[Adopted as Ch. 1042 of the 1989 Codified Ordinances]
As used in this article, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
B.O.D. (biochemical oxygen demand)
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days at 20° C., expressed in parts per million by weight.
BUILDING DRAIN
That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drain pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning five feet outside the inner face of the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER
The extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal.
COMBINATION SEWER or COMBINED SEWER
A sewer receiving both surface runoff and sewage.
GARBAGE
Solid wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage, processing and sale of produce.
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
The liquid, solid or semisolid waste from industrial processes as distinct from sanitary sewage.
NATURAL OUTLET
Any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of water, either surface or ground water.
pH
The logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE
Waste from the cooking, preparation and dispensing of food that has been cut or shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle greater than 1/2 inch in any dimension.
PUBLIC SEWER
A sewer in which all owners of abutting property have equal rights and which is controlled by public authority.
SANITARY SEWER
A sewer which carries sewage and to which storm- and surface waters are not intentionally admitted. "Sanitary sewer" includes weeping tile (drains surrounding basement footings) where permitted under § 254-19.
SEWAGE
Any combination of water-carried wastes from residences, business and commercial buildings, institutions and industrial establishments, together with such ground-, surface and storm waters as may be present.
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT
Any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.
SEWAGE WORKS
All facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing of sewage.
SEWER
Any pipe, tile, tube or conduit for carrying sewage.
STORM SEWER or STORM DRAIN
A sewer which carries storm- and surface waters and drainage but which excludes sewage and polluted industrial wastes.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
The solids that either float on the surface of or are suspended in water, sewage or other liquids and which are removable by laboratory filtering.
WATERCOURSE
A channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.
No person shall place or deposit or permit to be placed or deposited, in an unsanitary manner, upon any public or private property within the City, any human or animal excrement, garbage or other objectionable waste.
No person shall discharge into any natural watercourse or storm sewer within the City any sanitary sewage, industrial waste or other polluted water, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with the standards established by the State Department of Natural Resources.
The owner of a house, building or property used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes, situated within the City and abutting on any street, alley, right-of-way or public utility easement, in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary or combined sewer of the City, is hereby required, at his or her own expense, to install suitable toilet facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly to the public sewer in accordance with this article within 90 days after the date the official notice to do so has been issued by the City Engineer, provided that such public sewer is located within a public easement contiguous to and not farther than 200 feet from any such house, building, structure or property.
A. 
Generally. Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.
B. 
Connections. Where a public sanitary sewer or combined sewer is not available under § 254-4, the building sewer shall be connected with a private disposal system complying with the regulations and orders of the State Department of Natural Resources, the City and Chapter 45, Building Construction.
C. 
Discontinuance of system. At such time as a public sewer becomes available to a property served by a private sewage disposal system, as provided in § 254-4, a direct connection shall be made to the public sewer in compliance with this chapter, and any septic tank, privy, privy vault, cesspool or similar private sewage disposal facility shall be abandoned and filled with suitable material.
D. 
Maintenance of system. The owner shall operate and maintain the private sewage disposal facilities in a sanitary manner at all times at no expense to the City.
E. 
Additional requirements. No statement contained in this chapter shall be construed to interfere with any additional requirements that may be imposed by the Health Officer or the State Department of Natural Resources with respect to private sewage disposal.
[Amended 1-21-1998 by Ord. No. 359]
A. 
Required. No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connection with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit therefor from the Building Department.
B. 
Fees. All connections with the sanitary sewers or combined sewers of the City shall be made only on written authorizations and permits issued therefor by the City and upon payment of a tap-in fee set by resolution from time-to-time by the City Council.
C. 
County connection charge. A county connection charge of $25 shall be collected by the City for the county for each building or structure.
D. 
Unit fee. A unit fee, in addition to the sewer tap-in fee, shall be charged for each building or structure served by any sanitary or storm sewer according to the unit basis schedule established in § 254-7 at a rate rate set by resolution of the City Council for sanitary sewer and storm sewer tap-ins, except that the sewer privilege charge for the first unit of any building or structure shall be deemed to be included in the sewer tap-in fee charge for such building or structure.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. A276, Fees and/or Permits.
[Amended 1-21-1998 by Ord. No. 361]
A. 
Residential: "Unit," for purposes of computing the sewer unit charge for residential purposes, is defined as sewer service provided to a residential building or structure housing a single family (single-family dwelling). Based upon this definition, the unit basis for sewer service to a building or structure used for residential purposes is as follows:
Type of Dwelling
Number of Units
Single-family dwelling
1.00
Two-family dwelling
2.00
Multiple-family dwelling (including apartment) per dwelling unit contained within the building or structure
1.00
Trailer parks, per house trailer space, whether occupied or not
1.00
B. 
Commercial: The unit basis for sewer service to a building or structure used for commercial purposes is as follows:
Type of Building
Number of Units
Auto dealers (new cars)
0.30 per 1,000 square feet
Barber shops
1.00 plus 0.10 per chair
Bars
0.044 units per seat
Beauty shops
1.00 unit plus 0.15 per booth
Boardinghouses
0.15 per person
Bowling alleys (without bars or lunch)
1.00 plus 0.10 per lane
Car wash:
a.
Manual, do-it-yourself
2.50 per stall
b.
Semiautomatic (no conveyor)
12.50 per stall
c.
Automatic (with conveyor)
33.00 per lane
d.
Automatic with conveyor conserving and recycling water
8.40 per lane
Churches
1.00
Cleaners:
a.
Pickup only
0.048 per employee
b.
Pressing facilities
1.25 per press
Clinics:
a.
Medical
1.00 per doctor
b.
Dental
1.40 per dentist
Convalescent and/or nursing homes
0.30 per bed
Convents
0.20 per person
Country clubs
0.08 per member
Day care
0.10 per child
Drug stores:
a.
With fountain service
1.00 unit per 2,000 square feet
b.
Without fountain service
1.00 unit per 4,000 square feet
Fraternal organizations:
a.
Members only
1.00 per hall
b.
Members and rentals
2.00 per hall
Funeral homes, including one Residence
2.20 per funeral home
Greenhouses
0.45 per 1,000 square feet
Grocery stores and supermarkets
0.40 unit per 1,000 square feet
Health clubs:
a.
With showers and/or pool
2.30 per 1,000 square feet
b.
Without showers and/or pool
0.26 per 1,000 square feet
Hospitals
1.00 unit plus 0.75 per bed
Hotels and/or motels (exclusive of swimming pools, bars, restaurants, etc.)
0.38 per room
Laundry (self-service)
0.50 per washer
Office building
1.00 unit per 2,000 square feet
Public institutions other than Hospitals
0.32 per employee
Racquet clubs
0.82 per court
Restaurants:
a.
Conventional
0.07 per seat
b.
Quick service, without dishes fast food
5.60 per restaurant
c.
All others (drive-ins, snack bars, pizza, etc.)
1.50 per restaurant
Schools:
a.
Elementary
0.40 per classroom
b.
Junior or middle high
0.60 per classroom
c.
Senior high
1.15 per classroom
d.
Bus maintenance facility
0.165 per 1,000 square feet
Service station
1.00 unit, plus 0.15 per pump
Store (other than listed)
1.00 unit per 4,000 square feet
Summer camps
0.14 per housing unit
Swimming pool (single-family unit excluded)
3.00 per 1,000 square feet
Theaters (indoor)
1.00 unit plus 0.01 per seat
C. 
Industrial:
(1) 
The unit basis for sewer service to a building or structure used for industrial purposes is as follows:
Type of Building
Number of Units
Factories:
a.
Light use
0.50 per 1,000 square feet
b.
Heavy use
0.75 per 1,000 square feet
Warehouses
0.10 per 1,000 square feet
(2) 
Note: No building shall be considered less than 1.00 unit. If any residential, commercial or industrial facility is not noted on this listing, the Water and Sewer Department, or City Manager shall determine the appropriate unit charge for that building.
All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of a building sewer shall be borne by the owner of the property. The owner shall indemnify the City from all loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.
All applicants for sewer connection permits shall first submit plans and specifications of all plumbing construction within the building or premises, and such plans and specifications shall meet the requirements of the Michigan Plumbing Code, as adopted in Chapter 171 of the Code of the City of Rockwood. When such plans and specifications have been approved by the Building Official a construction permit shall be issued, subject to final inspection and approval when construction is completed and ready for connection with the City sewerage system.
The applicant for a building sewer permit shall notify the Building Official when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The Building Official shall then inspect the building and plumbing construction therein, and if such construction meets the previous requirements as approved in the construction permit, a sewer connection permit shall be issued, subject to the applicable provisions of this chapter.
The cost of repair, maintenance and replacement of existing building sewers and their connection to public sewers shall be borne by the property owner. Such owner shall make application to perform such work to the Director of Public Works.
Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall discharge any commercial-type waste into the City sewerage system, which waste is deleterious to the public health and safety. Any waste will be considered deleterious if it may cause damaging effects as stated in Subsection A hereof and/or if it does not conform to the limitations stated in Subsection B hereof.
A. 
General conditions. Waste that causes any of the following will be considered deleterious to the sewage system:
(1) 
Chemical reaction, either directly or indirectly, with the materials of construction, so as to impair the strength or durability of sewer structures;
(2) 
Mechanical action that will destroy or damage sewer structures;
(3) 
Restriction of the hydraulic capacity of sewer structures;
(4) 
Restriction of the normal inspection or maintenance of sewer structures;
(5) 
Placement of unusual demands on the sewage treatment equipment or process;
(6) 
Limitation of the effectiveness of the sewage treatment process;
(7) 
Danger to public health and safety; or
(8) 
Obnoxious conditions inimical to the public interest.
B. 
Specific conditions.
(1) 
Acidity or alkalinity must be neutralized to a pH of 7.0 as a daily average on a volumetric basis, with a maximum temporary variation of pH 5.0 to 10.0.
(2) 
Wastes must not contain more than 10 ppm of hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen or any of the halogens.
(3) 
Wastes must not contain any explosive substance.
(4) 
Wastes must not contain any flammable substance with a flash point lower than 187° F.
(5) 
Wastes must have a temperature within the range of 32° to 150° F.
(6) 
Wastes must not contain grease, oil or any other substance that will solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32° and 150° F.
(7) 
Wastes must not contain an insoluble substance in excess of 10,000 ppm or exceeding a daily average of 500 ppm.
(8) 
Wastes must not contain total solids (soluble and insoluble substances) in excess of 20,000 ppm or exceeding a daily average of 2,000 ppm.
(9) 
Wastes must not contain soluble substances in concentrations that would increase the viscosity to greater than 1.1 specific viscosity.
(10) 
Wastes must not contain insoluble substances having a specific gravity greater than 2.65.
(11) 
Wastes must not contain insoluble substances that will fail to pass a No. 8 standard sieve, or that have any dimension greater than 1/2 inch.
(12) 
Wastes must not contain gases or vapors, either free or occluded, in concentrations that are toxic or dangerous to humans or animals.
(13) 
Wastes must not have a chlorine demand greater than 15 ppm.
(14) 
Wastes must not contain more than 100 ppm of any antiseptic substance.
(15) 
Wastes must not contain phenols in excess of .005 ppm.
(16) 
Wastes must not contain any toxic or irritating substance which will create conditions hazardous to public health and safety.
(17) 
Wastes must not contain in excess of 100 ppm or exceed a daily average of 25 ppm of any grease, oil or oily substance.
C. 
All of the preceding standards and regulations shall apply at the point where commercial-type wastes are discharged into a public sewer, and all chemical and/or mechanical corrective treatment must be accomplished to practical completion before this point is reached.
A. 
Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the City Engineer and/or the State Department of Natural Resources, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts or any inflammable wastes, sand or other harmful ingredients, except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the City Engineer and/or the Department and shall be located so as to be readily accessible for cleaning and inspection. Grease and oil interceptors shall be constructed of impervious materials capable of withstanding abrupt and extreme changes in temperature. They shall be substantially constructed, watertight and equipped with easily removable covers which, when bolted in place, shall be gastight and watertight.
B. 
Where installed, all grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be maintained by the owner, at his or her expense, in continuously efficient operation at all times.
When required by Council or the State Department of Natural Resources, the owner of any property served by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable control manhole in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of wastes. Such manhole, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by Council. The manhole shall be installed by the owner, at his or her expense, and shall be maintained by him or her so as to be safe and accessible at all times.
All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in § 254-12 shall be determined at the control manhole provided for in § 254-15, or upon suitable samples taken at such control manhole. If 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.
No statement contained in this chapter shall be construed as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the City and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the City for treatment, subject to payment by the industrial concern of the estimated cost of such treatment.
No unauthorized person shall maliciously, willfully or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the municipal sewerage system or treatment plant.
[Amended 4-16-1997 by Ord. No. 348]
A. 
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to make it unlawful for any person to permit or to cause water from the roof of any building, or storm- or surface water, to be directly connected by downspouts, pipes, conduits or other device or apparatus to a drain connected with the sanitary sewer system of the City, it being the intention of this section to prohibit any person from making, continuing, or allowing the existence of any type of connection with eave troughs, sump pumps or other drains on a building with the City's sanitary sewer system, or any other drain emptying into the City's sanitary sewer system so as to cause stormwater, surface, subsurface or roof water from any such building to drain into the sanitary sewer system through eave troughs, drain pipes, downspouts, sump pumps, conduits or other devices. This section is declared to be necessary in the interests of public health, safety and welfare to relieve flooding, to control pollution and to help minimize the City's cost for charges for excess flow entering the sewage disposal system.
B. 
Disconnection. Any downspouts, pipes, conduits, sump pumps or other device or apparatus capable of carrying stormwater, surface, subsurface or roof water from a building to a sanitary sewer or to sewers or drains leading to any sanitary sewer shall be disconnected. If the owner, lessee, possessor or occupier of any building or structure has not complied with this section, the Director of Public Works or his designated representative, or any person so designated by the Mayor and the Council, shall give written notice to any person who shall be in violation of this section, requiring the violation to be corrected forthwith. If the violation is not corrected within 30 days from the date of notice, the Director of Public Works or his designated representative shall disconnect the downspout or other device and charge the costs thereof to the sewage bill of the resident involved.
C. 
Extensions. It is hereby required that on each building there shall be provided extensions to the downspouts, pipes or conduits at the building grade of not less than 72 inches in length and attached in such a manner as to direct any stormwater, surface or roof water to the rear of the property or to the street as the case may be, in order to prevent stormwater, surface or roof water from draining directly against the building walls, adjacent property or into any sanitary sewer or drain.
D. 
Exemption. The owner or the authorized agent of any owner of any property may make written application to the Department of Public Works for exemption from the requirements of this section. The Director of Public Works may waive the requirements of this section, if the disconnection, because of existing problems with grade or drainage, causes flooding of the involved property or dwelling, flooding of adjacent property or dwelling, substantial pooling of water or causes other such similar conditions to exist. Within 30 days after receipt of an application for exemption, the Director of Public Works shall, in writing, notify the applicant of his decision. In granting an exemption, the Commissioner of Water may require such modification of the drainage of stormwater, surface or roof water as he deems necessary and appropriate under the circumstances of each case. Any person denied such exemption may appeal the same to the Building Code Board of Appeals.
E. 
Applicability. This section shall apply to all homes, buildings and structures in the City, or any building using the City's sanitary sewer system, and any exemptions heretofore granted by the Director of Public Works or by any other official or board of the City are hereby declared void and of no effect; provided, however, that each holder of such a previously granted exemption may reapply for exemption.
The City Engineer and other duly authorized officials and employees of the City and agents of the State Department of Natural Resources 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 this article, at any time during reasonable or usual business hours. No person shall refuse or obstruct such entry.
A. 
Any person found to be violating any of the provisions of this article except §§ 254-18 and 254-20, shall be served with written notice stating the nature of such violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. The offender shall, within the period of time stated in such notice, take such corrective action as may be necessary. No person shall continue any violation beyond the time limit provided in such notice.
B. 
Any continued violation, after due notice as provided in Subsection A hereof, shall be deemed a public nuisance and may be abated by the City upon complaint in any court of competent jurisdiction. This remedy shall be in addition to the penalty provided in § 254-23.
A. 
A violation of any provision of this chapter shall be a municipal civil infraction, punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II.
B. 
In addition to the penalty provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, whoever violates any of the provisions of this chapter shall be liable to the City for any expense, loss or damage occasioned to the City by reason of such violation, and recovery therefor may be had in an appropriate action in any court of competent jurisdiction.