A. 
No person shall uncover, make any connections with, use, alter, or disturb any wastewater sewer or storm sewer without first obtaining a written permit from the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative. Prior to applying for a permit from the Town, if the applicant's land lies outside the corporate limits of the Town of Elkton, the applicant shall obtain at least preliminary approval from the County of Rockingham for the development project. Preliminary approval may take whatever form is acceptable to both the county and the Manager, and need not commit the county to final approval. Such evidences of county approval shall be submitted with the application to the Town.
B. 
There shall be two classes of permits for connections to the Town's treatment works and treatment facilities: Class I - residential; Class II - industrial. In all cases, the owner shall make application for a permit to connect to the Town's treatment works on a form furnished by the Town. The permit application shall be supplemented by wastewater information required to administer this chapter. A permit and inspection fee for a Class I or a Class II connection permit shall be paid to the Town at the time the application is filed in such amount as is set by the Elkton Town Council from time to time in the latest approved rate schedule.
C. 
The Town may furnish sewer service outside Town limits, if requested and approved by Council or its authorized representative.
D. 
Where the intended use of the applicant's land is residential involving four or fewer units, the Manager shall either approve or reject the application. Where there is any other intended use, the Manager shall forward the permit application to the Planning Commission for its recommendation. After consideration by the Commission, the permit application shall be forwarded to the Town Council, with the recommendations of both the Commission and the Manager for final approval or rejection.
E. 
Prior to acting on the application, for residential projects of five or more units, and for all other categories of projects, the Manager shall require, and for residential projects of four or fewer units, the Manager may require, that the applicant submit appropriate engineering reports or studies that demonstrate the anticipated impact on the Town's sanitary sewer system, along with any recommendations for changes or additions to the Town's infrastructure indicated because of the proposed new connections. All engineering studies and reports shall be paid for by the applicant.
F. 
Connections to a storm sewer shall be subject to a permit and inspection fee and accompanied by a fee in an amount adopted by the Town Council, from time to time. Such connections shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter and the approval of the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative.
G. 
Any permit issued under this provision shall expire if construction on the unit for which it was issued is not commenced within three months of the date of issuance, or if the building permit issued by Rockingham County is canceled or expires for any reason, but shall expire in any event at the expiration of 18 months after the date of issuance if the project is not completed. Once a permit expires, a new permit must be obtained by filling a new permit application and paying all fees and charges at the rates in effect at the time of application.
H. 
Terms of this section may be modified on a project-by-project basis only by the Town Council acting to approve a contract with a specific developer by ordinance. Contracts between the Town and a specific developer already approved and signed prior to the adoption of Chapter 135, Sewer Use, are hereby reaffirmed and ratified as if so approved.
I. 
Permits issued under this section are nontransferable.
J. 
The Manager may charge a reasonable fee to cover time and expenses of processing the application.
A. 
Connection charges within Town. Before a connection to the Town sewer system is made within the Town, the applicant therefor shall pay to the Town Treasurer a connection fee in accordance with the Town-adopted water and sewer rates. The Sewer Department shall run all sewer lines to the applicant's property line for a distance not to exceed 100 feet. If the distance exceeds 100 feet, the applicant shall pay all costs in excess of 100 feet; provided, however, that if the Town Council determines it to be in the best interests of the Town to extend existing sewer lines partly or wholly at Town expense, it may enter into agreements with individuals, landowners, or developers whereby such extensions of existing sewer lines shall be accomplished and costs thereof shared as mutually agreed; or, in the proper case, the Town Council may resolve to extend the Town sewer system wholly at Town expense. In determining the best interests of the Town, the Council shall consider:
(1) 
The number of potential connections which such extension of the system might be expected to facilitate;
(2) 
The enhancement to the value or capability of the existing system that would result from such extension;
(3) 
The value of any easements that would be granted to the Town under such agreements;
(4) 
The potential for increased revenue from utility service charges and taxes that could be expected to result from future development made possible by extension of the sewer system; and
(5) 
The potential for increased employment opportunities and economic development that might reasonably be expected to follow such extension of the sewer system.
B. 
Connection charges outside the Town. Before a connection to the Town sewer system is made outside the Town, the applicant for connection to the Town sewer system shall pay to the Town Treasurer a connection fee in accordance with the Town-adopted water and sewer rates. The applicant shall install at his or her expense the connecting line to existing available Elkton sewer lines. The installation must meet Town requirements and becomes Town property when connected to the Town lines; provided, however, that if it is in the best interest of the Town to extend existing sewer line partly or wholly at Town expense, it may enter into agreements with individuals, landowners, or developers whereby such extensions of existing sewer lines shall be accomplished and the costs thereof shared as mutually agreed; or, in the proper case, the Town Council may resolve to extend the Town sewer system wholly at Town expense. In determining the best interests of the Town, the Council shall consider:
(1) 
The number of potential connections which such extension of the system might be expected to facilitate;
(2) 
The enhancement to the value or capability of the existing system that would result from such extension;
(3) 
The value of any easements that would be granted to the Town under such agreements;
(4) 
The potential for increased revenue from utility service charges and taxes that could be expected to result from future development made possible by extension of the sewer system; and
(5) 
The potential for increased employment opportunities and economic development that might reasonably be expected to follow such extension of the sewer system.
C. 
Subdivisions inside Town.
(1) 
In case of subdivisions inside the Town, the owner shall install all sewer mains at his or her own expense in the particular subdivision. Such installation shall be in accordance with the standards of the Town Sewer Department, which standards shall be on file in the office of the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or the authorized representative. The sewer main shall be of a diameter determined by the Town and in no case less than six inches in diameter.
(2) 
In addition to the requirements of this section, the individual homeowner shall pay the regular sewer connection charges for the property.
(3) 
After all sewer mains in a subdivision inside the Town have been installed to the satisfaction of the Town Manager or the authorized representative, they shall become the property of the Town and shall be maintained by the Town.
D. 
Connection charges for accessory buildings. In the event a property owner desires to obtain a connection to the Town sewer system for an accessory building as defined in § 110-302 of this Code, and the Town approves such connection, then the applicant shall pay to the Town Treasurer an accessory building connection fee in accordance with the Town adopted fees, which fee shall be determined in the Town's sole discretion. In addition, the applicant shall be responsible to pay for all costs involved with installing all sewer lines to the property and connecting to the Town's sewer system.
[Added 2-20-2017]
E. 
Timing of connection.
[Added 4-16-2018]
(1) 
If the applicant does not connect to the Town sewer system within six months from the date the connection was purchased, the applicant shall be entitled to:
(a) 
Request a refund of the connection fee;
(b) 
Use the connection fee at a future date for the same lot; or
(c) 
Transfer the connection fee to another lot located within or outside the Town.
(2) 
However, any connection purchased but used after six months from the date of purchase shall be at the then-current rate, and the applicant shall pay any increase in the connection fees.
[Amended 2-20-2017]
A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building except where one building stands at the rear of another on an interior lot and no private sewer is available or can be constructed to the rear building through an adjoining alley, courtyard, or driveway, or except where the building is an accessory building as defined in § 110-302 of this Code. When this occurs, the building sewer serving the front building may be extended to the rear building, or the building sewer serving the main building may be extended to the accessory building, and the whole considered as one building sewer. The Town assumes no obligation or responsibility for damage caused by or resulting from any single building sewer which serves two buildings.
Existing building sewers may be used for connection of new buildings only when they are found, on examination and testing by the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative, to meet the requirements of this chapter.
The size, slope, alignment, construction materials, trench excavation and backfill methods, pipe placement, jointing and testing methods used in the construction and installation of a building sewer shall conform to the building and plumbing code or other applicable requirements of the Town. In the absence of code provisions or in amplification thereof, the materials and procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM and WPCF shall apply.
Whenever practicable, the building sewer shall be brought to a building at an elevation below the basement floor. In buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the Town's treatment works, wastewater carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to a building sewer draining to the Town sewer.
A. 
No person shall connect roof, foundation, areaway, parking lot, roadway, or other surface runoff or groundwater drains to any sewer which is connected to a treatment works unless such connection is authorized, in writing, by the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative. The connection of such drains shall conform to codes specified in § 135-22A or as specified by the Town Manager as a condition of approval of such connection.
B. 
Except as provided above, roof, foundation, areaway, parking lot, roadway, or other surface runoff or groundwater drains shall discharge to natural outlets or storm sewers.
A. 
The connection of a building sewer into a treatment works shall conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other applicable requirements of the Town, or the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the Commonwealth of Virginia Sewerage Regulations, Uniform Building Code of Virginia, and American Society of Testing Materials. The connections shall be made gastight and watertight and verified by proper testing. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved in writing by the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative before installation.
B. 
A copy of all such standards adopted by the Town Council for sewer main construction or extension shall be maintained in the office of the Town Manager or the authorized representative and be open to public inspection.
A. 
Inspection of new service connection. The applicant for a building sewer or other drainage connection permit shall notify the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative when such sewer or drainage connection is ready for inspection prior to its connection to the Town's treatment works. Inspection will be performed by the Public Works Director and/or authorized representative.
B. 
Inflow and infiltration inspections. The Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative, bearing proper credentials and identification, shall be permitted to enter all private property that is connected to the Town's sanitary sewer system for the purposes of inspecting the premises for contributing sources of inflow and infiltration. These inspections are for the purposes of identifying improper connections of drainage and stormwater items such as foundation drains, roof leaders, sump pumps, floor drains, and similar items. Any identified items will be documented in writing and provided to the property owner for correction.
C. 
Sewer connection cleanout services. Upon request, the Town will provide a cleanout service for private sewer connections in accordance with rules and regulations established by the Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative. A private sewer connection is determined to be the connection from the main line to the structure owned or occupied by the sewer service customer. When it is determined by the Town Manager or the authorized representative that stoppage of the sewer connection is the responsibility of the customer, a special charge for these cleanout services shall be made in accordance with rates set and established by the Council. A copy of such schedule of rates and a copy of such rules and regulations shall be maintained in the office of the Town Manager or the authorized representative and in the Treasurer's office and shall be available for public inspection during working hours. Billing for sewer cleanout services shall be made and included on the customer's water and sewer bill, and provisions relating to the imposition of penalties and termination of service for nonpayment set out elsewhere in this chapter shall be applicable to the sewer connection cleanout services charge.
Excavations for building sewer installation shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights 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 in a manner satisfactory to the Town.
The Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative shall not issue a permit for any class of connection to the Town's treatment works or treatment facilities unless there is sufficient capacity, not legally committed to other users, in the treatment works and treatment facilities to convey and adequately treat the quantity of wastewater which the requested connection will add to the treatment works or treatment facility. The Town Manager, Public Works Director and/or authorized representative may permit such a connection if there are legally binding commitments to provide the needed capacity.