, or other industrial waste (other than stormwater).
[Added 2-5-2007 by Ord. No. 07-666[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former Subsection B as Subsection C.
C. 
Where necessary, the owner of any property served by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable control manhole in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of the wastes. Such manholes, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Township Engineer. The manholes 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.
[Amended 3-21-1966 by Ord. No. 66-4; 1-9-1978 by Ord. No. 77-64; 4-20-1987 by Ord. No. 87-293; 11-7-1988 by Ord. No. 88-326; 9-20-1993 by Ord. No. 93-428; 3-4-2019 by Ord. No. 19-838]
The owner or his agent shall make application on a form furnished by the Township. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications or other information considered pertinent by the Township Engineer. A connection fee shall be paid to the Township at the time the application is filed in the amount of $2,500 per equivalent connection for any new or increased capacity connection to the sanitary sewer system. An equivalent connection for the purposes of this section shall be a use with a design flow of 100,000 gallons per year. Each and every dwelling unit, whether it be attached or detached housing, shall be considered as one equivalent connection regardless of design flow. In all the other cases the amount of gallons shall be calculated using the design flow criteria established by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy in N.J.A.C. 7:9-1 et seq. In determining the number of equivalent connections for purposes of computing the connection fee, the equivalent connection shall be computed by dividing the sewer use flow per year for the building, structure or premises by 100,000 gallons and the quotient shall be the number of equivalent connections assigned to the particular building, structure or premises. The number of computed equivalent connections shall be rounded to the next highest 1/4. In no event shall the equivalent connection assigned to a building, structure or premises be less than one equivalent connection. The permit shall expire 12 months after the date of issue.
A. 
There is hereby established a sewerage service charge for the use, operation, maintenance and construction of the sewerage system of the Township, to be imposed upon the owners of properties served thereby at the rates hereinafter set forth.
B. 
The sewerage service charge hereby imposed shall be a quarterly charge based upon the water consumption of the properties served as measured by the quantity of water supplied for the current quarter year as hereinafter set forth.
C. 
Properties served by the sewerage system of the Township shall pay a quarterly charge in accordance with the following schedule:
[Last amended 10-16-2017 by Ord. No. 17-817[1]]
(1) 
For the first 20,000 gallons or less: $90.
(2) 
Over 20,000 gallons: $7.35 per 1,000 gallons.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also stated that its provisions would be reflected in the water billing date of 11-1-2017.
D. 
Properties using other than Township water and served by the Township sewerage system shall pay a sewerage service charge based on the consumption of other than Township water. This sewerage service charge should be measured by the quantity of water used by such properties. The Township Engineer can require the owner of each such property to install without cost to the Township a meter or meters to measure the quantity of water received from such source or sources and discharged into the Township sewers. No meters shall be installed or shall be used for such purposes without the approval of the Township Engineer. The sewerage service charge based on such quantity of water shall be the same in amount as is required to be paid by the owners of property receiving the same amount of water from the Township. If the owner of said property is not required to install an approved meter or meters, the Township Engineer may make an estimate of the quantity of such water used by said property and discharged into the Township's sewers from said property.
E. 
Whenever a property upon which a sewerage service charge is hereby imposed uses water for an industrial or commercial purpose or for irrigation of lawns and gardens or filling swimming pools, such that the water so used is not discharged into the sewerage system of the Township, the quantity of water so used and not discharged into the Township's sewers shall be excluded in determining the sewerage service charge of said property, provided that the quantity of water so used and not discharged into the Township's sewers is measured by a device or devices, meter or meters approved by the Township Engineer and installed without cost to the Township and provided, further, that the water supply is metered. The sewerage service charge to be paid by the owner, occupant or applicant for service of said property shall be computed at the rates hereinabove provided, based upon the consumption of Township water less the quantity not discharged into the Townships sewers.
[Amended 5-18-1992 by Ord. No. 92-401]
F. 
All sewerage service charges shall be due and payable at the same time that water bills are now due and payable and shall be subject to the same penalties as the charges for water. Said payments shall apply to all properties subject to the payment of sewerage service charges without regard to the source of water used by them. The aforesaid charges for the use of said public sewers shall draw the same interest from the time they become due as taxes upon real estate and shall be a lien upon the premises connected until paid, and the Township shall have the same remedies for the collection thereof with interest, costs and penalties as it has by law for the collection of taxes upon real estate and water rents.
G. 
The Tax Collector is hereby charged with the duty of collecting all sewerage service charges.
H. 
Whenever the sewer service to any property begins after the first day or terminates before the last day of any calendar quarter, the sewer rental for such property for such quarter shall be for that portion of the quarter during which the said property is served.
All meters or other measuring devices installed or required to be used under the provisions of this chapter shall be under the control of the Township Engineer. The owner of the property upon which any such measuring device is installed, which shall be at said owner's expense, shall be responsible for its maintenance and safekeeping; and all repairs thereto shall be made at the owner's cost, whether such repairs are made necessary by ordinary wear and tear or other causes. Charges for such repairs, if made by the Township, shall be due and payable at the same time, collected in the same manner and be subject to the same penalties as the sewer service charge.
Duly authorized employees of the Township bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter upon all properties for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
[Added 2-5-2007 by Ord. No. 07-666[1]]
This chapter shall be enforced by the Township of Cedar Grove by the Police Department and/or other authorized municipal officials of the Township of Cedar Grove.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the renumbering of former § 217-19, Violations and penalties, as § 217-20.
[Amended 7-30-1984 by Ord. No. 84-222; 10-23-2006 by Ord. No. 06-656]
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding $2,000 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.