[Amended 8-12-1980 by Ord. No. 80-51; 5-9-1984 by Ord. No. 84-21; 8-9-2011 by Ord. No. 11-16]
A. 
Wherever in the City a property abuts in any manner upon any street, alley or easement along which runs a sanitary sewer available for public use, the improvements on such property shall be connected to such line, and on such property no outside toilet, cesspool, privy vault or privy of any kind or description shall be permitted. Also, wherever in the City a property abuts in any manner upon any street, alley or easement along which runs only a waterline available for public use, homes or places of business on such property shall replace any box and can privy which may exist at that time with a properly constructed concrete slab pit privy or a properly constructed septic tank with adequate subsurface drainage field, as the owner elects, subject to the approval of the Director of Public Health.
B. 
If the Director of Public Works determines that public sanitary sewer is not feasible for any new lot proposed, such lot shall be served by a private on-site sewage treatment system. Any such proposed lot shall be large enough in size, shape and dimensions to accommodate the required primary drain field, and a reserved drain field that is at least 100% the size of the required primary drain field.
[Amended 6-10-1980 by Ord. No. 80-40; 11-10-1987 by Ord. No. 87-31; 3-8-1988 by Ord. No. 87-31A; 5-9-1989 by Ord. No. 89-24; 5-13-1992 by Ord. No. 92-17; 7-14-1992 by Ord. No. 92-23; 5-8-2001 by Ord. No. 01-12[1]; 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 02-31; 1-10-2006 by Ord. No. 05-29]
A. 
All connections made with or into the sewer lines or mains under the control of or owned by the City shall be made under the supervision of the Director of Public Works and/or the Building Official, and no such connection shall be made without a permit to do so being first obtained. Future connection of any additional residence, or of a use of an equal or greater intensity, to any such tap other than the primary tap shall require prior issuance of an additional permit and prior payment of an additional fee.
[Amended 3-10-2015 by Ord. No. 15-4]
B. 
Every person tapping into and connecting with the sewer lines or mains under the control of or owned by the City, except as otherwise provided, shall pay into the City treasury connection fees according to the following schedule:
[Amended 3-10-2015 by Ord. No. 15-4]
Type
Fee
Single-family detached houses
$3,000
Apartments, Townhouses, Attached Condominiums Quadruplexes and Duplexes (owner occupied or tenant occupied), per unit
$3,000
Motel/hotel, per room
$700
Hospital, per bed
$2,500
Nursing home, per bed
$1,250
C. 
Any commercial or industrial user tapping into and connecting with the sewer lines or mains under the control of or owned by the City shall pay into the City treasury connection fees according to the following schedule:
[Amended 3-10-2015 by Ord. No. 15-4]
Size of Meter
(inches)
Fee
 5/8 or  3/4
$2,000
1
$3,500
1 1/2
$7,000
2
$12,000
3
$23,000
4
$37,000
6
$73,000
8
$117,000
D. 
Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to apply to the provisions of Chapter 250, Subdivision of Land.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance stated that the provisions of § 238-2 would be in effect on and after 7-1-2001.
[Added 7-14-1987 by Ord. No. 87-17; amended 7-11-1989 by Ord. No. 89-35]
A. 
The City shall refund from connection fees collected from an area being developed and approved for refunds in accordance with this section all additional costs resulting from the installation of City system improvements by a developer.
B. 
For the purposes of this section, the term "City system improvements" shall be construed to mean those facilities which the City Engineer shall determine are installed primarily in compliance with the goal of adequate availability of sewer service throughout the City and in no event shall be construed to include other than pump stations, force mains and treatment facilities. Each area approved by the Director of Public Works for refunds shall be contiguous, shall include the location of the City system improvement and shall include only those parcels to which adequate service would not otherwise have been available. The installation must be reasonably related to the proposed development of the area.
C. 
In no case will the total amount refunded exceed the construction cost of the City system improvements. Each developer shall receive, prorated on the basis of his initial contribution to the cost of installation, each connection fee collected within the designated area until the eligible cost of City system improvements is refunded or no additional initial connections remain to be made, whichever first occurs. The City, at its sole option, may permit cash refunds in addition to or in lieu of connection fee refunds, provided that the City Council, upon recommendation of the Planning Commission, determines that the City system improvement is necessary for the orderly expansion of the sewer system and that the project is not economically feasible without the use of a cash refund.
D. 
The total amount eligible to be refunded shall be computed by the Utilities Department based on an annual set price reimbursement schedule for labor costs and a semiannual set price reimbursement schedule for material costs developed in accordance with procedures adopted by the Public Works Department. As an alternative, the City, at its option, may choose to require the public advertisement of the work for a sealed bid opening at a particular date and time. If such a bid process is chosen, bids shall be opened at the developer's engineer's office. The engineer shall supply the City with a certified bid tabulation, and the potential refund shall be calculated by using the bid most advantageous to the City. The developer is obligated to use the lowest responsible bidder to complete the work in order to receive refunds. Prior to receiving any refunds, the engineer must certify that all applicable bid procedures have been followed and that the low bidder has been paid the actual construction cost based on the bid. Each bidder must sign an affidavit as a condition of bidding that his bid was independently arrived at without collusion or communication with other contractors or developers and that he stands ready and willing to perform the work at the bid price. The City Purchasing Agent may adopt rules and regulations further governing bid procedures.
E. 
When a refund is requested, the developer shall furnish a plat of the tract of land to be developed and all other tracts in the designated area showing boundaries, title to the property, all potential initial connections and such other related information as is required by the City.
F. 
No such improvement of the City's sewer system shall be permitted unless prior approval is granted by the City subject to reasonable terms and conditions. In every case, such improvements shall be at the initial expense of the developer or the owners of the parcels to be served.
G. 
The City shall determine the feasibility of all requests for improvements, and no improvements shall be permitted unless it is determined to be in the best interest of the City utility system and the health, safety and welfare of City residents.
H. 
No such improvements shall be made until the developer has entered into a contract with the City in compliance herewith and approved as to form by the City Attorney. Every such contract shall provide that the developer deposit the estimated cost of such extension with the City or, at the City's option, supply the City with a copy of an acceptable executed contract with a licensed utility contractor, with specialization and experience in public sewer facilities, approved by the City; and that the developer shall convey all real property interests to the City necessary for the installation and utilization of the improvement as a part of the City system and for service to the developer's property. Any such contract in conjunction with a subdivision or planned unit development shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 277, Water, of this Code as to installation and maintenance guaranties. The City shall approve the size, type, location and material of all facilities, and they shall be installed in accordance with City standards and specifications. If private contractors install such facilities, the final cost of such installation shall, within 30 days of completion, be filed with the City.
I. 
The entire cost of such installations, including the actual cost incurred and paid out by the City, plus a fixed overhead charge of 20%, shall be paid for by the person requesting an improvement when work is performed by City forces.
[Amended 6-14-2016 by Ord. No. 16-20; 8-13-2024 by Ord. No. 24-18]
The owner of any lot desiring to make a connection with the sewer system shall first file with the City Manager or his designee (collectively hereafter the "City Manager") a completed application therefor in such form as the City Manager prescribes. The completed application shall specify the location and description of the property to be connected and for what purpose the sewer is to be used. If the use to which the sewer is to be put is practicable, the City Manager shall issue a permit approving the application. It shall be unlawful to make any sewer connection until the required permit is issued. For each account, the City Manager shall attach to the permit issued a copy of the disconnection for nonpayment policy referenced in Subsection A of § 277-4 of this Code; and the City shall comply with such policy prior to disconnecting sewer service.
A. 
Every house or building requiring a sewer connection shall, except with the consent of the City Council, be separately or independently connected with the sewer, where one is provided.
B. 
A separate sewer connection shall be provided for each dwelling unit or for each premises used for residential purposes regardless of the type of dwelling unit or premises.
[Amended 3-10-2015 by Ord. No. 15-4]
C. 
Where two buildings or two separate dwelling units where sewer connections are required are built upon the same lot, each shall have a separate and independent house sewer, and neither building shall drain under or through the other premises or building without the permission of the Building Official.
[Amended 3-10-2015 by Ord. No. 15-4]
D. 
The number of sewer connections to buildings, structures or premises used for any other purpose shall be prescribed by the Building Official.
[Amended 3-10-2015 by Ord. No. 15-4]
E. 
The size of each sewer connection required under this chapter shall be subject to the approval of the Building Official.
[Amended 3-10-2015 by Ord. No. 15-4]
[Added 7-14-1981 by Ord. No. 81-28]
A. 
That part of any sewer lateral constructed under City streets, or City easements or rights of way in use for street purposes, shall be accepted by the Director of Public Works into the City sewer system upon written application of all owners of private premises connected or to be connected, directly or indirectly, by said lateral to a City sewer main, provided that no such lateral shall be accepted which does not have a cleanout on public property at or near the property line.
B. 
Upon such application by the owner or owners of any sewer lateral not including such cleanout, the Director of Public Works may, at the written request of the owner or owners, modify the lateral to comply with said standard, at a fee per cleanout of $200 or the value, as determined by the Director of Public Works, of the peculiar benefits resulting from the improvements to the owner or owners, whichever is less, such fee to be paid by the owner or owners in advance.
C. 
Nothing in this section shall be deemed to preclude the Council from imposing special assessments for such work, as provided by general or special law, or from providing for the acceptance into the City system of such laterals reconstructed as a result of such special assessment or from imposing fees and providing for liens to guarantee payment under such special assessment.
[Last amended 5-13-2003 by Ord. No. 03-11[1]]
A. 
There shall be added to the bimonthly bill for all premises inside the City having a connection, directly or indirectly, to the City sanitary or storm drainage system a bimonthly sewer service and sewage treatment charge in the amount of $29.25 and a bimonthly capital sewer infrastructure charge of $6.00 plus $3.33 per 100 cubic feet of water metered up to 100,000 cubic feet; and for all over 100,000 cubic feet, $3.99 per 100 cubic feet of water metered.
[Last amended 12-10-2024 by Ord. No. 24-24[2]]
[2]
Editor's Note: This ordinance stated that the provisions of § 238-8A and B are to be in effect for all bills rendered on and after 1-1-2025.
B. 
The bimonthly amount charged water takers outside the City limits shall be $43.35 plus $4.17 per 100 cubic feet of water metered or supplied.
[Last amended 12-10-2024 by Ord. No. 24-24[3]]
[3]
Editor's Note: This ordinance stated that the provisions of § 238-8A and B are to be in effect for all bills rendered on and after 1-1-2025.
C. 
In the event that the entire volume of water used on any premises shall not be discharged into the City sanitary or combination storm sewer system, a reduction of the charge imposed under this section shall be allowed, provided that the user of water on such premises shall install, maintain and repair, at his own expense, a meter satisfactory to the Department of Public Works to record the water which will or will not ultimately reach the City sewers, and the charge imposed in this section shall be based upon the amount of water used after excluding water not discharged into the City sewers. Such meter, as aforesaid, to be used to record the water which will or will not ultimately reach the City sanitary or combination storm sewer system, may be purchased from the City at cost, plus a handling charge of 15%. The cost of the installation and maintenance of the meter shall be at the expense of the owner or the user of the water on such premises, and such meter shall be one satisfactory to the Department. The installation thereof shall be made under the supervision of the appropriate Department of Public Works employee.
[Amended 6-8-2021 by Ord. No. 21-14[4]]
[4]
Editor's Note: This ordinance stated that the provisions of § 238-8C are to be in effect for all bills rendered on and after 7-1-2021.
D. 
Any person using a private source of water supply shall install, maintain and repair, at the expense of such person, facilities satisfactory to the Department of Public Utilities for measuring the volume of sewage discharged into the City sewers, and the charge imposed in this section shall be applied to the amount that such person would have been charged for a volume of water equivalent to the volume of such sewage discharged by such person in the City sewers.
E. 
The provisions of Chapter 277, Water, with respect to billing and enforcement of bills, shall be applicable to billing and enforcement of bills for the charges imposed by this section.
F. 
It shall be the duty of the owner of any premises having a connection, directly or indirectly, to the City sanitary or combination storm sewer to see that the sewer service charge imposed under this section is promptly paid within the time the same shall become due, whether a bill therefor shall actually have been received or not.
G. 
The amount of any sewer service charge imposed pursuant to this section shall constitute a personal liability of any person using the sewer or water system of the City and, in addition to other remedies, the City may enforce such personal liability by appropriate proceedings.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.
Whenever a new sewer is to be made, it shall be placed in the center of the street, alley or easement wherein laid, unless to do so will interfere with some authorized construction in the center of the street, alley or easement, in which case such sewer may be placed on either side thereof, at the option of the City Manager. In no case shall any property owner be charged a greater sum than he would be required to pay for such branch pipes for connection with the public sewer, by reason of the fact that the sewer is not placed in the center of the street, alley or easement.
The consent of the City Council shall be secured before laying any private sewer line along any street, alley or easement. In laying such private sewers and in making connection with the branch pipes laid by the City for that purpose, such material shall be used and the sewer laid in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code[1] and the rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Health. When such sewers are laid and the connections are made, the person authorized to make such connections and to lay such sewer shall notify the Plumbing Inspector, who shall inspect or cause to be inspected such work as promptly as his duties permit and, if the material used and the work done meet the requirements set forth, approve the same.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Code of Virginia, § 36-97 et seq.
The provisions of Article III of Chapter 247 shall apply to the making of all excavations made pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, in any street, alley or easement, by any person other than a duly authorized officer or employee of the City.
A. 
It shall be unlawful to throw, place or deposit or cause or permit to be thrown, placed or deposited in any vessel or receptacle connected with the sewer system any garbage, hair, ashes, fruit, vegetables, peelings, refuse, rags, sticks, cinders or any other matter or thing except human excrement, urine, necessary toilet paper, liquid slops and drainage of like character.
B. 
It shall be also unlawful to break, injure, mark, deface, interfere with or disturb any sewer line, manhole, building, machinery, apparatus or appurtenances of the sewer system, or any part thereof, belonging to the City or to commit any act tending to obstruct or impair the intended use of the above-mentioned property without permission of the City Manager, or excepting cases provided in this Code or otherwise provided by ordinance.
It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit any material, rubbish or anything else into any sewer, sewer line or pipe connection so as to cause the sewer, sewer line or pipe connection to be stopped or choked.