[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of
the City of Waterloo 10-19-1987 by Ord. No. 87-6 as Ch. 15 of the 1987
Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Adopted by reference. Chapter 145, Wis. Stats., and
the State Plumbing Code, Chs. COMM 81 to 85, Wis. Adm. Code, are adopted
and, by reference, made a part of this chapter with the same force
and effect as though set out in full. Failure to comply with any of
the provisions of such regulations shall constitute a violation of
this chapter, punishable according to the penalties provided herein.
B.
To be on file. A copy of the State Plumbing Code shall
be on file in the offices of the Plumbing Inspector.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
have the meaning indicated:
Includes the following:
All piping, fixtures, appliances, equipment,
devices and appurtenances in connection with the water supply, water
distribution and drainage systems, including hot-water storage tanks,
water softeners and water heaters connected with such water and drainage
systems, and the installation thereof.
The construction, connection or installation
of any drain or waste piping system from the outside, or proposed
outside, foundation walls of any building to the mains or other sewerage
system terminal within bounds of or beneath an area subject to easement
for highway purposes, including private domestic sewage treatment
and disposal systems, and the alteration of any such systems, drains
or waste piping.
The water service piping from the outside or
proposed outside foundation walls of any building to the fire protection
main or other water utility service terminal within bounds of or beneath
an area subject to easement for highway purposes and its connections.
The water pressure systems other than municipal
systems as provided in Ch. 281, Wis. Stats.
A plumbing and drainage system so designed and
vent piping so installed as to keep the air within the system in free
circulation and movement; to prevent, with a margin of safety, unequal
air pressures of such force as might blow, siphon or affect trap seals
or retard the discharge from plumbing fixtures or permit sewer air
to escape into the building; to prohibit contamination or pollution
of any potable water supply and distribution system; and to provide
an adequate supply of water to properly serve, cleanse and operate
all fixtures, equipment, appurtenances and appliances served by the
plumbing system.
B.
Powers and duties.
(1)
General. The Plumbing Inspector shall be certified
by the Department of Commerce. The Plumbing Inspector, with the cooperation
of the Building Inspector, shall enforce all provisions of this chapter
and all other state and City provisions relating to the construction,
installation, alteration and repair of all plumbing within the City
and shall make such inspections, perform such tests and issue such
orders as may be necessary for such enforcement. In the discharge
of his duties, the Plumbing Inspector or his authorized agent may
enter any building during reasonable hours for the purpose of inspection.
(2)
Permits. The Plumbing Inspector shall take applications
and issue to qualified applicants, or master plumbers who submit their
license number on the permit application, permits as required for
all work done under this chapter and shall maintain suitable records
of the permits issued.
(3)
Reports.
(4)
Stop-work orders. The Plumbing Inspector may order
work stopped on the construction, installation, alteration or repair
of plumbing when such work is being done in violation of this chapter.
Work so stopped shall not be resumed except on written permission
of the Plumbing Inspector, provided that if the stop-work order is
an oral one, it shall be followed by a written order within a reasonable
period of time.
A.
Required. No work contemplated by this chapter shall
be started until a permit therefor has been obtained from the Plumbing
Inspector or his authorized agent.
B.
Application. The application shall be in writing upon
forms provided by the Plumbing Inspector, which may be obtained at
the office of the Clerk-Treasurer, and shall include the name of the
owner and the description of the property on which the work is to
be done, and all plumbing to be installed, along with such pertinent
information as the Plumbing Inspector may require.
C.
Issuance; term. When the Plumbing Inspector is satisfied
that the work proposed by the applicant can be done in conformity
with the provisions of this chapter, and after the appropriate fees
have been paid to him, he shall issue the permit. Such permit shall
be good for the continuous performance of the work named thereon.
A permit shall automatically expire if work has not been commenced
within 90 days of the date of issuance or when work ceases for a period
of 90 days without good and reasonable cause for the same and shall
automatically expire on completion of the work for which it was issued,
provided that the Plumbing Inspector may, upon notice, suspend or
revoke such permit for violation of the provisions of this chapter.
D.
Responsibility. It shall be the responsibility of
the installer or contractor to determine if a permit is required and
to obtain the same prior to commencing work.
E.
Fixture installation requiring permit. A permit is
required when any additional fixtures are installed or when the plumbing
system is moved to another part of the building and remodeled. However,
no permit is required when a fixture is replaced by a new one and
no new pipe or vent is changed or added.
G.
Failure to issue; suspension and revocation. Any person
directly interested who is aggrieved by the decision of the Plumbing
Inspector to refuse to issue a permit or to suspend or revoke such
permit may, within 20 days, appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Fees shall be as set from time to time by the
Common Council.[1] The fees shall be doubled for any work commenced prior
to obtaining a permit.
[1]
Editor's Note: The current fee schedule is
on file at the office of the City Clerk-Treasurer.
The permittee or an authorized representative
shall, in writing or orally, request inspections by the Plumbing Inspector
at appropriate times required for the enforcement of this chapter.
The Plumbing Inspector shall perform the requested inspection within
48 hours after notification, except the final inspection. The work
shall not proceed beyond the point of inspection until the inspection
has been completed, except if inspection has not taken place within
48 hours of notification, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays,
unless otherwise agreed upon between the permittee and the Plumbing
Inspector.
A.
Discharge. No person shall cause, allow or permit
any roof drain, surface drain, subsoil drain, drain from any mechanical
device, gutter, ditch, pipe, conduit, sump pump, or any other object
or thing used for the purposes of collecting, conducting, transporting,
diverting, draining or discharging clear water from any part of any
private premises owned or occupied by said person to discharge into
a sanitary sewer.
B.
Nuisance. The discharge into a sanitary sewer from any drain enumerated in Subsection A above is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and a hazard to the health, safety and well-being of the residents of the City and to the protection of property.
C.
Groundwater. Where deemed necessary by the Plumbing
Inspector, every dwelling shall have a sump pump installed for the
purpose of discharging clear waters from foundation drains and ground
infiltration and, where the building is not serviced by a storm sewer,
shall either discharge into an underground conduit leading to a drainage
ditch, gutter or dry well or shall discharge onto the ground surface
in such other manner as will not constitute a nuisance as defined
herein. All clear water shall be discharged to the rear of the lot
unless the Building Inspector approves another location.
D.
Catch basins and receptacles. See § COMM
82.36, Wis. Adm. Code.
E.
Storm sewer lateral. Where municipal storm sewers
are provided and it is deemed necessary by the property owner and/or
the City to discharge clear waters from a parcel of land, a storm
sewer lateral shall be installed and connected to the storm sewer
main at the expense of the owner.
F.
Conducting tests. If the Director of Public Works
or his designated agent suspects an illegal clear water discharge,
as defined by this chapter or by any other applicable provision of
the Wisconsin Administrative Code as it may from time to time be amended,
he may, upon reasonable notice and at reasonable times, enter the
private premises where such illegal clear water discharge is suspected
and conduct appropriate tests to determine whether such suspected
illegal clear water discharge actually exists.
G.
Compliance and penalty. Any person determined to be in violation of any provision of this section shall be given a written notice stating the nature of such violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. Any person who shall continue any violation beyond the foregoing time limits shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to the penalties provided in Chapter 1, § 1-4 of this Code.
Grease catch basins or separators of a capacity
based upon the temperature and the amount of the water tributary shall
be installed wherever kitchen or other greasy wastes from hotels,
restaurants, clubhouses, boardinghouses, public or private institutions,
hospitals or similar places are discharged into a public sewer or
private sewage disposal system. Garbage disposal units shall not be
tributary to grease catch basins or interceptors.
See Chapter 324, Streets and Sidewalks, of this Code.
Whenever practical, the sanitary system and
drainage system of each dwelling or building must be separately or
independently connected with the street sewer, except that where a
building stands in the rear of another on the same lot, the drain
from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the
whole will be considered as one drain.
Whenever necessary to disturb a drain or pipe
in actual use, the same shall not be obstructed or disconnected without
special permission of the Plumbing Inspector. No person shall make
any new connections or extensions to an old drain or pipe without
permission of the Plumbing Inspector.
In all cases where any sanitary system or other
drainpipe to be laid is obstructed by water, gas, steam, pipe or conduit,
the decision to pass over or under the obstruction or the raising
or lowering of the obstruction so as to permit the construction and
installation of such pipe shall be made by the Director of Public
Works.
All water, sewer, drain, gas, conduits or other
pipes must be protected to the satisfaction of the Plumbing Inspector
from injury by frost or settling.
No person shall permit any earth, sand or solid
materials to enter any main sewer during progress of any work in laying
drains and sewers or in making alterations, extensions or repairs
to the same, or in connecting such drains or sewers to the sewer main
of the City.
[Amended 6-3-2021 by Ord.
No. 2021-05]
See Chapter 340, Utilities, of this Code.
This chapter shall not be considered as assuming
any liability on the part of the City or any official or employee
thereof for damages to anyone injured or for any property destroyed
by any defect in any building or equipment, or in any plumbing or
electric wiring or equipment.
