[Adopted 4-25-2000 by Ord. No. 00-11]
The purpose of this article is to require and facilitate compliance with Article IV, Prohibited Connections and Discharges, of this chapter of the Code of the Township of Ewing and with the Rules and Regulations of the Ewing-Lawrence Sewerage Authority (hereinafter, ELSA) and the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection so as to require that improper connections into the ELSA sanitary sewer system (the sanitary sewer system) be removed. It is the further purpose of the article to ensure that infiltration and inflow of groundwater and stormwater into the sanitary sewer system be minimized.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system
which receives the discharge from soil and water and other drainage
pipes inside the walls of a building and conveys it to the building
sewer beginning three feet outside the building wall.
That part of the drainage system which extends from the end
of the building drain and conveys its discharge to a sanitary sewer
system and includes a building lateral.
A capped opening in a sewer line, inside or outside a building,
or structure, which opening is used for the purpose of cleaning or
unclogging the sewer line in any direction.
Any pipe or conduit which carries waste or waterborne wastes
in a building plumbing system and is connected to a point of discharge.
All the piping within public or private premises which conveys
sewage to a point of disposal.
The Ewing Lawrence Sewage Authority Wastewater Pretreatment
Program Rules and Regulations adopted on July 15, 1996, and as same
may be lawfully amended from time to time.
A sewer which carries sewage and to which stormwater, surface
waters and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.
The plants, structures and other real and personal property
acquired, constructed or operated or to be acquired, constructed or
operated by the Ewing Lawrence Sewerage Authority (hereinafter, ELSA)
for the purposes of the ELSA, including sewers, conduits, pipelines,
mains, pumping and ventilating stations, sewage treatment or disposal
systems, plants and works, connections and outfalls, compensating
reservoirs, and other plants, structures, boats, conveyances and other
real and personal property and rights therein, and appurtenances necessary
or useful and convenient for the collection, treatment, purification
or disposal in a sanitary manner of any sewage, liquid or solid wastes,
night soil or industrial wastes.
Liquid containing human waste (including fecal matter) and/or
animal, vegetable or chemical waste matter in suspension or solution.
A pipe or other conduit for carrying sewage, and includes
trunklines, mains, building drains, building sewers and drainage systems.
A sewer.
Any liquid or liquidborne material or residue intended to
be discarded that remains after any activity or process, but not including
sewage.
A.
Sump pumps, floor drains, roof and yard drains, cellar and foundation drains and related apparatus. No person or entity shall allow, cause, suffer or permit any sump pump, floor drain, roof drain, yard drain, cellar or foundation drain, and/or any related apparatus to discharge or to divert to any sanitary sewer or as prohibited by Chapter 300 of the Code of the Township of Ewing, as amended from time to time. The record title owner shall be responsible under this article and shall be presumed to have allowed, caused, suffered or permitted any such connection.
B.
Cleanouts. No person or entity shall allow, cause,
suffer or permit or use a cleanout for discharge of stormwater, surface
water or groundwater, basement drainage or any other substance prohibited
by ELSA rules and regulations.
C.
Infiltration and inflow into sanitary sewer. No person
or entity shall allow, cause, suffer or permit the infiltration of
water, inflow of stormwater or any other substance which is not sewage
as defined herein into any sewer or into the Township's sanitary sewerage
system or any other sanitary sewerage system operated within the Township.
The record title owner shall be responsible under this article and
shall be presumed to have allowed, caused, suffered or permitted any
such infiltration.
A.
Cleanout connections are designed exclusively for
cleaning building sewer lines and clearing blockages in the building
sewer of a dwelling or other building, and their use for drainage
of groundwater or any other substance is prohibited.
B.
The following requirements shall apply to cleanouts
and floor drains:
(1)
Cleanouts and floor drains. The owner of any dwelling
or building with a cleanout or a floor drain shall be required to
take the following remedial action:
(a)
Raise the cleanout to at least one foot above
floor level unless to do so would cause a safety hazard. Any such
extension shall be of solid pipe, without perforations or holes, and
shall be installed in as permanent a manner as possible. If joints
are threaded, they must be tightened to the fullest extent consistent
with professional workmanship. Under no circumstances are such extensions
to be left loose so that they may be easily removed. Capping of the
extensions shall be consistent with the applicable National Standard
Plumbing Code and with industry practice. Cleanout caps must be tightly
secured at all times.
(b)
Any below-grade floor drain which is connected
to a sewer line shall be permanently sealed.
(2)
Inspection and approval. The foregoing remedial action
shall be subject to inspection and approval by a representative of
the ELSA or the Ewing Township Construction Official.
All new residential and commercial buildings
that have basements shall have a sump pump discharge connection installed
during construction. The sump pump discharge connection shall be installed
through the basement foundation to the public storm sewer. The sump
pump connection shall be at least two-inch diameter, Schedule 40 PVC
pipe and shall be capped or piped to the sump pump if a sump pump
is installed.
Any person or entity currently in violation
of this new section shall not be prosecuted pursuant to the terms
herein within a six-month period of time commencing upon the date
of adoption of this article.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to exempt any
homeowner or contractor from compliance with, nor shall this article
be deemed a waiver of, any other applicable statute, regulation or
ordinance. Nothing herein shall exempt any homeowner or contractor
from compliance with applicable building codes and fees.
A.
Right of entry. Agents and employees of the Township
and ELSA shall have the right to enter any building and premises connected
to any public sewer, whenever necessary to examine the same, to take
samples of the effluent therefrom for laboratory analysis, or to do
any work therein or thereon, provided that such entry shall be at
reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, if notice is feasible,
to the owner or occupant thereof. No person shall refuse, deny or
interfere with such entry; ELSA, its agents, servants and employees
shall be deemed agents of the Township of Ewing for the purposes of
entry pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:26A-19 and this article.
B.
Inspections. Dwellings and other buildings shall be
subject to inspections of their sump pumps; roof, yard, cellar and
foundation drains; sewer cleanouts and other related apparatus. Said
inspections shall be ordered and conducted by the ELSA or its designee,
the Township Construction Official or the Township Health Official,
as deemed necessary in the interest of the public health, safety and
welfare, and/or in the interest of the proper functioning of the sanitary
sewer system.
A.
For public safety, health and welfare, and in conformance
with federal, state and local law and regulation, property owners
shall connect all sump pumps, floor drains, roof, yard, cellar or
foundation drains, and related apparatus discharge piping to the:
(1)
Nearest public Township of Ewing storm sewer, provided
the discharge piping is installed underground;
(2)
To a location on the owner's property at least 10
feet from a building structure and at a location which will avoid
infiltration to the building foundation and/or sanitary sewer system;
(3)
To a dry well installed on the owner's property; or
(4)
To a drainage ditch or stream, provided it will not
cause flooding, ice hazard, nuisance or have an adverse effect on
adjoining property.
B.
If the storm sewer or other acceptable discharge location
is not available, the sump pump, floor, roof, cellar or yard drain
and/or other related apparatus discharge piping may be connected underground
to the street, provided there is more than 0.5% street slope. In existing
roadways, a road opening permit shall be required.
C.
Sump pump or drainage piping within the building or
dwelling shall be rigid type pipe with permanent connections which
shall penetrate the outside of the building or dwelling structure
and shall otherwise be in conformance with all building and plumbing
codes, as amended from time to time.
D.
New discharge piping shall be installed underground.
E.
Underground discharge piping may be of the rigid or
flexible type.
F.
Assistance and guidance with respect to layout and
the location of proper discharge points may be obtained from ELSA.
G.
To the extent that this article conflicts with federal,
state or local construction or plumbing codes, the federal, state
or local code shall control.
[Added 6-13-2000 by Ord. No. 00-15]
A.
Reimbursement. Partial or full reimbursement for the cost of compliance with this article shall be provided to owners who receive and comply with a disconnect order as described in Subsection C below. Such reimbursement shall be in the amount and subject to the terms set forth in Subsection E below.
B.
Procedure for reimbursement. Upon verification by
the Township Construction Official or the Ewing-Lawrence Sewerage
Authority (ELSA) that a violation of this article, prohibiting private
property infiltration or inflow connection, exists, the Township Construction
Official or ELSA shall issue a disconnection order to the owner of
the property. The owner shall comply with the order by making the
necessary corrections, by having the work done by a licensed plumber
or other competent contractor, or by requesting the ELSA to undertake
the work. Any work done by the ELSA shall be at no cost to the owner.
Any work not performed by the ELSA shall be preapproved by the ELSA.
All work shall be done in a workmanlike manner and shall comply with
the all applicable construction, building, electrical and plumbing
codes; this article; and all applicable regulations of the ELSA. After
the owner completes the work, the Township Construction Official or
the ELSA shall reinspect the premises to verify compliance with the
disconnect order and verify that there are no other violations.
C.
Disconnect order. The Township Construction Official
or ELSA may issue an order directing the owner of a premises to comply
with this article. The order shall be effective not less than 90 days
from its date of issuance. The order may state a deadline for compliance,
but such deadline shall not be more than six months after issuance.
If the owner requests that the work be undertaken by ELSA within 30
days of receipt of the disconnect order, the owner will not be subject
to any penalties.
D.
Termination of service. The Ewing-Lawrence Sewerage
Authority may terminate sanitary sewerage service to any premises
the owner of which refuses to comply with an order to disconnect a
stormwater inflow source from the sanitary sewer system.
E.
Amount of reimbursement.
(1)
Upon verification of compliance with the order, the
Township or ELSA shall pay to the owner or the owner's assignee, on
voucher, as reimbursement for the expense of compliance, an amount
equal to the actual cost to labor and/or materials but not to exceed
the following maximum amount per source, except that work performed
by the owner shall not be reimbursed for labor.
|
Source Description
|
Maximum Amount
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Sump pump or sump pit
|
$2,000 each
| |
|
Yard drain (driveway, area, patio, etc.)
|
$1,500 each
| |
|
Roof drain
|
$500 each
| |
|
Cellar or foundation drain
|
$2,500 each
| |
|
Building sewer repair or replacement
|
$15 per linear foot, not to exceed $1,000
| |
|
Sewer cleanout
|
$250
|
(2)
Acceptance of reimbursement or agreement to have the
work performed by ELSA or its contractor shall constitute a consent
by the person accepting such agreement or payment for a reinspection
of the premises by ELSA within one year following payment for purpose
of verifying continued compliance. Such reinspection shall be done
at a convenient time and on a reasonable notice. Such acceptance of
reimbursement or agreement to have the work performed by ELSA or its
contractor shall also constitute on agreement that the owner, and
his or her tenants and assigns, shall not thereafter cause, permit,
suffer or allow any apparatus as prohibited in this article be utilized
on the property, and failing to abide by such agreement shall be subject
to reimbursing the Township or ELSA for all payments and costs in
addition to penalties as provided in the Code of the Township of Ewing.
A.
For the purposes of assessing penalties, the continuation
of a particular violation for each successive day shall constitute
a separate offense, and the persons or persons or entity or entities
causing, allowing, suffering or permitting the continuation of the
violation may be punished as provided above for each separate violation.
B.
The imposition of a penalty as provided herein shall
be in addition to any injunctive or remedial relief which is authorized
under the laws of the State of New Jersey with the same force and
effect as though provided for herein.
C.
Nothing herein shall limit the ability of the ELSA
or the Township to apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for
a warrant to gain entry to a premises.
