[Adopted 4-17-1972 by Ord. No. 20; amended in its entirety 12-19-2016 by Ord. No. 125]
In the interpretation of this article, the following definitions
shall apply unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation
of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days
at 20° C., expressed in parts per million by weight.
That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system
which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainpipes
inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer,
beginning five feet outside the inner face of the building wall.
The extension from the building drain to the public sewer
or other place of disposal.
A sewer receiving both surface runoff and sewage.
The Michigan State Department of Natural Resources.
Solid wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing
of food, and from the handling, storage, processing and sale of produce.
The Jackson County Health Department and/or the Michigan
State Department of Health.
Any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake, or other
body of water, either surface water or groundwater.
Any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation
or group.
The logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen
ions in grams per liter of solution.
The wastes from the cooking, preparation, and dispensing
of food that has been cut or shredded to such a degree that all particles
will be carried freely under flow conditions normally prevailing in
public sewers, with no particle greater than 1/2 inch in any dimension.
A sewer in which all owners of abutting property have equal
rights, and which is controlled by public authority.
A sewer which carries sewage and to which stormwaters, surface
waters and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.
Any combination of water-carried wastes from residence, business
and commercial buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments,
together with such groundwaters, surface waters and stormwaters as
may be present.
The liquid wastes, solids, or semisolids from industrial
processes as distinct from sanitary sewage.
All facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing
of sewage.
Any pipe, tile, tubes, or conduit for carrying sewage.
"Shall" is mandatory; "may" is permissive.
A sewer which carries stormwaters and surface waters and
drainage but which excludes sewage and polluted industrial wastes.
The solids that either float on the surface of, or are suspended
in, water, sewage, or other liquids, and which are removable by laboratory
filtering.
A channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously
in intermittently.
A.Â
Waste deposits. It shall be unlawful for any person to place or deposit
or permit to be deposited in any unsanitary manner upon any public
or private property, within the Township of Blackman or in any area
under the jurisdiction of the said Township of Blackman, any human
or animal excrement, garbage, or other objectionable waste.
B.Â
Water pollution. It shall be unlawful to discharge into any natural
watercourse or any storm sewer, within the Township of Blackman or
in any area under the jurisdiction of the said Township of Blackman,
any sanitary sewage, industrial waste, or other polluted waters, except
where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with the
standards established by the DNR.
C.Â
Privies and septic tanks. Except as hereinafter provided, it shall
be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic
tank, cesspool or other facility intended or used for the disposal
of sewage.
D.Â
Connection to wastewater sewer required. The owners of all dwellings,
buildings, structures, or properties used for human occupancy, employment,
recreation, or other purposes, situated within the Township and abutting
on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located
a public sanitary sewer of the Township, are hereby required at their
own expense to install suitable sanitary sewer connection facilities
therein, and to connect the facilities directly to the public sanitary
sewer system in accordance with the provisions of this article, within
90 days after the date of official notice to do so, provided the public
sanitary sewer is located within 200 feet of the structure. Any installation
of a private system for new construction or the replacement of a private
system requires connection to the sanitary sewer system.
A.Â
Private sewer systems. Where a public sanitary sewer is not available
under the provisions of the above, the building sewer shall be connected
with a private disposal system complying with the regulations and
orders of the DNR and the Health Department.
B.Â
Discontinuance of system. At such time as a public sewer becomes available to a property served by a private sewage disposal system, and the private system fails to the point of replacement, as provided in § 99-13, use of public sewers becomes required. A direct connection shall be made to the public sewer in compliance with the provisions of this article, and any septic tank, privy, privy vault, cesspool or similar private sewage disposal facility shall be abandoned.
C.Â
Maintenance of system. The owner shall operate and maintain the private
sewage disposal facilities in a sanitary manner at all times at no
expense to the Township of Blackman.
D.Â
Additional requirements. No statement contained in this article shall
be construed to interfere with any additional requirements that may
be imposed by the Health Department or the DNR with respect to private
sewage disposal.
A.Â
Permit required. No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections
with or open into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or any appurtenance
thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the Blackman
Township Supervisor or from such official as he may designate.
B.Â
Permit fee. All connections with the sanitary sewers of the Township
shall be made only on written authorization and permits issued by
the said Township on such forms and on payments of such fees as shall
be established from time to time by the Township Board.
C.Â
Installation costs. All costs and expenses incident to the installation
and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner of
said property. The owner shall indemnify the Township from all loss
or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation
of the building sewer.
D.Â
Plans and specifications. All applicants for sewer connection permits
shall first submit plans and specifications of all plumbing construction
within such building or premises, and such plans and specifications
shall meet the requirements of the Plumbing Code of the Township of
Blackman[1] and all orders, rules and regulations of the DNR, Health
Department or State Plumbing Board. When such plans and specifications
have been approved by the Township Supervisor or by such official
as he may designate, a temporary construction permit shall be issued,
subject to final inspection and approval when construction is completed
and ready for connection with the Township sewer system.
E.Â
Inspection. The applicant for a building sewer permit shall notify
the Township Supervisor when the building sewer is ready for inspection
and connection to the public sewer. The Township Supervisor or his
designated representative shall then inspect the said building and
plumbing construction therein, and if such construction meets the
previous requirements as approved in the construction permit, a sewer
connection permit shall be issued, subject to the applicable provisions
of other sections of this article.
F.Â
Repairs. The cost of all repairs, maintenance and replacement of
existing building sewers and their connection to public sewers shall
be borne by the property owner. Such owner shall make application
to perform such work to the Township Supervisor or his designated
representative.
G.Â
Unpolluted water. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged
any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface
drainage, cooling water or unpolluted industrial process waters into
any sanitary sewer. Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall
be discharged into such sewers as are specifically designated as storm
sewers or to a natural outlet approved by the Township Supervisor,
Health Department and/or the DNR. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted
process waters may be discharged, upon approval by the Township Supervisor
and Health Department, to a storm sewer or natural outlet. If such
sewer is a county drain, a permit for such connection shall be obtained
from the County Drain Commissioner.
H.Â
Prohibited uses. Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall
discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described
waters or wastes to any public sewer:
(1)Â
Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150° F.
(2)Â
Any water or waste which may contain more than 100 parts per million,
by weight, of fat, oil or grease.
(3)Â
Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil or other flammable or explosive
liquid, solid or gas.
(4)Â
Any garbage which has not been properly shredded.
(5)Â
Any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, eggshells,
rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, wood pulp, paunch manure, or
any solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction to the
flow in sewers or other interference with the proper operation of
the sewage works.
(6)Â
Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 10.5
or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or
hazards to the structures, equipment or personnel of the sewage works.
(7)Â
Any waters or wastes containing a toxic or poisonous substance in
sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment
process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, fish or aquatic
life or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment
plant.
(8)Â
Any waters or wastes containing in excess of three parts per million
by weight of cyanide, zinc, chrome or copper wastes.
(9)Â
Any waters or wastes containing suspended solids of such character
or quantity that unusual attention or expense is required to handle
such materials at the sewage disposal plant.
(10)Â
Any noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable of creating
a public nuisance.
(11)Â
Any waters containing in excess of 20 parts per million of total
phosphorus where user discharges in excess of 100,000 cubic feet of
water per month, or in excess of 125 pounds of phosphorus per month
to a sewer when using less than 100,000 cubic feet of water per month.
Any user exceeding these limits will be subject to a surcharge based
upon additional cost of treatment.
I.Â
Interceptors. Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided
when, in the opinion of the Township of Blackman and/or the State
Water Resources Commission, they are necessary for the proper handling
of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts or any inflammable
wastes, sand, or other harmful ingredients, except that such interceptors
shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units.
All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the Township
of Blackman and/or the State Water Resources Commission and shall
be located so as to be readily accessible for cleaning and inspection.
Grease and oil interceptors shall be constructed of impervious materials
capable of withstanding abrupt and extreme changes in temperature.
They shall be substantially constructed, watertight, and equipped
with easily removable covers which when bolted in place shall be gastight
and watertight.
J.Â
Interceptor maintenance. Where installed, all grease, oil and sand
interceptors shall be maintained by the owner, at his expense, in
continuously efficient operation at all times.
K.Â
Preliminary treatment facilities.
(1)Â
Any user discharging to a public sewer in excess of 10,000 cubic feet of wastewater per month, having a five-day BOD greater than 300 parts per million by weight, or containing more than 350 parts per million by weight of suspended solids, or containing any quantity or substance having characteristics described in Subsection H, Prohibited uses, will be subject to a surcharge based upon additional cost of treatment.
(2)Â
Any user discharging to a public sewer in excess of 100,000 cubic
feet of wastewater per month, having a five-day BOD greater than 100
parts per million by weight, or containing more than 200 parts per
million by weight of suspended solids, will be subject to a surcharge
based upon additional cost of treatment.
(3)Â
Where the owner chooses, preliminary treatment of wastes may be made to reduce objectionable characteristics or constituents to within the maximum limits provided for in Subsection H, Prohibited uses, or to reduce five-day BOD suspended solids. Plans, specifications, and other pertinent information relating to proposed preliminary facilities shall be submitted to the Superintendent of the Sewage Treatment Plant for approval, and no construction of such facilities shall be commenced until said approvals are obtained in writing.
L.Â
Maintenance of preliminary facilities. Where preliminary treatment
facilities are provided for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained
in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.
M.Â
Control manholes. When required by the Township Board, DNR or Health
Department, the owner of any property served by a building sewer carrying
industrial wastes shall install a suitable control manhole in the
building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement
of wastes. Such manhole, when required, shall be accessible and safely
located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved
by the Township Board. The manhole shall be installed by the owner
at his expense and shall be maintained by him so as to be safe and
accessible at all times.
N.Â
Measurements and tests. All measurements, tests, and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in Subsection H, Prohibited uses, and Subsection K, Preliminary treatment facilities, shall be determined in accordance with "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Sewage" and shall be determined at the control manhole provided for in Subsection M, Control manholes, or upon suitable samples taken at said control manhole. In the event that no special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer, to the point at which the building sewer is connected.
O.Â
Agreements. No statement contained in this article shall be construed
as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the Township
of Blackman and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste
of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the said Township
for treatment, subject to the payment by the industrial concern of
the estimated cost of such treatment.
P.Â
Protection from damage. No unauthorized person shall maliciously,
willfully or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or
tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is a part
of the municipal sewage system or treatment plant. Any person violating
these prohibitions shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more
than $100 or imprisoned for not more than 90 days, or both, and in
addition shall pay all costs and expenses involved in the case.
Q.Â
Unlawful discharge of sewage. It shall be unlawful for any person,
being the owner, occupant or person in control of any building situated
outside the limits of the Township, to discharge, or to permit or
cause the discharge of, sewage into any public or private sewer located
outside the Township, which sewer connects with and flows into the
Township sewage system without having first obtained a permit therefor
from the Township. Application for such permit shall be made upon
forms provided by the Township and shall be accompanied by a sketch
or drawing indicating the location of such connections, the size of
the conduit used and such other data as the Township may require.
The fee for such permit shall be as established from time to time
by resolution of the Township Board.
R.Â
Indirect physical connection with sewage system. The owner, occupant
or person in control of any premises outside the Township shall be
considered as connected with the Township sewage system when any building
or structure thereon has a physical connection with a public or private
sewer by way of pipe, tile, tube or other conduit, whether or not
such sewage passes through a septic tank, cesspool or other similar
device, when such sewer in turn conveys the sewage or effluent into
the Township sewage system.
S.Â
Evidence of discharge of sewage. The ownership, occupancy or control
of any building or structure thus having a physical connection with
a public or private sewer, which connects with and flows into the
Township sewage system, shall be prima facie evidence of the discharge
of, or of the permitting or causing the discharge of, sewage into
the Township sewage system.
T.Â
Duties of Township Engineer. It shall be the duty of the Township
Engineer by any lawful means to determine what persons owning, occupying
or controlling premises outside the Township are discharging, or permitting
or causing the discharge of, sewage into the Township sewage system.
He shall maintain records thereof, which records shall be kept as
current as possible.
V.Â
Preservation of rights. The adoption of this article shall be without
prejudice to collection by the Township of any indebtedness for sewage
service heretofore rendered.
A.Â
Inspectors. The Township Board of the said Township of Blackman and
other duly authorized officials or employees of the said Township,
and agents of the DNR and Health Department, bearing proper credentials
and identification, shall be permitted to enter upon all properties
for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling,
and testing, in accordance with the provisions of this article, at
any time during reasonable or usual business hours. Any person guilty
of refusing or obstructing such entry shall be guilty of a violation
of this article.
B.Â
Notice to cease violation. Any person found to be violating any provisions of this article, except § 99-15P, Protection from damage, and § 99-16A, Inspectors, shall be served by the Township Supervisor with written notice stating the nature of such violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. The offender shall, within the period of time stated in such notice, take such corrective action as may be necessary.
C.Â
Continued violation. Any person who shall continue any violation beyond the time limit provided for in § 99-16B, Notice to cease violation, shall upon conviction thereof be fined not less than $25 nor more than $100, or by imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court. Each day or fraction of a day in which such violation shall continue shall be deemed a separate offense. Any officer, agent, or employee guilty of aiding or abetting such violation, or, being responsible therefor, refuses or neglects to take corrective action, shall be guilty as a principal.
D.Â
Civil liability. Any person violating any of the provisions of this
article shall be liable to the Township of Blackman for any expense,
loss, or damage occasioned to the Township of Blackman by reason of
such violation, and recovery therefor may be had in an appropriate
action in any court of competent jurisdiction.
E.Â
Abatement in equity. Any continued violation, after due notice as provided in § 99-16B, Notice to cease violation, shall be deemed a public nuisance, and may be abated by suit in equity by the Township of Blackman in any court of competent jurisdiction. This remedy shall be in addition to those heretofore provided for.
