[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Winchester effective 1-1-1953; amended effective 6-1-1955; 8-1-1989 (§ 49 of the prior compilation). Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
There is hereby enacted an ordinance regulating the use of public and private sewers and drains, sewage disposal, the installation and connection of building and house sewers, the discharge of waters and wastes into the public sewer system and providing penalties for violation thereof; and for the establishment of rates and charges for the connection to and use of the public sewer system in the Town of Winchester, County of Litchfield and State of Connecticut.
Unless specifically indicated otherwise in the content, terms used in this chapter shall have the following meanings:
BOD (denoting 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 parts per million by weight.
BUILDING CODE
The Building Code of the Town of Winchester, including amendments or additions thereto, and shall include the Plumbing Code therein contained.
BUILDING DRAIN
Includes, where appropriate, the house drain, and shall mean that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning five feet outside the inner face of the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER
Includes the term "house sewer" where appropriate and shall mean the extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal.
GARBAGE
Wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage and sale of produce; and shall include such wastes as defined above which have been shredded to such degree that all particles will be carried freely under normal flow conditions in the public sewer, with no particle greater than 1/2 inch in any dimension.
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
The liquid wastes from industrial processes as distinct from sanitary sewage.
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.
SANITARY SEWER
A sewer which carries sewage and to which storm-, surface and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.
SEWAGE
A combination of the water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions and industrial establishments, together with such ground-, surface and stormwaters as may be present.
SEWAGE WORKS
All facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing of sewage, and shall include both public and private sewage facilities within the Town of Winchester.
SEWER COMMISSION
The Water and Sewer Commission of the Town of Winchester as defined in Section 605 of the Town Charter, as amended.
SUPERINTENDENT
The Superintendent of Public Works of the Town of Winchester, or his authorized assistant, deputy, agent or representative.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
Solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension in water, sewage or other liquids; and which are removable by laboratory filtering.
A. 
It shall be unlawful to discharge, from any source within the Town of Winchester, any sanitary sewage, garbage, industrial wastes or other polluted waters except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
B. 
Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.
C. 
The owner of each house, building or property intended or used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes within the Town of Winchester bordering or abutting upon streets, roads and highways within said Town in which there is now constructed or in which there may hereafter be constructed a public sanitary sewer is hereby required at his expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly to the public sewer in accordance with this chapter within 90 days after official written notice to do so; provided, however, that no such connection to the public sewer shall be required where the building sewer would exceed 100 feet in length.
Where no connection to any public sewer shall be required as set forth in § 323-3C, the building drain may be connected to a private disposal system, constructed and maintained in accordance with the provisions of the Building Code of the Town of Winchester; or at his own expense the owner may connect the building drain into the public sewer system.
A. 
No person shall uncover, make connection with, or opening into, use, alter or disturb any part of the public sewage works without first obtaining a written permit from the Superintendent of Public Works.
B. 
There shall be two classes of building sewer permits: 1) for residential and commercial service, and 2) for service to establishments producing industrial wastes. In either case, the owner or his agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the Town. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the Superintendent. A permit and inspection fee for a residential or commercial building sewer permit or for an industrial building sewer permit, in amounts set from time to time by the Water and Sewer Commission, shall be paid to the Town Treasurer at the time the application is filed.
C. 
All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the Town from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.
D. 
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, 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.
E. 
Old house sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the Superintendent, to meet all requirements of this chapter.
F. 
The building sewer shall be cast iron soil pipe, current ASTM specification or equal; vitrified clay sewer pipe, current ASTM specification or equal; or other suitable material approved by the Superintendent. Joints shall be tight and waterproof. Any part of the building sewer that is located within 10 feet of a water service pipe shall be constructed of cast iron soil pipe with leaded joints. Cast iron pipe with leaded joints may be required by the Superintendent where the building sewer is exposed to damage by tree roots. If installed in filled or unstable ground, the building sewer shall be of cast iron soil pipe, except that nonmetallic material may be accepted if laid on a suitable concrete bed or cradle as approved by the Superintendent.
G. 
The size and slope of the building sewer shall be subject to the approval of the Superintendent, but the diameter shall not be less than six inches; except that in connection with dwelling houses of not exceeding two families, four-inch heavy-duty cast iron pipe may be used. The slope of such pipe shall be not less than 1/8 inch per foot.
H. 
Jointing materials and methods shall be approved by the Superintendent.
I. 
The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall be made at a Y branch if such branch is available at a suitable location. If the public sewer is 12 inches in diameter or less and no properly located Y branch is available, the owner shall, at his expense, install a Y branch in the public sewer at the location specified by the Superintendent. Where the public sewer is greater than 12 inches in diameter and no properly located Y branch is available, a neat hole may be cut into the public sewer to receive the building sewer. Each such connection shall be made in a manner and with such fittings as shall be approved by the Superintendent, and no such connection shall be covered until inspected and approved by the Superintendent.
J. 
A house trap shall be placed immediately within the building wall and connected to the building drain, except where the owner shall, for good cause shown, receive permission from the Superintendent to place said trap at another point along the building drain or sewer. The trap shall be of cast iron, with two hand-holes furnished with brass screw-top cleanouts. A fresh air inlet branch shall be placed on the house side of the trap, with a pipe of the same diameter and material as the trap and building drain extended to a point five feet outside the building and to a point not less than six feet distant from any door, window or other opening in the building. The pipe may finish in the wall of the building, with a suitable barred grating, or may be extended above the surface of the ground to a height of not less than one foot and finished with a bell top or return bend of the same diameter as the pipe.
K. 
Where the building drain passes through the wall of the building to the connection to the building sewer it shall be cast iron. No tile or fabricated pipe will be permitted.
A. 
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, cooling water or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer.
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 sewer:
(1) 
Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150° F.
(2) 
Any water or waste which may contain more than 100 parts per million, by weight, of fat, oil or grease.
(3) 
Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas.
(4) 
Any garbage that has not been properly shredded.
(5) 
Any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, paunch manure or any other solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or other interference with the proper operation of the sewage works.
(6) 
Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 9.0, or having other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the sewage works.
(7) 
Any waters or wastes containing a toxic or poisonous substance 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.
(8) 
Any waters or wastes 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 noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable of creating a public nuisance.
C. 
Grease, oil and sand interceptors.
(1) 
Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Superintendent, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable wastes, sand and other harmful ingredients; except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the Superintendent, and shall be located so as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection.
(2) 
Grease and oil interceptors shall be constructed of impervious materials capable of withstanding abrupt and extreme changes in temperature. They shall be of substantial construction, watertight and equipped with easily removable covers which, when bolted in place, shall be gastight and watertight.
(3) 
Where installed, all grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be maintained by the owner, at his expense, in continuously efficient operation at all times.
D. 
Discharges subject to review; required pretreatment.
(1) 
The admission into the public sewers of any waters or wastes a) having a five-day biochemical oxygen demand greater than 300 parts per million by weight, or b) containing more than 350 parts per million by weight of suspended solids, or c) containing any quantity of substance having the characteristics described in Subsection B, or d) having an average daily flow greater than 2% of the average daily sewage flow of the Town shall be subject to the review and approval of the Superintendent.
(2) 
Where necessary, in the opinion of the Superintendent, the owner shall provide, at his expense, such preliminary treatment as may be necessary to:
(a) 
Reduce the biochemical oxygen demand to 300 parts per million and the suspended solids to 350 parts per million by weight; or
(b) 
Reduce objectionable characteristics or constituents to within the maximum limits provided for in Subsection B; or
(c) 
Control the quantities and rates of discharge of such waters or wastes. Plans, specifications and any other pertinent information relating to proposed preliminary treatment facilities shall be submitted for the approval of the Superintendent and of the State Water Commission and Department of Health of the State of Connecticut, and no construction of such facilities shall be commenced until said approvals are obtained in writing.
E. 
Where preliminary treatment facilities are provided for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.
F. 
When required by the Superintendent, the owner of any property served by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable control manhole in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of the wastes. Such manhole, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Superintendent. The manhole shall be installed by the owner at his expense, and shall be maintained by him so as to be safe and accessible at all times.
G. 
All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of water and waste to which reference is made in Subsections B and D shall be determined in accordance with Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Sewage, and shall be determined at the control manhole provided for in Subsection F, or upon suitable samples taken at said control manhole. 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 building sewer is connected.
H. 
No statement contained in this section shall be construed as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the Town and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the Town for treatment, subject to payment therefor by the industrial concern.
No unauthorized person shall maliciously, willfully or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the municipal sewage works. Any person violating this provision shall be subject to immediate arrest under charge of disorderly conduct, and subject to the maximum fine permitted by state law for each violation.
The Superintendent and other duly authorized employees of the Town bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter upon all properties for the purposes of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
A. 
Any person who shall violate any provisions of this chapter shall be served with written notice setting forth the nature of the violation and requiring that the same be satisfactorily corrected within a time set forth in said notice, which time shall be reasonable considering the nature and circumstances of the violation. Any person so served shall, within the time stated in such notice, permanently cease all violations of this chapter.
B. 
Any person who shall continue any violation beyond the time set forth in any notice served upon him in accordance with the provisions of Subsection A of this section shall forfeit to the Town and pay to the Treasurer thereof the maximum fine permitted by state law for each such violation, and may be prosecuted criminally for such violation and fined the maximum fine allowed by state law for each offense; provided, however, that each day in which any such violation shall continue shall be deemed a separate offense; and provided further that no person shall be sued in a civil action and prosecuted criminally by the Town for the same offense.
C. 
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall become liable to the Town for any expense, loss or damage occasioned the Town by reason of such violation.
A. 
Whenever any person shall be ordered to make any connection as set forth in § 323-3C of this chapter, and when any person shall have been ordered to discontinue any violation as set forth in § 323-9A and shall fail to do so within the time set forth in said notice, the Superintendent may cause the same to be done, and collect the expense thereof from such person; such expense shall become a lien against the property of such person until paid, and all provisions of the General Statutes relating to the recording, continuing and releasing of property tax liens shall apply.
B. 
The provisions of Subsection A of this section shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, the provisions of Section 1406 of the Charter of the Town of Winchester, as amended.
The Sewer Commission shall have the authority to establish assessments, charges, rentals and connection fees in accordance with the provisions of the Connecticut General Statutes.