[Adopted 5-14-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-20 (Ch. 158 of the 1977 Code)]
The following words, when used in this article,
shall be deemed to have the meanings herein specified:
DWELLING UNIT
Residential space designed for more or less permanent occupancy
by a family, an individual or group of individuals maintaining a household
with cooking facilities.
HOUSE CONNECTION
The sewer line running from a building to the property line
and connecting with the sewer connection.
PERSON
Any person, firm, association or corporation.
SERVICE CONNECTION
The sewer line extended from the property line to the main
in the street.
SEWERAGE SYSTEM
The sanitary sewerage system of the Borough of South River.
USER CLASSES
Three classes of users shall be established:
[Amended 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-55]
A.
"Tax exempt" includes institutions which pay
no ad valorem taxes or receive substantial credits in paying such
taxes, except publicly owned facilities performing local government
functions which discharge solely domestic wastes.
B.
"Industrial and commercial" includes all users
which discharge the equivalent of 25,000 gallons or more of domestic
sanitary wastewater per day.
C.
"Residential" includes single and multifamily
dwellings and small nonresidential and industrial users which introduce
no more than the equivalent of 25,000 gallons per day (gpd) of domestic
sanitary wastes.
Any building used, in whole or in part, as a
dwelling or which requires or uses sanitary sewage disposal, now or
hereafter erected on any lot abutting a street in which a sanitary
sewer line is now or hereafter constructed, shall be connected with
such sewer line and a toilet or toilets installed therein, within
the appropriate following time period applicable to such building:
A. Existing buildings: within 90 days after adoption
of this article.
B. New buildings: prior to occupancy thereof.
C. Buildings on a street in which a sanitary sewer line
is hereafter constructed: within 90 days after completion of the construction
of such sewer line.
[Amended 8-14-1996 by Ord. No. 1996-23; 12-10-1997 by Ord. No. 1997-37; 8-19-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-12]
A. Hereafter,
before any new construction shall be made to the sewer system by any
owner of property along the line thereof, said owner shall make application,
in writing, on proper blanks furnished for that purpose to the Borough.
All connection fees to be paid to the Borough shall be determined
annually on January 1 of the calendar year by calculating the total
past capital costs of the Borough's sewer system to date and dividing
that total cost by the number of equivalent, or service, connections
made by the Borough, in order to enable the Borough to receive the
capital cost of its sewer system for users as they enter the system.
The rates for the different size connections shall be posted by the
Utility Department annually in a conspicuous place where permits are
issued.
B. In the event
an application requires a determination that a property may need an
increase in sewer capacity, an escrow deposit of $2,500 shall be paid
to the South River Utilities Department. The escrow shall be utilized
for the professional services of the Borough Engineer in conducting
a review and analysis of the potential increase in capacity for the
development. The escrow shall be deposited by the Chief Financial
Officer of the Borough, or his/her designee, in an account for such
purposes under the sole control of the Borough. Said escrow may be
commingled with similar escrows from other applicants, but accurate
accounts and records shall be kept so as to identify particular escrows
and charges made against the same. At the conclusion of the Municipal
Engineer’s report and analysis, the applicant shall be entitled
to the return of the balance of the escrow.
C. Said rates shall be as provided in Chapter
155, Fees.
Said connection to the sewer system shall comply
with the rules and regulations of the proper municipal department,
either now existing or hereafter adopted.
[Amended 12-10-1997 by Ord. No. 1997-34]
Service connections and house connections shall
be made at the expense of the person wishing to connect with the sewer
system. The cost of restoration of the pavement, sidewalks, curb or
gutters resulting from the making of such connection shall be borne
by the person connecting with the sewer system. Maintenance or replacement
of service connections, house connections and lateral service lines
up to the sewer main are the responsibility of the property owner.
No factory effluents or industrial or commercial
wastes, comprising wastes other than domestic, shall be discharged
into the sewerage system, except upon compliance with the following
rules, regulations and conditions:
A. Each industrial plant making application for permission
to discharge industrial waste into the sewerage system shall furnish
all the information necessary to determine the quantity of such waste
and the nature or quality of the materials therein and other characteristics
of such waste. The industrial plant shall agree in such application
to bear the cost of the original and any subsequent chemical analysis
and laboratory tests.
B. Adequate means shall be provided at each industrial
plant connection with the sewerage system for periodic determination
of all characteristics and concentrations of wastes. Such determination
shall be made at least twice each year, or, if deemed necessary by
the Borough, such determination may be made quarterly. Samples shall
be collected in such manner as to be truly representative of the actual
quality of the wastes, and standard methods of analysis shall be used.
C. Industrial waste discharged or proposed to be discharged
into the sewerage system shall be subject to analysis by the Borough.
D. Industrial plants shall cooperate by adopting such
schedules of discharge as will, without interfering with factory production,
minimize peak concentration.
E. So far as practicable, industrial wastes may be discharged
into the sewerage system with a minimum of pretreatment or without
pretreatment, provided that the consent of the Borough is first obtained.
F. In the event that the materials in wastes discharged
or proposed to be discharged from any industrial plant or the chemicals
in or characteristics of such wastes cause or threaten injury to the
sewers or sewage treatment plant or impair the sewage treatment process
or unduly increase the cost of operation thereof, said industrial
plant shall produce wastes of acceptable quality before discharge
thereof into the sewerage system, by reducing its peak discharges,
by construction of equalizing tanks, by pretreatment, by partial pretreatment,
by elimination of troublesome wastes or by other approved means.
G. Inasmuch as the difficulties involved in treatment
and disposal of industrial wastes from a particular industry may be
mitigated or aggravated by waste from another industry and the cost
of such treatment and disposal may be decreased or increased thereby,
it is not deemed practicable at this time to fix any numerical standards
or limitations with respect to concentration or quality of industrial
wastes. It is, therefore, the intention of these rules, regulations
and conditions to allow maximum latitude in the use of the sewerage
system and to require control or special procedure by industries only
in such cases as the failure so to do would seriously affect the operation
of the sewage treatment and disposal works or would entail unwarranted
expense for treatment and disposal thereof at said treatment and disposal
works.
No person shall discharge into any public sewer
of the Borough of South River any waste, substance or waters other
than such kinds or types of waters or water-carried wastes for the
conveyance of which the particular public sewer is intended, designed
or provided.
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged
to any sanitary sewer any stormwater, surface water, groundwater,
roof runoff, subsurface drainage, cooling water, air-conditioning
and refrigerating wastewaters or unpolluted industrial process waters.
Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage
or uncontaminated process water in excessive quantities shall be discharged
to storm sewers or to a natural outlet. Such water shall be discharged
only after approval of any local, county or state regulatory agency
having jurisdiction.
Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall
discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described
waters or wastes to any public sewer:
A. Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than
150° F.
B. Any water or waste which may contain more than 100
milligrams per liter by weight of fat, oil, wax or grease or containing
other substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures
between 32° and 150° F.
C. Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, alcohol, tar, fuel
oil or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid, gas or vapor.
D. Any garbage, except properly shredded garbage. The
installation and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a
motor of 3/4 horsepower or greater shall be subject to the review
and approval of the Superintendent.
E. Any ashes, cinders, stones, sand, mud, straw, shavings
or sawdust, metal, sticks, coarse rubbish, glass, rags, tar, feathers,
plastics, waste rubber, animal guts or tissues, entrails, blood, hair,
hides, wood, paunch manure or any other substance likely to damage,
destroy or cause an obstruction to the flow in any sewer or which
may interfere with the proper operation of the sewage works.
F. Any waters, sewage or wastes having a pH lower than
five 5.0 or higher than 9.5 or having any other corrosive or detrimental
property capable of causing damage or hazard to the sewage works or
personnel.
G. Any waters or wastes containing a toxic, poisonous
or radioactive substance in sufficient quantity to injure or interfere
with any sewage treatment process or to constitute a hazard to humans,
animals or marine life or create any hazard in the receiving waters.
Radioactive wastes or materials may be discharged into a public sewer
if Conditions I and II below are met and if either Condition III or
IV is also met, provided that such discharges are in compliance with
applicable state or federal regulations:
(1) Condition I. Such wastes must be readily soluble or
dispersible in water.
(2) Condition II. The gross quantity of all radioactive
materials so discharged must not exceed one curie per year.
(3) Condition III. The daily quantity of any radioactive
material, if diluted by the average daily volume of sewage discharged
into the system from the installation, must not exceed the maximum
concentrations allowed by regulations of the United States Atomic
Energy Commission.
(4) Condition IV. Daily quantities of radioactive materials
up to the maximum permitted by the United States Atomic Energy Commission
may be so discharged, provided that the total monthly quantities,
if diluted by the average monthly volume of sewage discharged from
the installation, do not exceed the concentrations permissible under
Condition III above.
H. Any noxious, malodorous or taste-producing gas, vapor
or substance, such as phenols, capable of creating a public or private
nuisance or which may prove toxic to sewage treatment processes or
which may exceed acceptable limits for discharge to receiving waters.
I. Materials which exert or cause:
(1) Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids,
such as but not limited to Fuller's earth, lime slurries and lime
residues, or of dissolved solids, such as but not limited to sodium
chloride and sodium sulfate.
(2) Excessive discoloration, such as but not limited to
dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions.
(3) Unusual biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids,
chemical oxygen demand or chlorine requirements in such quantities
as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment works.
(4) Unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes
constituting slugs as defined herein.
J. Waters or wastes containing substances which are not
amenable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes
employed or are amenable to treatment only to such a degree that the
sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other
agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
K. Any substance prohibited by any federal, state, county
or municipal regulatory agency or government body, including but not
limited to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection, the Middlesex County Sewage
Authority or the Utility Department of the Borough of South River,
as set forth or determined by the rules, regulations or requirements
of such regulatory agencies or bodies.
A. If any waters or wastes are discharged or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in §
275-9 and which may have a deleterious effect upon the sewage works, processes, equipment or receiving waters or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the Borough may:
(2) Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for
discharge to the public sewers;
(3) Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge;
and/or
(4) Require payment to cover the added cost of handling
and treating the wastes not covered by existing taxes or sewer charges.
B. If the Borough permits the pretreatment or equalization
of waste flows, the design and installation of the plants and equipment
shall be subject to the review and approval of the Borough and of
any or all state regulatory agencies having jurisdiction, and no construction
of such facilities shall be commenced until said approvals are obtained
in writing.
In determining whether any waste discharged
or proposed to be discharged into any public sewer is to be excluded,
consideration will be given to the quantity, time or times, rate and
manner of discharge, dilution and character of the waste in question,
the size of the sewer into which the waste is to be discharged, the
probable quantity of sewage or other wastes likely in said sewer and
other pertinent facts. Minute quantities of a waste which would be
objectionable in larger quantity may be accepted if sufficiently diluted
when and as discharged or if the quantity discharged is small as compared
to the flow in the receiving sewer, but any permission to discharge
minute quantities of an otherwise excluded waste shall be revocable
at any time by the Borough.
A. At all premises where wastes or substances specified
to be excluded from public sewers by these regulations are present
and liable to be discharged, directly or indirectly, into said sewers,
suitable and sufficient piping layouts, oil, grease, sand and flammable
waste traps or separators, screens, settling tanks, diluting devices,
storage or regulating chambers, treatment, cooling or other equipment
and devices shall be provided. These shall be maintained and properly
operated by the owner of the premises or his agent, at his expense,
to ensure that no waste or substance is discharged in violation of
the requirements of these regulations.
B. On premises where wastes or substances specified to
be excluded from public sewers are present, the Borough may require
the owner to provide, operate and maintain, at his expense, a sampling
well or wells, flow-measuring devices, manholes or other appurtenances,
all readily accessible on the building sewer or drain from said premises
near the point where said sewer or drain connects to the public sewer.
By means of said sampling well or wells, flow-measuring devices or
other appurtenances, the Borough or any public officer having legal
jurisdiction may secure samples of or examine the wastes being discharged
into the public sewer for the purpose of determining compliance or
noncompliance with the requirements of these regulations.
C. The Borough shall have the right to enter and inspect
any part of the premises served by public sewers upon which there
may be reason to believe that violations of the requirements of these
regulations have occurred or are likely to occur, for the purpose
of ascertaining the facts to such violations or suspended violation
or of obtaining samples of wastes or of inspecting flow-measuring
devices or treatment facilities provided to prevent prohibited discharges.
No wastewaters or substances which are excluded
from sanitary sewers shall be discharged into any storm sewer.
All measurements, tests and analyses of the
characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in
this section shall be determined in accordance with Standard Methods
for the Examination of Water and Sewage. In the event that no special
manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered
to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer to the point
at which the building sewer is connected.
[Amended 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-55]
Commencing April 1, 1982, and thereafter, an
annual sewer user charge will be paid by all users of the facilities
provided by the Borough of South River and the Middlesex County Utilities
Authority (hereinafter referred to as "MCUA") in accordance with the
terms and provisions of this article.
[Amended 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-55]
A. At least once each year, the Borough of South River
shall review and revise, as necessary, sewer use and sewer user charges
and shall establish a schedule of charges by flow, biochemical oxygen
demand, suspended solids, chlorine demand and such other criteria
as the Borough of South River shall deem appropriate. Any charges
so established may provide for the equitable distribution of:
(1) MCUA operations and maintenance charges.
(2) MCUA debt service charges.
(3) Sewer system maintenance and operations charges incurred
by the Borough of South River.
(4) Borough of South River debt service related to the
sewer system.
B. The schedule of user charges shall provide for revenue
in an amount equal to the total of the above costs. The schedule of
charges, amended yearly at the time of adoption of the Borough's annual
budget or at such other times as the Borough determines, may reflect
changes and/or adjustments in the charges.
[Amended 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-55]
Wherever actual readings of sewage flow are
available, those readings shall be used in determining flow charges.
All industrial users shall be monitored for actual flow. Where actual
readings of sewage flow are unavailable, flow will be estimated by
any of the following ways:
A. For commercial and industrial and tax exempt users,
by taking 100% of the average water flow and/or other meter reading
for the year. Credit for water not discharged into the sanitary sewer
may be given to the user by the Borough, if the user presents proof
satisfactory to the Borough which establishes the amount of water
not discharged.
B. The volume of sewage and/or industrial waste from
each industrial establishment may be determined by meters paid for
and installed by users and records combined with municipal and/or
private company water records or from estimates or measurements made
by representatives of the municipality.
[Amended 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-55]
Wherever actual readings of biochemical oxygen
demand or suspended solids or chlorine demand of a user are available,
those readings shall be used in determining charges for the strength
of sewage. All industrial and commercial users shall be monitored
or their sewage sampled periodically to determine the biochemical
oxygen demand and suspended solids and chlorine demand characteristics
of the sewage. The industrial or commercial user shall, at its own
expense, sample the biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids and
chlorine demand characteristics of its sewage at the frequency and
according to the method assigned by the Borough and shall report the
results of such sampling to the Borough timely.
A. Any flows or strengths which are not chargeable to
a particular user, whether by reason of the user's being exempted
from charges or by reason of the flow entering the system by infiltration
or inflow, shall be charged to all users proportionately on the basis
of flow.
B. No roof drainage, cellar drainage, unpolluted industrial
process water, surface water, waste from hydrants or groundwater from
underground drainage fields shall be admitted or be permitted to drain
into the sewage system. The sewer system is intended to convey sanitary
sewage and industrial wastes only.
[Amended 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-55]
Any user objecting to any estimate of flow or
strength hereunder shall have the option, at its own expense and cost,
of installing metering equipment on its discharge lines to record
actual flow and strength readings. The metering equipment used, its
installation, the location of installation and the method of sampling
shall be subject to review and approval by the Borough of South River
or its designated representative. The Borough may order the installation
of meters or sampling pits.
Any user who discharges into the system toxic
pollutants which cause an increase in the cost of managing the effluent
or the sludge of the treatment works shall pay for the increased costs.
Any user who connects to the system during any
calendar month shall pay a pro rata user charge based upon the user
charge assessed for the current quarter.
[Amended 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-55]
A. Tax exempt and industrial and commercial users shall
be invoiced directly for their use of the sewage treatment system.
Industrial and commercial users shall receive credit for the amount
of such charges which are included in their ad valorem taxes.
B. Sewer user charges shall continue to be charged to
residential users through ad valorem taxes rather than through direct
sewer use charges.
[Amended 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1981-55]
"Public buildings" are defined as those used solely for local municipal purposes and are excluded from the user charge called for in this article. The usage of said public buildings shall be treated as extraneous flow, as defined in §
275-23 above.
A. Any person found to be violating any provision of
these regulations shall be served by the Borough of South River with
a written notice, stating the nature of the violation and providing
a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. The
offender shall, within the period of time stated in such notice, permanently
cease all violations.
B. Any person who shall violate any provision of this article shall be punished as provided in Chapter
1, Article
I, General Penalty. Each day that any violation of these regulations continues and each day that any person continues to discharge prohibited wastes or substances into any public sewer shall be deemed to be a separate offense for the purpose of applying the penalty provided in this section.
C. Any person violating any of the provisions of this
article shall be liable to the Borough of South River for any expense,
loss or damage occasioned the municipality by reason of such violation.