Township of Galloway, NJ Individual Building Connections and Street Laterals

The owner of single lot which abuts the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division or Atlantic County Utilities Authority gravity sewer line in the Township and contains at least one residential or commercial building with toilet facilities shall be responsible for making a sewer connection from the existing building to the Township or county line, unless otherwise exempted by the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division.

[Amended 9-28-2004 by Ord. No. 1579]

This connection shall be completed within 120 days of written notice to connect from the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division. Exemptions from mandatory connection may be granted by the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division in accordance with § 281-14 of this article.

[Amended 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132]

In the event that it becomes necessary for the municipality to institute legal proceedings in order to obtain a court ordered hookup to the sewerage system, in addition to any other charges for which the user shall be responsible, the user shall also be responsible for all reasonable legal fees and costs relating to said litigation. Said legal fees and costs shall constitute a lien upon the real estate involved, in the same manner as real property taxes and other charges provided for in this chapter, and shall be added to the tax bill and/or sewerage bill, as the case may be, unless the same shall previously be paid, said reasonable legal fees and costs to be treated in all respects in the same manner as real property taxes and/or other charges and fees called for in this chapter.

[Added 9-21-1982 by Ord. No. 703]

Sewer connection application. An application for an individual building sewer connection shall be filed with the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division Administrator in accordance with the requirements of § 281-10 of Article II.

Plumbing permit. An application for a plumbing permit shall be filed with the Township Construction Official in accordance with Township rules governing plumbing permits.

[Amended 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132]

Authorization required. No unauthorized person(s) shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer without first obtaining the necessary authorization from the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division and a plumbing permit from the Township Construction Official.

[Amended 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132]

General requirements. All connections shall be made in accordance with the requirements outlined in this chapter and the current National Standard Plumbing Code.

[Amended 9-28-2004 by Ord. No. 1579]

Costs of connection. All costs and arrangements associated with the installation of the building connection shall be borne by the building owner.

Owners' liability. The property owner(s) shall be liable to the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division for any loss or damage to Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division property that may directly or indirectly be caused by the installation of any building connection.

License or competence to perform work. A licensed plumber, licensed in the State of New Jersey, should install the building connection. However, any individual capable of installing his or her own house connection may do so. In the event a contractor, other than a New Jersey master plumber, is doing the work, he must be licensed as a contractor in Galloway Township.

[Amended 9-28-2004 by Ord. No. 1579]

Specific requirements. The following specific requirements (Note: These requirements have largely been taken from the current National Standard Plumbing Code) shall be used as specifications for construction of a building sewer unless otherwise stated by the Township Plumbing Inspector. These requirements are subject to change and are under the jurisdiction of the Township Construction Official.

[Amended 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132; 9-28-2004 by Ord. No. 1579]

Number of house connections. The owner of each separate and independent residential or commercial unit shall provide an individual and separate building connection for each unit unless otherwise exempted by the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division. Each individual and separate building connection shall be connected into an individual and separate street lateral. If a situation exists where sufficient number of street laterals have not been provided for the number of house connections required, the individual property owner shall install the required number of street laterals at his or her own expense. (See requirements and procedures for street laterals under §§ 281-11 and 281-12 of this article.)

Pipe size. The pipe size to be used for a typical street lateral and/or cleanout shall be four inches in diameter. A six-inch diameter or larger pipe shall be used for commercial, industrial or duplex establishments.

Depth. There must be a minimum of two feet of ground cover between the top of the sewer line and the ground surface. (NOTE: If any part of the house plumbing is below the sewer connection pipes, then the homeowner will have to install a pump to raise the sewage from the lower pipes.)

(4)

Slope. The sewer pipes for the house connection should be placed at a minimum slope of 1/4 inch per foot of pipe. The slope can be steeper if necessary.

(5)

Distance to well or water pipes. The horizontal distance between any water pipe or house well and sewer pipe shall be no less than one foot.

(6)

Type of pipe material. Below is a list of pipe materials allowed by the State of New Jersey Plumbing Code and the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division for house connections:

(Reserved)[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: Original § 61-9I(6)(a), Asbestos cement, previously included herein, was repealed 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132.

Cast-iron soil pipe.

(Reserved)[2]

[2]

Editor's Note: Original § 61-9I(6)(c), Vitrified clay, previously included herein, was repealed 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132.

ABS plastic drainpipe (ASTM-D-2751, Grade SDR-35).

(e)

PVC plastic pipe (ASTM-D-2665, Grade SDR-35).

(f)

Any other pipe approved in the current National Standard Plumbing Code.

(g)

SDR-26.

(7)

Type of pipe connections for a street lateral and/or cleanout connection. Regardless of the pipe material, the following shall be utilized:

Push-on pipe connector with a rubber gasket.

Glued type connector.

No rubber boot connectors are to be used between the property line cleanout and the main gravity line.

No angle fittings are allowed between the property line cleanout and the main gravity line.

(8)

Pipe length. The exact length of pipe needed for each house connection must be determined by the individual homeowner.

(9)

Cleanouts.

The street lateral cleanout shall be the same diameter size as the street lateral.

The cleanout may be constructed of any of the pipe material listed under Article II, § 281-9I(6).

A cleanout is required for every 75 feet of pipe and for every bend greater than 45º, except that not more than one shall be required for every 40 feet of pipe.

A cleanout shall also be required at the tie-in for the house connection and at the curbline or end of the property line near the street connection.

(e)

Cleanouts shall be extended vertically to or above the ground surface using a double sanitary tee or a forty-five-degree ell, a riser pipe and a cleanout with a brass lid installed at the existing lateral depth and located within the owner's property line.

(f)

Every cleanout shall be installed so that it opens in the direction of the flow of the house line or at right angles to that line.

(g)

For four-inch-diameter or larger pipes, cleanouts shall be installed so that there is a clearance of not less than 18 inches for rodding purposes.

(h)

Cleanout plugs shall not be covered with any permanent finishing material. In cases where it is necessary to conceal the plug, a cast iron cover plate or access door shall be provided permitting access to the plug.

(i)

Cleanouts shall have a brass lid and shall be the responsibility of the homeowner.

(10)

Adapter. Pipes made of different materials must be joined together through the use of an adapter. Therefore, homeowners using pipe materials other than which is existing must purchase and install an adapter at the sewer connection point. If different materials are used for the cleanouts, adapters are also necessary at those points. Homeowners should contact the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division if they have a question about the type of material used for the street lateral.

(11)

Watertight and gastight connections. All connections into the Township sewer shall be gastight and watertight.

(12)

Safety precautions. During installation, the building owner(s) shall comply with the following safety precautions:

Children should be kept away from the trench. All sharp materials, tools and motorized equipment should be kept in a safe area out of reach of children.

During construction, workers should stand back from the edge of the trench to prevent accidents.

The trench shall be kept dry to prevent erosion of walls.

Whenever a deep cut is required for a house connection, the sides of the trench should be supported or braced to prevent them from collapsing. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that "all excavations over five feet deep be sloped, shored, sheeted, braced or otherwise supported. When soil conditions are unstable, excavations shallower than five feet must also be sloped, supported or shored." (See OSHA On-Site Safe Practices, Excavating and Trenching Operations, Safe Work Practices Series, United States Department of Labor, OSHA, publication 2226, July 1975, p. 9.)

(e)

If possible, homeowners should plan to complete the excavation and installation in one day so that the trench will not be left open at night.

(f)

If for some reason the trench must be left open, lights and barriers indicating hazardous area must be placed around and near the trench. Pipe endings should be closed off at the end of the workday to keep out small animals.

(13)

Backfill pipe and trench. When replacing the soil around the pipes, the fill must be tamped. The trench should be backfilled carefully and compacted tightly to avoid settlement of earth later.

(14)

All septic systems must be abandoned by first pumping out the tank then filling the tank with sand or gravel. Procedure must be completed and inspected within 60 days of connecting into the sewer. You must also show proof that the tank was pumped out by a certified septic removal service.

§ 281-10 Procedure for individual connections.

Obtain required permits. Prior to construction, the individual building owner(s) shall submit the required applications as follows:

Plumbing permit application. This application can be obtained from the Township Construction Official and must be returned to him or her completed with the required fee (fee subject to change). This fee will cover the cost of the permit and the Plumbing Inspector's fee for work performed on the owner's property.

[Amended 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132]

Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division individual building connection application. This application is attached as Form B-1. Additional forms may be obtained from the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division office. A separate application shall be submitted for each separate individual building connection. Each application must be submitted to the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division Administrator with the required $10 fee (fee subject to change). This fee will be paid at the time of application for connection. Upon approval of this application, the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division Administrator shall issue a permit to connect. (See attached permit to connect, Form B-2.) No person(s) shall connect into the Township system without a written permit to connect. [Note: The fee associated with this application is not a connection fee. (See Article VI on rates for information on connection fees and other charges.)]

An additional county application and fee may be required for direct connection into the county sewer lines. The Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division should be consulted on this matter prior to contact with the Atlantic County Utilities Authority.

Locate street lateral. Prior to construction, the individual building owner(s) should locate the street lateral marker left behind by the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division or private contractors. This will be a stake approximately six inches above the surface of the ground near the curb or between the property line and edge of the street paving. If no marker is present, the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division should be contacted immediately.

Installation of street lateral. If a street lateral was not installed for each building connection required, the individual homeowner shall be responsible for the installation of the street lateral, unless otherwise exempted by the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division. (See §§ 281-11 and 281-12 of this article for information regarding street laterals.)

Notify Plumbing Inspector. The Plumbing Inspector should be notified two to three working days prior to construction. The Inspector will want to look at the trench after the pipe is in place prior to the beginning of backfilling.

Notify all utilities. All utility companies, including gas, electric and telephone, must be notified at least 72 hours in advance of any excavation. The telephone number for this notification is 800-272-1000.

Follow all requirements. All requirements listed under § 281-9 of this article shall be followed unless otherwise approved by the Township Plumbing Inspector.

Notify the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division of connection. The individual property owner(s) shall be required to contact the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division no later than 24 hours after the connection into the Township sewer system is completed.

Maintenance of system. The owner is responsible for maintaining the building sewer in a safe and watertight and gastight condition from the building to the point of connection into the Township or county street lateral. If the owner fails to maintain the building connection, the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division reserves the right to disconnect the building connection.

§ 281-11 Street lateral requirements.

In most situations, a street lateral will have been placed for all required house connections. However, in the event that a street lateral does not exist for an individual building connection, the owner of that building shall be responsible for all costs and arrangements associated with the installation of a street lateral in addition to the costs of the building sewer. Wherever this chapter provides for the mandatory connection into the sewer system, as to individual homeowners only, in consideration of the payment of the connection fee otherwise provided for herein, the municipality will assume the responsibility to provide for the placement of a lateral from the sewer main to the vicinity of the homeowner's property line.

[Amended 9-4-1984 by Ord. No. 7731]

A licensed plumber, licensed in the State of New Jersey, or a utility contractor, shall install the street lateral unless otherwise specified by the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division.

The specification for the installation of street laterals along Township sewer lines are listed below:

Materials. All street laterals shall be one of the two pipe materials listed below:

[Amended 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132]

PVC sewer pipe. All pipe shall be best quality unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sewer pipe, with joints providing flexibility and watertightness under service conditions. Pipe shall be in accordance with ASTM Specification D-3034-73, and shall meet the requirements for extra-strength minimum of the SDR-35 section of the above-noted American Society for Testing and Materials specification. Joints shall be of the bell-and-spigot type with rubber-ring seal. The bell shall consist of an integral wall section with a solid cross-section rubber ring and ring groove so designed to prevent ring displacement. All jointing shall be in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Connections to building drains and existing Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division sewers shall be made utilizing approved adapters, if required.

Ductile iron. Connections to building drains and existing Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division sewers shall be made utilizing approved adapters, if required.

[Amended 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132]

Other requirements. In no way are these requirements intended to supersede those specifications required for the installation of an individual building connection listed under § 281-9 of this article. [Note: Specifications and procedures for the installation of a street lateral into a county sewer line should be obtained from the Atlantic County Utilities Authority. However, an application for connection (Form B-1) must also be submitted to the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division office.]

§ 281-12 Procedure for street laterals.

Obtain permit from the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division. This application is attached as Form B-3. Additional forms may be obtained from the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division office. A separate application shall be submitted for each street lateral to be installed. However, when a house connection and street lateral are being installed for the same building, only one application and fee will be required.

Submit plans. A copy of the plans and specifications for the proposed street lateral shall be submitted to the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division Administrator. These plans and specifications must be in conformance with the requirements for street laterals outlined in § 281-11 of this article.

Issuance of permit. These plans will be reviewed by the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division Director/Engineer. Upon approval of these plans, the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division Director/Engineer shall issue a permit to install a street lateral. (See permit attached, Form B-3.)

[Amended 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132]

Obtain street opening permit. Any or all street opening permits required for the installation of a lateral shall be obtained by the building owner(s).

Inspection required. A Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division Engineer or Inspector shall inspect the installation of the street lateral.

Notification required. Seventy-two hours prior to installation, the owner shall notify the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division of plans to construct.

[Amended 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132; 9-28-2004 by Ord. No. 1579]

Follow all requirements. All requirements listed under § 281-11 of this article shall be followed unless otherwise exempted by the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division.

§ 281-13 Enforcement.

[Amended 9-28-2004 by Ord. No. 1579]

Any person(s) receiving a notice to connect in accordance with the building connection and street lateral policies shall be billed an annual user charge within approximately 120 days of receipt of the notice. This charge shall be billed whether or not the house connection is completed, unless otherwise stated by the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division. Every user charge shall, from the time of its confirmation, be a first lien against the property affected and shall bear interest and penalties and be collected and enforced in the same manner as assessments for local improvements. (See Article VI on rates for more information on user charges.)

§ 281-14 Temporary exemptions from connection requirements.

[Amended 7-27-1993 by Ord. No. 1132]

Exemptions from residential sewer connection requirements outlined in § 281-9 of this article may be granted by the Galloway Township Municipal Utilities Division by reason of exceptional topographical conditions or by reason of such other extraordinary and exceptional situations or conditions of such piece of property that the strict application of this policy would result in peculiar and exceptional practical difficulties to and an exceptional and undue hardship upon the owner of such property; provided, however, that no exemption shall be granted unless it may be granted without interfering with the intent of this chapter.

Exemption approvals for individual residential sewer connections may be based on a combination of the following conditions:

A minimum distance of 200 feet from the building to the individual's property boundary closest to the Township sewer line and/or if it is determined that it is not possible by gravity to connect.

Other items to be considered prior to exemption approval include:

On-site and surrounding zoning.

Surrounding housing density.