[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Lincoln as §§ 17-2-1
through 17-2-20 of the 1972 Code (Ch. 4, Art. V, of the 1990 Code of Ordinances).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
STATE LAW REFERENCES
Municipal authority to license drainlayers — See R.I.G.L.
§ 5-20-11.
Installers of individual sewage disposal systems — See
R.I.G.L. § 5-56-1 et seq.
The Building Inspector, or his appointed assistant, shall, in conjunction
with his other duties act as Inspector of Drainage and shall have control
of the enforcement of the regulations regarding drainage and of all laws and
ordinances relative thereto. The Inspector of Drainage shall keep accurate
records of his inspections and permits and the same shall be kept on file
in the Town Hall as public records in such form as to be readily accessible.
A.
No person shall engage in the business of laying of drains
in the Town unless he shall be first duly licensed by the Building Inspector.
This shall include the making of connections with public sewers and the construction
of septic tanks and cesspools.
B.
The Building Inspector shall license any suitable person
to engage in the business of the laying of drains and construction of cesspools
and septic tanks.
C.
Licenses issued by the Building Inspector under this
section shall terminate on the 31st day of December following their issue.
D.
A fee shall be paid to the Building Inspector and payable
to the Town for each license issued which fee shall be set from time to time
and is on file in the Town Clerk's office. The holder of a certificate or
license issued by the Department of Health of the state in conformity with
the General Laws shall not be required to obtain a license from the Building
Inspector as provided in this section.
Every person desiring to file a plan or plans with the Inspector of
Drainage for the installation of drainage shall, before any plan or plans
are approved, pay a fee for each plan filed, which fee shall be set from time
to time and is on file in the Town Clerk's office.
Every drainlayer before doing any work in the Town shall file in the
office of the Inspector of Drainage, upon blanks to be provided for that purpose,
a notice and description of the work to be performed, and no such work shall
be done without written or printed permit from the Inspector. All outside
drains extending from a drain pipe outside a building to a sewer service connection,
and the construction of cesspools or septic tanks shall be done by a licensed
drainlayer. No work of drainage shall be performed except with the approval
of the Inspector, and no part of any work, the plan for which has been approved
by the Inspector, shall be covered or concealed in any way until after the
work or part thereof has been examined and approved by the Inspector.
Notice must be sent to the Inspector whenever the work is sufficiently
advanced for inspection. Request for final inspection of drainage work shall
be filed in the office of the Inspector of Drainage by the drainlayer within
48 hours after the work is completed. The drainlayer may be given permission
to backfill when the Inspector determines a dangerous condition exists.
Every building shall be separately and independently connected with
a public sewer, when such is provided, except under special permission from
the Inspector of Drainage. If such sewer is not provided, with a cesspool
or septic tank with leaching drain, constructed of such materials, location
and capacity as shall be approved by the Inspector.
Building drains shall not be less than four inches in diameter. The
grade shall be at least 1/4 inch per foot for four-inch pipes, and shall be
not less than 1/8 inch per foot for larger sizes. Building drains shall be
laid with tight joints to a public sewer if available, otherwise, to a cesspool
or septic tank. Pipes shall be of cast iron, with leaded joints; or vitrified
glazed tile pipe with cemented joints; or cement asbestos with standard tight-on
joints; or other approved construction when within 60 feet of a well. No cesspool,
septic tank, or leaching drain shall be constructed within 30 feet of any
adjoining lot line. This distance may be reduced at the discretion of the
Drainage Inspector if proven to cause a hardship.
A.
Cesspools or septic tanks shall be provided where no
public sewers are available. No cesspool shall be located within 25 feet of
a building. No septic tank shall be located within 15 feet of a building.
This distance may be reduced at the discretion of the Drainage Inspector if
proven to cause a hardship. Septic tanks may be of concrete or metal. If metal
tanks are used they shall be a standard recognized gauge in thickness and
must be approved by the Inspector of Drainage. They shall be installed according
to the manufacturer's instructions.
B.
Cesspools and septic tanks shall be made with removable
covers so as to provide access to the tanks or cesspools for purposes of cleaning.[1] At least two manholes shall be provided for septic tanks more
than 10 feet long. No septic tank shall have a liquid capacity of less than
500 gallons and no cesspool shall have an inside diameter of less than seven
feet and not less than six feet between the inlet pipe and the bottom of the
cesspool. Provided, however, that the Inspector of Drainage may in his discretion
require a larger septic tank or cesspool when deemed necessary by him.
Disposal of septic tank effluent may be by means of tile laid in screened
or broken stone. No part of any leaching system shall be within 15 feet of
a storm drain, cellar drain, stream, culvert, or onto the surface of the ground.
None of these systems shall be laid out in areas where high water or surface
flooding may interfere with their effective operation.
It shall be necessary to file with the Inspector of Drainage two plot
plans showing the exact location of the septic tank or cesspool and leaching
fields in relation to the building and property lines.
A.
The tests provided for in this section shall be made
by the drainlayer in the presence of the Drainage Inspector.
B.
The classification of soil at the proposed location of
a seepage system shall be determined by soil tests made as follows:
(1)
For cesspools, a pit about one foot square shall be dug
and this should extend to the depth of the proposed cesspool. The pit shall
be thoroughly wet down by filling the pit to a depth of 12 inches or more
before observations are made. The pit shall be then filled with water to the
original wetted depth and the rate of drop of water measured for a period
of 30 to 60 minutes under normal conditions.
(2)
For tile fields, the pit may be about one foot square
and dug to a depth of the proposed trenches. When tests are made consideration
should be given to the finished grade of building sites so the results will
correspond to the absorption value of the soil in which leaching systems will
be constructed.
(3)
In investigating soil conditions for a large area, more
than one deep test pit is desirable. Where the observed drop is at a rate
of one inch in three minutes the soil shall be considered as Class I; when
the rate is slower than one inch in three minutes and faster than one inch
in 10 minutes the soil shall be considered as Class II; when the rate is slower
than one inch in 10 minutes and faster than one inch in 30 minutes, the soil
shall be considered Class III; where the rate is slower than one inch in 30
minutes the soil shall be considered as Class IV and special consideration
is needed to avoid nuisance conditions. Special plans for disposal of sewage
and treated effluent in Class IV shall be submitted for approval where such
conditions exist and approval must be secured from the director of public
works before construction is begun. Percolation tests as prescribed by the
Department of Sanitary Engineering which are performed by a registered civil
engineer or land surveyor shall be accepted if certified by the civil engineer
or land surveyor.
(4)
Classification of soil shall be based on the results
of soil tests as specified above. All leaching cesspools other than those
in Class I soil must be connected to a seepage pit or leaching field.
B.
Commercial. The size of septic tanks for commercial buildings
shall be determined by the Director of Public Works.
|
Minimum Linear Feet of Tile Lines with
Open Joints in Stone-Filled Trenches
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Number of Families
|
Class I Soil, 2 Feet Wide
|
Class II Soil, 2 Feet Wide
|
Class III Soil, 2 Feet Wide
| |
|
1
|
125
|
150
|
175
| |
|
2
|
250
|
300
|
350
| |
|
3
|
375
|
450
|
525
| |
Tile may be unglazed drain tile, at least four inches in diameter, laid
with open joints in shallow trenches of the width indicated and about 18 inches
deep. Pipe of vitrified tile or other acceptable material with suitable perforations
or approved spacing of joint opening may also be used. The upper portions
of joint opening should be protected by strips of tar paper or other suitable
material. Tile shall be laid near the top of a layer of stone placed to a
depth of at least 10 inches in the trenches. Tile lines shall be laid on a
grade not exceeding six inches per 100 feet. A layer of paper shall be placed
over the stone before backfilling the trenches. Spacing between adjacent sides
of trenches for tile lines shall be at least three times the width of the
trench. The length of individual tile laterals shall not exceed 75 feet. Minimum
number of lines per field shall be two. All septic tank covers shall be sealed
watertight with asphaltic seal or equivalent, or sealed to Inspector's approval.
Distribution box of sufficient size to accommodate the necessary field
lateral lines shall be constructed at the head of each disposal field. Each
field lateral line shall be connected separately to the distribution box and
shall not be subdivided. The invert of all outlets shall be level and the
inlet invert shall be at least one inch above the outlets. The level of the
outlet inverts shall be at least four inches above the floor.
All additions or alterations to existing cesspools and septic tanks
shall be subject to the regulations of this chapter.
All other conditions not specifically described in this chapter must
be satisfactory to the Inspector of Drainage from a sanitary standpoint.
After a correct installation of the independent sanitary sewage systems,
it shall be the responsibility of the owner to maintain it in a satisfactory
and efficient manner.
All faulty or defective drainage work shall be corrected to the satisfaction
of the Inspector within 48 hours after notice to do so from the Inspector
and in addition to other penalties prescribed by this chapter, the Inspector
may refuse to receive and plan for future work from the party in default until
such faulty or defective work has been corrected.
No drainage from a sewage disposal system shall be discharged into a
brook, pond, river, street, gutter or onto the surface of the ground. No roof,
cellar or groundwater drainage shall discharge into any portion of a sewage
disposal system. Separate facilities shall be provided for such drainage.
Whenever in the opinion of the Inspector of Drainage any drainlayer
in doing any drainage work violates any of the provisions of this chapter,
the Inspector shall report to the Director of Public Works and if the Director
shall find that the charges are well founded, the Director may revoke the
license of such drainlayer.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also R.I.G.L. § 5-56-5.
