No person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening
into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof
without first obtaining a written permit from the Commissioner.
There shall be two classes of building sewer permits: for residential
and commercial service, and for service to establishments producing
industrial wastes. In either case, the owner or his agent shall make
application on a special form furnished by the City. The permit application
shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications or other information
considered pertinent in the judgment of the Commissioner. A permit
and inspection fee of $300 for a residential or commercial building
sewer permit, and $400 for an industrial building sewer permit, shall
be paid to the City's Treasurer at the time the application is
filed. The fees may be changed from time to time by resolution of
the Common Council.
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 City from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly
be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.
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, 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.
Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings
only when they are found, on examination and test by the Commissioner,
to meet all requirements of this chapter.
The building sewer shall be cast-iron soil pipe, ASTM Specification
(A74-42) or equal; vitrified clay sewer pipe, ASTM Specification (C13-44T)
or equal; approved asphalt pipe or other suitable material approved
by the Commissioner. Joints shall be tight and waterproof. Any part
of the building sewer that is located and within three feet of a water
service pipe, level with or above the building sewer, shall be constructed
of cast-iron soil pipe with leaded joints. Cast-iron pipe with leaded
joints may be required by the Commissioner where the building sewer
is exposed to damage by tree roots. If installed in filled or unstable
ground, the building sewer shall be of cast-iron soil pipe, except
that nonmetallic material may be accepted if laid on a suitable concrete
bed or cradle as approved by the Commissioner.
The size and slope of the building sewer shall be subject to
the approval of the Commissioner, but in no event shall the diameter
be less than six inches. The slope of such four-inch pipe shall be
not less than 1/4 inch per foot.
Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the
building at an elevation below the basement floor. No building sewer
shall 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.
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 approved artificial means and discharged
to the building sewer.
All excavations required for the installation of a building
sewer shall be open trench work unless otherwise approved by the Commissioner.
Pipe laying and backfill shall be performed in accordance with ASTM
Specification (C12-19), except that no backfill shall be placed until
the work has been inspected.
A.
All joints and connections shall be made gastight and watertight.
Cast-iron pipe joints shall be firmly packed with oakum or hemp and
filled with molten lead, federal specification (QQ-L-156), not less
than one inch deep. Lead shall be run in one pouring and caulked tight.
No paint, varnish or other coatings shall be permitted on the jointing
material until after the joint has been tested and approved.
B.
All joints in vitrified clay pipe or between such pipe and metals
shall be made with approved hot-poured jointing material.
C.
Material for hot-poured joints shall not soften sufficiently to destroy
the effectiveness of the joint when subjected to a temperature of
160° F., nor be soluble in any of the wastes carried by the drainage
system. The joint shall first be caulked tight with jute, hemp or
similar approved material.
D.
Other jointing materials and methods may be used only by approval
of the Commissioner.
The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall
be made at the Y-branch, if such branch is available at a suitable
location. Where no properly located Y-branch is available, a neat
hole may be cut into the public sewer to receive the building sewer,
with entry in the downstream direction at an angle of about 45°.
A forty-five-degree ell may be used to make such connection, with
the spigot end cut so as not to extend past the inner surface of the
public sewer. The invert of the building sewer at the point of connection
shall be at the same or at a higher elevation than the invert of the
public sewer. A smooth, neat joint shall be made and the connection
made secure and watertight by encasement in concrete. Special fittings
may be used for the connection only when approved by the Commissioner.
The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the
Commissioner when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection
to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision
of the Commissioner.
All 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 City and in accordance with the Street Excavation Ordinance.[1]
