It shall be unlawful for any person to 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 Director.
There shall be two classes of building sewer permits: for residential and small commercial service, and for service to large commercial and industrial establishments. 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 Director. In cases where the building sewer will connect to an outlet sewer, a tap-in fee of $100 for a residential and small commercial sewer permit shall be paid to the Director or his designated representative at the time of application. For purposes of this division, a small commercial service shall be a service not reasonably expected to exceed 7,500 cubic feet per three months of discharge into the sewer system. A maximum of four residential apartment units may be connected to a single retention sewer. No fee shall be charged for connection to a petition sewer. The tap-in fee to outlet sewers for large commercial and industrial establishments shall be $350. The Director shall determine the class of applicants.
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. In such case, the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer. Where building sewers are to serve multiple dwelling structures, there shall be provided at least one separate building sewer for each group of four living units, the size and capacity of the same to meet requirements of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code applicable to plumbing.
Existing building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when there are found, on examination and test by the inspector, to meet all requirements of this division.
No tapping of the public sewer shall be permitted except four-inch branch into an eight-inch sewer and six-inch branch into a ten-inch or larger sewer, and in each specific case only by permission of the Director. Making of the tap shall be under the supervision of the Director.
The building sewer shall be schedule 40 or heavier plastic pipe (PVC or ABS), service-weight cast iron pipe or extra-heavy cast iron pipe. Joints shall be tight and waterproof. Building sewer pipe of cast iron shall have a maximum length of 10 feet between joints, or shall meet requirements of the State Building Construction Code applicable to plumbing.
The size and slope of the building sewer shall be subject to the approval of the inspector, but in no event shall the diameter be less than four inches, nor shall the slope of the pipe be 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 and within three feet of any bearing wall, which might thereby be weakened. The depth shall be sufficient to afford protection from frost, but in no event shall be less than three feet. 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. The ends of building sewers which are not connected to the building drain of the structure for any reason shall be sealed against infiltration by a suitable stopper, plug, or other approved means.
In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sewage or industrial wastes carried by such drain shall be lifted by approved mechanical means and discharged to the building sewer.
(a) 
All excavations required for the installation of a building sewer shall be open trench work unless otherwise approved by the inspector. Pipe laying and backfill shall be performed in accordance with Sections 3 through 6 of ASTM Specification C12, except that the trench width measured at the top of the installed pipe shall not exceed 24 inches. All trench bottoms shall be shaped to cradle the pipe. Selected and rammed backfill at sides of pipe and covering pipe shall be required.
(b) 
All excavations for building sewer installation shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazards. Streets, sidewalks, parkways, and other public property disturbed in the course of work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the City.
(a) 
All joints and connections shall be made gastight and watertight. No cement joints will be permitted.
(b) 
Cast iron pipe joints shall be firmly packed with oakum or hemp and filled with molten lead 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. The transition joint between cast iron pipe and other pipe material shall be made with special adaptors and joint materials approved by the inspector.
(c) 
Premolded gasket joints for hub and plain end cast iron pipe may be used if approved by the inspector, and shall be a neoprene compression-type gasket which provides a positive double seal in the assembled joint. The gasket shall be a premolded, one-piece unit, designed for jointing the cast iron hub and plain end soil pipe and fittings. The assembled joint shall be sealed by compression of the gasket between the exterior surface of the spigot and the interior surface of the hub. The joint shall be assembled following the manufacturer's recommendations using acceptable lubricant and special pipe-coupling tools designed for that purpose. The plain spigot end shall be forced into the hub end of the pipe for the full depth of the hub itself. Lubricant shall be a bland, flax-base, nontoxic material and shall not chemically attack the gasket materials.
The connection of the building sewer into an existing public sewer shall be made at the public sewer. Trench excavation proposed to be made in any portion of the public street or City-controlled right-of-way, including areas of sidewalk, "subway" or berm, roadway, paved or unpaved, shall not be laid out, commenced nor performed in any degree until a specific permit for street opening shall have been obtained from the Director. Persons, firms or corporations having met the requirements of the City as to capability to perform the work, filing of insurance bonds, proven responsibility, and in good standing for payment of accounts due the City, will be eligible for issuance of such permit. All regulations of the City in regard to street openings shall apply. All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the entire length of 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. The method of connection of the building sewer to the public sewer will be dependent upon the type of pipe material used and in all cases shall be approved by the Plumbing and Building Inspector.
(a) 
The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the inspector when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the inspector or his representative.
(b) 
When trenches are opened for the laying of building sewer pipes, such trenches shall be inspected by the inspector before the trenches are filled. The person performing such work shall notify the inspector when the installation of the building sewer is completed. The filling of a trench before inspection is made will subject the person to whom a permit is issued to a penalty of $25 for each offense.
When any building sewer is to serve a school, hospital, or similar institution or public building, or is to serve a complex of industrial or commercial buildings, or which, in the opinion of the inspector, will receive sewage or industrial wastes of such volume or character that frequent maintenance of such building sewer is anticipated, then such building sewer shall be connected to the public sewer through a manhole. The inspector shall determine if and where this type of connection to the public sewer is required. Connections to existing manholes shall be made as directed by the inspector. If required, a new manhole shall be installed in the public sewer pursuant to Section 27-118, and the building sewer connection made thereto as directed by the inspector.