Note: Prior history: Ords. 136, 146, 222, 226, 242, 328 and Res. 535.
For the purposes of this chapter, unless otherwise apparent from the context, certain words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:
Building Inspector
means the Building Inspector or his or her assistants.
Health Officer
means the County Health Officer, his or her assistants, or authorized deputies acting as Health Officers of the Town.
Town standards
means those standards relating to individual sewage disposal system design, construction, and/or maintenance described in Chapters IV and V of Division B11 of the Santa Clara Ordinance Code, except for the additions, deletions and amendments hereinafter noted, such regulations are adopted and made a part hereof, the same as if fully set forth in this article, and shall be the sewage disposal regulations for the Town.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)
Section B11-62 of the Santa Clara County Ordinance Code is amended to read as follows:
All existing buildings where persons reside, congregate, or are employed shall be required to be connected to an approved public sewer when such sewer is within 200 feet of the property line, except when the existing means of sewage disposal is functioning in conformance with the requirements of this chapter and the Town Standards and to the satisfaction of the Health Officer. All new residences and major additions shall be connected to an approved public sewer when such sewer is within 200 feet of the property line, except when the elevation of the existing sewer main does not facilitate gravity flow and is not subject to a sewer reimbursement agreement. Sewer connection exceptions are subject to the approval of the City Engineer and/or the Health Officer.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)
Every house sewer shall end in a wye branch connecting to the house drain. The wye shall be brought up to the ground level and be closed by a cap and shall be available as a cleanout.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)
Every residence, place of residence, or other building or place where persons congregate, reside, or are employed which is not connected to a public sewer system shall be provided with a private sewage disposal system. Such sewage disposal system shall be built, rebuilt, constructed, altered, reconstructed, repaired, and maintained in such a manner as to meet the requirements of this chapter and in accordance with the Town standards.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)
Owners or residents on premises with existing private sewage disposal systems which are failing or where failure may appear imminent and where a public sewer is not readily available shall repair, modify, and/or expand such system upon the order of the Health Officer. The modification and/or expansion shall be such as may bring about correction of the failure or elimination of the imminent failure.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)
The Health Officer shall review all plans for proposed sewage disposal installations and all plans for proposed alterations, improvements, or expansion of existing sewage disposal installations and shall make all necessary site inspections to determine conformance with the provisions of this chapter.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)
The applicant for a septic tank permit for new construction or for an existing system modification or expansion shall pay to the Health Officer for each permit a fee as established by the County for that purpose.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)
The provisions of this chapter shall not be construed as imposing upon the Town any liability or responsibility for damages resulting from the defective construction of any sanitary sewerage disposal system, nor shall the Town, or any official or employee thereof, be held as assuming any such liability or responsibility by reason of the inspections authorized by the provisions of this chapter.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)
It shall be the duty of the City Manager, on a recommendation of the Health Officer, to enforce the provisions of this chapter, and, in the performance of this duty, the City Manager, the Health Officer, or any duly authorized agent of either is hereby authorized to enter at any reasonable hour any premises as may be necessary in the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and to make investigations, including the taking of samples and conducting of dye tests.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)
Any person aggrieved by a determination of any administrative official may appeal such determination to the Council by filing a written notice of appeal with the City Clerk within 10 days after receiving a notice of the determination of the administrative official. There shall be paid a nonrefundable filing fee for each such appeal, and, in addition thereto, there shall be paid a deposit for services. The City Clerk shall put the matter on the next open agenda for a hearing at a regularly scheduled Council meeting. The amounts of the filing fee and deposit shall be set by resolution.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)
Any person violating or refusing or failing to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable as set forth in Chapter 2 of Title 1 of this Code.
(§ 1, Ord. 549, eff. May 17, 2014)