[Added 12-9-2008]
The purpose of the sewer bank is to allow limited expansion
of sewers while decreasing the burden on an overtaxed sewer system.
The Taunton sewer system currently experiences overflows during times
of high groundwater and heavy rainfall, and allowing additional flow
into the system without reductions in extraneous flow would worsen
the problem. The sewer bank will ensure that groundwater and rainfall,
or infiltration/inflow (I/I), will be removed in sufficient amounts
to allow additional sanitary sewage to be discharged to the system.
A.
The sewer bank is a method of determining the quantity of sanitary
sewer (wastewater) flows that can be added to the system as a function
of how much I/I has been removed from the system. The unit of measurement
for the sewer bank shall be gallons per day (gpd) of maximum daily
wastewater flow. Each gpd of wastewater maximum daily flow shall be
considered one credit. When I/I is removed from the system, the bank
will be credited in gallons of maximum daily wastewater flow. When
connections are made to the sewer system, the flows will be deducted
from the sewer bank.
B.
Infiltration/inflow reduction credits to the sewer bank shall be
calculated from April 15, 2005. Wastewater flow debits from the sewer
bank shall be calculated from July 1, 2008.
C.
The City will add flow to the sewer bank for work done in reducing
I/I to the sewer system. For illegally connected sump pumps, the City
will add 500 gpd of flow to the sewer bank for each permanently redirected
sump pump. For all other reduction projects the City will add one
gallon of flow to the sewer bank for every five gallons of I/I removed.
Wastewater design flows shall be calculated based on the most recent
version of Massachusetts Title V Regulations (310 CMR 15.203). Maximum
daily wastewater flows from facilities not listed in Title V shall
be calculated by a licensed professional engineer in the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts and submitted for approval by the Commissioner of
Public Works. When the City permits/approves extensions and/or connections
to the sewer system the City will reduce the sewer bank by the approved
design flow. The extensions and/or connections also apply to the intermunicipal
agreements.
D.
The sewer bank shall be administered by the Commissioner of Public
Works. Changes and exceptions to the administration procedures shall
be at the discretion of the Commissioner, with the approval of the
Municipal Council. The Commissioner shall be responsible for crediting
and debiting the sewer bank and for keeping copies of all sewer bank
transactions.
A.
All construction activities resulting in additional wastewater flow
to the City sewer system shall be subject to the requirements of the
sewer bank. This includes, but is not limited to, new connections
to the sewer system, expansion/renovation of existing buildings, and
construction of additional buildings on existing lots. Expansion and/or
renovation of an existing single-family residential home is exempt
from this article.
B.
The sewer bank is established for lots located inside the existing
sewer area and for those lots existing within the prioritized needs
area as established in the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan
published July 2005. All lots existing outside the needs area shall
be serviced by means of on-lot treatment and disposal systems, as
required by the Title V State Environmental Code (310 CMR 15) and
shall not be connected to the City's sewer system. The owner of a
lot located outside of the sewer area wishing to connect to the City
sewer system may file a notice of project change with MEPA per 301
CMR 11.10(1). The owner shall meet all requirements of MADEP and must
also receive approval from the Taunton DPW and the Municipal Council
in order to be allowed to connect to the sewer system. Any owner receiving
approval to connect through this process shall be subject to the fees
established in this article.
C.
Applications for connection to the sewer system shall be reviewed
on a first-come-first-served basis. If there are limited credits available
in the sewer bank, existing buildings will be given first opportunity
to connect.
A.
Sewer connections may only be made when the sewer bank has a positive
balance, indicating that there is available capacity in the system.
If there is insufficient capacity available to accommodate the flows
generated by the new connection, the connection cannot be made until
sufficient capacity is achieved. If the sewer bank has insufficient
capacity to accommodate a new connection, the owner may petition the
Taunton DPW for a project that will satisfy the requirements of a
five-to-one ratio of I/I removed to maximum daily wastewater added.
The City shall identify a project of sufficient scope to satisfy the
sewer bank balance. The City shall be responsible for identifying
a new project that meets the requirements of the applicant for a new
connection. The City shall contract the required work with an outside
independent contractor. The applicant shall not be allowed to connect
to the sewer system until the sewer bank has been properly replenished
to accommodate the applicant's new connection.
B.
The owner may petition the Commissioner to undertake a potable water
use reduction project in lieu of contributing to the I/I fund or undertaking
an individual I/I project. Water use reduction projects shall consist
of the supply and replacement of existing standard water fixtures
(toilets, shower heads, faucets, etc.) with low-flow equivalents,
thereby reducing the amount of flow contributed to the sewer system.
All low-flow fixtures must carry USEPA's WaterSense label. The City
and the owner shall enter into a contract to govern the execution
of a water use reduction project. The scope of the water use reduction
project shall be designed to achieve a cost that is nearly equal to
the cost that would be otherwise required by using the established
I/I fee. This is necessary as water use reduction projects can vary
significantly in cost due to the variability of the work to be performed,
e.g., cost difference between a low-flow shower head versus a low-flow
toilet. Every water use reduction project shall achieve at least a
one-for-one reduction. No crediting or debiting of the sewer bank
shall be made for a water use reduction project. Water use reduction
calculations must be certified by a licensed professional engineer
in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and approved by the Commissioner
of Public Works. Owners completing eligible water use reduction projects
shall be exempt from the I/I removal fee.
Any existing building within the existing sewer area or needs
area with an on-site wastewater system that is deemed by the Taunton
Board of Health to be a threat to public health shall be allowed to
connect to the sewer system immediately, regardless of the balance
of the sewer bank. Applicable permits shall be required. I/I removal
fees shall still apply.
A.
The standard I/I removal fee shall be $5 per gpd of wastewater flow
removed from the sewer bank. The I/I fee shall be deposited in a revolving
account to be used only for improvements to the City's sewer and stormwater
systems. The City Auditor is hereby authorized to establish a revolving
fund to accomplish said objectives.
B.
Residents may request a reduced fee if they meet all of the following
requirements:
(1)
Homeowner must be over 65 years of age.
(2)
Homeowner must have been a resident of Taunton for a minimum of 20
years.
(3)
Homeowner must be able to demonstrate that he/she belongs under the
low-income category (i.e., low-income families are defined as families
whose income does not exceed 80% of the median income for the City
of Taunton).
C.
Residents meeting all of the above requirements shall not be assessed
the removal fee for wastewater flow removed from the sewer bank.
Should the elimination of the combined sewer overflow structure
(located on West Water Street) occur and the hydraulic capacity of
the sewer system be restored to a condition that will protect the
public's health and safety and function in a manner that will convey
wastewater in an efficient manner within the standard guidelines common
to engineering practice as required by the regulatory agencies of
appropriate jurisdiction, then this article shall be terminated as
approved by order the Municipal Council.
