Town of Harvard, MA Article VI Building Sewers, Connections and Appurtenances

§ 146-29 Costs and expenses; liability.

All costs and expenses incidental to the installation of the building sewer and connection of the building sewer to the Wastewater Management System shall be borne by the owner(s). By written instrument approved by the Commission, the owner(s) shall indemnify and hold the Town harmless from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.

§ 146-30 Wastewater-stormwater separation.

A. The plumbing of any existing or new building shall be so constructed as to keep all stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof and surface runoff, subsurface drainage, cooling water, and industrial process water, non-contact cooling water, and non-contact industrial process water separate from sanitary sewage and industrial wastes, and from the building sewer.

B. The building drain conveying wastewater from plumbing fixtures within the building shall discharge to a building sewer, while the building drain conveying stormwater and other drainage shall discharge to a building storm drain.

C. Connection of a building sewer to a storm drain is strictly prohibited.

§ 146-31 Connections from individual wastewater disposal systems.

Connection of an individual wastewater disposal system, whether directly or indirectly, to the Wastewater Management System is prohibited.

§ 146-32 Dye testing of connections.

The Commission may request that the connection be dye tested by the Commission, or by the owner or the owner's designee in the presence of a Commission inspector, to establish that the building sewer is properly connected to the Town's Wastewater Management System. The Commission may conduct dye testing of an existing building sewer to establish that it is properly connected to the Town's Wastewater Management System. The Commission may require the owner forthwith to eliminate a connection from a building sewer to a storm drain (also referred to as an illegal connection) at the owner's expense. The Commission may also require the owner forthwith to eliminate a connection from a building storm drain to a sanitary sewer at the owner's expense.

§ 146-33 Backwater valves.

All existing or new building drains from plumbing fixtures liable to backflow from the Wastewater Management System shall be required to have backwater valves installed at the owner's expense. Any plumbing fixture located at an elevation below the top of the manhole on the Commission sewer serving the fixture shall be considered to be liable to backflow. Backwater valves shall be installed in accordance with the Uniform State Plumbing Code, 248 CMR 2.09(4) and the Commission's Requirements for Site Plans.

§ 146-34 Cleanouts.

Where a new building is to be constructed which is set back from the property line, or where a building sewer is required to be angled more than 45° the Commission shall require the owner to install a cleanout on the portion of the building sewer on the owner's property at the property line.

§ 146-35 Grease traps.

A. Grease traps shall be required on sewers which discharge directly or indirectly to the Town's Wastewater Management System and into which significant amounts of animal or vegetable fat, oil or grease may be discharged so that a discharge concentration does not exceed 100 milligrams per liter. Such devices shall not normally be required for private dwelling units.

B. The owner is responsible for the installation of a grease trap if one is required to achieve the standard set forth in Subsection A. If the owner has not installed a grease trap when one is required by these regulations, the Commission may impose penalties in accordance with Article XI of these Regulations. All grease traps shall be of a type, capacity, location and construction approved by the Commission and shall be located so as to be readily accessible for maintenance and inspection.

C. Installation of a dedicated building drain and an in-line grease trap shall be required to serve all fixtures from which fat, oil or grease may be discharged whenever there is sufficient space and adequate plumbing to incorporate the appropriate facilities as determined by the Commission. Point of use grease traps may be required instead of, or in addition to, an in-line grease trap for discharges from dish washer rinse sinks, pot sinks, floor sinks and drains, automatic hood washes, soup and tilt kettles, wok drains, and any other fixture which may introduce fat, oil or grease to the Wastewater Management System as determined by the Commission.

D. Where grease traps are required, they shall be installed, inspected at least once each month, and maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation and in accordance with the Commission's Guidelines for the Installation, Operation and Maintenance of Grease Traps, the requirements of the Uniform State Plumbing Code, and the State Environmental Code, Title 5, all by and at the expense of the owner and user. Both the owner of the premises where a grease trap is required and the owner or operator of the establishment or business conducted on the premises, shall be jointly and severally responsible for installing a grease trap acceptable to the Commission and for properly servicing and maintaining the grease trap. The Commission shall have the right to inspect such facilities in accordance with these Regulations.

E. The owner or operator of the establishment or business conducted on the premises where the grease trap is located shall maintain a log provided by the Commission which describes the date and type of all inspections and cleaning of the grease trap, service and maintenance performed in connection with the grease trap, the identity of the person who performed the service or maintenance, the amount of residue removed from the grease trap on each date, and the method of disposal of the residue. The log shall be made available to the Commission upon request for inspection and copying.

F. Unless otherwise required by a schedule established by the Commission, owners or operators shall clean grease traps once a month or whenever one quarter of the liquid depth of the trap consists of grease or oil, whichever occurs first. Grease traps shall be cleaned by physically removing accumulated grease, scum, oil or other floating substances and solids.

G. Chemical, biological, or physical means (including flushing with water) shall not be used to release fats, wax, oil or grease into the sewer, bypass the trap, or otherwise make the trap operate less effectively. Subject to the Commission's prior written approval, a chemical or biological agent may be added to convert the fats, wax, oil, and grease in a trap to a substance not prohibited by these Regulations, if the resulting discharge from the trap will not cause or contribute to an obstruction or blockage in the sewer or otherwise violate these regulations. Unless so converted, the fats, wax, oil, and grease contents of a grease trap shall not be discharged to the Wastewater Management System.

H. If the Commission determines there is insufficient space available to install a grease trap, or the facility's plumbing cannot accommodate a grease trap, or if the Commission determines that an existing or proposed grease trap installation, despite being designed according to the Commission's Guideline for the Installation, Operation and Maintenance of Grease Traps, cannot meet the discharge concentration limitation of 100 milligrams per liter, the Commission may require the owner to implement other measures to ensure compliance with the discharge limitation. Required measures may include but are not limited to, modifying the type, capacity, location and construction of the grease trap, adding a Commission approved chemical or biological agent to convert the fats, wax, oil, and grease to a substance not prohibited by these Regulations, more frequent cleaning of the grease trap, and physical containment and removal of fats, wax, oil and grease for disposal offsite.