§ 5.04.06. Building sewers and connections.

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 service-safety director.

There shall be two classes of building sewer permits:

(A)

For residential and commercial service, and

(B)

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 City of Athens. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the service-safety director. A permit and inspection fee shall be paid to the City of Athens at the time the application is filed. A schedule of fees shall be determined by the service-safety director for the above two classes of sewer permits.

All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the City of Athens from loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.

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.

Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the service-safety director, to meet all requirements of this ordinance.

Building sewers shall use materials in accordance with Ordinance 0-35-72 or the latest revision thereof.

Wherever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. No building sewer shall be laid parallel to or within three feet of any bearing wall, which might thereby be weakened. The depth shall be sufficient to afford protection from frost. The building sewer shall be laid at uniform grade and in straight alignment insofar as possible. Changes in direction shall be made only with properly curved pipe and fittings.

In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such drain shall be lifted by approved artificial means and discharged to the building sewer.

All excavations required for the installation of a building sewer shall be open trench work unless otherwise approved by the service-safety director. Pipe laying and backfill shall be performed in accordance with ASTM specification C-12 except that no backfill shall be placed until the work has been inspected.

All joints and connections shall be made gas tight and water tight.

The 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 the public sewer is 12 inches in diameter or less, and no properly located "Y" branch is available, the owner shall at his expense install a Y" branch in the public sewer at the location specified by the service-safety director. Where the public sewer is greater than 12 inches in diameter, and no properly located "Y" branch is available, a neat hole may be cut into the public sewer to receive the building sewer, with entry in the downstream direction at an angle of about 45°. A 45° ell may be used to make such connection, with the spigot end cut so as not to extend past the inner surface of the public sewer. The invert of the building sewer at the point of connection shall be at the same or at a higher elevation than the invert of the public sewer. A smooth, neat joint shall be made, and the connection made secure and watertight by encasement in concrete. Special fittings may be used for the connection only when approved by the service-safety director.

The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the service-safety director when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the service-safety director or his representative.

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 property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the City of Athens.