[Adopted 3-28-1979 by L.L. No. 2-1979 as
Ch. 318 of the 1979 Code]
This article shall be known as the "Sewer System
Licensing and Use Law of the Town of Ramapo."
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The Town Board of the Town of Ramapo, County of Rockland,
New York.
All sewer districts of the Town presently existing or hereinafter
constituted, except for those of the Villages of Sloatsburg, Hillburn,
Suffern, Pomona, New Square and Spring Valley.
[Amended 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
Includes all pipes and appurtenances necessary to connect
a building with the system, and it shall begin at the inside face
of the foundation wall, or at an equivalent place, and it shall end
at the connection to the system. Two or more rules and regulations
may apply to different parts of the house sewer. The Board shall levy
appropriate taxes or sewer rentals for sewer service upon the property
owner within said district and shall collect such taxes or sewer rentals
as authorized. The Town Board shall govern all sewer districts in
accordance with applicable law and specifications and regulations
for sewers issued by the New York State Department of Health and the
Rockland County Department of Health.[1]
[Amended 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
Any person, firm or corporation acting as agent for the owner
and performing the work necessary to lay, relay or repair sewer pipe
or connections, or any appurtenant part thereto.
[Added 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
All sewers, sewer lines and appurtenances to the sewer improvement
in said district.
The Town of Ramapo, County of Rockland, New York.
[1]
Editor's Note: The definition of "Superintendent,"
which immediately followed this definition, was repealed and all references
in this article to the "Superintendent" were amended to "Director
of Public Works" 2-6-2012 by L.L. No. 2-2012.
[Amended 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
It shall be the responsibility of the owner for whom a house connection is being furnished to procure any necessary permits for street openings and to replace the street surface as provided by the New York State Highway Law and any regulations issued thereunder by the Town of Ramapo Superintendent of Highways or any other department or agency having jurisdiction. Any person, firm or corporation acting as agent for the owner and desiring to lay, relay or repair sewer pipe or connections, or any appurtenant part thereto, in or below the surface of any private or public highway, road, street or avenue within the district to connect to any part of the system shall, prior to the commencement of any work, apply for and obtain the permit required in the manner provided in the New York State Highway Law and may on behalf of the owner obtain the street opening permit as provided above. Such person, firm or corporation, except when he or it is proceeding under contract with the Town and/or district, shall be licensed in the manner provided by § 218-26 of this article.
A.
An owner or his agent, before commencing any work
or excavation for a house sewer or connection to the sewer, or before
making any alterations or additions to existing house sewers or connections
which may be or are proposed to be connected to the system, shall
file with the Director of Public Works a written application for a
permit, signed by him or his agent on the form provided by the Director
of Public Works. Said application shall be accompanied by a complete
description of the proposed work, together with a plan or sketch thereof
showing in detail the location of the proposed connection, the contract
price and such other pertinent facts as the Director of Public Works
may request. No work shall be done and no connection shall be made
until the application has been approved and permission given by the
Director of Public Works. No connection to the system shall be made
except under inspection of the Director of Public Works and not before
public notice is given by the Board that the system is in readiness
for use.
B.
All charges, fees or rates for said permit shall be due and payable in advance to the Town and when so paid shall be credited to the operation and maintenance fund of the district. Any such permit will be issued upon the express condition that the Board may, at the recommendation of the Director of Public Works, at any time revoke and annul same if it is deemed for the best interests of the district and Town. Such person, firm or corporation, except when he or it is proceeding under contract with the Town and/or district, shall be licensed in the manner provided by § 218-26 of this article.
[Amended 1-25-1995 by L.L. No. 2-1995; 8-13-2003 by L.L. No.
3-2003; 2-6-2012 by L.L. No. 2-2012]
One permit shall be issued to cover the excavation
and construction of the house sewer and/or to disconnect the existing
house drain or sewer pipe from the cesspool or septic tank and then
to connect it to the newly laid house sewer discharging into the street
sewer, the fee for which shall be $150. If no permit is issued within
30 days, the fees shall be returned to the applicant, together with
one copy of the filed application with the reasons for rejection noted
thereon and signed by the Director of Public Works. The permit fee
shall not be refunded once a sewer permit is issued. In the event
the property owner chooses to change sewer contractors after a sewer
permit is issued, a new permit must be obtained.
[Added 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
The Department of Public Works shall review
all building permit applications for installation of plumbing facilities
in basements or below the first floor, for which a sewer review fee,
as set forth in the Standard Schedule of Fees, shall be paid.
[Amended 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
All house sewer construction shall be done by the owner or contractor at the owner's cost and expense between the lateral connection left by the Town at the property line and the building. The Director of Public Works shall approve, subject to § 218-22, the opening into the existing sewer for the house connection. Where the existing sewer main is not located in a public street, the person desiring to connect with such sewer main shall relocate said main in the nearest public street in accordance with specification of the Director of Public Works.
A.
License required. Every person, firm or corporation,
before the commencement of any work to construct a house sewer or
connection to the sewer system, shall make application in writing
to the Director of Public Works for a license.
B.
Application for license. Prior to the issuance of
any license by the Director of Public Works, an applicant shall furnish
to the Director of Public Works satisfactory proof as follows:
(1)
That said applicant is qualified to do such work in
a good, workmanlike manner.
(2)
That said application is accompanied by bond with
sureties acceptable to the Board, in the sum of not less than $10,000,
guaranteeing:
(a)
That the applicant shall duly and faithfully
perform said work in all respects.
(b)
That the applicant shall comply in all respects
with all rules and regulations established by the Town.
(c)
That the applicant will indemnify the Town for
all loss or damage that may result from his work for a period of not
less than one year from date of completion and approval by the Director
of Public Works.
(d)
That the applicant, as a condition of approval
of the license, is deemed to guarantee to each and every owner for
whom work shall be performed, for a period of not less than one year
after date of completion and approval by the Director of Public Works
of the work to be performed, the proper construction and installation
of the work performed.
(e)
That the applicant will receive a permit from
the Town before commencing any work or excavation.
(f)
That in the event the applicant has been deemed
to have violated this article or any rule or regulation, upon notice
thereof said applicant will forthwith, at his own expense, cure said
violation, and in the event of his failure to do so within a reasonable
time thereafter, said violation may be cured by the Town, and any
expense incidental thereto will be paid by the applicant.
(3)
The fee for such license shall be $50 payable to the
Town upon submission of the application.
[Amended 12-22-1982 by L.L. No. 10-1982]
C.
Insurance required. The applicant shall furnish certificates
of public liability insurance in the sum of $50,000 and $100,000 and
property damage insurance in the sum of $5,000, which shall indemnify
and save harmless the district and Town, its officers, agents and
employees, from all suits and actions for the recovery of damages,
money or otherwise, for and on account of any injury or damages resulting
in death or otherwise received or sustained by any person, persons
or property as a direct or indirect result of any work, labor or materials
used by the applicant and/or as a result of negligence, carelessness
or recklessness of the applicant in the performance of said work and/or
as a result of any act of omission or commission of said applicant.
Said applicant shall have workmen's compensation insurance as required
by law, and the application shall be accompanied by certificates thereof
or by satisfactory proof of the exemption. All of said policies of
insurance shall bear an endorsement in favor of the Town of Ramapo.
D.
Cancellation and renewal of licenses. Upon receiving
said certificate from the Board, the applicant shall furnish to the
Director of Public Works a certificate of issuance signed by the Town
Clerk. Said license may be canceled and annulled by the Board for
cause after a public hearing thereon, but such license shall be automatically
canceled and annulled upon the expiration of either the bond or the
insurance required for such license. The owner of such canceled license
shall not thereafter be licensed for a period of two years after the
date of the cancellation of said license. Said license shall expire
on the 31st day of December in each year succeeding the date of its
initial issuance.
[Amended 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
E.
Work performed by owner.
(1)
Nothing herein contained shall prevent any owner from
constructing the connection and/or furnishing the material from the
house drain to the property line and any owner doing such work on
his private property need not, unless required by any other law, obtain
a license nor furnish any bond, public liability insurance nor any
workmen's compensation insurance but shall otherwise comply with this
article.
(2)
The owner shall comply with this article concerning
any work necessary and materials for the connection and shall obtain
all necessary street opening permits.
A.
No trench shall be backfilled nor shall any portion
of the pipe or fitting be covered until inspected and approved by
the Director of Public Works. Application for inspection shall be
made in writing to the Director of Public Works within 24 hours of
when the building sewer is ready for inspection, and such inspection
shall be made as soon as practical thereafter. Verbal requests may
be made for inspection; however, only written requests shall constitute
documented proof of the request.
[Amended 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
B.
Upon approval of the work performed, the Director of Public Works shall issue a certificate of use for said sewer connection, the issuance of which shall remain subject to the requirements of § 218-22. The certificate of use may be revoked by the Director of Public Works for any violation of this article. The owner shall be entitled to appeal said revocation to the Board, which shall hear the same at a public hearing duly advertised at which the Director of Public Works shall be present. The Board may restore the certificate or approve the action of the Director of Public Works.
All buildings or premises within the district
shall be connected with said system as provided by any applicable
County of Rockland regulation, local law or ordinance. Whether or
not said connection is made, all sewer rentals or assessments shall
commence as required by law.
[Amended 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
If and when a sewer connection is completed
and approved, for any property upon which buildings are located, existing
waste disposal facilities, including privy vaults, cesspools, septic
tanks or similar facilities, shall immediately be disconnected and
filled with a suitable material or completely crushed so that no underground
void remains; they shall be abandoned by the property owner within
30 days after final inspection and approval of the street sewer by
the Director of Public Works. The Town of Ramapo shall not provide
any inspections of the abandoned tank. The property owner shall be
solely responsible for filling the abandoned tank or facility.
[Amended 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation
to cause, allow or permit the discharge of sewage wastes from any
building or buildings or premises within the sewer district into or
upon any highway, private or public way, stream, watercourse, ditch,
either surface or subsurface, groundwater drain or stormwater drain.
B.
Every building shall have a separate and independent
connection with the district sewer directly in front of the land upon
which it is situated except as otherwise permitted. When a building
is situated in the rear of another building, provided that both are
on the same tax lot parcel and in the same ownership, both buildings
may be connected into a single house sewer. No buildings in separate
ownership shall be permitted to share the same house sewer.
C.
Size of house sewer. For single, two-family and three-family
residences the street lateral portion of the house sewer shall be
six inches in diameter. For single and two-family homes the building
lateral portion of the house sewer shall be four inches in diameter.
The building lateral shall be six inches in diameter for three-family
homes. Proposed house sewer sizes for commercial buildings are subject
to the approval of the Director of Public Works.
D.
In each house drain constructed subsequent to the
adoption of this article, at a point just inside of the cellar wall,
a four-inch standard cleanout fitting with screw ferrules shall be
provided. The lowest part of the screw ferrule shall be placed at
a point not less than 12 inches above the cellar floor or the highest
portion thereof if at different elevations.
E.
Construction materials for house sewers.
(1)
Approved materials for sanitary sewer pipe are cast-iron,
ductile iron, and polyvinyl chloride pipe; other pipe materials shall
require the approval of the Director of Public Works.
(2)
Class of pipe shall conform to manufacturer's recommendations
for width of trench, depth of cover and class of bedding.
(3)
Cast-iron sewer pipe shall conform to federal specifications
for CIP WW-P421A. Cast-iron soil pipe shall conform to Standard Specification
for CI Soil Pipe ASTM Designation A74-75 Extra Heavy. Neoprene gaskets
shall conform to ASTM Designation C564-70.
(4)
Ductile iron pipe shall be centrifugally cast in metal
molds in accordance with ANSI/AWWA C151/A21.51. Gaskets shall be furnished
in accordance with ANSI/AWWA C111/A21.11. Asphaltic outside coating
and inside lining and coating are in accordance with ANSI/AWWA C151/A21.10.
(5)
Polyvinyl chloride pipe shall conform to ASTM Specification
D 3034-78 SDR 35, using elastomeric gasket joints.
(6)
Trenching.
(a)
The trench width at the point at the top of
the pipe shall not exceed two feet plus the diameter of the pipe.
(b)
All pipe, regardless of type or size, shall
be laid on a bed of from four inches to six inches of three-quarter-inch
crushed stone. All loose earth shall be removed from excavation, then
stone shall be placed in excavation and brought to grade, then pipe
shall be bedded in the stone.
(c)
All connections on main, between consecutive
manholes, shall be accurately measured and recorded, certified as
to accuracy by the subdivider or subdivider's engineer as required
by Local Law No. 1, County of Rockland, Article VIII, Section I, and
submitted to the Director of Public Works. Depth of connection at
curb below finished grade shall also be recorded.
(d)
All sanitary sewer pipe shall have a minimum
cover of 2.5 feet in all paved and proposed paved areas. Lesser cover
may be approved by the Director of Public Works on a case-by-case
basis, which may include encasement of the sewer in concrete.
(e)
Sanitary sewer lines and water service lines
must have a minimum separation of 10 feet.
(7)
Backfilling.
(a)
Semi-granular material shall be used for backfilling.
Material shall be free of large stone, hard dry lumps, wood and trees
and, in cold weather, free of frozen lumps.
(b)
All pipe shall be backfilled by hand in six-inch
layers to a point 1 1/2 feet above the top of the pipe. Each
layer shall be tamped. The backfill shall be tamped around the lower
half of pipe. The remainder of backfilling may be done in a manner
acceptable to the Director of Public Works.
(c)
Sewer trenches, in existing or proposed roads,
shall be backfilled and tamped in layers of one foot each. Pavement
shall be restored subject to the terms of the applicable road opening
permit and approval of the Director of Public Works. The contractor
shall maintain restored pavement until such time that the Superintendent
of Highways shall give approval of the job.
(8)
House connections.
(a)
House connection pipe shall be laid to minimum
grade of 1/4 inch to one foot, unless otherwise approved by the Director
of Public Works. House connection under public or proposed public
roads shall not exceed 50 linear feet without specific permission
of the Director of Public Works.
(b)
Pipes and joints for house connections shall
conform to the sewer pipe specifications shown above.
(c)
All house connections at the main shall be of
the Y type, installed at the same time as the main and at a point
on the main indicated on the plan by the builder or builder's engineer.
In the event that no Y was installed for a given lot, an approved
saddle shall be installed by the builder.
(d)
Joints between PVC and CIP shall be adapters
by manufacturer of pipe, or flexible rubber couplings as manufactured
by Fernco, Inc., or approved equal. Proposed joints between other
dissimilar materials shall be subject to the manufacturer's recommendations
and approval of the Director of Public Works.
(e)
The ends of all house connections shall be terminated
with a permanent, waterproof, approved cap or plug until such time
as the house soil line and house connection line are joined.
(f)
Cleanouts shall be constructed just outside
the building foundation wall and at the right-of-way line where the
street lateral transitions to the house lateral. Cleanouts shall be
installed at intervals not exceeding 90 feet measuring from the main
and at ninety-degree change of direction where long radius bends are
not used. Cleanouts shall be brought up to approximately one foot
below ground level. Cleanouts in a paved area may be brought up almost
to ground level, protected by a masonry box and steel plate. The location
of the cleanout caps shall be triangulated off of fixed objects and
submitted to the Sewer Inspector.
(g)
No backfilling of house connection shall be
allowed without express permission of the Department of Public Works
after pipe installation has been inspected and approved.
(h)
Permit to connect to public sewers shall be
taken out before any work commences. All applications shall be filled
out completely and signed by both owner and contractor. Contractors
must be licensed in accordance with provisions of this article.
(i)
House connection inspection requests shall be
called in or submitted with sewer permit number, tax lot number and
name and address of owner. These items shall also be available to
the inspector at the job site.
(j)
A grease and oil interceptor tank shall be installed
in house connection lines or restaurants, luncheonettes, nursing homes,
hospitals, gas stations and garages with floor drains, automobile
laundries, and other types of commercial establishments as may be
required at the discretion of the Department of Public Works, Rockland
County Sewer District No. 1.
(k)
Any subdivision with "dry" sewers shall, at
the time of sanitary sewer construction, install house connection
lines to within five feet of CI soil pipe coming out of the foundation.
All house connection ends shall be triangulated from two house corners
or labeled, permanent objects, in relation to CI soil pipe and submitted
to the Department of Public Works by the subdivider or subdivider's
engineer and certified as to accuracy by a licensed professional engineer
according to Local Law No. 1, County of Rockland, Article VIII, Section
1.
(9)
Manholes.
(a)
Manholes shall be installed in street sewer
at a maximum distance of 300 feet apart unless otherwise approved
by the Department of Public Works.
(b)
Manholes shall be of an approved precast concrete
type, with resilient gaskets at section joints and with resilient
seals at pipe to manhole joints or approved equal. Any deviation from
this method must be approved by the Department of Public Works. Refer
to Construction Drawing Nos. 2 and 3, copies of which may be obtained
from the Department of Public Works.
(c)
Manholes shall be cast with proper deflections
and elevations on inlets and outlets and be on the job site before
any pipe installation begins.
(d)
Manholes shall be constructed on a firm base.
Unstable material shall be removed from excavation and stone or concrete
used to establish a stable base, as determined by the Department of
Public Works.
(e)
Drop manholes shall be constructed when there
is a change of grade at the manhole of 24 inches or more. Details
are shown on Construction Drawing No. 3, copies of which may be obtained
from the Department of Public Works.
(f)
Depths of inverts in manholes shall be 3/4 diameter
of sewer pipe. Portland cement mortar shall be used for the building
of inverts.
(g)
Manhole castings shall be brought up to finished
grade with the use of riser sections. A maximum of 10 inches of laid-up
masonry may be used between manhole and casting. Casting shall be
Campbell No. 1203 or approved equal. Cover shall be Campbell No. 1203-107
or approved equal. Manholes in easements shall have locking-type covers.
Refer to Construction Drawing No. 4, copies of which may be obtained
from the Department of Public Works.
(h)
Watertight EPDM rubber seals as supplied by
Infi-shield, Inc., or an approved equal shall be installed between
manhole section joints. The Department of Public Works shall determine
the applicable section joints.
(10)
The Department of Public Works shall be notified
24 hours before start of job, and cut sheets shall be submitted to
the office before any work starts.
(11)
All new proposed roads shall be cut to subgrade
before sanitary sewer is installed.
(12)
An inspection report certified by a licensed
New York State professional engineer stating the results of a low-pressure
air test, an infiltration and/or an exfiltration test shall be submitted
to the Department of Public Works, Town of Ramapo. All mains, manholes
and house connections (main to right-of-way) shall be tested at the
expense of the subdivider or contractor. Type of test to be run shall
be directed by the Department of Public Works. The allowable rate
of infiltration and/or exfiltration shall not exceed 100 gallons per
inch diameter of pipe per mile per day. All visible leaks shall be
sealed.
(13)
All manholes shall be successfully vacuum tested
prior to being accepted by the Town of Ramapo. Specific testing procedures
shall be obtained from the Department of Public Works.
(14)
Deflection tests for sewer mains shall be conducted
with a five-percent madrel supplied by the Town of Ramapo. Arrangements
to borrow the mandrel from the Town shall be made at least 48 hours
in advance of the testing date. In the event any damage occurs to
the mandrel during testing, the contractor shall be responsible for
any and all repairs or replacement.
(15)
Before final inspection, all sewer mains and
manholes shall be cleaned and power flushed and be free of all silt,
stone, debris, and other foreign materials.
(16)
In the event only part of a subdivision is paved,
the manholes and castings in the remaining portion shall be protected
from shifting and displacement by construction vehicles or other means
by the installation of a four-inch to six-inch thick ten-foot diameter
binder course encompassing the manhole casting.
(17)
In the event that, to sewer a given lot, group
of lots or a subdivision, a highway or road crossing is necessary
to an existing gravity sewer main and tunneling is required by the
state, county or Town Highway Department, a carrier pipe shall be
installed in a casing pipe of material and quality as specified on
Construction Drawing No. 5, a copy of which may be obtained from the
Department of Public Works.
F.
Where, due to special or unusual conditions, a house
sewer connection cannot be constructed within the provisions of this
article, or where such chapter does not exactly apply, the Director
of Public Works shall, upon the receipt of an application for a house
sewer connection under such conditions, submit a report and recommendation
explaining all details of the case to the Board for its decision.
Notice thereof shall be given to the applicant, who shall have the
right to appear before said Board, and consideration shall be given
to the requests of the applicant.
G.
Nothing in this article shall prevent an owner or
his agent from appealing to the Board, on written notice to the Director
of Public Works, from any requirement or decision which in the opinion
of the owner or agent is unfair to him or imposes upon him an unusual
hardship.
H.
The Director of Public Works or his duly authorized
representatives shall, in the discharge of his duties and in the enforcement
of these regulations and for the purposes of inspection and reinspection,
have the right to enter upon the properties and the buildings located
in the district at a reasonable time for the purpose of determining
whether sewer or drain construction on such premises is in accordance
with the requirements of this article.
[Amended 2-6-2012 by L.L.
No. 2-2012]
A violation of any ordinance, rule or regulation
hereunder is hereby declared to be a misdemeanor, and the offender
shall be liable to prosecution for each violation and shall be subject
to a fine of not to exceed $1,000 for each offense or imprisonment
of not more than one year, or both, and shall also be liable to a
civil penalty of $1,000 for each violation. In addition thereto, an
action or proceeding may also be maintained in the name of the Town
in a court of competent jurisdiction to compel compliance with or
to restrain by injunction the violation of any such ordinance, rule
or regulation, notwithstanding that the ordinance, rule or regulation
may provide a penalty or punishment for such violation. All moneys
recovered hereunder by the Town shall be credited to the operation
and maintenance fund of the district. The Board may at any time in
its discretion stop and prevent the discharge into the system of any
substance deemed by it liable to injure the system or any pertinent
part thereof or to interfere with the normal operation of the system
or any pertinent part thereof, and said Board may at any time, without
notice and without liability, obligation or recourse, sever the house
sewer connection or drain from the system through which such detrimental
substances are discharged. Upon proof of the abatement of the detrimental
discharge or correction of the cause of such discharge, the Board
may cause the disconnected house sewer or drain to be reconnected
to the system upon the receipt of a fee of $40 for such reconnection.
This article shall take effect immediately after
compliance with law concerning the publication, posting and public
hearing as provided by law and shall be operative only within the
unincorporated area of the Town of Ramapo.
