§ 5-1. Purpose and general.

(a)

Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to provide all rules and regulations of the city, including regulations adopted by reference, for governing operation of the city's sewer and water system and drains. These rules and regulations are necessary for the protection of the public health, enhancement and stabilization of property values and maintenance of an orderly and healthy structure of community living.

(b)

Responsibility and administration. The department of public works is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the municipal sewer and water systems of the city, and for the maintenance of all public drains, and shall be governed by this Code, under the direction of the city manager.

(c)

Sewer connection mandatory. The owner of each house, building or property used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purpose, situated within the city and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is located a public sanitary sewer of the city, is required at the expense of the owner to install suitable toilet facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly with the public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this Code, within 90 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is located in the municipal right of way or easement of the abutting property.

(1)

Hearing and order to connect. When the owner or occupant of any property shall fail, refuse or neglect to make the connection with the municipal sewer system adjacent to the property in question the council, after written notice thereof and a hearing, both as provided in chapter 1, may by resolution direct that a connection be made and the cost thereof be assessed against the property benefitted thereby, which assessment shall be levied as provided by Minn. Stat. ch. 429.

(2)

Waiver. Whenever the owner signs a written waiver of notice or hearing or both and consents and authorizes the city to make such connection, the city may, without notice being given as required above, connect the property to the municipal sewer system and assess the cost thereof as provided in Minn. Stat. ch. 429.

(d)

Discharge of surface waters into sanitary sewer prohibited.

(1)

Purpose. The discharge of unpolluted water and/or natural precipitation into the city sanitary sewer system results in flooding and overloading of the sewerage system. When this water is discharged into the sanitary sewer system it is treated at the sewage treatment plant. This results in needless city expenditures. The city council, therefore, finds it in the best interest of the city to prohibit such discharges.

(2)

Discharge prohibited. Except as otherwise expressly authorized in this section, no water from any roof surface, sump pump, footing tile, swimming pool, any other natural precipitation, cooling water or industrial process water shall be discharged into the sanitary sewer system. Dwellings and other buildings and structures which require sump pumps or footing tiles shall have a permanently installed discharge line which shall not at any time discharge water into the sanitary sewer system, except as provided herein. A permanent installation shall be one which provides for year round discharge capability onto the premises without impact to neighbors or roadways. The discharge may also be connected to a municipal drain tile system, if available, located in a municipal right of way or easement. The discharge must be equipped with an operable and accessible cleanout with its location recordable by GPS or other city-approved location system to the outside of the dwelling, building, or structure. The city's right-of-way permit process must be used to make a connection to the city drain tile or stormwater system: the accurate location of the cleanout must be filed with the public works department. The private discharge system shall consist of a rigid line and backflow valve, without other valves or quick connections for altering the path of discharge. All dwellings, buildings or structures with a sump pump abutting a municipal right-of-way or easement equipped with an operable municipal drain tile system or an accessible storm sewer must connect to the system or storm sewer at the earliest possible time at the sole direction of the public works director if a public safety issue or significant impact to a roadway is identified.

(3)

Disconnection. Any person, firm or corporation having a roof surface, groundwater sump pump, footing tile, swimming pool, cooling water or unpolluted industrial process water now connected and/or discharging into the sanitary sewer system shall disconnect or remove same. Any disconnects or openings in the sanitary sewer system shall be closed or repaired in an effective, workmanlike manner.

(4)

Inspection. Every person owning improved real estate that discharges into the city's sanitary sewer system shall allow the city or a designated representative of the city to inspect the buildings to confirm that there is no sump pump or other prohibited discharge into the sanitary sewer system. In lieu of having the city inspect their property, any person may furnish a city inspection report from a city approved licensed plumber certifying that their property is in compliance with this section.

(5)

Future inspections. Any property with a sump pump found not in compliance with this Code but subsequently verified as compliant shall be subject to an annual reinspection to confirm continued compliance. Any property found not to be in compliance upon reinspection, or any person refusing to allow their property to be reinspected, within 30 days after receipt of mailed written notice from the city of the reinspection, shall be subject to the nonrefundable fee set forth in subsection 5-1(d)(7) of this Code. Mailed written notice shall mean that notice as described in subsection 1-4(b)(2) of this Code.

(6)

New construction. All new construction of buildings with sumps for which a building permit is issued shall have a pump and shall be piped to the outside of the building before a certificate of occupancy is issued. In the event the property on which the new building is constructed abuts a municipal street right of way or easement equipped with a municipal drain tile system, the sump system must be connected to the drain tile system. Further, the sump system must contain a clean-out with its location recordable by GPS.

(7)

Nonrefundable fee. A nonrefundable fee of $100.00 per month is hereby imposed on every sewer bill mailed on and after October 1, 2003 to property owners who are not in compliance with this section or who have refused to allow their property to be inspected to determine if there is compliance. All properties found during any reinspection to have violated this section will be subject to the $100.00 per month nonrefundable fee for all months between the two most recent inspections.

(8)

Winter discharge. The city manager is authorized to issue a permit to allow a property owner to discharge water into the sanitary sewer system. Prior to issuance of the permit, the city manager may consult with the city engineer or public works director to verify one of the criteria to issue the permit has been satisfied. The permit shall authorize such discharge only from November 1 to March 31, shall require the owner to permit an inspection of the property on April 1 or as soon thereafter as possible to determine that discharge into the sanitary sewer has been discontinued and shall subject the owner to a $100.00 monthly nonrefundable fee for each month water is discharged into the sanitary sewer system. The nonrefundable fee will commence with the November water billing and continue until the property owner establishes discharge into the sanitary sewer system has been discontinued. A property owner is required to meet at least one of the following criteria in order to obtain the permit:

a.

The freezing of the surface water discharge from the sump pump or footing drain is causing a dangerous condition, such as ice buildup or flooding, on either public or private property.

b.

The property owner has demonstrated that there is a danger that the sump pump or footing drain pipes will freeze up and result in either failure or damage to the sump pump unit or the footing drain and cause basement flooding.

c.

The water being discharged from the sump pump or footing drain cannot be readily discharged into a storm drain or other acceptable drainage system.

Following ten days' written notice and an opportunity to be heard, the city manager may require the owner of a property to discharge their sump pump into the sanitary sewer from November 1 to March 31 if surface water discharge from their property is causing an icy condition on public streets or sidewalks. The $100.00 nonrefundable discharge fee referenced above will also apply in this event as well.

(e)

Discharge of certain gases, wastes, noxious substances into sanitary sewer prohibited. Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to any public sewer:

(1)

High temperature. Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

(2)

Fat, oil. Any water or waste which may contain more than 100 parts per million by weight, of fat, oil, or grease.

(3)

Flammable liquid. Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas.

(Code 010166; Ord. No. 03-15, § 1, 6-23-2003; Ord. No. 15-13, § 1, 12-14-2015; Ord. No. 16-01, § 1, 1-25-2016)