[Amended 6-11-2008]
A.
The owner of each lot or parcel of land with a building
and a waste disposal system which abuts upon a street or public way
containing a public sewer shall connect that building with the public
sewer within 90 days after date of official notice to do so unless
otherwise agreed to by the Selectmen, provided that said public sewer
is within 200 feet of the nearest point of the existing building and/or
private on-site septic disposal systems. The owner, shall cease using
any other method for the disposal of wastewater upon connecting to
the public sewer.
B.
The owner of a lot or parcel of land who proposes
to construct a building within 200 feet of the public sewer shall
connect the building to the public sewer if a waste disposal system
is required unless otherwise agreed to by the Selectmen.
A.
Application. Abutters upon the line of a public sewer, and abutters upon the line of a public sewer constructed before a municipality accepts those sections, and the owner of contiguous private sewers may enter and connect with the public sewer on written application to the Selectmen distinctly describing the land to which the application applies and paying a sewer connection permit fee in the form of a one-time sewer system development charge (hereafter referred to as "SSDC") payment (refer to § 60-53) as determined by the CEO/LPI based upon the State Plumbing Code.
B.
Permit issued. Upon approving an application, the
Selectmen shall give the applicant a written permit to enter and connect
with the public sewer. This permit is available to the owner of the
land described in the application, the owner's heirs and assigns,
and shall run with the land. Failure to enter and connect into the
public sewer within two years from the date of the granting of the
permit shall result in the expiration of the permit and forfeiture
of the permit fee or the SSDC. Renewal of a permit shall be treated
as a new application and shall be subject to all of the provisions
of this chapter, including the appropriate fees and charges.
[Amended 6-11-2008]
C.
Regulations. The Selectmen shall establish any conditions
for connecting with the public sewer that they consider expedient
and in the public interest.
[Amended 6-11-2008]
D.
The application must state the location of premises
and the name of the licensed plumber performing work at said premises.
[Amended 6-11-2008]
E.
Any owner proposing three or more new connections
to the system shall make application to the Selectmen prior to the
proposed connection(s), and shall pay the required inspection fees
and shall comply with applicable state statute.
[Amended 6-11-2003; 6-11-2008]
F.
For all connections an inspection fee as determined
by the Superintendent shall be paid to the Town at the time the application
is filed.
If any owner connects a private sewer or building
drain with a public sewer or enters it by a side connection without
a permit, the municipal officers may immediately destroy the connection.
That owner commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of not
more that $200 may be adjudged, to be paid to the municipality where
the offense is committed.
If any owner willfully or negligently violates
any condition or regulation prescribed in the permit, the municipal
officers may immediately disconnect the sewer from the public sewer
and declare the permit forfeited. That owner, the owner's heirs and
assigns may not connect with the public sewer again without a new
permit and new sewer connection permit fee (SSDC). Whoever commits
a nuisance by the construction or use of a private sewer is liable
for that nuisance notwithstanding this chapter.
B.
If discharges are separate a permit shall be required
for each type. If the discharge is combined the Selectmen shall determine
which type of permit is required. In either case, the owner or his
authorized agent shall make application on a form furnished by the
Town, to include an itemized list of the types of wastes to be discharged
to the public sewers. Expense for any testing and sampling of waste
for acceptance at the treatment plant shall be borne by the owner
or applicant. The permit application shall be supplemented by any
plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in
the judgment of the Selectmen.
[Amended 6-13-2007]
A.
A sewer connection permit shall also be required for
any new construction, renovation or alteration of an existing structure
(except an existing single-family house, where such construction,
renovation, or alteration does not result in a new dwelling unit),
or change or expansion of use which will increase the amount of wastewater
added to the sewer system even if no new sewer connection is actually
involved and/or there is an existing sewer connection. All additional
wastewater gallonage shall be based on the difference between the
present gallons per day of water consumption of the existing use and
the gallons per day of water consumption of the proposed use as found
in the volume design flows specified in the Maine State Plumbing Code,
Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules.
[Amended 6-13-2012]
All costs and expenses incident to the application,
review, installation, connection, repair and maintenance of the building
sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the Town.
[Amended 6-11-2003]
The applicant for the building sewer permit
shall notify the Town at least 48 hours before beginning work and
also when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection
to the public sewer. The connection to the public sewer shall be made
under the full-time supervision of the Superintendent or his assistant.
Notwithstanding the foregoing forty-eight-hour notice requirement,
an applicant must give the Town 45 days' prior notice of a proposed
new discharge into:
A.
The system or a proposed substantial change in volume
or character of pollutants that are being discharged into the system;
B.
The Town's treatment works of pollutants from any
source which would be a new source as defined in Section 306 of the
Federal Act if such source were discharging pollutants; or
C.
The Town's treatment works of pollutants from any
source which would be subject to Section 301 of the Federal Act if
it were discharging such pollutants.
Where a public sanitary sewer is not available under the provisions of § 60-16, the building sewer shall be connected to a private on-site septic disposal system complying with the provisions of the State of Maine Plumbing Code, Part II, Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Regulations, and the ordinances of the Town of Bethel.
The septage from private on-site septic disposal
systems and the contents of wastewater holding tanks from dwellings
or recreational vehicles shall not be discharged to the public sewer
system except by specific permission of the Selectmen.
A.
A separate and independent building sewer shall be
provided for every building, except that where one building stands
at the rear of another on the same lot or on an exterior lot and no
private sewer is available or can be constructed to the rear building
through an adjoining alley, court, yard, or driveway, the building
sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building
if approved by the Selectmen. Each building shall be considered as
one service except for the purposes of charging sewer fees, SSDC and
other charges, where they shall be considered as separate services.
B.
The size, slope, alignment and 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 all
conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other
applicable rules and regulations of the Town. In the absence of code
provisions or in amplification thereof, the materials and procedures
set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM and WPCF Manual
of Practice No. 9 shall apply.
C.
Whenever practical, the building sewer pipe shall
be brought to the building drain at an elevation below the basement
floor. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to
permit gravity flow to the public sewer, wastewater carried by such
building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged
to the building sewer or service lateral. Plans and details of the
proposed method shall be submitted to the CEO/LPI.
D.
A clean septic tank in good condition as determined
by the CEO/LPI may be used for a pump tank. The outlet to the disposal
field shall be disconnected and plugged. If required by the CEO/LPI
or his designated agent, the tank shall be tested for watertightness.
E.
The fittings used and manner of connecting a building
sewer to an existing public sewer shall conform to the requirements
of the Town of Bethel Construction Specifications for Installation
of Sanitary Sewers and Storm Drains, as adopted and amended by the
Selectmen, and the procedures set forth in appropriate sections of
the Water Pollution Control Federation Manual of Practice No. 9. All
such connections shall be made gastight and watertight. For sewer
extensions the connection shall be made in accordance with approved
drawings. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials
must be approved in writing by the Selectmen before installation.
Where a building sewer is to be connected directly into an existing
manhole (because no service connection is available), the hole in
the manhole wall shall be cut in with a coring machine. Internal drop
connections to connect house services directly into existing manholes
are not permitted without submission of a sketch and written approval
by the Board of Selectmen.
[Amended 6-11-2003]
No roof drains, downspouts, foundation drains,
areaway drains, basement drains, sump pumps, or other sources of surface
runoff or groundwater shall be connected to a building sewer or building
drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public
sanitary sewer.
All excavations for a 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 and in conformance with the ordinances of
the Town, and the owner shall indemnify the Town and hold the Town
harmless for all claims, damages, losses and expenses, including attorney
fees, arising out of or resulting from the owner's work. The Town
shall have the right to select its own attorney at the owner's expense.
No connection of any kind shall be made directly
from any private property to a Town sewer force main.
