Most of the existing sewers in the City were constructed years ago and were designed to serve residential and agriculture properties. However, due to the ever-increasing population density within the City, the erection of many multi-family dwelling units and growth of the commercial areas, the City sewer system is no longer adequate to accommodate the increased volume of sewage generated by the larger buildings. The purpose of this chapter is to establish a means of providing adequate sewers required by development of the City; to establish a charge to be collected from all the properties that propose to discharge, to the public sewer, quantities of sewage in excess of the quantity for which the existing sewer system was designed; and to establish a fund into which these charges may be deposited and from which monies will be available for the City of Bellflower Sewer Reconstruction Program.
(Prior code § 10-2.1)
The sewer reconstruction program shall be carried out basically in accordance with the City of Bellflower Sewer Reconstruction Plan which is on file in the office of the Director of Public Works. If compliance with the Reconstruction Plan is impossible or impractical because of peculiar or unforeseen conditions and the purposes of this chapter may be accomplished and the public health and safety assured by an alternate construction, and the Director of Public Works so finds, he or she may grant an exception to the Reconstruction Plan permitting such alternate construction.
(Prior code § 10-2.2)
"City"
shall mean that portion of the State of California incorporated as the City of Bellflower and all areas subsequently annexed to the City of Bellflower.
"City Council"
shall mean the City Council of the City of Bellflower, County of Los Angeles, State of California.
"Director of Public Works"
shall mean the Director of Public Works of the City of Bellflower, or his/her deputy, agent or representative.
"Floor area"
shall mean the area included within the exterior walls of a building or portion thereof, exclusive of vent shafts and courts.
"Lot"
shall mean any piece or parcel of land bounded, described or shown upon a map, plot or deed recorded in the office of the County Recorder, County of Los Angeles; or shown as a separate parcel on the last equalized assessment roll which conforms to the boundaries of such lot as shown upon such recorded map, plot or deed or roll; provided, however, that in the event any building or structure or intended use covers more area than a lot as herein defined, the term "lot" shall include all such pieces or parcels of land upon which said building or structure or intended use is wholly or partly located, together with the yards, courts and other unoccupied spaces legally required for the building or structure.
"Owner"
shall mean an individual human being, a firm, partnership, corporation, organization or anyone having an interest in any lot or parcel of land in the City of Bellflower.
"Peak flow"
shall mean the instantaneous maximum rate of flow of sewage to be discharged to the sewer and, for the purpose of this chapter, shall be as provided herein or as determined by the Director of Public Works.
"Public sewer"
shall mean the main line public sanitary sewer. Excepting therefrom sewers under the jurisdiction of a public entity other than the City of Bellflower.
(Prior code § 10-2.3)
No person shall, within the City of Bellflower, erect, construct, enlarge or alter any building or structure or cause the same to be done without first having complied with the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 10-2.4)
If any provision of this chapter, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, be held invalid, the remainder of the chapter, and the application of such provisions to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
(Prior code § 10-2.5)
The Director of Public Works shall enforce and administer all the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 10-2.6)
The Director of Public Works shall determine what capacity is necessary in each public sewer to provide for the proper collection of sewage in the City. In the event a lot in the City is to undergo development or redevelopment, and the anticipated sewage from the proposed use is found by the Director of Public Works to exceed the capacity available in the public sewer, the building permit for such development or redevelopment shall not be issued until such time as capacity in the public sewer is available or can be made available before the building is occupied.
(Prior code § 10-2.7)
A. 
The size and grade of each public sewer must be such as to provide at all times sufficient capacity for peak flow rates of discharge. In order to establish estimates of sanitary sewage at peak flow, the owner shall submit building plans and such other information as the Director of Public Works may require on printed forms provided for that purpose.
B. 
The following table is established as the peak flows for the various occupancies and shall be used as the basis for computing the discharge rates to the public sanitary sewer.
Table of Peak Flows for Various Occupancies
Occupancy
Peak Flow
Apartment
600 gal./day/dwelling unit
Assembly areas
15 gal./day/person
Auditorium
15 gal./day/seat
Automobile wash
86,400 gal./day/wash lane
Bar and cocktail lounges
60 gal./day/seat
Religious facility
600 gal./day/1000 square feet of floor area
Hospitals
1500 gal./day/bed
Hotels
600 gal./day/room
Industry, light (no water processes)
600 gal./day/1000 square feet of floor area
Laundry, automatic (public)
225 gal./day/machine
Medical office
900 gal./day/1000 square feet of floor area
Mobile homes and/or trailer courts
400 gal./day/unit
Motels
600 gal./day/unit
Office
600 gal./day/1000 square feet of floor area
Restaurant
150 gal./day/seat
Schools
 
a. Elementary
27 gal./day/capita
b. Other
75 gal./day/capita
Stand or drive-in for sale of lunches, ice cream, beverages and similar items
900 gal./day/1000 square feet of floor area
Storage garages and warehouses
75 gal./day/1000 square feet of floor area
Stores, commercial and display
300 gal./day/1000 square feet of floor area
C. 
All others shall be classified by the occupancy it most nearly resembles as determined by the Director of Public Works or as computed by the Director of Public Works in accordance with the anticipated use.
D. 
The peak flow to the sanitary sewer for a building containing mixed occupancies shall be determined by adding the peak flow characteristics of the various occupancies as set forth in the above table or as otherwise provided.
(Prior code § 10-2.8; Ord. 1319 § 7, 10/10/16)
The applicant for a permit to build in the City shall declare all information necessary, as determined by the Director of Public Works, to comply with the provisions of this chapter and shall pay, to the City, through its Director of Finance, at the time of issuance of a building permit, a charge based on the additional peak flow created by the new construction, or change of use, at the rate of nine cents ($.09) per gallon per day of additional peak flow less any credit which might be allowed as provided herein. The charges as provided for in this section may be increased, decreased, or otherwise modified from time to time by the City Council by the adoption of a resolution of the City Council setting forth such increased, decreased, or otherwise modified charge or charges.
(Prior code § 10-2.9)
In calculating the chargeable peak flow of sewage each lot shall be given a credit of 600 gallons per day per 5,000 square feet of lot area. This credit shall not be applied more than once to the same lot, except when the building on the lot has been demolished.
(Prior code § 10-2.10)
The moneys collected under Section 13.12.090 shall be paid to the Director of Finance, who shall deposit such moneys with the City Treasurer, to be credited by the City Treasurer to the City of Bellflower Sewer Reconstruction Fund.
(Prior code § 10-2.11)
Money deposited in the City of Bellflower Sewer Reconstruction Fund as provided herein may be expended by the City Council to accomplish any lawful purpose as set forth in Sections 13.12.010 and 13.12.020 of this chapter and as set forth in Section 5471 of the Health and Safety Code of the State of California, or for such other sewer purpose that the City Council may lawfully authorize. All engineering costs, refunds as provided herein, mileage, overhead, incidentals and construction costs necessarily incurred in the reconstruction of sewers shall be charged to the fund, to the extent allowed by law.
(Prior code § 10-2.12)
In the event any person shall have paid the applicable sewer charge based on the additional peak flow created by the new construction as provided herein and no portion of the new construction shall have been commenced and the permit for such construction shall have been canceled or expired, said person shall be entitled upon written request to a refund in an amount equal to 100% of the sewer charges paid by said person minus 1% of said charge, however, the amount retained shall not exceed $10. No interest shall be paid as to any refund.
(Prior code § 10-2.13)
Any order, requirement, decision, determination, interpretation or ruling made by the Director of Public Works in the administration or enforcement of this chapter may be appealed therefrom to the City Council by any person or owner aggrieved thereby. Such appeal shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk and shall be filed within 15 days after the rendition in writing of the decision or determination appealed from, or it shall be dismissed by the City Council. Such appeal shall be filed in writing, and must set forth specifically wherein there was error or abuse of discretion by the Department of Public Works. Upon hearing the appeal, the City Council shall consider the record, and such additional evidence as may be offered and may affirm, reverse or modify in whole or in part the order, requirement, decision, determination or interpretation appealed from or make and substitute such other additional decisions or determination as it may find warranted under the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 10-2.14)