Whenever the city utilities superintendent determines that a specific quantity of septic tank waste may be processed by the city’s wastewater treatment plant, without unduly reducing the ability of the sewer system and treatment capacity to handle all sewage produced by the members of the ULID established by city Ordinance No. 264, (s)he may allow such an amount of septic tank waste to be discharged into the sewer system at the wastewater treatment plant for processing. Preference shall be given first to septic tank waste from septic tanks located within the area of the ULID, and then to septic tank waste produced within the balance of the city of Forks. In addition, any septic tank waste must have a pH rate between 6.5 and 8.5 in order to be accepted by the city wastewater treatment plant.
(Ord. 407 § 2, 1996)
The fee for treatment of such septic waste, payable in full before the waste may be deposited with the city wastewater treatment plant shall be a minimum of $50.00 for up to 1,000 gallons of waste. Septic tank waste consisting of more than 1,000 gallons shall be charged the $50.00 minimum plus an additional $0.05 per gallon for every gallon deposited over 1,000 gallons.
(Ord. 407 § 3, 1996)
This chapter shall apply to all territory embraced within the corporate limits of the city of Forks, Washington, and area of police jurisdiction thereof.
(Ord. 43 § 1, 1951)
On and after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter it shall be unlawful to maintain or use any residence, place of business, or other building or place where persons reside, congregate or are employed which is not provided with means for the disposal of human excreta, either by flush toilet connected with a sewerage system, or a privy which meets the requirements hereinafter set forth.
(Ord. 43 § 2, 1951)
Every residence, place of business or other building or place where persons congregate, reside or are employed shall be provided with a private water flush toilet or a privy by the owner or agent of the premises, said water flush toilet system or privy to be built or rebuilt, constructed and maintained in such a manner as to meet the requirements of construction and maintenance hereinafter set forth.
(1) 
Private Sewer System. At any residence, place of business, or other building where there is installed a water flush system of excreta disposal which is not connected to a public sewer system approved by the State Department of Public Health there shall also be established or installed a private sewage disposal plant, said disposal plant to consist of a septic tank and a system of underground drains for the disposal of the tank effluent. Said tank and drains shall be so constructed that they meet the requirements of construction and maintenance hereinafter described.
(a) 
Septic Tanks. The sizes of septic tanks shall be as follows:
Minimum size:
60 cu. ft. 500 gal.
Serving 10 persons:
80 cu. ft. 600 gal.
Septic tanks shall have a covered manhole of sufficient size to allow the cleaning of the tank.
(b) 
Drains. Sufficient four-inch open joint drain tile should be provided and the construction and maintenance shall be such that the overflow from the septic tank shall not directly or indirectly drain or discharge over or upon the surface of the ground, or into any stream, bodies of surface or ground water, whether natural or artificial.
Drain tile should be laid on a flat grade not to exceed one-half inch fall in 10 feet. One hundred feet of drain shall be recognized as a minimum for four persons or less; serving over four persons, 25 feet of drain per person. The open joints of the drain tile shall be loosely wrapped with strips of asphalt roofing, tarpaper or sheet metal to exclude sand and silt.
(c) 
Drain Line Trenches. Drain line trenches shall be two feet in width and 18 inches to two feet in depth. The drain line should be laid in a bed of crushed stone or clean gravel covering the full width of the trench. The bottom of the drain tile should be six inches above the bottom of the ditch and the gravel then built in around the tile in such a manner as to completely cover the tile. The back-filling of the trench shall provide an earth covering of not less than six inches, nor more than 24 inches.
(d) 
Filter Trench. When the porosity of the soil is such that it will not receive the drainage from the drain tile described in subsection (1)(b) of this section a filter trench shall be substituted for the drain line. The filter trench shall consist of two four-inch-drain tiles, one laid directly above the other in the same ditch. The lower tile shall be laid in the bottom of the ditch and two feet of clean, coarse sand placed over it. The joints of the lower tile shall be loosely wrapped with strips of asphalt roofing, tarpaper or sheet metal to exclude the sand. The upper four-inch tile line shall be laid on top of the two-foot bed of sand and coarse cinders, clean gravel, or crushed stone shall be placed around the upper tile so as to completely cover it. The following lengths of filter trench shall be required:
Minimum:
60 feet
Serving 8 persons:
90 feet
Serving 10 persons:
120 feet
The backfilling of the trench shall provide an earth covering of from six to 12 inches. Both the upper and lower drain tile of the filter trench shall be laid on a flat grade not to exceed one-half inch fall in 10 feet. The ditch used in construction of the filter trench shall be three feet in width and not less than three feet in depth.
Each fixture connected to any private sewage disposal plant, and all piping and appurtenances thereto, shall be installed as prescribed by the building code of the city of Forks, Washington.
(2) 
Pit Privy.
(a) 
From and after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter it shall be unlawful for anyone to build or erect any outdoor toilet or privy within the city limits of the city of Forks, or to keep and maintain any outdoor toilet erected or constructed after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, except as hereinafter provided.
(b) 
Any existing outdoor toilet shall not be replaced, but when said toilet is abandoned for any reason it shall be replaced by the construction of a septic tank providing for the sanitary disposition of all waste materials and human excreta.
(c) 
Existing outdoor toilets or privies shall be so maintained that:
(i) 
The excreta, or waste materials, deposited therein shall not fall upon the surface of the ground but shall enter into a vault or pit in the ground or a compartment built for that purpose;
(ii) 
The contents of said vault shall be at all times inaccessible to flies, mosquitoes, fowls or small animals;
(iii) 
The pit, vault or compartment, together with the floor, riser, seat and other portions of the building shall, as a unit, prevent the entrance of either rain or surface water into the pit below and the floors shall be of concrete or other equally impervious material.
(d) 
Should any defect occur in the privy, or toilet, which would cause it in any way to fail to meet the requirements provided above, the defect shall be immediately corrected.
(e) 
All privy buildings and outdoor toilets shall be kept in a clean condition at all times.
(f) 
It shall be unlawful to abandon, abolish or neglect any existing outdoor toilet or privy, containing any excretion, filth or other offensive matter unless the toilet or privy or structure be first removed and the pit, or vault, properly filled and covered in a safe and sanitary manner.
(Ord. 43 § 3, 1951)
From and after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, it shall be unlawful to construct, reconstruct, build, rebuild, alter or change any cesspool. Existing cesspools shall be kept and maintained in a clean, safe and sanitary manner at all times. All cesspools when abolished, abandoned or discontinued shall first have all excrement, filth or other offensive matter removed from the cesspool and then properly filled so as to be left in a safe and sanitary condition.
(Ord. 43 § 4, 1951)
It shall be unlawful to use a drywell, pit or drain-off in conjunction with a cesspool. A drywell, when required for use in conjunction with a septic tank, shall be of the same dimensions as the septic tank and lined with a suitable material to prevent caveins and properly covered so as to be safe and sanitary at all times.
(Ord. 43 § 5, 1951)
Any privy, or outdoor toilet, or private sewage disposal system existing or being maintained which does not conform to the requirements of this chapter shall be and is hereby declared a nuisance, dangerous and a menace to the public health and the city of Forks, Washington, shall have the power and authority to abate any such nuisance in accordance with the law.
(Ord. 43 § 6, 1951)
Every person who shall hereinafter construct a septic tank shall first secure from the city council of the city of Forks, upon the payment of the sum of $1.00, a permit to construct such septic tanks in accordance with this chapter. No person shall use any septic tank hereinafter constructed without first securing from the city council of the city of Forks a certificate of approval which certificate of approval shall be issued by the city council of Forks, or its authorized representative, after notice of completion and inspection provided such installations comply with this chapter.
(Ord. 43 § 7, 1951)
It shall be the duty of the city health officer to enforce the provisions of this chapter and in the performance of his duty the health officer, or his duly authorized agent, is hereby authorized to enter, at any reasonable hour, any premises as may be necessary in the enforcement of this chapter.
(Ord. 43 § 8, 1951)
Any person, firm or corporation who violates, refuses or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25.00, nor more than $100.00.
(Ord. 43 § 9, 1951)
Every person, firm or corporation shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for every day during any portion of which any violation of any provision of this chapter is committed, continued or permitted by such person, firm or corporation, and shall be punishable therefor as provided by this chapter.
(Ord. 43 § 10, 1951)