96.01    PERMIT.  No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connection with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the City.  The application for the permit shall set forth the location and description of the property to be connected with the sewer system and the purpose for which the sewer is to be used, and shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent.  The permit shall require the owner to complete construction and connection of the building sewer to the public sewer within sixty (60) days after the issuance of the permit, except that when a property owner makes sufficient showing that due to conditions beyond the owner’s control or peculiar hardship, such time period is inequitable or unfair, an extension of time within which to comply with the provisions herein may be granted.  Any sewer connection permit may be revoked at any time for a violation of these chapters.

96.02    PERMIT FEE.  The person who makes the application shall pay a fee in the amount of forty dollars ($40.00) to cover the cost of issuing the permit and supervising, regulating, and inspecting the work for both new and replacement lines.  Whenever a person performs any work without a permit and thereafter makes application for a permit, the permit fee shall be increased by $25.00.                                                                                 (Ord. 00-24 – Nov. 00 Supp.)

96.03    CONNECTION CHARGE.  If the property described in the permit application has not been previously assessed for the cost of construction of the sewer to which connection is made, a connection charge may be collected before the permit is issued.  The connection charge shall be as determined by the City Engineer, taking into consideration the cost of the sewer line providing service, the benefits to the user and any special circumstances existing which reasonably affect the determination of an equitable charge to the user.

96.04    PIPE LAYER OR PLUMBER REQUIRED.  All installations of building sewers and connection to the public sewer shall be made by a plumber or pipe layer licensed by the Metro Area Board.

96.05    CONNECTION REQUIREMENTS.  The installation of the building sewer and its connection to the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the Marion Plumbing Code, the laws of the State and other applicable rules and regulations of the City. 

96.06    SEWER TAP.  Connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall be made at the “Y” branch, if such branch is available at a suitable location.  If no properly located “Y” branch is available, a “Y” saddle shall be installed at the location specified by the City Engineer.  The public sewer shall be tapped with a tapping machine and a saddle appropriate to the type of public sewer shall be glued and attached with stainless steel clamps to the sewer.  At no time shall a building sewer be constructed so as to enter a manhole unless special written permission is received from the City Engineer and in accordance with the City Engineer’s direction if such connection is approved.

96.07    INSPECTION REQUIRED.  No building sewer shall be covered, concealed or put into use until it has been tested, inspected and accepted as prescribed in the Uniform Plumbing Code.

96.08    PROPERTY OWNER’S RESPONSIBILITY.  All costs and expenses incident to the installation, connection and maintenance of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner.  The owner shall indemnify the City from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.

96.09    ABATEMENT OF VIOLATIONS.  Building sewers, whether located upon the private property of any owner or in the public right-of-way, which are constructed or maintained in violation of any of the requirements of this chapter shall be deemed a nuisance and the same shall be abated by the City in the manner provided for the abatement of nuisances. 

96.10    PUBLIC SEWER EXTENSIONS.  The construction of sewers which are to be connected to and become a part of the public sewer system shall be done in conformity with the current Metropolitan Area Engineering Design Standards for sewer construction on file in the office of the City Engineer.  Plans and the appropriate State Department of Natural Resources schedules shall be submitted to and approved by the City Engineer and the Council prior to commencement of work.  The City Engineer will then issue a “Construction Permit”.  For all other user types a “Construction Permit” must be obtained from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and as hereinafter provided.

1.                  The construction of sewer extensions shall be conducted in the presence of the City Engineer.  The fee for said inspection shall be established by Council resolution to reflect the current costs of inspection.  Public construction projects of the City shall be exempt from the inspection charge.

2.                  The Council must by resolution accept a constructed extension before sewage may be discharged into the existing sewage system.  The sanitary sewer extension will not be accepted by the Council unless the City has already by previous resolution accepted the dedication or conveyance of a public right-of-way or easement upon which the sewer extension is located and also unless the City Engineer has caused the following tests to be conducted:

A.                 Soils tests to prove the backfill of the sewer trenches beneath the public right-of-way is at least 90% as dense as those obtained by subjecting the adjacent undisturbed earth to a Modified Proctor Density Test (A. A. S. H. 0. Test T-180).

B.                 Pressure tests to prove that infiltrations will not exceed 200 gallons per day per mile of pipe times its internal diameter in inches.

C.                 Internal inspection to determine that the sewer is structurally sound, clean, and free of any obstructions to sewage flow or future maintenance.

D.                 Grade Light Tests of sufficient accuracy to prove that the sewer alignment and gradients deviate no more than one inch from the reference points furnished by the Engineer and are in accordance with the approved plans.

3.         Failure of any of these tests shall cause the acceptance to be withheld until the owner has corrected the fault, as proved by subsequent testing, at the owner’s expense.

4.         Acceptance by the Council will be by resolution after the above is completed and a two year maintenance bond or other security satisfactory to the City is placed on file.

(Ord. 02-10 – Aug. 02 Supp.)

96.11    MOBILE HOME PARK SEWER EXTENSIONS.

1.                  Prior to construction a plan of improvement must be prepared by a registered Civil Engineer and submitted for review and approval by the City Engineer.  The design of the system shall be in accordance with the requirements of the City Metropolitan Area Engineering Design Standards, and in accordance with the requirements of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. IDNR sanitary sewer permit forms must be submitted with the plan of improvements.

2.                  A notice approving the plan of improvements along with two (2) stamped copies of the same will be supplied to the owner authorizing construction.  All construction must be done in accordance with the approved plans, and the City Metropolitan Area Engineering Design Standards.  No changes to the plans may be made in the field without written authorization of the City Engineer.

3.                  Upon completion of the installation, all testing as required by the specifications must be conducted on the lines.  A copy of all testing results shall be certified by a registered Civil Engineer and submitted to the City Engineer for review.  Any line segments failing the testing requirements shall be repaired and/or corrected and re-tested.  The costs associated with this testing will be the responsibility of the owner/developer.

4.                  The Engineering Department will oversee the testing of lines.  The owner/developer will be charged fifty cents per lineal foot for the cost of conducting the inspections, including personnel, equipment, and mileage.

5.                  A letter certified by a registered Civil Engineer shall be submitted stating that materials used on the project and the installation methods were all substantially in accordance with the plans and specifications.  If field changes were made to the plans, an as-built drawing shall be submitted.

6.                  Upon proof of successful testing of the installation, the City Engineer will allow the discharge of sewage into the system at the time of acceptance of the sewer.  No sewage may be discharged into an installation until said notice has been issued.  The notice may be granted on a segment by segment basis at the discretion of the City Engineer.

(Ord. 02-21 – Aug. 02 Supp.)