All extensions to the sanitary sewer system owned and maintained by the City shall be properly designed in accordance with the Recommended Standards of Sewer Works, as adopted by the Great Lakes-Upper Mississippi River Board of State Sanitary Engineers and in strict conformance with all requirements of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). Plans and specifications for sewer extensions shall be submitted to, and approval obtained from, the Director of Public Works and NYSDEC before construction may proceed. The design of sewers must anticipate and allow for flows from all possible future extensions or developments within the immediate drainage area.
Sewer extensions may be constructed by the City under public contract, by City forces, if, in the opinion of City Council, the number of properties to be served by such extension warrants its costs. Property owners will be assessed the full costs of constructing an eight-inch sanitary sewer for the width of their property. Property owners may propose sewer extensions within City limits by drafting a written petition, signed by a majority of the benefiting property owners, and filing it with the City Clerk. The City Council has the right to order sewer extensions where deemed necessary for the health of the community and assess charges against property owners.
A. 
If the City does not elect to construct a sewer extension under public contract, the property owner, builder or developer may construct the necessary sewer extension, if approved by the City Council. He or they must pay for the entire installation, including all expenses incidental thereto. Each building sewer installed must be installed and inspected as previously required, and the inspection fees shall be paid.
B. 
Design of sewers shall be as specified in §§ 277-28 and 277-31. The installation of the sewer extension must be subject to full-time inspection by the City Engineer, the Director of Public Works or his appointee, and the expenses for this inspection shall be paid for by the owner, builder or developer. The Director of Public Works' decisions shall be final in matters of quality and methods of construction. The sewer, as constructed, must pass the leakage test required in § 277-32 before it is to be used.
Sewer design shall be in accordance with § 277-28 and the following provisions:
A. 
Pipe shall be ductile iron conforming to ASTM C151 and/or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conforming to ASTM D3034 with a minimum pipe stiffness of 46 psi at a maximum deflection of 5% and a standard dimension ratio (SDR) of 35 or less.
B. 
Ductile iron pipe joints shall be push-on or mechanical conforming to ASTM C111.
C. 
Polyvinyl chloride pipe shall be joined with push-on or mechanical joints conforming to ASTM C111.
D. 
Joints of any of these types of pipe shall be made in accordance with the manufacturer's published recommendations.
E. 
Ductile iron and PVC pipe shall be installed and backfilled in accordance with ASTM 2321. Polyvinyl chloride pipe deflection shall be checked by pulling a deflection gauge through completed pipelines by hand.
F. 
Manholes shall be constructed with a poured three-thousand-psi concrete base, steel-troweled concrete or mortar inverts and precast four-foot diameter concrete manhole barrel sections and a tapered top section as specified by ASTM C0478, or cement brick or block solid. The manhole frame and cover shall be the standard design of the City and shall be set with no less than two courses of brick underneath to allow for later adjustment in elevation.
Pipe Diameter
(inches)
Trench Width
8
3' - 3"
10
3' - 6"
12
3' - 9"
G. 
If the trench widths are found, during field inspection, to exceed the limits in the above table, the sewer pipe shall be encased with a minimum of six inches of concrete. Pipe shall be firmly and evenly bedded on a minimum of three inches of No. 2 crushed stone (NYSDOT Specification). Pipe thickness and field strength shall be calculated on the following criteria:
Safety factor
1.5
Load factor
1.7
Weight of soil
120 lbs. cu. ft.
All sewers shall be tested for leakage prior to being placed in service. The leakage shall be determined by exfiltration, infiltration or low-pressure air. The testing method shall be as directed by the Engineer or Director of Public Works. If the line fails the test, the contractor shall explore for and repair the cause of the excessive leakage. After repairs have been made, the line shall be retested. This procedure shall be repeated until the pipe complies.
A. 
Exfiltration testing. Exfiltration tests shall be made by filling a section of pipeline with water and measuring the quantity of leakage. The head of water at the beginning of the test shall be at least two feet above the highest pipe within the section being tested. Should groundwater be present within the section being tested, the head of water for the test shall be two feet above the level of the groundwater. Should the requirement of two feet of water above the highest pipe subject any joint at the lower end of the test section to a differential head greater than 11.5 feet, another method of testing shall be employed.
B. 
Infiltration testing. Infiltration tests will be allowed only when the groundwater level is two feet or more above the highest pipe of the section being tested. The quantity of water leaking into each section of pipeline shall be measured by a calibrated weir constructed at the outlet of the section being tested.
C. 
Allowable leakage.
(1) 
The allowable leakage (exfiltration or infiltration) shall not exceed the following in gallons per 24 hours per inch of diameter per 1,000 feet of pipe.
Type of Pipe
Leakage
Ductile iron, mechanical or push-on joints
10
Polyvinyl chloride, thermal plastic or fiberglass with rubber joints
10
Polyvinyl chloride, thermal plastic or fiberglass with solvent-cemented joints
0
(2) 
Regardless of the above allowable leakage, any spurting leaks detected shall be completely and permanently stopped.
D. 
Manhole testing. Each manhole shall be tested by either exfiltration or infiltration. A manhole will be acceptable if the leakage does not exceed an allowable of one gallon per vertical foot of depth for 24 hours. Regardless of the allowable leakage, any leaks detected shall be permanently stopped. An exfiltration test may be performed prior to or after backfilling. The test shall be made by filling the manhole with water and observing the level for a minimum of eight hours. Infiltration tests shall be performed when the groundwater level is above the joint of the top section of a precast manhole.
E. 
Air testing.
(1) 
Air testing shall not be performed until the backfilling has been completed. Low-pressure air tests shall conform to ASTM C828 except as specified herein and shall not be limited to type or size of pipe. All sections of pipelines shall be cleaned and flushed prior to testing.
(2) 
The air test shall be based on the average holding pressure of three-psi gauge, a drop from 3.5 to 2.5 psi, within the period of time allowed for the size of pipe and the length of the test section. The time allowed for the one-psi drop in pressure, measured in seconds, will be computed by the Engineer/Director of Public Works and will be based on the limits of ASTM C828. When groundwater is present, the average test pressure of three psig shall be above any back pressure due to the groundwater level. The maximum pressure allowed under any condition in air testing shall be 10 psig. The maximum groundwater level for air testing is 13 feet above the top of the pipe.
(3) 
The equipment required for air testing shall be furnished by the contractor and shall include the necessary compressor, valves and gauges to allow for the monitoring of the pressure, release of pressure and a separable test gauge. The test gauge shall be sized to allow for the measuring of the one-psig loss allowed during the test period and shall be on a separate line to the test section.
All sewer extensions constructed at the property owner's, builder's or developer's expense, after final approval and acceptance by the City Engineer or Director of Public Works, shall become the property of the City and shall thereafter be maintained by the City.
No builder or developer shall be issued a building permit for a new dwelling or structure requiring sanitary facilities within the City until a sewer permit has been received from the Department of Public Works, and all new developments shall be provided with an approved system of sanitary sewers.