[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 12-19-1991, § 2]
This division applies to the administration and enforcement of the plumbing and heating equipment standards of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 12-19-1991, § 3; Ord. No. O-06-2, § 2; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a)
All plumbing work, both public and private, in the City shall be performed pursuant to the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and shall come under the provisions of this article. The Building Inspector shall have jurisdiction over all the plumbing work performed within the building line of any building in the City of Poughkeepsie pursuant to the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code applicable to plumbing. The City Engineer shall have jurisdiction over all laterals and water and sewer services from the building line to and including the connection with the City sewer and water system.
(b)
All gas and oil heat-producing equipment installed in the City of Poughkeepsie, both new and replacement, shall come under the provisions of this article. The Building Inspector shall have jurisdiction over all oil or gas heat-producing equipment and all fuel piping of such equipment.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1]
Work in progress on the effective date of this article and work for which the plans have heretofore been approved are excepted from the provisions of this article and shall be performed in accordance with the Plumbing Code, local laws, rules and regulations and ordinances in force and effect prior to the effective date of this article.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 6-141, Qualifications of Plumbing Inspector, Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1, as amended, was repealed 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 12-19-1991, § 4; Ord. of 9-7-1993, § 2; Ord. of 10-9-1997, § 1; Ord. No. O-06-2, § 3; Ord. No. O-07-24, § 1; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a)
Administration and enforcement. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, ordinance or regulation or except as herein otherwise provided, the Building Inspector shall administer and enforce all of the provisions of laws, ordinances and regulations applicable to all plumbing and drainage work and heating equipment installations in the City, but shall not issue a permit until a building permit is first obtained from the Building Inspector on any new construction or alteration exceeding $2,000 for plumbing or drainage work, unless for modifications of floors, walls, or ceilings or creating a new space.
(1)
No building permit is required to be submitted for replacement of existing boilers or furnaces, or near boiler piping.
(2)
A building permit is required when new heating systems are installed, or there are modifications of floors, walls, ceilings, or creating a new space, or if a new chimney is installed.
(b)
Permits; certificates; fees. The Building Inspector shall issue all permits for plumbing, drainage or heating work and certificates of approval and charge the fees as established by the Common Council.
(c)
Revocation of permit or certificate. The Building Inspector may revoke a permit or certificate of approval if there is a violation of any provision of this article or any false statement or misrepresentation in the application, plans or specifications.
(d)
Inspection, approval of work. The Building Inspector shall inspect the construction and alteration of all plumbing and heating work performed in the City pursuant to the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code applicable to plumbing and heating. (S)he shall inspect the installation or replacement of all gas and oil heating equipment, including gas piping. No connections shall be made to water within his or her jurisdiction. (S)he shall inspect all water meters and reading devices to determine compliance with the applicable sections of this Code of Ordinances. No certificate of occupancy shall be granted by the Building Inspector until final inspection and approval of the plumbing and/or heating work and water meters and reading devices by the Building Inspector. Application for final inspection must be made by the plumber or permit holder within 10 days after the plumbing or heating work has been completed. (S)he will inspect, at the request of the Commissioner of Public Works or City Engineer, waste water and storm drainage laterals to determine compliance with applicable sections of Chapter 14 1/2 of this Code and construction standards established by the City Engineer. The Building Inspector shall make a monthly report, in writing, to the City Administrator and the Plumbing Board, for plumbing work, of his or her inspections and the results thereof.
(e)
Issuance of notices or orders. The Building Inspector shall issue appropriate notices or orders to correct unsanitary or defective conditions, to remove illegal or unsafe conditions, to require the necessary safeguards during construction and to ensure compliance during the entire course of construction with the requirements of such laws, ordinances or regulations.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
The Building Inspector shall keep permanent official records of all transactions and activities conducted by him, including all applications received, permits and certificates issued, fees charged and collected, inspection reports and notices and orders issued. All such records shall be public records pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 12-19-1991, § 5; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a)
Wherever the Building Inspector is required to issue a permit for any building construction or for the alteration, repair or replacement of any building or parts thereof, the Building Inspector or his or her duly appointed subordinate shall see that the plumbing, drainage and heating details are set forth on all plans and specifications to be submitted to the Building Inspector prior to the issuance of the building permit. For all work which requires a building permit, the fees, as set forth in Section 6-26, shall be paid by the building contractor or owner before the plumbing or heating permit is issued by the Building Inspector.
(b)
The City Engineer shall not issue a permit to anyone to connect with the sewers or with the water mains unless such person has obtained and shall produce a certificate of competency from the Building Inspector or is a qualified infrastructure contractor, as defined in Section 6-158(d) of the City Code.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 12-19-1991, § 6; Ord. of 7-20-1992, § 2; Ord. of 6-6-1994, § 3; Ord. of 6-6-1996, § 2; Ord. No. O-06-2, § 4; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a)
Plumbing work. Before any plumbing work requiring authorization according to the provisions of this article shall be started, a permit shall be obtained from the Building Inspector, except that no such permit shall be required for repairs involving only the working parts of a faucet or valve, the clearance of stoppages or stopping of leaks or the replacement of a defective faucet or valve. This permit shall be obtained by the master plumber who or whose firm has been employed to do the plumbing work or by a homeowner as provided in Subsection (b) below.
(b)
Homeowner's plumbing permit. The owner of a one- or two-family owner-occupied dwelling used exclusively for residential purposes may obtain a permit to perform plumbing work as provided in this subsection. To obtain a permit a homeowner must satisfactorily pass a plumbing examination created by the Building Inspector pursuant to the guidelines as set forth in Section 6-136(b) of this chapter. This examination shall be required only for the first permit applied for by a homeowner and not thereafter. A homeowner will be limited, under this permit, to plumbing performed within building lines only. No work under the homeowner's plumbing permit shall be performed on sanitary sewers, water service lines, water meters or gas piping or on any public right-of-way or within any City street. As a condition to a permit being issued for plumbing work performed by a homeowner, the homeowner must certify to the Building Inspector that he/she will comply with New York State law.
(c)
Septic tanks or cesspools. Special permission must be obtained from Dutchess County Board of Health and the Superintendent of Public Works for the installation of septic tanks or cesspools before a permit can be issued by the Building Inspector. Septic tanks and cesspools not otherwise provided for by this article shall be in accordance with Bulletin No. 1, New York State Department of Health.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said bulletin is available in the City offices.
(d)
Heating equipment. Before any heating work requiring authorization according to the provisions of this article shall be started, a heating permit shall be obtained from the Building Inspector, except that no such heating permits shall be required for heating repairs involving the working parts of a control or parts in the heating system, the installation of baseboard heat radiators, convectors and interconnecting piping, except for connection of water and heat piping to the heating equipment, and the repair and servicing of oil and gas heat-producing equipment. No heating permit shall be required for the installation of water heaters, except for installation of gas or oil piping and flue piping. However, a plumbing permit shall be required for the connection of the water heater to the potable water system. Any gas or oil heat-producing equipment installation or replacement shall require a heating permit. This permit shall be obtained by a heating contractor, licensed to do work pursuant to Section 6-179 of this chapter, who or whose firm has been employed to do the heating work. Oil and gas installation shall be conducted in accordance with the standards of the National Fire Prevention Association and the standards of the New York State Fire Prevention and Building Code.
(e)
Water connections. Before any water connection on heat producing equipment is performed, a water connection permit shall be obtained from the Building Inspector. This permit shall be obtained by a person or firm who is licensed to install heat-producing equipment pursuant to Section 6-179 of this chapter and who has been issued a special permit limited to water connections to heat producing equipment pursuant to Section 6-176 of this chapter.
(f)
Penalty. Any person, business, partnership or corporation who violates any provisions of this section shall be liable for a penalty of $500 per day of violation or imprisonment not exceeding six months. For the purposes of § 80.10 of the Penal Law, this shall constitute a special corporate fine.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 12-19-1991; § 7; Ord. of 7-20-1992, § 3; Ord. of 3-15-1993, § 2; Ord. of 5-1-1995, § 2; Ord. of 6-6-1996, § 3; Ord. No. O-08-18, § 1; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a)
Permits for plumbing work shall be issued by a Building Inspector to licensed and registered master plumbers and to any person now authorized under Section 6-145 to perform plumbing work in one- and two-family dwellings as set forth in that section.
(b)
Permits for installing new or replacement oil or gas heat-producing equipment shall be issued by the Building Inspector. Said permit shall be issued to individuals or firms licensed to make such installation by the Building Inspector, pursuant to Section 6-179 of this chapter and to any person now authorized under Section 6-145 to perform said work.
(c)
Special permits for plumbing work may be issued by the Building Inspector to any person holding a master plumber's license issued by a municipality of the State of New York, which has adopted the standards of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code applicable to plumbing to perform a specific job of plumbing work in the City of Poughkeepsie. Such permit may be granted without examination, upon application to the Building Inspector and upon the payment of a fee of $350 for each job. Such permit, and the work performed thereunder, shall be subject to the other provisions of this Code and shall expire when the specified job is completed. Limit of three permits per calendar year.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 12-19-1991, § 8; Ord. of 7-20-1992, § 4]
(a)
No permit shall be issued until specifications and plans showing necessary details of all water pipe, sewer pipe, plumbing fixtures, heating equipment and necessary heating piping have been submitted to the Building Inspector by the plumbing contractor, heating contractor, architect, engineer or owner, and these plans have been approved and signed by the Building Inspector.
[Amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(b)
If the plans indicate that any provisions of this article are not being complied with, they shall be rejected and no permit issued until they have been revised to comply with this article.
(c)
If in the course of the work it is found necessary to make any change from the approved plans, specifications or work, revised plans and specifications shall be submitted and a supplementary permit shall be issued to cover the change before any part of the change is commenced.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 5-21-1990, § 2; Ord. of 12-19-1991, § 9; Ord. of 7-20-1992, § 5; Ord. of 5-1-1995, § 3; Ord. of 12-4-1997, § 2; Ord. of 5-28-2002, §§ 1, 2; Ord. of 12-6-2004; Ord. No. O-11-01, 1-3-2011, § 5]
A fee schedule shall be established by resolution of the Common Council of this City. Such fee schedule may thereafter be amended from time to time by like resolution. The fees set forth in, or determined in accordance with, such fee schedule or amended fee schedule shall be charged and collected for the issuance of all permits and/or certificates issued by the Department of Development pursuant to the administration of the Plumbing Code and the administration of plumbing standards of New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 6-6-1994, § 4; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
Upon receipt of written notice from the Building Inspector, the owner or lessee of real property shall be required to correct, within three days, any and all unsanitary or defective conditions which are likely to have an immediate detrimental effect upon the public health. He shall also correct, upon proper notice and within the time specified by the Building Inspector, other unsanitary or defective conditions which may over a period of time have an immediate detrimental effect upon public health. Any person, business, partnership or corporation who violates this section shall be liable for a penalty of $100 and, for a continuation of such violation, to an additional penalty of $10 per day or imprisonment of nor more than six months.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 5-6-1980, § 2; Ord. of 12-17-1991, § 10; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
The Building Inspector or his/her subordinate or representative shall have the right to inspect any plumbing or heating system at such time as may be deemed necessary to protect the public health from an immediate danger. All other inspections shall be made at a reasonable time, in accordance with Section 6-29.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; Ord. of 12-19-1991, § 11; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
Upon the satisfactory completion and final inspection of the plumbing or heating system, a certificate of approval shall be issued by the Building Inspector to the owner.
[Ord. of 8-6-1973, § 1; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
Any master plumber or owner of real property upon which plumbing work pursuant to this Code is being undertaken who shall feel aggrieved by any action or ruling of the Building Inspector in connection with plumbing work may appeal said action or ruling to the Plumbing Board. Said appeal shall be in writing and shall be made in accordance with the procedures to be prescribed by the Plumbing Board. The decision of the Plumbing Board on such appeal shall be final.
[Ord. of 9-7-1993, § 3; Ord. of 5-1-1995, § 4; Ord. of 6-18-1998, §§ 1, 2]
(a)
Water meters. All water meters must be procured from the City of Poughkeepsie and shall be the property of the City of Poughkeepsie. All meters shall be installed at the expense of the property owner in such location, position and manner as to be readily accessible for reading and repair and kept free from obstruction and shall be fully protected from freezing and damage at the property owner's expense. Remote reading devices may be installed by the city at locations on the outside surfaces of buildings, suitable to the city's building system, and may not be removed or damaged. Cables and/or wires connecting such devices with the meter shall be protected from damage by the property owner. A penalty of $100 will be imposed when a meter up to two inches or $200 for a meter larger than two inches is damaged by freezing or other negligence on the part of the property owner of the premises and/or when a remote reading cable and/or head is damaged by the property owner's negligence. Such penalty shall be in addition to the actual cost incurred by the city for the repair or replacement of the damaged meter. Said penalty and cost shall be charged against the land on which the building exists, as a municipal lien, or shall be added to the tax roll assessment or shall be levied as a special tax against the land upon which the building stands or shall be recovered in a suit at law against the owner. All meters, cables, remote reading heads and all other equipment accessory to the meters shall be under the exclusive control and be subject to inspection at all times by the Building Inspector, City Water Department and/or other agents authorized by the City of Poughkeepsie. The Building Inspector shall have the power and authority to cite any violations of this or any other chapter of the Code of Ordinances relative to water meters as authorized in Section 6-142 of this chapter.
[Amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(b)
Master pits. All underground meter pits and backflow preventor pits must be constructed to City of Poughkeepsie specifications. Copies can be obtained from the Engineering Department. Pits must be kept free of debris and garbage and accumulation of water. When any water meter two inches or less in size that is located in a pit must be replaced, the water meter must be raised at least 18 inches from ground level upon replacement. A violation of this section will result in a civil penalty or fine of $100 for each week the violation remains unabated.
(c)
Bypasses. Meters that are installed inside buildings cannot have a bypass. A violation of this section shall result in a civil penalty or fine of $250.
[Amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(d)
Duty to disconnect the water supply and water meter ready devices. It shall be the duty of any owner, agent or operator of a building to disconnect or shut off the connection to the city water supply and remove the water meter and reading device and return said meter and device to the city within 10 days after such building has been vacated, if so directed by the Building Department. Where an order to vacate has been served on the owner, agent, operator or occupant of such building, as provided in Section 6-35, the notice may state that the owner, agent or operator shall make such disconnection and furnish such certificate within 10 days after vacation of the premises. If the provisions of this section are not complied with, the Building Inspector may serve written notice upon the owner, agent or operator of such building to comply with the provisions of said section. Such written notice shall be sent by certified mail to such owner, agent or operator, or if such owner, agent or operator is unknown, such notice may be affixed to or posted upon said building. Such notice shall require compliance with the provisions of this section within 48 hours after the date of mailing or posting of such notice as aforesaid. If the person upon whom such notice is served fails, neglects or refuses to disconnect or shut off the water supply and water meter from such premises within 48 hours after the date of mailing or posting of such notice, the Building Inspector shall notify the Water Department to disconnect the water supply and water meter. The actual cost to the city of disconnecting the water supply and water meter, plus a sum equal to 5% of such cost for inspection and other additional costs in connection therewith, shall be certified by the Building Inspector and the Water Department to the Commissioner of Finance. The amount thereof shall become a lien upon the property, and the total amount thereof shall be added to and become a part of the next annual assessment roll at the time and in the manner prescribed by the Charter and/or Code of Ordinances of the city and subject to all the provisions thereof.
[Amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
[Ord. of 9-7-1993, § 4; Ord. of 6-18-1998, § 3; amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a)
All water passing through a meter will be charged for, whether used or wasted. Meters will be tested at the property owner's request if the city believes there are reasonable grounds to establish that the meter is functioning improperly. If the meter is found to be accurate, the owner shall bear the expense of the test. A meter may be tested for accuracy at the discretion of the City of Poughkeepsie. Should a meter of a size two inches or less be found to be inaccurate, the city shall replace the meter or bear the cost of repair. Should a meter of a size greater than two inches be found to be inaccurate, the property owner shall, upon written notification by the Building Inspector, have said meter repaired or replaced within 15 days of such notice at the property owner's expense. Upon the failure of the owner to repair or replace the meter as ordered by the Building Inspector, the city shall be authorized to repair or replace the meter. The actual cost for repair or replacement of the meter and a service charge of 25% of the actual cost of repair or replacement shall be certified by the Building Inspector to the Commissioner of Finance and the amount thereof shall thereupon become a lien upon the property on which such meter is located and the total amount thereof shall be added to and become part of the next annual assessment roll at the time and in the manner prescribed by the Charter and/or Code of the city. In addition, failure to repair or replace the meter on a nonresidential property within 15 days shall result in the shutoff of the water to the property until the meter is repaired or replaced. In all cases the property owner must arrange for and bear the cost of installation of the meter. If a meter gets out of order and fails to register correctly, the owner will be charged the average daily consumption as shown by the meter when in accurate working condition under circumstances comparable to the time period being estimated.
(b)
Property owners with meter(s) of a size greater than two inches shall be required to provide the city access to have the meter(s) tested and calibrated from time to time, at the city's discretion. The Building Inspector shall make the necessary arrangements to have the meters tested and calibrated by an American Water Works Association (AWWA) certified company, which must provide written certification to the Building Inspector within 30 days of the testing and calibration that the meter has been tested and calibrated and meets AWWA accuracy standards. Upon the failure of a property owner to provide the city access for said testing and calibration, the Building Inspector shall refer the matter to the Corporation Counsel to obtain a court order allowing access for this purpose.
[Ord. of 9-7-1993, § 5]
(a)
No person shall interfere or tamper in any way with the meter or meter accessories or the valves and fittings connected thereto. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty or fine of $100 for a water meter of two-inch size or less and $200 for a water meter larger than two inches.
(b)
Appropriate language, giving notice of the conduct prohibited by this section, shall be imprinted on all water bills in letters of the same size as the billing information.
[Ord. of 9-7-1993, § 6]
(a)
It shall be unlawful for any unauthorized person to willfully deface, mar, injure, disturb, break or destroy the seal of any water meter in the City of Poughkeepsie. Violation of this section shall be punishable by a civil penalty or fine of $250 in the case of a meter of two inches or less and $500 in the case of a meter of more than two inches.
[Amended 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(b)
Appropriate language, giving notice of the conduct prohibited by this section, shall be imprinted on all water bills in letters of the same size as the billing information.
[Ord. of 9-7-1993, § 7]
No person or persons are permitted to open any fire plug or hydrant to draw water so as to bypass the water meter of any premises receiving the benefit of the water except under the direction of or with authorization of the city. Any violation of this section shall result in a civil penalty or fine of $100 for each incident of such prohibited use.
[Ord. No. O-13-06, 7-8-2013, § 1]
Effective from the date of passage of this section, the City, or agents of the City, shall replace all nonconforming water meters at its own expense. The City, or any agent of the City, shall be granted access to any building, dwelling or structure to replace all nonconforming water meters. Any property owner, or any employee or agent of any property owner, who fails to provide access to their property or otherwise interferes with the installation of new meters shall pay a surcharge of 100% on all water billings until such time as the nonconforming water meter has been replaced, plus the cost of installation of the new meter.
[Added 11-6-2023 by L.L. No. 6-2023]
(a)
Purpose and intent:
(1)
Protect the public water supply served by the City of Poughkeepsie from the possibility of contamination or pollution which could backflow or back-siphon into the public water system.
(2)
Promote elimination or control of existing cross-connections, actual or potential, between its customer's potable water system and nonpotable systems.
(3)
Provide for maintenance of a continuing program of cross-connection control which will effectively prevent the contamination or pollution of all potable water systems by cross-connection.
(b)
Backflow preventers must be installed on all service lines from the City's water supply system in all commercial buildings, multiple-family buildings and those one- and two-family residential buildings that may require such devices, whether they are occupied or vacant, as long as City water is being supplied to these properties. All fire lines must be protected by at least a double check valve. The make, model and type of device, which will depend on the degree of hazard, must be on the current listing of acceptable devices issued by the New York State Department of Health and meet City of Poughkeepsie Building and Engineering Department specifications.
(c)
Unless otherwise specified, a backflow-prevention device(s) shall be installed at the official water meter on the user side of flow.
(d)
All backflow-prevention devices shall be furnished, installed, tested, protected and maintained by the property owner at his/her own expense. Installation and replacement of all backflow-prevention devices shall be done by an approved City of Poughkeepsie licensed plumber and a permit issued by the Building Inspector for said work.
(e)
If a required backflow device is not installed within 60 days of certified-mail notice to a property owner requiring it to install a required device, the delivery of water to the property may be discontinued by the City of Poughkeepsie Water System Operator.
(f)
After installation, all backflow-prevention devices shall be tested in place by a certified backflow-prevention device tester and inspected by the Building Inspector or authorized representative. The tester's certification report shall be furnished to the City's approved backflow device management company within 10 days after the test has been performed. A new service line will not be put into service before certification is received and approved by the Building Inspector, City Engineer and City of Poughkeepsie Water System Operator.
(g)
Yearly tests shall be performed on each RPZ and DCV backflow-prevention device by a certified backflow-prevention device tester to ensure continued reliability. The tester's report shall be forwarded to the City's approved backflow device management company within 10 days after the test has been performed.
(h)
Any backflow-prevention device which fails to function properly shall be repaired or replaced within 30 days or as directed by the Building Inspector, City Engineer and City of Poughkeepsie Water System Operator and tested after the repair or replacement by a certified backflow-prevention device tester. The tester's written report shall be forwarded to the City's approved backflow device management company within 10 days after the test has been performed.
(i)
If a required recertification is not done within 30 days of certified-mail notice to do so, the water supply to the property may be discontinued by the City of Poughkeepsie Water System Operator.
(j)
If it is determined by the Building Inspector, City Engineer, City of Pouhgkeepsie Water System Operator, the Dutches County Department of Health or the New York State Department of Health that the failure to install or maintain required backflow prevention presents an imminent public health hazard, water supply to the property may be immediately discontinued by the City of Poughkeepsie Water System Operator, which shall give notice thereof to the property owner as promptly as is practicable under the circumstances.
(l)
Procedure for serving notices. Notices required pursuant to this section shall be served in the following manner: