[Amended 7-15-1975 by Ord. No. 8-1975]
No person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the Superintendent.
[Amended 7-15-1975 by Ord. No. 8-1975; 4-24-2001 by Ord. No. 4-2001; 2-23-2016 by Ord. No. 5-2016; 10-26-2021 by Ord. No. 11-2021]
A.
There shall be three classes of building sewer permits: for residential service, for commercial service and for service to establishments producing industrial wastes.
B.
Development application process.
(1)
Individual connections (laterals).
(a)
Application for connection of individual sewer service to existing system (under 8,000 gpd).
[1]
A permit application fee of $75 payable to the City of Northfield ("City") shall be paid upon filing of the application. Application shall be made on a form furnished by the City. All application materials and fees should be submitted to the City of Northfield Sewer Department.
[2]
No additional fees are required unless a review is required by the City Engineer. In this event, an additional minimum escrow deposit of $300 shall be posted for the City Engineer's review. This escrow deposit shall be made payable to the City of Northfield and filed with the City Clerk.
(b)
Connection and installation of sewer laterals by the City of Northfield.
[1]
All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the applicant. The City and/or its designated agent/contractor shall make connections to the City's mains and, where said mains are located in streets, will furnish and install all service laterals from the main to (in the City's sole discretion): i) a point one foot inside the curbline; ii) the property line; or iii) the easement line, all of which service laterals shall remain the sole property of the City. City will provide an estimate for the above work for payment in full by the applicant prior to the commencement of any construction and service lateral installation. After installation the City is only responsible for the structural integrity of the service lateral.
[3]
Minimum connection fee of $2,600 per domestic consumer unit ("DCU"), further defined in § 288-66, is due prior to the issuance of a building certificate of occupancy ("CO").
[4]
Upon filing of the required application, each required payment shall be made via separate checks all payable to the City of Northfield.
(2)
Sewer conceptual/feasibility review application.
(a)
This includes reviewing the existing infrastructure locations and capacity of existing pumping stations, gravity mains, force mains and associated infrastructure required to service a particular project. The application shall be on a form furnished by the City. Applicants shall submit one original, two copies, and electronic copy on a CD of the application for sewer review to the City of Northfield Sewer Department along with the permit application fee of $75.
(b)
A minimum escrow deposit of $1,000 shall be posted. This escrow deposit shall be made payable to the City of Northfield and filed with the City Clerk.
(c)
Upon filing of the required application, each required payment shall be made via separate checks all payable to the City of Northfield.
(3)
Sewer treatment works approval review application.
(a)
The permit application fee of $75 shall be paid upon filing payable to the City of Northfield. Applicants shall submit one original, two copies, and electronic copy on a CD of all application materials to the City Clerk's office.
(b)
A minimum escrow deposit of $2,500 shall be posted. This escrow deposit shall be made payable to the City of Northfield and filed with the City Clerk.
(c)
Upon filing of the required application, each required payment shall be made via separate checks all payable to the City of Northfield.
(d)
An escrow deposit equal to 5% of the construction estimate, with a minimum of $500, shall be posted prior to the start of any construction. This escrow deposit shall be made payable to the City of Northfield and filed with the City Clerk.
(4)
Sewer change of use service - commercial/industrial review application.
(a)
The permit application fee of $75 shall be paid upon filing payable to the City of Northfield. One original, two copies, and electronic copy on a CD of all application materials shall be filed with the City Clerk.
(b)
A minimum escrow deposit of $1,000 shall be posted and submitted to the City Clerk's office.
(c)
Upon filing of the required application, each required payment shall be made via separate checks all payable to the City of Northfield.
(5)
Professional service fees, legal fees; paid by applicant.
(a)
Application review and issuance of any review memorandum/correspondence:
(b)
Preparation of initial resolution of approval: hourly rate based on the professional services contract rates that are in effect at the time service is rendered.
(c)
Preparation of any development agreements or easements as required, subsequent project reviews and related memorandums/correspondence: hourly rate based on the professional services contract rates that are in effect at the time service is rendered.
(d)
Any and all applicable recording fees or charges: to be paid by applicant in full by way of check payable to the Clerk of Atlantic County and delivered to the City Clerk.
(6)
Other requirements.
(a)
All escrow fees are to be posted in advance. The escrow fees posted represent estimates to cover anticipated review and inspection services. In the event the fees posted are not sufficient to cover the review and inspection services in total, then the applicant shall submit additional funds before receiving final approval or certification of work completed. Any unexpended funds will be returned to the applicant upon conclusion of the project.
(b)
All outside agency fees (including county and state) to be confirmed and paid by the applicant.
(c)
Projects requiring treatment works approvals is as per N.J.A.C. 7:14A-22 which includes but is not limited to sewer extensions, building, installing, modifying or operating any sewer line, pumping station or force main which serves more than two buildings or will convey 8,000 gallons per day or more of flow to a treatment facility. Also, increasing the projected flow in an existing sewer line by 8,000 gallons per day or more shall require a treatment works approval permit, irrespective of whether or not additional sewer line construction is involved.
(d)
The connection fee for public housing authorities and nonprofit organizations building affordable housing projects will be charged in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:14B-22.3, as amended from time to time.
All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the City from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.
A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building, except that where one building stands at the rear of another on an interior lot and no private sewer is available or can be constructed to the rear building through an adjoining alley, courtyard or driveway, the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer, but the City does not and will not assume any obligation or responsibility for damage caused by or resulting from any such single connection as aforementioned.
Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the Superintendent, to meet all requirements of this Part 1.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 288-19, Connection and installation by City, amended 7-15-1975 by Ord. No. 8-1975, was repealed 10-26-2021 by Ord. No. 11-2021.
The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction of a building sewer, and the methods to be used in excavating, placing of the pipe, jointing, testing and backfilling the trench, shall generally conform to the requirements of the materials and procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM, Plumbing Code of New Jersey and Water Environment Federation (WEF) Manual of Practice No. 9 if not specifically outlined in this Part 1.
The minimum diameter of a building sewer shall be four inches unless a larger size is required for an industrial or commercial connection as determined by the Superintendent. A one-fourth-inch-per-foot minimum slope shall be maintained for the building sewer unless the Superintendent allows a lesser slope based on unusual site conditions.
The building sewer shall be cast-iron soil pipe ASTM Specification A74, latest revision, or asbestos cement pipe, Class 2400, ASTM Specification C-644, latest revision, or vitrified clay sewer pipe, ASTM Specification C13. Joints must be tight and waterproof.
All pipe shall be laid in accordance with the requirements of ASTM Standard C12 utilizing foundation material as specified in the applicable portions of Section 3 of the Handbook of Cast-Iron Pipe, published by the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association. Alignment shall be maintained by approved methods and checked prior to backfilling the trench.
The applicant for a sewer connection shall notify the City when the building sewer is ready for inspection, testing and connection to the public sewer. No trench shall be filled or any part of pipe or fittings covered until such inspection is made and the work is approved. The inspection shall be made as soon as practicable after the receipt of notice by the City's inspector, who shall have the power to apply proper tests to the pipe or fittings. The owner or contractor doing the work shall furnish the tools and labor necessary for the tests, and shall remove defective materials and repair work improperly done as the City's inspector directs.
Whenever it is necessary to carry a trench containing a sewer connection under any stone, asphalt or cement sidewalk, no portion of the surface of the sidewalk shall be disturbed or removed. The trench shall be carried underneath, with the underportion of the walk supported in such a manner as to render it safe for public use. All supporting material under the walk shall be placed to prevent the sagging or falling of the walk or damage thereto. Where the City's inspector is of the opinion that it is not possible to comply with the requirement, the City may, in writing, permit the surface of the walk to be removed. In such case, the surface of the walk shall be relaid by the permittee within 10 days from the date of permit.
The City's inspector shall be notified at least 24 hours before the commencement of any work upon sewer connections. Inspection of work will be provided between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on regular working days.
The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the Building and Plumbing Codes or other applicable rules and regulations of the City, or the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM and the WEF Manual of Practice No. 9. All such connections shall be made gastight and watertight. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved by the Superintendent before installation.
All excavations for building sewer installation shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the City.
[Amended 7-15-1975 by Ord. No. 8-1975]
In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer.
[Amended 10-26-2021 by Ord. No. 11-2021]
No person shall make connection of a swimming pool, roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway drains or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a building sewer or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer.
The City shall in no way be responsible for maintaining any portion of the building sewer owned by the customer, or for damage done by sewage escaping therefrom or for lines or fixtures on the customer's property.