[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Belvidere 3-2-1981 by Ord. No. 81-9 (Ch. 130 of the 1987 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34]
A municipal sanitary sewer utility is hereby established within the Town of Belvidere in the County of Warren and the State of New Jersey for the regulation and use of sewers, to ensure the proper operation and the protection and preservation of the system, to fix the amount and charges therefor and to provide rules and regulations therefor. Such system, including any pumping stations, appurtenant structures, works and fixtures relating thereto and all extensions and improvements thereof situate in and constructed or acquired at public expense by the Town of Belvidere, shall hereafter be operated, maintained, managed and controlled by the Town Council of the Town of Belvidere as a publicly owned sewer utility and shall, for accounting purposes, be a separate entity having its own borrowing capacity, its own separate accounts and its own separate property, whether real, personal or mixed, within the meaning of N.J.S.A. 40A:4-33 and N.J.S.A. 40:63-1 et seq., amendments thereof and supplements thereto and all other provisions of other laws applicable.
The sanitary sewer utility system for the Town of Belvidere shall be known as the "Town of Belvidere Sewer Utility System."
A. 
Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AGENT
In the absence of instructions from the owner of any property or premises, or his duly authorized agent, to the contrary, the occupant of any property or premises insofar as the owner's relations to the Town may be concerned, with respect to sanitary sewer uses and existing services.
BOARD OF HEALTH
The Town of Belvidere Board of Health, or its duly authorized agency.
BOD (BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND)
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days at 20° C., expressed in milligrams per liter.
BUILDING SEWER
A sewer pipe, including fittings, which carries wastewater from a building of any kind to the sewer house connection.
CFR
Code of Federal Regulations as published by the office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration.
CHLORINE DEMAND
The quantity of chlorine which must be added per unit volume to produce a residual chlorine concentration of 2.0 milligrams per liter after 15 minutes under standard laboratory conditions, expressed in milligrams per liter.
COD (CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND)
A measure of the oxygen-consuming capacity of inorganic and organic matter present in water or wastewater.
COMMERCIAL CONCERN
Any concern engaged in service, trade, traffic or commerce in general, including concerns which provide recreational and municipal services (industrial concerns are excluded).
COMPATIBLE POLLUTANT
Biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, pH and fecal coliform bacteria, plus such additional pollutants as the wastewater treatment plant is capable of removing to a substantial degree.
DEVELOPER
Any person, firm, association or corporation desiring to construct an extension or addition to the wastewater system, including the owner of the fee title, mortgage and any other persons having an interest, legal or equitable, in the property.
DWELLING, MULTIFAMILY
A building occupied or intended for occupancy as separate living quarters by two or more families or two or more households.
[Added 12-4-1989 by Ord. No. 89-22]
DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY
A building occupied or intended for occupancy by one family or one household.
[Added 12-4-1989 by Ord. No. 89-22]
EPA
The United States Environmental Protection Agency.
FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA
That group of coliform bacteria associated with the presence of human wastes.
FWPCAA
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972.
GARBAGE
Solid waste from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.
GRADE
The rise or fall of a line of pipe in reference to a horizontal plane, usually expressed in inches per foot.
GREASE INTERCEPTOR (GREASE TRAP)
A receptacle designed to separate and retain grease, oil and other fatty substances from wastes.
HOUSE CONNECTION
Any pipe in a public street or alley which terminates at or near the curbline or edge of street pavement, together with necessary connections from the lateral sewer or interceptor sewer, to and including the street cleanout, conveying wastewater from a building sewer to the sewer system.
[Amended 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34]
INCOMPATIBLE POLLUTANT
Any pollutant which is not a compatible pollutant as defined herein.
INDUSTRIAL CONCERN
Any concern engaged primarily in a manufacturing or processing operation, or in research and development activities.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE
The liquid wastes from industrial processes as distinct from sanitary sewage.
INSPECTOR
A duly designated person assigned by the Town to issue connection permits and/or check upon the construction of house connections, sanitary sewers and such other duties as may be determined pursuant to this chapter.
INSTITUTE
Any charitable, hospital, relief, training, correctional, reformatory or public institution.
INTERCEPTOR SEWER
Any pipes or conduits and appurtenances which are primarily designed to collect wastewater from all the sewers within a drainage area.
LATERAL SEWER
Any pipe or conduit and appurtenances situated in a public or private road, easement, right-of-way or private property by consent of the owner which collects sewage from individual house sewer connections.
NATURAL OUTLET
Any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface or ground water.
NPDES
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The system for issuing, conditioning and denying permits for the discharge of pollutants from point sources.
OWNER
Any person, persons, firm, corporation or association actually owning any property or premises or his or their duly authorized agent, which is or can be prospectively supplied with sanitary sewer service.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation or group.
pH
The logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
PRETREATMENT
Any sewage process or processes that are required to provide a discharge to sewers that will conform to the requirements of this chapter.
PRIVATE SEWER SYSTEM
The sewer system privately owned, as distinct from the Town of Belvidere sewer system or other public sewer system.
SAND INTERCEPTOR
An interceptor designed and constructed to intercept and prevent the passage of sand into a drainage system.
SANITARY SEWER
An appurtenance which carries or is intended to carry wastewater and into which storm-, surface and ground water are not intentionally admitted.
SCAVENGER WASTES
The suitably conditioned human excrement in a fluid state, and this only when such material is collected from septic tanks, cesspools or approved-type of chemical toilets and sewage sludge from small sewage treatment plants.
SEWER
A pipe or conduit carrying or intended to carry wastewater.
SEWER SYSTEM
All pipes, conduits, manholes, siphons, pumping and ejecting facilities, force mains and other appurtenances installed on public roads or other public property, rights-of-way, easements or private property by consent of the owner, within the boundaries of the Town of Belvidere, for the express purpose of collecting wastewater, owned and maintained by the Town of Belvidere or its authorized agents. It also includes any such system installed by any private individual, firm, corporation, partnership or public agency within the boundaries of the Town of Belvidere where the provisions of this chapter are applicable by reason of the valid consent of the owner or operator of said system, or any such system installed or maintained beyond the boundaries of the Town of Belvidere where the provisions of this chapter are applicable by reason of the valid consent of the municipality in which such system is situated.
SEWER SYSTEM CONSULTING ENGINEER
The duly appointed Consulting Engineer for the Town of Belvidere to provide professional engineering services for the sewer system.
SIC NUMBER
The Standard Industrial Classification code number.
STORM SEWER or STORM DRAIN
A sewer which carries storm- and surface waters and drainage.
STREET
Any and all streets, avenues, highways and roads whether or not publicly used, dedicated or accepted by the municipality.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
Solids that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in, water, wastewater or other liquids, and which are removable by filtering as prescribed in the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water, Sewage and Industrial Waste, American Public Health Association.
TOWN OR ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY
The Town Council of the Town of Belvidere, the Town of Belvidere or the duly authorized agent, servant, employee or representative of the Town of Belvidere.
USER
Any person who discharges, causes or permits the discharge of wastewater into the public sewers.
WASTE
Sewage and any and all other waste substances, liquid, solids, gaseous or radioactive, associated with human habitation, or of human or animal origin, or from any producing, manufacturing or processing operation of whatever nature, including such waste placed within containers of whatever nature prior to, and for purposes of, disposal.
WASTEWATER
A combination of water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, institutions, industrial establishments and other buildings or places.
WASTEWATER CONSTITUENTS AND CHARACTERISTICS
The individual chemical, physical, bacteriological and radiological parameters, including volume and flow rate and such other parameters that serve to define, classify or measure the contents, quality, quantity and strength of wastewater.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
Any arrangement of devices and structures used for the treating of wastewater in and/or outside of the Town.
WATERCOURSE
A channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continually or intermittently.
WC(PR)MUA
The Warren County (Pequest River) Municipal Utilities Authority, the regional sewer system to which the Town of Belvidere sewer system shall discharge.
B. 
Usage. The singular includes the plural; the masculine includes the feminine; and "it" includes any person. "May" is permissive; "shall" is mandatory.
A. 
The management and the affairs of the sewer utility shall be handled by the Town Council, and said Town Council shall make such rules and regulations not inconsistent with this chapter as such Council shall from time to time deem necessary.
B. 
The Town Council shall appoint a Sewer Appeal Committee which shall consist of three Council members and the Sewer Utility Clerk. The Appeal Committee shall be responsible for the review of written complaints received from citizen(s) of the Town of Belvidere regarding their sewer user charge calculation and/or sewer connection time requirements, and such other related matters as the Town Council may request it to consider. The Appeal Committee, after reviewing the written complaint, shall report its recommendations to the Town Council. The Town Council shall make a final decision as to matters considered by the Appeal Committee.
[Added 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34]
C. 
The Town Council shall appoint from time to time such employees as it shall deem necessary for the proper administration of the business of said sewer utility.
D. 
The salary of all of the employees of the sewer utility shall be in such amount as shall be fixed by a Salary Ordinance of the Town Council from time to time.
E. 
All authorized employees or agents of the Town shall have the right to enter any buildings or premises, at reasonable hours, for the purposes of, but not limited to, inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, repair and maintenance of any portion of the sewage works and to carry out any and all other provisions of this chapter.
It shall be unlawful to discharge into any natural outlet within the Town or in or upon any area under the jurisdiction of said Town any sanitary sewage, industrial wastes or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with this chapter.
A. 
The owner of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment or recreation or other purposes, situated within the Town and abutting on or having a permanent right of access to any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is located a public sanitary sewer of the Town shall at his expense:
(1) 
Install suitable toilet facilities therein.
(2) 
Connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter within 180 days after the date of official notice from the Town to so do, provided that said public sewer is within 200 feet of any property line.
B. 
At such time as a public sewer becomes available to a property served by an individual subsurface sewage disposal system, as provided in Board of Health ordinance, Sewage Disposal Systems, Individual, a direct connection shall be made to the public sewer in compliance with this chapter, and any septic tanks, cesspools and similar individual sewage disposal facilities shall be abandoned or removed or filled with suitable materials as directed by the Health Officer.
C. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of Subsection B, the Town may, for a period of one year and at its discretion from year to year thereafter, waive the requirements thereof relating to immediate sewer connections of dwellings with the comprehensive sanitary sewer system.
It shall be unlawful to make any connection to the sewer without first obtaining a written permit from the Town as provided in this chapter, and such connections shall be made by a licensed plumber under the direction and supervision of the Plumbing Inspector or his representative and in the manner hereinafter set forth.
A. 
All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer and house connection where not provided shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the Town from any loss or damage that may indirectly or directly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer. The maintenance of the building sewer shall be the responsibility of the owner of the property served.
[Amended 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34]
B. 
If, after the expiration of said 180 days from date of official notification, the owner of any property affected by the provisions of this chapter has failed to install such sanitary and waste facilities and/or to make such sewer connection as required herein, after receiving official notice requiring such action as hereinbefore provided, the Town may cause such installation or connection to be made under the direction and supervision of the Inspector, or award one or more contracts for the making of such improvements to any person, firm or partnership who are licensed plumbers in the State of New Jersey authorized to perform work on sanitary sewers.
C. 
Before proceeding to make any such installation or connection, the Town shall cause notice of such contemplated installation or connection to be given the owner of any properties affected thereby. The notice shall contain a description of the property affected, sufficiently defined in terms to identify it, as well as a description of the required installation or connection and notice that unless the installation or connection shall be completed within 30 days after the service thereof, the Town will proceed to make such installation or connection or cause the same to be done, pursuant to the authority of Subsection B hereof. The notice shall be served in accordance with New Jersey Statutes Chapter 63 of Title 40, P.L. 1937, N.J.S.A. 40:63.5 et seq.
D. 
When any such sanitary and waste facility installation or sewer connection shall be made by the Town, a true and accurate account to the cost and expense shall be kept and apportioned in the property or the properties thereby connected with the sewers, and a true statement of such costs under oath shall be forthwith filed with the Clerk of the Town of Belvidere. The Town Clerk shall examine the same, and if properly made, shall confirm it and file such statement with the Tax Collector of the Town who shall record the installation of the sewer connection.
E. 
Every such installation or sewer connection charge payable in two equal annual installments shall bear interest and penalties from the same time and at the same rate as assessment for local improvements in the Town and from the time of confirmation shall be a lien against the respective property or properties so connected with the sewer to the same extent as assessments for local improvements, and shall be collected and enforced in the same manner.
F. 
No such charge for sanitary and waste installations or sewer connections shall be invalid by reason of any error or omission in stating the name of the owner or owners of properties affected by such installations or sewer connections, or for any other informality where such property or real estate has actually been improved by such installation or sewer connection.
G. 
Installation of building connections: work performed on public property.
[Amended 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34]
(1) 
Where there is no house connection available, the property owner shall, prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, apply to the Town to have a house connection installed. In each such case, or in any instance where the connection to the building sewer required the performance of labor, or the furnishing of materials on the part of the Town, a charge will be made. Where, because of the nature and extent of work to be done or the pavement or terrain to be penetrated, or the width of the road, or any such circumstances, the basic fee is not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses to the Town, the Town Council shall fix the charge to fully cover the costs and expenses of such connection.
(2) 
Each licensed plumbing contractor or other licensed person performing work on public property for the purpose of installing house connections shall post a bond or cash deposit acceptable to the Town and provide the Town with proof of liability insurance coverage in an amount satisfactory to the Municipal Engineer. All work shall be adequately guarded with barricades, lights and other measures for protection of the public from hazard. All public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the Town.
A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building; except that where one building stands at the rear of another all on one property under one ownership and no building sewer is available or can be constructed to the rear building through an adjoining alley, court, yard or driveway, the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer. In the case of multiple-housing units, it is not necessary to have a separate and independent building sewer for every building, provided that every building is on one property under one ownership, but instead the sewage from the various principal buildings shall be gathered together into one or more building sewers of a size satisfactory to the Plumbing Inspector and carried out to the nearest public sewer adjacent to the property.
Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the Plumbing Inspector or his representative, to meet all the requirements of this chapter.
A. 
Codes. Pursuant to and in accordance with the Public Health and Sanitation Codes Adoption by Reference Act (N.J.S.A. 26:3-69.1), there is hereby established and adopted as the specifications for building sewer materials and construction the National Standard Plumbing Code (1978) published by the National Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors and the Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 23, Title 5, New Jersey Administrative Code, promulgated by the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs pursuant to the authority of the State Uniform Construction Code Act (P.L. 1975, c. 217, as amended).[1] A printed copy of each of said codes is annexed to and incorporated by reference in this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-119 et seq.
B. 
The National Standard Plumbing Code (1978) and the Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 23, Title 5, New Jersey Administrative Code, are hereby incorporated in this chapter by reference and made a part hereof as fully as though they had been set forth at length herein.
C. 
One printed copy each of the National Standard Plumbing Code and the Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 23, Title 5, New Jersey Administrative Code, has been placed on file in the office of the Town Clerk and shall remain on file in said office for the use and examination of the public so long as this chapter shall remain in effect.
[Amended 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34]
[Amended 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34]
The holder of the building sewer permit shall notify the Plumbing Inspector when the building sewer is ready for inspection. The installation shall be made under the supervision of the Plumbing Inspector, or his representative, within 24 hours of receipt of notice.
[Amended 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34]
All excavations for building sewer installation shall be adequately guarded with barricades and light so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored to its original condition satisfactory to the Town Engineer, or his designee.
In addition to the requirements of this chapter, where the applicant for the building sewer permit must connect to a public sewer discharging into the sewerage system of an adjacent municipality or governing body, the provisions of any ordinance or ordinances, rules and regulations of such municipality or governing body concerning the connection to the public sewer shall govern and apply, as well as the applicable terms of any agreement in connection herewith entered into between the Town and such adjoining municipality or governing body.
A. 
No person shall pump, drain, discharge or permit to be pumped, drained or discharged any water from basements, stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, cooling water or unpolluted industrial processed water to any sanitary sewer.
[Amended 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34]
B. 
Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following-described waters or wastes to any public sanitary sewer:
(1) 
Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150° F.
(2) 
Any waters or waste which may contain more than 100 parts per million, by weight, of fat, oil or grease.
(3) 
Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, alcohol, tar, fuel oil, or flammable or explosive liquid, solid, gas or vapor.
(4) 
Any ashes, cinders, stones, sand, mud, straw shavings or sawdust, metal, sticks, coarse rubbish, glass, rags, feathers, plastics, waste rubber, animal guts or tissues, entrails, blood, hair, hides, wood, paunch manure, or any other substance likely to damage, destroy or cause obstruction to the flow in sewers or interference with the proper operation of the sewage works.
(5) 
Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 9.0 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to sewers and structures, equipment or personnel of the sewage works.
(6) 
Any insecticides, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.
(7) 
Any waters or wastes containing chemicals or chemical compounds of a strength which would impair metal, concrete, wood or painted structures or of a poisonous or toxic nature in sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant. These include: arsenic and arsenicals, copper and copper salts, mercury and mercurials, silver and silver compounds, zinc, toxic dyes (organic and minerals), sulfonamides, phenols and their derivatives, creosols, alcohols, formaldehydes, chlorine in excess of 25 parts per million, iodine, fluorine, bromine, all strong oxidizing agents, such as peroxides, chromates, dichromates, permanganates, etc., compounds producing hydrogen sulphide or any other toxic, inflammable or explosive gases, either upon acidification, alkalization, reduction or oxidation and strong reducing agents, such as nitrates, sulfites, sulphides, etc. In particular, the following minimum requirements shall be met:
(a) 
Wastes shall contain no solids in solution which will precipitate greater than 1,000 parts per million upon acidification [pH below 5.5] alkalinization [pH above 8.5], oxidation or reduction.
(b) 
Total solids shall not exceed 1,000 parts per million.
(c) 
Total dissolved solids shall not exceed 500 parts per million.
(d) 
Phenols shall not exceed 0.005 part per million.
(e) 
Cyanide as CN shall not exceed 2.0 parts per million.
(f) 
Chromium as Cr shall not exceed 3.0 parts per million.
(g) 
Chromium as hexavelent shall not exceed 2.0 parts per million.
(h) 
Copper as CU shall not exceed 3.0 parts per million.
(i) 
Iron as Fe shall not exceed 5.0 parts per million.
(j) 
Nickel as Ni shall not exceed 3.0 parts per million.
(k) 
Zinc as Zn shall not exceed 5.0 parts per million.
(l) 
Boron as B shall not exceed 1.0 part per million.
(m) 
Lead as Pb shall not exceed 0.1 part per million.
(n) 
Arsenic as As shall not exceed 4.0 parts per million.
(o) 
Aluminum sulphate shall not exceed 10.0 parts per million.
(p) 
Cadmium shall not exceed one part per million.
(q) 
Surface active agents of synthetic detergents shall be of an approved type, with a high degree of biodegradability.
(8) 
Any waters or wastes containing more than 350 milligrams per liter by weight of suspended solids or containing suspended solids of such character and quantity that unusual attention or expense is required to handle such materials at the sewage treatment plant.
(9) 
Any waters or wastes containing inert (nonvolatile) solids in either suspended, dissolved or colloidal state, of such character and/or quantity as to adversely affect treatment processes.
(10) 
Any waters or wastes from industrial, hospital or laboratory procedures which contain viable pathogenic organisms.
(11) 
Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as will adversely affect treatment processes or, after treatment of the composite sewage, fail to meet requirements of state, federal or other public agencies having jurisdiction over the receiving waters.
(12) 
Any waters or wastes which contain materials which exert or cause discoloration within the sewage treatment plant or in the receiving waters or exhibit a true color of more than 100 units on the platinum-cobalt scale.
(13) 
Any unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes resulting in the application of shock or slug loads at the sewage treatment plant.
(14) 
Any waters or wastes having an average daily flow greater than 10,000 gallons; provided, however, that the Town Council may waive such requirements by contract with any user if the best interests of the Town so require.
(15) 
Any waters or wastes having a five-day biochemical oxygen demand greater than 300 milligrams per liter by weight.
(16) 
Any waters or wastes having a chemical oxygen demand greater than 250 milligrams per liter by weight.
(17) 
Any waters or wastes having a chlorine demand greater than 20 milligrams per liter by weight.
(18) 
Any noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable of creating a public nuisance.
(19) 
Any discharge containing incompatible pollutants.
(20) 
Any discharge containing compatible pollutants in such excess quantity as to impair the removal efficiency of the public sewage treatment works.
(21) 
Any discharge containing pollutants which will, either alone or in combination with others, adversely alter the quality of the effluent from the WC(PR)MUA sewage treatment works to a degree which will cause a violation by the Town or contracted agencies of the requirements of any NPDES permit or of standards and regulations now in effect or which may be promulgated in the future by federal and state authority.
C. 
The concentrations and characteristics listed in Subsection B may be altered by the Town as required by regulatory agencies, treatment or reuse requirements or in the event of cumulative overload of the system.
A. 
Users shall make wastewater acceptable under the limitations established in § 403-15 of this chapter before discharging into the sanitary sewer system. Any facilities required to pretreat wastewater to a level acceptable to the Town shall be provided, operated and maintained at the user's expense.
B. 
Detailed plans showing the pretreatment facilities and operating procedures shall be submitted to the Town for review and shall be acceptable to the Town before construction of the facility. The review of such plans and operating procedures will in no way relieve the user from the responsibility of modifying the facility as necessary to produce an effluent acceptable to the Town under the provisions of this chapter. Any subsequent changes in the pretreatment facilities or method of operation shall be reported to and be acceptable to the Town. Pretreatment facilities shall also be approved by the WC(PR)MUA and any and all state and federal regulatory agencies having jurisdiction.
C. 
At all premises where wastes or substances specified to be excluded from public sewers by these regulations are present and liable to be discharged directly or indirectly into the sewer system, suitable and sufficient piping layouts, oil, grease, sand and flammable waste traps, separators or interceptors, screens, settling tanks, diluting devices, storage or regulating chambers, treatment, cooling or other equipment and devices shall be provided. These shall be maintained and properly operated by the owner of the premises or his agent at his expense to ensure that no waste or substance is discharged in violation of the requirements of these regulations. Such facilities for pretreatment of wastes or water discharged to public sewers shall be approved by the Town, the WC(PR)MUA and by any or all state and federal regulatory agencies having jurisdiction. The Town or state and federal agencies may require an owner to provide plans, specifications and a description of the pretreatment facilities which are proposed.
D. 
On premises where any of the wastes or substances as described in this chapter are present, the Town may require the owner to provide, operate and maintain at the owner's expense a sampling well or wells, flow measuring devices, manholes or other appurtenances, all readily accessible, on the building sewer from said premises near the point where said sewer connects to the public sewer. By means of said sampling well or wells, flow-measuring devices, or other appurtenances, the owner, occupants of said premises, the Town Council, or any public officer having legal jurisdiction may secure samples of, or examine, the wastes being discharged into the public sewer for the purpose of determining compliance or noncompliance with the requirements of these regulations. Monitoring facilities shall normally be constructed on the user's premises and shall be provided in accordance with the Town's requirements and all applicable construction standards and specifications.
E. 
The Town Council or its duly authorized representatives shall have the right to enter and inspect any part of the premises served by public sewers upon which there may be reason to believe that violations of the requirements of these regulations have occurred or are likely to occur, for the purpose of ascertaining the facts as to such violations or suspected violation, or of obtaining samples of wastes, or of inspecting flow measuring devices or treatment facilities provided to prevent prohibited discharges.
F. 
All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of water and waters to which reference is made in this section shall be determined in accordance with analytical methods as described in 40 CFR 136.3 of the Federal Register. In the event that no special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer to the point at which the house connection is connected.
G. 
Major contributing industries; compliance with federal requirements. Any user who, by nature of his discharge, is classified as a major contributing industry (as defined in 40 CFR 128.124 of the Federal Register) shall comply fully with all pretreatment standards and any other applicable requirements promulgated by the EPA in accordance with Section 307 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (FWPCAA). In cases where the limitations and standards established in this chapter are more stringent than those established by federal limitations and standards, those established in this chapter shall govern.
A. 
Beginning 90 days from the effective date of this chapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to discharge industrial wastes into the public sewer system without a wastewater discharge permit.
B. 
A separate permit will be required for each physical location where wastewater is now or is proposed to be, discharged into the public sewer system.
C. 
Application for a wastewater discharge permit shall be submitted to the Town Council on forms furnished by the Town or on such other forms as are approved by the Town Council.
D. 
Information to be furnished.
(1) 
Applicants for a permit may be required to submit, in units and terms appropriate for evaluation, the following information:
(a) 
Name, address and SIC number of applicant.
(b) 
Wastewater constituents and characteristics including but not limited to those mentioned elsewhere in this chapter as determined by a laboratory approved by the Town Council.
(c) 
Volume of wastewater to be discharged.
(d) 
Time and duration of discharge.
(e) 
Average and thirty-minute peak wastewater flow rates, including daily, monthly and seasonal variations if any.
(f) 
Site plans, floor plans, mechanical and plumbing plans and details to show all sewers and appurtenances by size, location and elevations.
(g) 
Description of activities, facilities and plant process on the premises, including all materials, processes and types of materials which are or could be discharged.
(h) 
Each product produced by type, amount and rate of production.
(i) 
Number and type of employees, and hours of work.
(j) 
Any other information which may be deemed by the Town Council to be necessary to evaluate the permit application.
(2) 
The Town Council will evaluate the data furnished by the applicant and may require additional information. After evaluation and acceptance of the data furnished, the Town Council may issue a wastewater discharge permit subject to the terms and conditions provided herein.
E. 
Wastewater discharge permit conditions shall be expressly subject to all provisions of this chapter and all other regulations, user charges and fees which may be established by the Town pursuant thereto. The conditions of wastewater discharge permits shall be uniformly enforced by the Town Council in accordance with this chapter, and applicable state and federal regulations. Permits may contain the following:
(1) 
The unit charge or schedule of user charges and fees for the wastewater to be discharged to the public sewer system.
(2) 
The average and maximum wastewater constituents and characteristics.
(3) 
Limits on rate and time of discharge or requirements for flow regulation and equalization.
(4) 
Requirements for installation of inspection and sampling facilities.
(5) 
Pretreatment requirements.
(6) 
Specifications for monitoring programs which may include sampling locations, frequency and method of sampling, number, type and standards for tests and reporting schedule.
(7) 
Requirements for submission of technical reports or discharge reports.
(8) 
Requirements for maintaining plant records relating to wastewater discharge as specified by the Town Council and affording the Town Council access thereto.
(9) 
Other conditions as deemed appropriate by the Town Council to ensure compliance with this chapter.
F. 
Confidential information. All information and data on a user obtained from reports, questionnaires, permit applications, permits and monitoring programs and from inspections shall be available to the public or other governmental agency without restriction unless the user specifically requests and is able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Town Council that the release of such information would divulge information, processes or methods which would be detrimental to the user's competitive position. When requested by the person furnishing a report, the portions of a report which might disclose trade secrets or secret processes shall not be made available for inspection by the public but shall be made available to governmental agencies for use in making studies; provided, however, that such portions of a report shall be available for use by the state or any state agency in judicial review or enforcement proceedings involving the person furnishing the report. Wastewater constituents and characteristics will not be recognized as confidential information. Information accepted by the Town Council as confidential shall not be transferred to any governmental agency or to the general public by the Town Council until and unless prior and adequate notification is given to the user.
G. 
Duration of permits. Permits shall be issued for a specified time period, not to exceed five years. A permit may be issued for a period of less than a year or may be stated to expire on a given date. If the user is not notified by the Town Council 30 days prior to the expiration of the permit, the permit shall be extended one additional year. The terms and conditions of a permit may be subject to modification and change by the Town Council during the life of the permit as limitations or requirements as identified elsewhere in this chapter are modified and changed. The user shall be informed of any proposed changes in his permit at least 30 days prior to the effective date of change. Any change or new conditions in the permit shall include a reasonable time schedule for compliance.
H. 
Transfer of a permit. Wastewater discharge permits are issued to a specific user for a specific operation. A wastewater discharge permit shall not be reassigned or transferred or sold to a new owner, new user, different premises or a new or changed operation.
I. 
Revocation of a permit. Any user who violates the following conditions of the permit or of this chapter or applicable state and federal regulations is subject to having his permit revoked:
(1) 
Failure of a user to factually report the wastewater constituents and characteristics of his discharge.
(2) 
Failure of the user to report significant changes in operations or wastewater constituents and characteristics.
(3) 
Refusal of reasonable access to the user's premises for the purpose of inspection or monitoring.
(4) 
Violation of conditions of the permit.
A. 
Any user who is issued a wastewater discharge permit which requires self-monitoring of wastewater discharged to the public sewer system shall submit periodic reports to the Town Council on the constituents and characteristics of the wastewater. Unless otherwise specified in the permit, reports shall be submitted quarterly on a calendar basis. Reports shall clearly indicate the quantity and concentration of all pollutants and other parameters required to be monitored in accordance with the terms of the wastewater discharge permit.
B. 
All self-monitoring records and laboratory reports associated therewith shall be kept by the user for a minimum period of five years, during which period they shall be made available to the Town Council or its representatives, upon reasonable notice, for inspection and review. All sampling will be done in such a manner as will provide a truly representative sample for laboratory analysis.
C. 
Laboratory analysis shall be performed in accordance with analytical methods as described in 40 CFR 136.3 of the Federal Register.
A. 
Sewer permits for building sewers. The owner or his agent shall make application of a form furnished by the Town. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications or other information considered pertinent by the Town. The permit will expire six months after the date of issue but will be subject to renewal for not to exceed six months with the approval of the Town.
[Amended 12-19-1994 by Ord. No. 94-16]
B. 
Wastewater discharge permit fee for industrial wastes. The owner or his agent shall make application on a form furnished by the Town. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications or other information considered pertinent by the Town. A permit and inspection fee of $50 for a wastewater discharge permit shall be paid to the Town at the time the application is filed.
C. 
Inspection fee for building sewers. All building sewers shall be inspected by the Plumbing Inspector prior to use and a fee, as established by the State of New Jersey, per inspection or reinspection shall be charged for each inspection or reinspection.
[Amended 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34]
A. 
There is hereby established a sewer user charge system for the use, operation, maintenance and replacement of the sewer system of the Town, to be imposed upon the owner of real property served thereby at the rates hereinafter set forth.[1]
[Amended 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-16]
[1]
Editor's Note: The user charge per equivalent dwelling unit for the current year is on file in the office of the Town Sewer Utility Clerk.
B. 
User charges for discharge into the Town's sewer system and the Warren County (Pequest River) Municipal Utilities Authority's sewer system.
[Amended 3-15-1982 by Ord. No. 82-18; 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34; 12-4-1989 by Ord. No. 89-22; 2-4-1991 by Ord. No. 91-2; 12-19-1994 by Ord. No. 94-16]
(1) 
All user charges shall be based on the average quantity of discharge from a single-family dwelling unit hereinafter referred to as equivalent dwelling unit (EDU). The average annual quantity of discharge from an EDU is hereby established as 62,000 gallons. This quantity shall be subject to review annually and may be adjusted upon approval of the Town Council.
[Amended 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-16]
(2) 
The user charge per EDU shall be based on the annual rate of 110% of the total charge by the Warren County (Pequest River) Municipal Utilities Authority, plus the debt service of the municipal system for the year in which said charges are made beginning on January 1 of said year, divided by the total number of EDUs being served. The percentage charged per EDU in excess of 100% shall be sufficient to pay the operation, maintenance and replacement costs of the sewer system of the Town and as authorized by N.J.S.A. 40:14A-8. The Town Council determined that the user charge per EDU commencing January 1, 2002, shall be at the rate of $608 per EDU.
[Amended 11-19-2001 by Ord. No. 2001-10; 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-16]
(3) 
User charges shall be as follows:
[Amended 10-2-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-19; 6-25-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-04]
(a) 
One-family dwelling: one EDU.
(b) 
Two-family dwelling: one EDU per dwelling unit.
(c) 
Multifamily dwelling: Any building that contains two or more residential dwelling units shall be charged one EDU for each dwelling unit.
[Amended 11-25-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-14]
(d) 
Hotels/motels. Any building offering transient lodging accommodations to the general public shall be charged based upon annual metered water usage divided by an EDU as defined in this chapter as periodically adjusted by the Town Council. The minimum charge shall be two EDUs.
(e) 
Nonresidential buildings. Any building that is exclusively used for any nonresidential, commercial or industrial purpose shall be billed one EDU for each 10 employees.
(f) 
Mixed use commercial/residential buildings. Any building containing both residential and nonresidential uses shall be charged separately for each such use. Each nonresidential use shall be charged one EDU for each 10 employees and each residential unit shall be charged one EDU.
[Amended 11-25-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-14]
(g) 
Schools/county of warren facilities. All schools/County of Warren facilities shall be billed based upon annual metered water usage divided by an EDU as defined in this chapter as periodically adjusted by the Town Council. The minimum charged shall be one EDU.
(4) 
The owner of any dwelling unit who resides in that dwelling unit and is 65 of age or is under 65 years of age and permanently or totally disabled, as defined by the Federal Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 301 et seq., or disabled under any federal law administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and any such senior citizen or disabled person has previously qualified with the municipal Tax Assessor for a deduction from real property taxes in the Town of Belvidere, by virtue of such qualification shall be entitled to a fifty-dollar per year deduction from the annual user charge, which deduction shall be split equally over the four quarterly payments.
C. 
Review of operation and maintenance charges. The Town Council shall review not less often than annually the wastewater contribution of users and user classes, the total costs of operation and maintenance of the sewer system and its user charge system. The Town Council shall revise the charges for users or user classes to accomplish the following:
(1) 
To maintain the proportionate distribution of operation and maintenance costs among user classes;
(2) 
To generate sufficient revenue to pay the total operation and maintenance costs necessary to the proper operation and maintenance (including replacement) of the sewer system; and
(3) 
To apply excess revenues collected from a class of users to the costs of operation and maintenance attributable to that class for the next year and to adjust the rate accordingly.
D. 
Notification. Each user shall be notified, at least annually, in conjunction with a regular bill, of the rate and that portion of the user charges which are attributable to the total charge by the Warren County (Pequest River) Municipal Utilities Authority.
E. 
Toxic pollutants. Each user which discharges any toxic pollutants which cause an increase in the cost of managing the effluent or the sludge of the treatment works of the Warren County (Pequest River) Municipal Utilities Authority shall pay for such increased costs.
F. 
Flow not directly attributable to users. The user charges shall provide for the costs of operation and maintenance for all flow not directly attributable to users (i.e., infiltration/inflow) and shall be distributed among all users of the sewer system based upon the same manner that it distributes the costs of operation and maintenance among users (or user classes) for their actual use.
G. 
Payment of user charge.
[Amended 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34; 12-19-1994 by Ord. No. 94-16]
(1) 
Payment of sewer system user charges shall be made to the Town of Belvidere Sewer Utility.
(2) 
Annual billings.
(a) 
The sewer user charge for single-family dwellings and apartment units and commercial and industrial waste dischargers as set forth in this section may be increased or decreased, if necessary, by resolution of the Mayor and Town Council and shall be due and payable quarterly at the office of the Collector of Sewer User Charges of the Town of Belvidere on the first business day of March, June, September, and December.
[Amended 7-1-1996 by Ord. No. 96-06; 12-20-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-16]
(b) 
When contracts are made during the year, the fractional part thereof shall be paid forthwith.
(3) 
Time and method of payment. Should any bill or part thereof rendered for sewer usage remain unpaid for a period of 10 days, said bill or part thereof should be considered delinquent and subject to payment of interest at the prevailing rate fixed for interest on delinquent real estate taxes from the due date until such time as the bill is paid in full. Whenever service shall commence after the first day of any quarterly period, sanitary sewer charges for said quarterly period should be prorated accordingly.
[Amended 2-22-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-03]
(4) 
Unpaid claims; liens. Every unpaid claim for sewer service remaining delinquent and unpaid from the date when due, together with all charges and expenses incident thereto, shall, in the manner provided by law, become a lien upon the property affected and collection shall be enforced in the same manner as liens for taxes upon real estate.
[Amended 2-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-01]
H. 
Capacity charges.
[Added 6-6-1983 by Ord. No. 83-34; amended 2-4-1991 by Ord. No. 91-2; 6-3-1991 by Ord. No. 91-11; 12-19-1994 by Ord. No. 94-16]
(1) 
New connections. Where the property owner or developer is connecting to an existing sewer system at his own cost and is connecting such system to an existing sewer system within the Town of Belvidere, the capacity charges shall be $1,780 per EDU for residential uses. Capacity charges for commercial, industrial and other nonresidential uses shall be determined on the basis of engineering estimates of the average annual quantity of discharge based upon 62,000 gallons of flow per EDU.
(2) 
Reconnections. When a reconnection is made where a unit was previously connected, there shall be a pro rata deduction in the capacity charge for the unconnected years.
(3) 
All capacity charges shall be paid to the Town of Belvidere Sewer Utility. Payment shall be made prior to issuing sewer permits by the Sewer Utility Clerk.
Duly authorized employees or agents of the Town bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter upon all properties for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding $500 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
A. 
Interpretation. In the interpretation and application of the provisions of this chapter, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of the health, safety, morals and general welfare. It is not intended to interfere with or abrogate or annul other rules, regulation or ordinances, except as provided herein.
B. 
Amendments. All amendments to this chapter shall be adopted in accordance with the provisions of New Jersey law.
C. 
Precedence. The user charge system shall take precedence over any terms or conditions of agreements or contracts between the Town and users (including industrial users, special districts, other municipalities or federal agencies or installations) which are inconsistent with the requirements of § 204(b)(1)(A) of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq., as amended) and the rules and regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency as set forth in the Federal Register, Vol. 43, No. 188, dated September 27, 1978.