[Added 12-14-2011 by Ord. No. 3321]
The purpose of this article is to implement a program to reduce
and minimize the inflow of additional water into the Village's
sanitary sewage collection and treatment system. This article prohibits
the discharge of water from any roof, surface, ground, storm drain,
swimming pool water, sump pump or other source of collection of natural
precipitation into the Village's sanitary sewage collection system
to reduce the costs and protect against other damaging effects. The
Village's sanitary sewer system has, on occasion, been overloaded
to the extent it has bypassed effluent creating the potential for
property damage and public health hazards. Additionally, all liquid
that enters the sanitary sewage collection system must be treated
at the Village's Water Pollution Control Facility at a cost.
Reduction and elimination of liquids (i.e., stormwater runoff) that
do not require treatment, reduces the expense to the Village and assists
in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the residents.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
On or before June 1, 2012, any person, business, or other entity
who voluntarily reports an illicit connection on or at their premises
to the Village's Water Pollution Control Division, so that it
can be remedied in a proper and acceptable manner according to the
Village's Building Codes, shall have any and all permit fees
waived by the Village. This waiver of fees shall only apply to Village
Water Pollution Control Division fees, not Building Department fees
nor cover the actual cost of the remediation.
After June 1, 2012, any person, business, property owner, or
other entity who is found to have or maintain a illegal/illicit connection,
as described above, and who fails to report such connection to the
Village's Water Pollution Control Division, shall be liable for
any and all permit fees, inspection fees, penalties, and connection
fees as required by the Village, to remediate the illegal/illicit
connection.
Any connection (pipe) to the sanitary sewage collection system
that does not convey sanitary wastes.
No person or entity shall discharge or cause to be discharged
or released any stormwater, groundwater, roof runoff, yard drainage
runoff, landscaping irrigation runoff, pond overflow, or any other
liquid other sanitary sewage into the sanitary sewage collection system.
No person, business, or other entity shall cause to be discharged
any hazardous substances into the Village's collection system.
No person, property owner, business, or entity shall discharge
or cause to be discharged via a liquid waste transporter to the WPCF
the following:
A.
Any effluent or waste containing hydrocarbon compounds or volatile
organic compounds.
B.
Any product, compound or substances found to be detrimental to the
treatment process at the Village's WPCF.
C.
Any product or substance that causes a NJPDES permit violation.
D.
Any waste containing regulated substances.
A.
Inspection of premises, buildings, structures, and facilities connected
to the Village's sanitary sewage collection system for illegal/illicit
connections shall be performed by the Building Inspector, Plumbing
Subcode Official, Fire Code Official, Village Engineer, Superintendent
of Water Pollution Control, or their designated representatives, as
long as they present a current identification card issued by the Village
of Ridgewood identifying the said representative when requesting entry
or access to any property within the Village's Water Pollution
Control Division service area for the purpose of inspecting, observing,
testing, and sampling to confirm that there is no sump pump or other
prohibited discharge into the sanitary sewage collection system in
accordance with the provisions of this article.
B.
Any person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest in a particular property that refuses entrance to a premises by the designated inspection officials, upon presentation of proper identification or within 14 calendar days of the mailing of a written notice, shall become immediately subject to the monthly surcharge noted and described in § 238-97 of this article. Said surcharge will become applicable within 10 calendar days following the mailing of an official notice to the person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest in a particular property that denied entry. The monthly surcharge shall remain assessed to the property until such time that an inspection is conducted by the Village to ensure compliance and the illegal/illicit connection has been satisfactorily terminated.
A.
Any person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest in a particular property that refuses a request for an inspection, as described in § 238-96, shall be liable for a monthly surcharge for the month part thereof as described in Chapter 145, Fees. The assessed surcharge will be billed to the property owner of record, on a biannual basis by the Village Tax Collector. Any surcharges not received by the Village Tax Collector within 30 calendar days of being billed, shall be converted into a lien on the subject property in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:14B-42.
B.
All imposed surcharges shall remain in place on the subject property
until such time as the Village Engineer or Superintendent of Water
Pollution Control certifies to the Village Tax Collector that the
person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest in
a particular property that is subject of a surcharge has satisfactorily
demonstrated full compliance with the provisions of this article.
Any person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest
in a particular property found to have reinstituted an illegal/illicit
connection after the inspection of premises shall be subject to a
fine not less than $500 per violation, per charge, in addition to
being liable for the monthly surcharge.
A.
The Village of Ridgewood will assist and provide technical guidance
to any person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest
in a particular property in remediating illegal/illicit connections
as it involves a matter of public safety, health, and welfare of the
Village. Said assistance is limited to technical information and advice,
and does not or will not include any actual construction effort. Said
assistance shall not be grounds for the staying of any surcharge,
violations, or penalties.
B.
All costs associated with the effort to comply with the provisions
of this article shall be borne by the person, business, property owner,
or other entity with interest in a particular property.
A.
Any person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest in a particular property, who shall by inspection or voluntary reporting be determined to be in violation of the provisions of this article, shall be permitted to file for a waiver of the surcharge requirement of § 238-97. The waiver is predicated upon satisfactorily demonstrating that the person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest in a particular property has exhausted all possible measures for the discharge of nonsanitary wastes from his or her property in a manner so as to not negatively affect adjacent properties or the public right-of-way. The waiver will be granted only upon the Village Engineer or the Superintendent of Water Pollution Control certifying the above conditions have been met.
B.
In the event a person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest in a particular property is granted a waiver, the property's discharge flow quantity to the sanitary sewer shall be monitored, at the sole cost and expense of the person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest in a particular property. The quantity of flow discharged shall be billed to the person, business, property owner, or other entity with interest in a particular property at the rates established for the significant discharger program, as described in § 238-24C.
