A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided by the owner or applicant for every building to be connected to the sewer system. Where more than one building exists, the building sewer serving the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer, if approved by the DPW.
A. 
Services to multifamily dwellings and condominiums. Each unit of a multifamily dwelling or condominium whose individual units share common sidewalls but are singularly owned throughout the material extents from foundation to roof shall be provided with a separate sewer service. Units of multifamily dwellings or condominiums that are singularly owned but share a common foundation/footprint may share a common sewer service.
Existing building sewers may be used to accommodate new uses which result in changes in volumes or characteristics of wastewater, if the DPW approves and subject to availability of capacity. The costs of any examination and testing required by the DPW as a precondition to such approval shall be at the owner's expense.
All building sewers shall discharge by gravity to the public sewer. In all new or substantially rehabilitated buildings in which the building sewer is too low to permit gravity discharge, wastewater shall be lifted by an approved means and allowed to discharge by gravity (i.e., not under pressure) to the public sewer.
Building sewer connections for new or substantially rehabilitated buildings shall not be made directly to public sewer manholes unless expressly authorized by the DPW.
Connection of an individual wastewater disposal system, whether directly or indirectly, to a DPW sewer is prohibited. Individual wastewater disposal systems include privately owned septic tank, cesspool, or similar self-contained receptacle or facility which collects, treats, or otherwise disposes of wastewater.
A. 
All existing or new building sewers from plumbing fixtures liable to backflow from the public sewer are installed at the building owner's risk. The City will not assume any responsibility for back-ups or flooding of fixtures or basements as a result of the installation of these fixtures. Any plumbing fixture located at an elevation lower than the top of the public sewer manhole immediately downstream of the private sewer connection serving the fixture shall be considered to be liable to backflow.
B. 
Plumbing fixtures subject to backflow from the public sewer shall have backwater valves installed at the owner's expense. A backwater valve is a device installed in a building drain or building sewer to prevent the discharge from the building, or flows originating outside the building, from flowing back into the building. Backwater valves shall be installed in accordance with the Uniform State Plumbing Code, 248 CMR 10.15(11) and DPW requirements. The backwater valve shall be installed and maintained at the owner's expense.
[Amended 4-5-2024]
A. 
Oil traps shall be required on sewers directly or indirectly tributary to the public wastewater system from existing or new commercial or industrial garages, service stations, enclosed parking areas, and other establishments capable of discharging petroleum-based oil or grease, flammable wastes, sand, or other harmful substances. Discharges from oil traps shall be directed to a sewer.
B. 
All oil traps shall be of a type, capacity, location, and construction as approved by the MWRA and submitted to the DPW for approval prior to installation. They shall be located so as to be readily accessible for maintenance and inspection. Oil traps shall conform to the regulations of the Uniform State Plumbing Code, 248 CMR 10.00, and all other applicable laws. Owner or user shall schedule an inspection of the oil traps as installed with the City Plumbing Inspector at the time of installation.
C. 
Oil traps shall be installed and maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by and at the expense of the owner or user. Both the owner of the premises where an oil trap is required and the owner or operator of the establishment or business conducted on the premises shall be jointly and severally responsible for installing an oil trap and for properly servicing and maintaining the oil trap.
D. 
The owner or operator of the establishment or business conducted on the premises where the oil trap is located shall maintain a log describing the date and type of all service and maintenance performed in connection with the oil trap, the identity of the person who performed the service or maintenance, the amount of residue removed from the oil trap on each date, and the method of disposal of the residue. The log entries shall be maintained for six years and shall be made available for inspection and copying by the DPW and the MWRA. The schedule for service and maintenance of an oil trap shall be subject to approval by the DPW and the MWRA.
A. 
Interior and/or exterior grease traps shall be required on sewers which discharge directly or indirectly to the public sewer system and into which significant amounts of animal or vegetable fat, oil or grease may be discharged so that a discharge concentration does not exceed 100 milligrams per liter.
B. 
The DPW will determine whether a grease trap is required. All grease traps shall be of a type, capacity, location, and construction approved by the DPW and shall be located so as to be readily accessible for maintenance and inspection. Water-cooled grease traps are prohibited.
C. 
Installation of a dedicated building sewer and an in-line grease trap shall be required to serve all fixtures from which fat, oil or grease may be discharged whenever there is sufficient space and adequate plumbing to incorporate the appropriate facilities as determined by the DPW. Point of use grease traps may be required instead of, or in addition to, an in-line grease trap for discharges from dish washer rinse sinks, pot sinks, floor sinks and drains, automatic hood washes, and any other fixture which may introduce fat, oil or grease to the sewer.
D. 
Where grease traps are required, they shall be installed, inspected at least once each month, and maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation and in accordance with the requirements of the Uniform State Plumbing Code 248 CMR 10.00 by and at the expense of the owner and user. Both the owner of the premises where a grease trap is required and the owner or operator of the establishment or business conducted on the premises shall be jointly and severally responsible for installing a grease trap acceptable to the DPW and for properly servicing and maintaining the grease trap.
E. 
The owner or operator of the establishment or business conducted on the premises where the grease trap is located shall maintain a cleaning and disposal log which describes the date and type of all inspections and cleaning of the grease trap, service and maintenance performed in connection with the grease trap, the identity of the person who performed the service or maintenance, the amount of residue removed from the grease trap on each date, and the method of disposal of the residue. The logs shall be submitted quarterly to the DPW Wastewater Division at 100 Western Avenue. The owner/applicant may be subject to fines due to failure to submit cleaning and disposal logs. The DPW can provide a copy of a standard cleaning and disposal log if requested by the owner/applicant.
F. 
Unless otherwise required by a schedule established by the DPW, owners or operators shall clean grease traps in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, not less than once every three months, or whenever 1/4 of the liquid depth of the trap consists of grease or oil, whichever occurs first. Grease traps shall be cleaned by physically removing accumulated grease, scum, oil or other floating substances and solids. Chemical, biological, or physical means (including flushing with water) shall not be used to release fats, wax, oil or grease into the sewer, bypass the trap, or otherwise make the trap operate less effectively.