[Amended 4-5-2024]
New building sewers, other private sewers, grease traps, oil traps, appurtenances, and other wastewater facilities tributary to the public wastewater system shall be designed and constructed in conformance with current DPW standards and specifications. In the absence of such specifications or in amplification thereof, the materials and procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the American Society for Testing and Materials, the WEF Manual of Practice No. 9, Design and Construction of Urban Stormwater Management Systems and Gravity Sanitary Sewer Design and Construction, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission Guides for the Design of Wastewater Treatment Works, Title V of the State Environmental Code,[1] and the Uniform State Plumbing Code, 248 CMR 10.00 shall apply.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 310 CMR 15.00.
A. 
No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connection with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public or private sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written approval from the DPW. Any person proposing a new sewer connection or any person proposing a substantial change in the quantity or use of an existing sewer connection shall file a written application for the connection or change with the DPW prior to making the proposed change or connection.
B. 
An approval shall be valid only for the use and quantity of flow described in the application. Any change in use of the building or any increase in the quantity of wastewater discharged from the building or any change in the character of the wastewater discharge from the building shall be considered a change of use. The owner or the owner's agent shall make application for a new approval for any change of use and shall pay the appropriate fee.
C. 
The owner shall complete and submit the required applications prior to the construction of a new building sewer or new private sewer, or the reconstruction, repair, or modification of an existing building sewer or existing private sewer which connects to a public sewer or to an MWRA interceptor. The DPW may set conditions governing the construction including but not limited to the hours of work; location of the work; and means and methods of construction within the public right-of-way.
D. 
The DPW will approve a sewer connection/extension to Framingham's wastewater facilities after review of the application for the sewer connection/extension and the determination by the DPW that there is available capacity for the proposed flow from the sewer connection/extension and that it shall not exacerbate any existing operation and maintenance deficiencies. Deficiencies may include, but are not limited to, pump station operation and maintenance, odors and corrosion, conformance with the City's Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan, and collection system efficiency. The DPW may require the applicant to mitigate the effects of the proposed sewer connection/extension as well as mitigate existing system deficiencies.
A. 
Any person or entity proposing to add additional wastewater to an existing sewer connection or any applicant for a new building sewer or change of use shall be charged a one-time infiltration and inflow mitigation fee. The fee will be based on the removal of four gallons of I&I for every one gallon proposed from the new building. The sewer design flows proposed will be as published by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection based on the type of establishment (310 CMR 15.203). For single-family and multifamily dwellings, the sewer design flow is 110 gallons per bedroom. Commercial uses and design flows will be reviewed and determined by the Director, or their designee.
B. 
Renovation projects that add additional bedrooms to a residential property that has an existing municipal sewer connection are exempt from this fee.
No person shall connect to a public or private sewer or directly to an MWRA sewer or construct a sewer extension which ultimately connects to a public or private sewer or to an MWRA sewer without the appropriate approval of the sewer connection or extension application by the DPW and the MWRA and issued by the DEP. As defined in DEP regulations and in § 554-5.11 below, approval of a sewer extension permit by the DEP shall not obligate the City to approve the application.
The DPW shall have the right to require that any person proposing to construct, repair, or modify a building sewer, other private sewer, grease trap, oil trap, and other wastewater facility tributary to the public wastewater system post a bond in a form satisfactory to the DPW and in an amount and for a period of time that the DPW deems sufficient to cover the work and guarantee construction quality and operating performance.
All sewer installation, repair or maintenance work shall be performed by a drain layer who possesses a valid drain layers license issued by the DPW. A drain layer's bond, using the DPW's standard bond form, as then in effect, must be submitted to and approved by the DPW in advance of installation, repair or maintenance.
The DPW shall have the right to inspect building sewers and other private sewers, grease traps, oil traps, and other facilities tributary to the public wastewater system, at any reasonable time while such construction is underway. The owner shall notify the DPW when such facility is installed and ready for final inspection and before the facility is connected to the public wastewater system. Connection to the public wastewater system shall be made in the presence of a DPW inspector. No facility shall be covered over until approval has been given by the DPW inspector. Such connection and all testing, as deemed necessary by the DPW, shall be made under the supervision of the Director or authorized representative. Minimum notice to the DPW for an inspection shall be 24 hours. The cost for final inspection by the DPW shall be borne by the owner of the facilities installed.
A. 
All costs and expenses incidental to the application form, design, construction, installation, connection, repair, and maintenance of a building sewer, other private sewers, special facilities, grease traps, oil traps, or other wastewater facilities shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the DPW from, and shall reimburse the DPW for, any loss or damage directly or indirectly occasioned by the installation of any building sewer, private sewer, special facility, grease trap, oil trap or other wastewater facility.
B. 
All fees for new service connections to the public wastewater system must be paid prior to installation.
A. 
Any person may propose an extension, replacement or relocation of a public or private sewer to serve a new or rehabilitated building(s). Every person who proposes to extend, replace, or relocate a public or private sewer shall prepare and submit for review and approval by the DPW a construction plan, supplemented by such other required permits, plans, specifications, and information the DPW deems necessary to determine whether to approve the request. Extension, replacement, or relocation of a public or private sewer shall not commence without the DPW's prior written approval. Every extension, replacement, or relocation of a public or private sewer shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the DPW's design requirements, specifications, and standard details. Any tests, studies, investigations, and inspections required for design and construction shall be conducted in accordance with the DPW's requirements. All expenses incurred pursuant to the extension, replacement, or relocation of a public or private sewer including but not limited to application, engineering, bonding, legal, permitting, construction and inspection costs, as well as any expenses incurred by the City, shall be paid for by the applicant.
B. 
After approval of a proposed sewer extension and after the attendant construction has been approved by the City, the applicant may transfer ownership of the extended, replaced or relocated sewer to the City through a process prescribed by the City. The process shall include but not be limited to submission of as-built plans for the extended, replaced or relocated sewer and any other information required by the City. Until such time as the transfer is approved by the City, the extended, replaced or relocated sewer shall be considered to be privately owned by the applicant and shall be subject to the requirements pertaining to private sewers contained in these wastewater regulations.
C. 
When the City must perform professional engineering and legal reviews for development projects, the applicant shall pay for such reviews regardless of the scope of the project.
After receipt of written approval from the DPW, the applicant or the contractor shall notify the DPW 48 hours in advance of when work is to be performed. The installation of sewer connections shall be made under the observation of the DPW or the DPW's duly authorized representative. No work shall be backfilled by the contractor without the authorization of the DPW.
No work installing or repairing sewer connections or any customer plumbing and appurtenances that are under the jurisdiction of the DPW shall commence unless the approval to do so is issued by the DPW and is at the site of the work, in the hands of the plumber or contractor doing the work. All work shall be completed within the time limitations stated in the approval, which shall be established by the DPW at the time that the approval is issued. If not so completed, a new approval shall be obtained by the owner to validate continuance of the work.
All excavations for sewer construction shall conform to applicable local, state, and federal codes and regulations and be adequately guarded with barricades, lights and by other means as necessary 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 consistent with applicable regulations and to the satisfaction of the DPW.
The DPW reserves the right to temporarily interrupt service without first giving notice of such action, if in the DPW's opinion it is necessary to do so in order to facilitate making of repairs, alterations, or for any necessary purpose. Therefore, no person shall be entitled to receive damages, refunds, or payments as a result of any such interruption.
A. 
When a sewer service account has been discontinued for a period of one year or more and no commitment has been provided by the owner as to possible future use, the DPW may, at its sole discretion, consider the sewer service to be abandoned and may disconnect the sewer service pipe from the public sewer main at the owner's expense. A building sewer may be terminated upon notice from the property owner.
B. 
If any building is razed, the owner, at their expense, must disconnect the sewer service from the public sewer main and all work must be done in accordance with these wastewater regulations. Prior to demolition of any building or termination of a building sewer, the owner shall cut and cap all building sewers at the connection to the sewer, and have the DPW inspect all building sewers to ensure that they are properly cut and capped prior to backfilling.
A. 
The use of Framingham's wastewater facilities shall be based on water use measurement. Where water use measurement and/or analysis is not considered feasible, each user's impact on the facilities shall be determined by the quantity of water used, as obtained from a private source, or by an alternative means approved by the DPW.
B. 
Sewer use charges shall be assessed based upon the Mayor's policies at the same tier values as are currently being assessed for water use. On properties where multiple meters are used to record sewer usage, the usage may be combined to reflect the demands and costs of providing sewer service to the building/property.
C. 
If a secondary water meter is employed to deduct water use that is not conveyed into City sewers, the sewer use billing will be based upon the adjusted wastewater discharge. Where irrigation meters are employed, the water use registered by these meters will not be used in determining the water use contributing to the wastewater discharge. All costs associated with the purchase, installation, operation and maintenance of meters installed for the purposes of determining sewer usage beyond the primary water meter are the responsibility of the owner.
D. 
The DPW requires all use of the sewer system to be measured. Sewer system use shall be based upon the water meter for the usage as indicated by the water meter(s) for the building/property. The DPW shall furnish all new water meters, up to two inches in size, to be installed by the owner. All new meters over two inches shall be furnished and installed by the owner. All water meters shall remain the property of the DPW, and the DPW shall have access to and control over the water meters. No unauthorized person shall remove, repair, or replace the water meter except as provided herein. The DPW shall determine the type of meter to be used. Under certain circumstances the Director shall require the installation of additional water meters to determine wastewater usage for the sole purpose of measurement. This requirement is for the purposes of measuring flows to the sewer system from sources not measured through City-administered water meters.
E. 
Additionally, the Director may require the installation of sewer meters in instances where determination of system use (as described herein) is not possible, or deemed to be inaccurate by the Director through the installation of water meter type devices. The Director may allow certain users of the collection system to install metering devices consistent with the regulations for the purposes of measuring wastewater usage.
F. 
The owner shall be responsible for all costs associated with the purchase, installation, operation, and maintenance of sewer and/or additional water meter(s) for the purposes of measuring wastewater usage.
Anyone who injures a meter or prevents, hinders or interferes with its proper action or registration of the fluid supplied through it, or causes it to be used without consent of the DPW, is subject to severe penalties, pursuant to MGL c. 165, § 11.
At any normal rate of flow, as specified by AWWA standards, a new water meter for the purposes of determining sewer usage shall register not less than 98.5% and not more than 101.5% of the measured fluid that actually passes through it. A used water meter for the purposes of determining sewer usage shall register not less than 97% and not more than 103% of the measured fluid that actually passes through it.
A. 
The DPW shall provide water meter for the purposes of determining sewer use. A customer may request that the City test their meter. Such tests shall be performed at the expense of the owner. The DPW reserves the right to test a water meter for the purposes of determining sewer use or to replace water meter for the purposes of determining sewer use, whether or not requested by the customer. If the water meter for the purposes of determining sewer use test reveals the meter to be over-registering by more than 3%, the DPW will repair or replace the meter, refund the test fee, and adjust the bill for the current period in proportion to the rate of over-registration.
B. 
Other requirements for these meters shall be consistent with the City of Framingham's water regulations.
C. 
No unauthorized person shall repair, remove, replace, or otherwise tamper with a meter. Repair or replacement of meters necessitated by ordinary wear shall be paid for by the DPW. The customer shall pay for meter repairs or replacements caused by freezing or other willful neglect of the customer.
No meter bypass piping will be allowed without the written permission of the Director, and in those cases, only with a meter installed on the bypass line.
When wastewater is collected from more than one dwelling unit through a single service, a single meter shall be installed to record water usage for the whole supply furnished from the service. If secondary or auxiliary meters are desired by the owner for showing subdivision of the sewer use, they shall be furnished, installed, maintained and read by the owner. Separate billing will not be provided by the DPW.
Any existing private wells or new private wells which are connected to plumbing systems that have the capability of discharging to the public sewer system shall be metered and shall be subject to City sewer charges. Meters for private wells shall be furnished, installed, and maintained by the owner, but shall remain the property of the DPW. Meters for private wells are subject to all the rules and regulations governing other meters.
A. 
The City assumes no liability for conditions that exist in an owner's or user's pipes and cause trouble coincident to or following the repair of any main pipe, service pipe, meter or other appliance belonging to the City.
B. 
The owner shall indemnify the City from and shall reimburse the City for any loss or damage directly or indirectly caused to the City's sewer facilities by the installation of any privately owned plumbing. An owner or user shall indemnify and hold harmless the City for any damages or civil liabilities the City may sustain or be required to pay in consequence of an injury or property damage resulting from the owner's or user's violation of these wastewater regulations.
C. 
In acting under these wastewater regulations, the City shall be deemed to be performing an essential public function. The City shall not be liable for any loss or damage as a result of the performance of such public function as provided by MGL c. 258, § 10.
A. 
Pursuant to MGL c. 83, § 10, any person who violates any provision of these wastewater regulations shall, upon issuance of a City order to that effect, forfeit and pay to the City the penalty established by applicable Massachusetts General Laws or by these wastewater regulations for each such violation. For purposes of these wastewater regulations, each day that a violation continues shall be deemed to be a separate violation.
B. 
Failure to comply with any portion of these wastewater regulations, or with any approval or order issued thereunder, shall be sufficient cause for the City to levy on and collect from each violator any additional cost for any expense, loss or damage incurred by the City as a result of such violation.
C. 
Any person violating any of the provisions of these wastewater regulations shall become liable to the City and the MWRA for any expense, loss or damage suffered by the City or by the MWRA by reason of said violation.