A. 
Maintenance of Building Sewer. Each owner shall maintain his building sewer lateral(s) free of displaced joints, open joints, root intrusion, substantial deterioration of the line, cracks, leaks, inflow, or infiltration of extraneous water, root intrusion, grease and sediment deposits, or any other similar conditions, defects, or obstructions likely to cause leakage or increase the chance for blockage of the building sewer.
B. 
Maintenance of Septic Tank. Each owner shall maintain his septic tank free of deterioration, corrosion, damage, disposal failure or any other similar deficiencies or defects likely to increase failure of the septic tank.
C. 
General Maintenance Requirements. The maintenance obligation imposed by this section shall be in addition to and supplemental of the general private sewer system maintenance obligations imposed in this title.
(Ord. 4930 § 9, 2009)
The director of public works, or the building official, (or any designated representative or either the director of public works or the building official) is hereby authorized to inspect any building sewer in use within the city and connected to the city sewer system for the following purposes:
A. 
To determine the size, depth, and location of any sewer connection;
B. 
To determine the end outlet of any sewer connection by depositing harmless testing materials in any plumbing fixture attached thereto and flushing the same, if necessary;
C. 
To determine, by measurements and samples, the quantity and nature of the sewage or wastewater being discharged into any sewer;
D. 
To determine the location of the roof, swimming pool, floor and surface drains, and whether or not they physically connect to a building sewer;
E. 
To evaluate and determine defects in a sewer lateral following an overflow incident.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to provide the director of public works, the building official or their respective designees with any right or authority to enter a building or other apparently private or interior area of a real property, except to the extent such entry is expressly authorized by state law.
(Ord. 4930 § 9, 2009)
A. 
Health and safety basis for requiring a building sewer lateral inspection.
An owner of real property shall have the building sewer video-inspected in accordance with the requirements of this chapter (as directed and within the time-period indicated by the director of public works) upon the occurrence of any of the following events:
1. 
Overflow or Malfunction. Whenever the director of public works has sufficient evidence (as determined by the director) that the building sewer has recently overflowed or has recently malfunctioned;
2. 
Building Sewer Failure or Lack of Maintenance. Whenever, based on sewer system testing conducted by the city (of either the building sewer lateral or the city's public sewer system), the director of public works finds that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that the building sewer lateral has failed, is likely to fail, or has not been properly maintained; and
3. 
Public Health Threat. Upon any other reasonable cause to believe that there is a threat to the public health, safety, or welfare due to the condition of a building sewer lateral or any other conditions causing a nuisance.
B. 
Schedule for Lateral Inspections—Non-Residential, Multi-Family and Common Interest Development Real Properties.
1. 
Non-Residential Properties. An owner or owners of non-residential property within the city shall have that property's building sewer lateral(s) inspected in accordance with the requirements of this chapter or on occurrence of any conditions in paragraph (A) above, or once every ten years beginning on the first date of notification following the adoption of the ordinance first enacting this chapter. Within each subsequent ten-year period of time, such lateral inspections shall be performed. (For the purposes of this section, a property that has a mixture of allowed residential and non-residential uses shall be considered a non-residential property with respect to its compliance with the sewer lateral inspection requirements of this section.)
2. 
Common Interest Development, Condominium, or Multi-Family Properties. The owner or owners of a common interest development, condominium, or multi-family property shall have that property's building sewer lateral(s) inspected in accordance with the requirement of this chapter or on occurrence of any conditions in paragraph (A) above, or once every ten years beginning on the first date of notification following the enactment of the ordinance first enacting this chapter. Within each ten-year period of time, such lateral inspections shall occur.
C. 
Exception to Inspection for Recent Prior Inspections and Repairs. The following are exceptions to the inspection requirements of subparagraph (B) above:
1. 
Prior Replacement of Sewer Lateral. An owner otherwise required to perform a building sewer lateral inspection under (B) hereof shall not be required to perform such an inspection if the owner (or the owner's predecessor-in-interest) has originally installed or has replaced his property's building sewer lateral within the ten years prior to the date of the application for a building permit.
2. 
Prior Inspection or Repair of a Building Sewer Lateral. An owner otherwise required to perform an inspection under (B) hereof shall not be required to perform such an inspection if the owner has either completed a remedial inspection (conducted in accordance with the inspection requirements of this chapter) or completed a permitted repair of the building sewer lateral within the three years prior to the date the inspection would have otherwise been required, or has a valid compliance certificate.
(Ord. 5130 § 2, 2022)
A. 
Inspection Report Standards. The building sewer inspection reports required by this chapter shall be prepared in accordance with the following requirements and specifications:
1. 
The inspection report shall be prepared by a pre-qualified contractor or any other professional otherwise registered by the city of El Cajon;
2. 
The inspection report shall identify all of the following:
a. 
Any of the following conditions: displaced joints, open joints, root intrusion, substantial deterioration of the line, sags or depressions, cracks, leaks, inflow or infiltration of extraneous water, root intrusion, grease and sediment deposits or other conditions likely to increase the chance for blockage of the building sewer,
b. 
Whether any connection, by pipes or otherwise, allows rainwater or groundwater to enter the building sewer or public sewer,
c. 
Whether the building sewer has an installed backwater device where any outlet or trap of the building sewer is below the level of the nearest manhole. If a backwater device is already installed, the report shall indicate whether the backwater device is functioning properly,
d. 
Where the building sewer includes a septic tank, the report shall identify the extent to which the septic tank is deteriorated, corroded, damaged, whether the disposal field has failed or any other relevant deficiency;
3. 
The inspection report shall contain an express certification from the certified inspector that the property has been inspected for any outdoor drain connection to the city sewer system and that no such unpermitted connection is present. It shall also contain either a videotape or DVD of the video inspection of the building sewer lateral in a format acceptable to the city, as established by the city regulations, policies or procedures;
4. 
The inspection report shall be submitted to the city for review and analysis accompanied with a review fee in addition to any other fee required by this chapter.
B. 
Compliance with Regulations. The inspection report shall, in all other aspects, comply with the requirements and specifications described in the director of public works' specifications for a building sewer lateral inspection report as established by the regulations authorized under this title.
(Ord. 4930 § 9, 2009)
A. 
Notice to Repair or Replace. Upon receipt of the building sewer inspection report pursuant to this chapter, the director of public works (or his designee) will determine whether it indicates any deficiencies in the operation of the building sewer lateral and, thereafter, shall provide the owner(s) with a notice to repair or replace as may be deemed appropriate by the director. The notice to repair or replace shall specifically identify the deficiencies to be corrected and shall establish a deadline within which the owner(s) shall complete the required corrective actions. The corrective action may include a requirement that the lateral be replaced altogether and also may include the installation of cleanout, grease removal devices, and backwater valves if those devices are otherwise required by this code or any uniform code adopted by the city.
B. 
Obligations of the Owner. The owner shall repair his building sewer lateral to the satisfaction of the director of public works, and, if a building permit is required for the repairs, the owner shall obtain a final permit inspection and approval of the city building official.
C. 
Repairs Upon Other Properties Not Required. If a building sewer lateral traverses private property, without easements, other than the owner's property, the owner shall only be responsible for the repairs to that portion of the building sewer lateral that are upon the owner's property and also to that portion of the building sewer within a public right-of-way.
(Ord. 4930 § 9, 2009)
The homeowners association of a common interest development shall, along with the owner, be jointly and severally liable for the duties and obligations imposed by this chapter in relation to any building sewer lateral located within a common area of the development. If no homeowners association exists, then the individual unit owners, both jointly and individually, shall be liable for the duties and obligations with respect to building sewer laterals established by this chapter.
(Ord. 4930 § 9, 2009)
Within ninety days of the adoption of the ordinance enacting this chapter, the director of public works shall prepare and promulgate the public administrative guidelines that shall, among other things, establish the following:
A. 
A certification program for pre-qualified contractors or other professionals who will be accepted by the city to perform inspections and the basis for obtaining and maintaining such a certification or for a decertification;
B. 
Develop a standard inspection report form and specification for building sewer inspection reports;
C. 
Establish a notice format and standard enforcement timelines for the notice to repair and for repair and inspection service of that notice in a manner consistent with the requirements of due process. Such administrative guidelines shall be approved by a resolution of the city council; and
D. 
Administrative procedures for accepting, tracking, and inspecting permits for building sewers, grease interceptors, and inspection of food serving establishments.
(Ord. 4930 § 9, 2009)