Ordinance 111 - Sewers — full text

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Section 1 Section 2. Section 3 ## Town of Camden P.O. DRAWER 1002 CAMDEN, DELAWARE 19934 Mayor Robert A. Mooney Town Manager Donald H. Mulrine, Jr. ## Ordinance #2008-O-15 ## SEWERS ## ARTICLE 1 Sewer Connections Connection to sewer required Method of Connection Violations and penalties ARTICLE II Sewer Use Section 4 Section 5 Section 6 Section 7 Section 8 Section 9 Section 10 Section 11 Violations and penalties Definitions Use of public sewers required Private sewage disposal Building sewers and connections Regulation of public sewer use Protection from damage Powers of authority of Inspectors Article III Impact Fees Section 12. Requirements for certificate of occupancy. ## Section 4. Definitions. Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this article shall be as follows: AUTHORITY - The Camden-Wyoming Sewer and Water Authority, a corporation of the State of Delaware, formed by the Towns of Camden and Wyoming pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 14, Title 16 of the Delaware Code of 1953, as amended. ## ARTICLE I Sewer Connections ## Section 1. Connection to sewer required. The owner or owners of each lot or parcel of land situated in the limits of the Town of Camden which abuts upon a street or other public way containing a sanitary sewer which is a part of or which is served or may be served by such sewerage system and upon which lot or parcel of land a building shall have been constructed for residential, commercial or industrial use shall connect said building with such sanitary sewer, and shall cease to use any other method of the disposal of sewage, sewage waste or other polluting matter unless said method for the disposal of sewage, sewage waste or other polluting matter is maintained, constructed and operated in accordance with · standard prescribed or approved by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). ## Section 2. Method of Connection. The connection to the sanitary sewer referred to in § 182-1 shall be made in accordance with the rules, regulations and resolutions which have been adopted or which shall be adopted from time to time by the Camden-Wyoming Sewer and Water Authority, and such connection shall be made by the owner or owners of each lot or parcel of land which abuts upon a street or other public way on or before the completion of construction of said sewerage system concerning said street or other public way. ## Section 3. Violations and penalties. The failure of any owner to connect to the sewerage system as herein provided shall constitute a nuisance, and any such owner upon conviction of maintaining such nuisance shall forfeit and pay a fine of not more than $25 per day that said nuisance is permitted or allowed to exist. ## ARTICLE II Sewer Use BOD - (denoting :biochemical oxygen demand) - The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days at 20° C, expressed by milligrams per liter. BUILDING DRAIN - That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the buildings and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning five feet (1.5 meters) outside the inner face of the building wall. BUILDING SEWER - The extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal. COMBINED SEWER - A sewer receiving both surface runoff and sewage. GARBAGE - Solid wastes from the domestic and commercial preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage, and sale of produce. INDUSTRIAL WASTES - The liquid wastes from industrial manufacturing processes, trade, or business as distinct from sanitary sewage. MAY - Permissive. NATURAL OUTLET - Any outlet intro a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake, or any other body of surface water or groundwater. PERSON - Any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation, or group. pH - The logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution. risending of food that have been shrede to swaste fren that at paries violin arind freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle grater than 1/2 inch (1.27 centimeters) in any dimension. PUBLIC SEWER - A sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal rights, and is controlled by public authority. SANITARY SEWER -- - A sewer which carries sewage and to which stormwaters, surface waters and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted. SEWAGE - A combination of water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments, together with such groundwaters, surface waters and stormwaters as may be present. SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT - Any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage. SEWAGE WORKS - All facilities for collecting, pumping, treating, and disposing of sewage. SEWER - A pipe or conduit for carrying sewage. SHALL - Mandatory. SLUG - Any discharge of water, sewage, or industrial waste which in concentration of any given constituent or in quantity of flow exceeds for any period of duration longer than 15 minutes more than five times the average twenty-four-hour concentration of flows during normal operation. STORM DRAIN (or STORM SEWER) - A sewer which carries stormwaters and surface waters and drainage, but excludes sewage and industrial wastes, other than unpolluted cooling water. SUPERINTENDENT - The Superintendent of the Authority, or his authorized deputy, agent, or representative. SUSPENDED SOLIDS - Solids that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in water, sewage, or other liquids, which are removable by laboratory filterings. WATERCOURSE - A channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently. ## Section 5. Use of public sewers required. - A. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit, or permit to be deposited in any unsanitary manner on public or private property within the Town of Camden any human or animal excrement, garbage, or other objectionable waste. - B. It shall be unlawful to discharge to any natural outlet within the Town of Camden any sewage or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with subsequent provisions of this article. - C. Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage in the Town of Camden. - D. The owner of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes, situated within the town of Camden and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary or combined sewer of the Town of Camden, is hereby required at his expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provision of this article, within 90 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within 100 feet (30.5 meters) of the property line. ## Section 6. Private sewage disposal. - A. No private sewage disposal system will be permitted within the limits of the Town of Camden except where the public sewer is not available. In such cases, the owner shall apply for a written permit from the Superintendent, furnishing necessary information, and paying a permit and inspection fee as required. - B. The type, capacities, location, and layout of a private sewage disposal system shall comply with all recommendations of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) of the State of Delaware. - C. At such time as a public sewer becomes available to a property served by a private sewage disposal system, as provided in Subsection B, a direct connection shall be made to the public sewer in compliance with this article, and any septic tanks, cesspools, and similar private sewage disposal facilities shall be abandoned in a sage and sanitary manner; provided nevertheless that any owner constructing a building after November 1, 1964, shall first notify the Authority of his intention to build and the Authority shall determine that service shall note be provided at time of construction, the owner of said property shall not be required to hook on to the sewer system for a period of three years from the date of installation of the original private system. - D. The owner shall operate and maintain the private sewage disposal facilities in a sanitary manner at all times, at no expense to the Town. ## Section 7. Building sewers and connections. - A. No unauthorized 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. 2. B.. There shall be two classes of building sewer permits: (1) for residential and commercial services, and (2) for service to establishments producing industrial wastes. In either case, the owner or his agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the Authority. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the Superintendent. 3. All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner except for any adjustment which may be made. The owner shall indemnify the Town and/or Authority from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer. - D. A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building; except 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, court, yard, or driveway, the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer. Any deviation from this regulation must be approved by a majority of the Authority. - E. The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction of a building sewer, and the method to be used in excavating, placing of the pipe, jointing, testing, and backtilling the trench, shall all conform to the requirements of the Building and Plumbing Code or other applicable ordinances (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 American Society of Testing Materials and Water Pollution Control Federal Manual of Practice No. 9 shall apply. - F. Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at a minimum elevation of 18 inches below the ground level. 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. - G. No person shall make connection of 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 sewer. - H. The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the Building and Plumbing Code or other applicable ordinances (rules) and Regulations of the Town, or the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the American Society of Testing Materials and the Walter Pollution Control Federation 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. - I. The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the Superintendent when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the Superintendent. 6. 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 Town of Camden. ## Section 8. Regulation of public sewer use. - A. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water, ground water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, uncontaminated cooling water, or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer. - B. Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers, or to a natural outlet approved by the Superintendent. - C. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to any public sewers: 2. Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid, or gas. - (2) Any waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids, or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance, or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant, including but not limited to cyanides in excess of two mg/l as CN in the wastes as discharged to the public sewer. - (3) Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5, or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and personnel of the sewage works. - (4) Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or any other interference with the proper operation of the sewage works such as, but not limited to, ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders. - D. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, materials, waters, or wastes if it appears likely in the opinion of the Superintendent that such wastes can harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process, or equipment, have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or can otherwise endanger life, limb, public property or constitute a nuisance. In forming his opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the Superintendent will give consideration to such factors as the quantities of subject wastes in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, nature of the sewage treatment process, capacity of the sewage treatment plant, degree of treatability of wastes in the sewage treatment plant, and other pertinent factors. The substances prohibited are: - (1) Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150° F (65° C). - (2) Any waste or waste containing fats, wax, grease, or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of 100 mg/1 or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32° F and 150° F (0° C and 65° C). - (3) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. The installation and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of ¾ horsepower or greater shall be subject to the review and approval of the Superintendent. - (4) Any waters or wastes containing strong acid iron pickling wastes, or concentrated plating solutions whether naturalized or not. - (5) Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc, and similar objectionable or toxic substances; wastes exerting an excessive chlorine requirement, to such a degree that any such material received in the composite sewage treatment works exceeds the limits established by the Superintendent for such materials. - (6) Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste- or odor-producing substances, in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the Superintendent as necessary, after treatment of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of the state, federal, or other public agencies of jurisdiction for such discharge to the receiving waters. - (7) Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limited established by the Superintendent in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations. - (8) Any waters or wastes having a pH in excess of 9.5. - (9) Materials which exert or cause: 7. (a) Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but not limited to, Fullers earth, lime slurries, and lime residues) or of dissolved solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate). 8. (b) Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions). 9. (c) Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand, or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment works. 10. (d) Unusual volume of flow or concentration of waste constituting slugs as defined herein. - (10) Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amendable to treatment reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of any other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters. - E. Rejection or pretreatment of wastes. - (1) If any waters or wastes are discharged, or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in Subsection D of this section, and which, in the judgment of the Superintendent, may have a deleterious effect upon the sewage works, processes, equipment, or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the Superintendent may: 14. (a) Reject the wastes; 15. (b) Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers; 16. (c) Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge; and/or 17. (d) Requirement payment to cover the added cost of handling and treating the wastes not covered by existing taxes or sewer charges under the provision of Subjection J of this section. - (2) If the Superintendent permits the pretreatment or equalization of waste flows, the design and installation of the plants and equipment shall be subject to the review and approval of the Superintendent, and subject to the requirements of all applicable codes, ordinances, and laws. - F. Grease, oil, and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Superintendent, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable wastes, sand, or other harmful ingredients; except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the Superintendent, and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. - G. Where preliminary treatment or flow-equalizing facilities are provided for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously n satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense. - H. When required by the Superintendent, the owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable control manhole together with such necessary meters and other appurtenances in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling, and measurement of the wastes. Such manhole, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Superintendent. The manhole shall be installed by the owner at his expense, and shall be maintained by him so as to be safe and accessible at all times. - I. All measurements, tests, and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in this article shall be determined in accordance with the latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, published by the American Public Health Association, and shall be determined at the control manhole provided, or upon suitable samples taken at said control manhole. In the event that no special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer to the point at which the building sewer is connected. Sampling shall be carried out by customarily accepted methods to reflect the effect of constituents upon the sewage works and to determine the existence of hazards to life, limb, and property. - No statement in this article shall be construed as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the Authority (Town) and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the Authority (Town) for treatment, subject to payment therefor, by the industrial concern. ## Section 9. Protection from damage. 3 No unauthorized person shall maliciously, willfully, or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface, or tamper with any structure, appurtenance, or equipment which is a part of the sewer works. Any person violating this provision shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction before the Alderman of the Town of Camden shall be fined not more than $250. ## Section 10. Powers and authority of Inspectors. - A. The Superintendent and other duly authorized employees of the Authority (Town) bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter al properties for the purposes of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, and testing in accordance with the provision of this article. The Superintendent or his representatives shall have no authority to inquire into any processes, including metallurgical, chemical, oil, refining, ceramic, paper, or other industries beyond that point having a direct bearing on the kind and source of discharge to the sewers or waterways or facilities for waste treatment. - B. While performing the necessary work on private properties referred to in Subsection A above, the Superintendent or duly authorized employees of the Authority shall observe all safety rules applicable to the premises established by the company, and the company shall be held harmless for injury or death to the Authority employees, and the Authority shall indemnify the company against loss or damage to its property by Authority employees and against liability claims and demands for persona injury or property damage asserted against the company and growing out of the gauging and sampling operation, except as such may be caused by negligence or failure of the company to maintain safe conditions as required in § 182-8H. - C. The Superintendent and other duly authorized employees of the Authority (Town) bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all private properties through which the Authority and to which the Town of Camden holds a duly negotiated easement for the purposes of, but not limited to, inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, repair, and maintenance of any portion of the sewage works lying within said easement. All entry and subsequent work, if any, on said easement, shall be done in full accordance with the terms of the duly negotiated easement pertaining to the private property involved. ## Section 11. Violations and penalties. - Any person found to be violating any provision of this article except § 182-9 shall be served by the Authority (Town) with written notice stating the nature of the violation and providing for a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. The offender shall, within the period of time stated in such notice, permanently cease al violations. - B. Any person who shall continue any violation beyond the time limit provided for the Subsection A shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof before the Alderman of the Town of Camden shall be fined in an amount not exceeding $50 for each violation. Each day in which any such violation shall continue shall be deemed a separate offense.* - C. Any person violating any of the provisions of this particle shall become liable to the Authority (Town) for any expense, loss, or damage occasioned the Authority and for the Town of Camden by reason of such violation. ## ARTICLE III Impact Fees ## Section 12. Requirements for certificate of occupancy. No person and/or corporation shall be issued a certificate of occupancy by the Town of Camden Building Inspector after July 1, 1990, without the following stipulations being met: - A. In accordance with the current Kent County Sanitary District Service Resolutions and Contract Users Agreements adopted by Kent County Levy Court, each new user of county sewer services hall be charged an appropriate fee' - B. Contract users are those users who have a user agreement with the Kent County Levy N yoming Sever any water d tharinent of wastewater herein identified as the Camden 3. It will be the responsibility of the Camden-Wyoming Sewer and Water Authority to collect the impact fee on each EDU (equivalent dwelling units) prior to the issuance of the certificate of occupancy by the Town Building Inspector and record this transaction on the building permit form for permanent record. The Authority will be responsible for collection and reimbursement to Kent County. ENACTED AND ORDAINED THIS 4* DAY OF AUGUST 2008.       ause Town Solicitor Money ATTEST: No. Town Manager Mayor Robert A. Mooney Vice-Mayor James O. Plunley Mael I Al Councilman Mark Babbitt slungsuchs Councilman Richard Snyder 1s Reading: 2"° Reading: Public Hearing: Adopted: July 7,2008 Dugust 4,2008 August 4,2018 August 4,2008