[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Rochelle Park as indicated in article histories.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Excavations in streets — See Ch. 97.
[Adopted 5-20-1998 by Ord. No. 775-98[1]]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The Bergen County Sewer Authority that maintains the district
sewer system with which the municipal sewer system shall connect.
The Board of Health of the Township of Rochelle Park or any
officer, employee or agent designated by the Board of Health to act
in a matter on behalf of the Board.
The quality of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation
of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days
at 20º C. expressed in parts per million by weight.
That part of the sewer system which begins five feet outside
the inner face of the building wall and which receives sewage from
the building drain and conveys it to the building sewer lateral.
That part of the public sewer which runs from the sewer main
to the curb or property line.
Solid wastes from the preparation, cooking or dispensing
of food and from the handling, storage or sale of produce.
A device installed in the drain line of dishwashing equipment
and sinks, which mechanically skims grease particles from the wastewater
so as to keep them from entering the sewer system.
A device installed in the drain line of dishwashing equipment
and sinks to entrap particles of grease to prevent them from entering
the sewer system.
The liquid waste from industrial processes, as distinct from
domestic sewage.
An outlet into a stream, watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or
other body of ground-, storm- or surface water.
Any individual, firm, company, association, corporation,
partnership, society or group, or any combination thereof.
The logarithm to the base 10 of the reciprocal of the weight
of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
The practice of installing, maintaining, extending, repairing
and altering plumbing systems. It shall also mean the plumbing system
as herein defined.
A person licensed and authorized to inspect plumbing pursuant
to the provisions of P.L. 1975, c. 217, as amended, and N.J.A.C. 5:23,
and who is in the employ of the Township.
[1]The system or network of facilities within or adjacent to
any building, structure or conveyance (including piping materials,
controls and fixtures, together with their venting systems and other
appurtenances) up to the point of connection of such system to a public
or private sewer, a public or private water supply for potable or
nonpotable purposes, a natural outlet or any other point of discharge
or supply.
As defined in § 185-97 of Chapter 185, Land Use and Development Regulations, an establishment where food and drink are prepared, served and consumed primarily within the principal building and including serving prepared food which is also intended for consumption off the premises, such as pizza parlors, bakeries and similar establishments; provided, however, that the term "restaurant" shall not be deemed to include what is commonly known as a "supermarket," "grocery store" or "delicatessen."
Any liquid waste containing animal, chemical or vegetable
matter in suspension or solution.
Ordinary nonindustrial sewage (but not including stormwater,
groundwater or surface water), for example, sewage discharging from
toilets, washbowls, bathtubs and like sanitary conveniences installed
in dwellings, apartment houses and hotels, office and commercial buildings
and factories and institutions.
Any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating
sewage.
A pipe or conduit used for carrying sewage.
All facilities for the collection, pumping and disposing
of sewage.
A sewer that has been designed to carry sewage and not stormwater,
surface water and groundwater.
A sewer, gutter, culvert, catch basin or like facility that
has been designed to carry stormwater, surface water and groundwater
and not domestic sewage or industrial wastes.
Solids that either float on the surface or are in suspension
in water, sewage or other liquids and that are removable by laboratory
filtering.
The Township of Rochelle Park or any officer, employee or
agent designated by the Township Committee to act in a matter on behalf
of the township.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-119 et
seq.
A.Â
Authorized persons to make connection. No person,
other than a person authorized by the township, shall uncover, make
any connection with or opening into, use, repair, alter or disturb
any public sewer lateral and the appurtenances thereof.
B.Â
Barricades and protective devices. Each person performing
work on public property of the township for the purpose of installing
or making connections to building sewer laterals shall cause the work
to be adequately guarded with barricades, lights and other measures
for the protection of the public. Streets, sidewalks, parkways, curbs
and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall
be restored or replaced in a manner satisfactory to the township.
C.Â
Pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:60-8,[1] the Department of Public Works is hereby vested with the
power, authority, right and privilege, and there is hereby imposed
upon said Department the duty, to provide for the maintenance and
operation of the public sanitary sewer line up to the main sewer line.
Any work to be performed in connection with the maintenance of this
area of the sanitary sewer system shall be performed by the Department
of Public Works or other person authorized by the Township. The area
of the sanitary sewer system between the main line and the property
line which is described herein as the "building sewer lateral" shall
be the responsibility of the owner of the property which is serviced
by the lateral.
Amended 11-12-2003 by Ord. No. 900-03]
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40:69A-1 et seq.
A.Â
Prohibited acts. No person shall:
(1)Â
Place or deposit or cause or permit to be placed or
deposited in an unsanitary manner upon public or private property
within the township or in any street or other area under the jurisdiction
of the township any human or animal excrement, garbage, industrial
waste, foul liquids or any other liquids or solid waste that is malodorous
or unsanitary.
(2)Â
Discharge or cause or permit to be discharged to any
natural outlet or storm sewer in the township or any street or other
area under the jurisdiction of the township any domestic sewage, industrial
waste or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has
been provided in accordance with this chapter.
(3)Â
Uncover or cause or permit to be uncovered any portion
of the public sewer or any storm drain or the connecting branches
thereof or open any manhole or flush tank unless authorized, in writing,
by the township to do so.
(4)Â
Open or cause or permit to be opened any public street
or place for the purpose of making any sewer connection or make or
cause to be made any connection with the public sewer or any building
connection or other branch of the public sewer unless authorized,
in writing, by the township to do so.
(5)Â
Make or cause to be made any excavation within four
feet of any public sewer or blast any rock within 10 feet thereof
unless authorized, in writing, by the township to do so.
(6)Â
Use or cause or permit to be used any metal, mechanical
or electrical cutters, eels or snakes or any other sewer cleaning
apparatus within the township without first having been authorized
by the township to do so.
(7)Â
Breach, cut or remove or cause or permit to be broken,
cut or removed any pipe of the public sewer unless authorized, in
writing, by the township to do so.
(8)Â
Direct the discharge or cause or permit the direction
of the discharge into any portion of the public sewer, directly or
indirectly, of any clear drainage, such as the discharge from air-conditioning
units, groundwater, surface water or rainwater from sidewalks, yards,
areas, courts, roofs or any sump, cistern or tank overflow, combined
sewers being hereby prohibited.
(9)Â
Discharge or cause or permit the discharge into any
building connection, building sewer lateral or any portion of the
public sewer, directly or indirectly, of any drainage or overflow
from privies or other receptacles storing or designed to store organic
wastes or any underground drains or channels unless the connection
thereof to the building connection, building sewer lateral or public
sewer shall have been authorized and approved, in writing, by the
township.
(10)Â
Connect or cause or permit the connection with any
portion of the public sewer, directly or indirectly, of any exhausts,
boiler blowoffs, sediments, drips or any pipes carrying or constructed
to carry acids, dyes, brine, germicides, greases, gasoline, naphtha,
radioactive materials or any other substance detrimental to the sewers
or their appurtenances or to the operation of the township or the
authority sewer systems.
(11)Â
Throw or deposit or cause or permit to be thrown or
deposited in any fixture, vessel, receptacle, inlet or opening connected,
directly or indirectly, with any portion of the public sewer anything
other than sewage. It is the intent hereby to prohibit any straw,
garbage, wood, glass, plastic, grease, ashes, cinders, fabrics or
tar or other viscous material or any other substance capable of causing
obstruction from being introduced into the public sewers.
B.Â
Discharge restriction. Except as hereinafter provided,
no person shall discharge or cause or permit to be discharged any
of the following described waters or wastes into any public sewer:
(1)Â
Any liquid which may contain more than 100 parts per
million by weight of fat, oil or grease.
(2)Â
Any gasoline, benzine, naphtha, fuel oil or other
flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas.
(3)Â
Any liquid having a pH factor lower than 5.5 or higher
than 9.0 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing
damage or a hazard to the structure, equipment and personnel of the
township.
(4)Â
Any liquid containing a toxic or poisonous substance
in a sufficient quantity so as to injure or interfere with any sewage
treatment processes, to constitute a hazard to humans or animals or
to create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment
plant.
(5)Â
Any liquid containing suspended solids of such character
and quantity that unusual attention or expense is required to handle
such matters at the sewage treatment plant.
(6)Â
Any noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable
of creating a public nuisance.
C.Â
Interceptors/traps.
(1)Â
Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided
when, in the opinion of the township, 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 one-family-dwelling houses.
All interceptors or traps shall be of a type and capacity approved
by the Township Engineer and shall be located so as to be readily
and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection.
(2)Â
Grease and oil interceptors shall be constructed of
impervious materials capable of withstanding abrupt and extreme changes
in temperature. They shall be of a substantial construction and watertight
and shall be equipped with easily removable covers which, when bolted
in place, shall be gastight and watertight. All grease, oil and sand
interceptors shall be maintained by the owners, at their expense,
in continuously effective operation at all times.
D.Â
All restaurants, as defined herein, within 90 days
from adoption of this chapter, shall be required to install and maintain
an approved grease interceptor or trap on all dishwashing equipment,
sinks or any other areas where sewage is discharged into the township's
sanitary sewer system. It shall be the responsibility of each owner
to maintain the interceptor or trap to avoid grease entering the sewer
system and to post and maintain a log adjacent to said interceptor
or trap for each cleaning. Any designated representative of the Board
of Health or the Department of Public Works shall have the right to
inspect said equipment to ensure proper maintenance. Failure to properly
maintain said equipment shall be a violation of this chapter. Further,
the clearance and cleaning of any blockages in the sanitary sewer
mains attributable to a specific restaurant owner shall be paid by
the owner. Such charges shall include, but not be limited to, the
full cost for township labor, including fringe benefits and equipment
costs. Any property damage caused by sewer backups shall also be borne
by the owner causing the blockages.
E.Â
Any grease arising out of any cooking, grilling, frying
or meat trimming shall be recycled, using a qualified firm equipped
to handle such materials.
A.Â
Destruction or tampering prohibited. No person shall
break, damage, destroy, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance
or equipment which is part of the township sewer system.
B.Â
Liability. Any person who, by reason of a violation
of the provisions of this chapter or any other improper use of the
township sewer system or any of its branches, appurtenances or connections,
shall cause damage to said township sewer system or to the system
or facilities of the authority to which the township sewer system
is connected shall be liable to the township for all costs and expenses
that may be incurred by the township for the correction of any such
damage. The township shall have the right to recover such costs and
expenses and the cost and expense of prosecuting its claim from any
such person by the appropriate action at law in a court of competent
jurisdiction. The right of the township to be reimbursed for any costs
and expenses incurred shall be an additional remedy, and such person
shall also be subject to the penalties contained in this chapter for
violation of its provisions.
A.Â
Jurisdiction. The Board of Health and the Department
of Public Works and the Construction Code Officials shall have concurrent
jurisdiction in the administration and enforcement of the provisions
of this chapter.
B.Â
Right of entry for inspections. The authorized officers,
agents and employees of the township and of the Board of Health, 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.
Any person who shall violate or fail to comply
with any of the provisions of this chapter or who shall participate
or assist in such violation or failure to comply or who, as owner,
tenant or other person in occupancy, architect, contractor or agent,
servant or employee, shall permit the commission of such violation
or maintain such violation or shall suffer such violation to continue
shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000
or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both, in the
discretion of the court before whom such conviction shall be had.
Each day that such violation shall continue or is permitted or suffered
to be continued or maintained shall constitute a separate offense.
A.Â
Use of sewers. The use of all sanitary sewers of the
Township of Rochelle Park shall be in compliance with the rules and
regulations enacted by the Bergen County Utilities Authority.
B.Â
Adoption of county standards. The Township of Rochelle
Park hereby adopts and enacts the user charge system and industrial
cost recovery system contained in the rules and regulations of the
Bergen County Utilities Authority and authorizes their immediate implementation
by the Township Collector-Treasurer.
C.Â
Copies on file. Not fewer than three copies of the
rules and regulations of the Bergen County Utilities Authority have
been and are filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Township of Rochelle
Park and are available for public inspection during normal business
hours.
D.Â
Cost of copies. Copies of the rules and regulations
of the Bergen County Utilities Authority can be obtained from the
Bergen County Utilities Authority for the cost of publication.
[Adopted 3-16-2005 by Ord. No. 922-05]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The charge imposed by the Township of Rochelle Park for each
new connection with its sewer system or an existing connection where
a new use or expanded use would increase the sewer flow.
A dwelling as defined in § 185-97 of this Code.
Those uses allowed in the Rochelle Park Zoning Districts
Industrial A and B.
Those uses as allowed in the Township of Rochelle Park Zoning
Districts A, B, C, and BA-1.
A number upon which the sewer connection or hookup fee shall
be calculated. The sewer unit shall be a multiplier for the fee as
set forth herein.
No sewer connection shall be made without a
permit therefor issued by the Building Department of the Township
of Rochelle Park. The Department may make any regulations governing
the manner and method of making such connections. No connection shall
be covered until the same has been inspected and approved by the Department.
A.Â
As a condition of every certificate of occupancy for
new construction, renovation or expansion, there shall be imposed
upon every applicant a sewer connection or hookup fee, which shall
be in addition to any other fees imposed pursuant to local ordinance
or state law.
B.Â
The application for extension of new sewer connections
or the alterations to existing sewer connections shall be accompanied
by a diagram showing the relative elevation of the lowest plumbing
fixture and the invert and diameter of the sanitary sewer where such
connection is to be made.
C.Â
Upon approval of such diagram by the Building Department
and prior to the issuance of the permit for the installation of the
plumbing system or any other work to be performed, the applicant shall
pay a fee in accordance with the schedule contained herein.
[Amended 5-27-2020 by Ord. No. 1166-20]
The following fees shall be collected by the
Building Department in furtherance of the within article:
A.Â
Each commercial or industrial sewerage unit shall
be equal to $6,600.
B.Â
There shall be imposed upon the following uses a sewerage
unit value as defined therein plus a filing fee of $500 for each unit.
(1)Â
Residential sewer connections:
[Amended 4-27-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-008]
Number of Residential Units
|
Cost per Unit
|
---|---|
1 to 5
|
$6,000
|
6 to 15
|
$5,000
|
16 to 25
|
$4,000
|
26 to 50
|
$3,000
|
51 or more
|
$2,500
|
(2)Â
For restaurants, cocktail lounges and taverns: a sewerage
unit of one for each 20 seats authorized for patrons.
(3)Â
For manufacturing and industrial uses, except as otherwise
separately classified herein: a sewerage unit value of one for each
2,200 square feet of gross floor area. Additional information submitted
or required to be submitted by the Construction Official/Zoning Officer/Township
Engineer may result in an increase or decrease of the sewerage units
imposed.
(4)Â
For all automatic car-washing businesses: one sewerage
unit for each 10 cars served per day.
(5)Â
For all self-serve and nonautomatic car-washing businesses:
one sewerage unit for each 20 cars served per day.
(6)Â
For all other commercial uses: one sewerage unit for
each 2,200 square feet of gross floor area. But in no case shall the
fee be less than $6,600.
(7)Â
In
the case of a sewer connection for premises which constitute a mixed
residential/commercial use, filing fees and connection fees shall
be computed separately per use.
(8)Â
All
required fees must be paid to the Building Department before a certificate
of occupancy may be issued.
[Added 4-27-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-008]
C.Â
The Township Committee shall annually, no later than
May 1 of each calendar year, review the fee recommendations made by
the Construction Official to the Sewer Connection Fee Ordinance for
each of the classes of potential sewer users. The Township Committee
shall, thereafter, by resolution, fix the sewer connection or hookup
fee for the following year. If the Township Committee does not act
upon those recommendations, the fees currently in place will continue
until the next review period.
[Amended 5-27-2020 by Ord. No. 1166-20]
A.Â
In the event of a new connection for commercial premises
as a result of a change of use, expansion of use or new use, where
such use does not result in an increase in sewer load, and in such
cases where there is no dwelling unit calculation as described herein,
there shall be a minimum connection fee imposed in the amount of $6,600.
B.Â
In the event that there is any change in use for any
existing property, a review will be conducted and a sewer connection
fee shall be assessed by making a comparison between the new use and
the existing use. The connection fee shall be based upon the change
in use or increase in flow as determined by the Building Department.
[Amended 5-27-2020 by Ord. No. 1166-20]
A use not specifically described in this article
shall be charged a fee under the category which most closely matches
its operation from among those classes described in this article.
The determination pursuant to this subjection shall be made by the
Construction Official. The Construction Official shall consider any
relevant factors in making this determination, including, without
being limited to, review of surveys, engineering reports or technical
data.
Any person who shall violate or fail to comply
with any of the provisions of this article or who shall participate
or assist in such violation or failure to comply or who, as owner,
tenant or other person in occupancy, architect, contractor or agent,
servant or employee, shall permit the commission of such violation
or maintain such violation or shall suffer such violation to continue
shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000
or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both, in the
discretion of the court before whom such conviction shall be had.
Each day that such violation shall continue or is permitted or suffered
to be continued or maintained shall constitute a separate offense.