Any item not covered in this article or the Technical Bulletin
for Building Sewer and Water Service shall be evaluated on a case
by case basis by the Engineer. The provisions of this article shall
apply to every water service pipe and building sewer installation
connected to County-owned systems, including alterations, repairs
and replacements.
The purpose is to preserve the health, sanitation, safety and
welfare by regulating installation and maintenance of plumbing in
its scope and to promote utilization of durable, standardized materials,
free from defects and sufficient to provide adequate service life.
Before any person, firm or corporation shall engage in the business
of installation, alteration or maintenance of any plumbing under the
scope of this article, he/she shall obtain a Master Plumber license
from the State of Delaware.
A.Â
Any licensed plumber who desires to install and connect any work
covered under the scope of this code shall first make application
to the Sussex Engineer and obtain the required permit.
B.Â
Application for a permit shall be made by an applicant in the manner
and method directed by the Engineer.
C.Â
The application shall be signed by the licensed plumber or his or
her authorized representative and the owner or the owner's representative
of the building(s) to be connected. Signature of the application shall
permit the County access to private property for inspection of the
building sewer and/or water service.
D.Â
If the Engineer is satisfied that the work described in the application
and attached exhibits meets all requirements and the applicant has
no outstanding open permits in bad standing, a permit shall be granted
allowing the work to proceed in accordance with the application.
E.Â
The applicant shall retain a copy of the approved permit at the job
while work is in progress and the County shall retain the original
as a permanent record.
A.Â
Any property and/or building owner is permitted to install a building
sewer and/or water service pipe within the property boundaries, provided
that such building sewer and/or water service pipe installation is
done by himself/herself and is used exclusively by him/her or his/her
family.
B.Â
The owner must obtain a permit from the Engineer's office and have
the work inspected in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
C.Â
The owner shall retain a licensed plumber to comment on the suitability
of the building drain vent as well as make the final connection of
the building sewer and/or water service pipe to the County sewer and/or
water system.
A.Â
Building sewer material, size and installation requirements shall
adhere to the Technical Bulletin for Building Sewer and Water Service.
B.Â
At least one cleanout shall be provided at the property line and
one within five feet of the structure to be served. Size and installation
requirements shall adhere to the Technical Bulletin for Building Sewer
and Water Service.
C.Â
Testing may either be performed as per the Technical Bulletin for
Building Sewer and Water Service or as directed by the Engineer.
A.Â
It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to deposit by any means
into the building sewer in particular or the sewer system in general
any material which, in the opinion of the Engineer, would or could
obstruct, damage or negatively impact the County sewer system.
B.Â
No stormwater, surface water, groundwater, cooling water or other
unpolluted water shall be discharged to the building sewer. Those
drain connections not intended for but liable to permit the entrance
of stormwater, such as outside surface level showers, shall not be
connected to the building sewer. This does not prohibit the connection
of an outside shower to the building sewer, provided that it is enclosed,
covered and raised and/or protected by curbing to prevent the entrance
of stormwater.
C.Â
Commercial or industrial wastes detrimental to the functioning of
the sewer system and facilities shall meet the following minimum requirements:
(1)Â
Interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Engineer,
they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing
grease, flammable wastes, sand and other ingredients harmful to the
building drainage system, the public sewer or the facility processes.
The size, type and location of each interceptor or separator shall
be approved by the Engineer, and no wastes other than those requiring
treatment or separation shall be discharged into any separator.
(2)Â
Oil-water interceptors shall be required for all commercial, storage
or repair garages; gasoline stations with grease racks, grease pits
or wash racks; all car washes; and all factories which have oily and/or
flammable wastes as a result of manufacturing, storage, maintenance,
repair or testing operations.
(3)Â
Sand filters shall be required whenever the discharge of a floor
drain may contain liquids and/or solids potentially harmful to the
sewer system. If sand filters are required they shall discharge through
an oil-water separator and shall be located upstream of the separator.
(4)Â
Basket-type interceptors shall be required on commercial laundry
wastes and shall be equipped with a removable and cleanable basket
that will prevent passage into the drainage system of solids 1/2 inch
or larger, string, rags or other materials detrimental to the sewer
system.
(5)Â
Basket- or special-type screening devices of not less than 14 mesh
shall be required on food-processing waste streams downstream of the
shredding equipment.
D.Â
All food-processing establishments discharging into the sewer system
through a building sewer shall capture as much grease as possible
within the confines of their business and not allow it to enter the
sewer system. These establishments shall install, maintain, and use
grease traps, grease interceptors or other comparable devices which
represent the best practicable control technology for oil/grease removal.
E.Â
The Engineer is authorized to include technical guidelines related
to the equipment specifications and discharge limits of fats, oil
and grease in the Technical Bulletin for Building Sewers and Water
Service.
F.Â
The Engineer may inspect all food-processing establishments for an
unannounced inspection at any time during operating hours for confirmation
of compliance.
A.Â
The potable water shall be protected from contamination from any
source.
B.Â
There shall be no cross-connection between the potable water service
pipe and internal domestic distribution system and any other source
of water.
C.Â
Any building supplied with water through a Sussex County water district
shall have no other source outlet located within the building.
D.Â
Costs associated with any emergency, temporary water service disconnection
and/or reconnection for protection of the system integrity in the
opinion of the Engineer or the convenience of the property owner shall
be compensated by the property owner at a onetime charge, per occurrence,
which shall be included in the schedule of fees adopted as part of
the annual Sussex County budget.
A backflow-prevention device shall be installed in the water
service pipe to every building served by a separate fire service.
The device shall be located within five feet of the exterior foundation
wall and shall be accessible for service. As a minimum requirement,
the backflow-prevention device shall consist of a manual shutoff valve
followed by a spring-loaded check valve and a pressure-relief valve
on the downstream side of the check valve. The pressure-relief valve
drain shall be piped full size with no valve or trap to a location
where emergency water spillage will create no problem.
Abandoned septic tanks and cesspools shall be made safe and
harmless in accordance with the regulations of the State of Delaware
Division of Environmental Control. The County defers all inspection
and enforcement action to the state.
Permanently abandoned wells shall be filled and sealed in accordance
with the regulations of the State of Delaware Division of Environmental
Control. The County defers all inspection and enforcement action to
the state.
A.Â
Plumbing.
(1)Â
All plumbing work installed under the scope of this Code shall be
inspected to ensure compliance with the Code and assure that the installation
is in accordance with the approved plans and permit.
(2)Â
The installing plumber shall give a required minimum twenty-four-hour
notice to the Engineer's office when the installation is ready for
connection, inspection and testing. The plumbing shall be deemed ready
for connection to the sewer system, inspection and testing if the
pipe is laid on grade and bedded to 1/3 of its diameter and joints
are pushed home and connected to the building.
(3)Â
Prior to inspection, the building sewer shall not be connected to
the sewer system nor shall the water service pipe be connected to
the water system without Engineer approval.
(4)Â
The final system connection shall be made under the supervision and/or
direction of the Engineer and will require an open trench visual inspection.
(5)Â
The equipment, material and labor necessary for the inspection and
testing shall be furnished by the installing plumber.
(6)Â
The plumbing shall not be covered until it has been inspected, tested
and approved; it shall be uncovered upon violation of the open trench
inspection requirement.
(7)Â
Upon the satisfactory completion and final test of the plumbing,
a signed copy of the original permit will be issued signifying final
completion.
B.Â
Building sewer testing.
(1)Â
The building sewer shall be tested by insertion of a plug blocking
the point of connection with the sewer system. The building sewer
shall be filled with water to the level of the lowest trap, and the
water shall not show a level drop for a period of 15 minutes.
(2)Â
If the building sewer is approved, the final connection to the lateral
shall be made in the presence of and/or at the direction of the Engineer,
and the pipe trench shall be backfilled per the Technical Bulletin
for Building Sewer and Water Service.
(3)Â
The building sewer may be connected to the system prior to the test,
provided that said connection is made only in the presence of and
at the direction of the Engineer.
C.Â
Water service pipe.
(1)Â
The water service pipe shall be tested and proved tight under a pressure
not less than the working pressure under which it is to be used. The
water used for the test shall be potable water from the house service
connection and shall be supplied to the water service pipe only in
the presence of and at the direction of the Engineer.
(2)Â
If the water service connection is approved, the trench shall be
backfilled per the Technical Bulletin for Building Sewer and Water
Service.
