[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 Select Board, 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 Select Board.
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 Select Board, 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 Select Board 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 of 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 Select Board shall establish any conditions for connecting with the public sewer that it considers 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 Select Board 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.
A. 
There shall be three classes of building sewer permits:
(1) 
Residential;
(2) 
Commercial sanitary wastewaters; and
(3) 
Service to establishments producing industrial wastes.
B. 
If discharges are separate, a permit shall be required for each type. If the discharge is combined, the Select Board 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 Select Board.
[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 and the Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, 10-144 CMR Ch. 241.
[Amended 6-13-2012; 6-12-2024 ATM by Art. 12]
B. 
The CEO/LPI shall determine whether or not there is an increase in the amount of wastewater added to the sewer system and whether or not a sewer connection permit is required, pursuant to Subsection A.
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[1] if such source were discharging pollutants; or
[1]
Editor's Note: See 33 U.S.C. § 1316.
C. 
The Town's treatment works of pollutants from any source which would be subject to Section 301 of the Federal Act[2] if it were discharging such pollutants.
[2]
Editor's Note: See 33 U.S.C. § 1311.
[Amended 6-12-2024 ATM by Art. 12]
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 Maine State Plumbing Code and the Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, 10-144 CMR Ch. 241, 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 Select Board.
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 Select Board. 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[1] Manual of Practice No. 9 shall apply.
[1]
Editor's Note: See now the Water Environment Federation.
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 Select Board, and the procedures set forth in appropriate sections of the Water Pollution Control Federation[2] 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 Select Board 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 Select Board.
[Amended 6-11-2003]
[2]
Editor's Note: See now the Water Environment Federation.
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.