§ 38-4. Connection to public water and sewer system required; standards for connection.

(a)

Sewer connection required when public sewer is available. Every person owning a house, apartment house, restaurant, building or structure used for sleeping quarters or wherein any person is employed, inside the city, which is located a distance of 200 feet or less from a public sewer main, shall connect such house, apartment house, restaurant, building or structure to the public sewer main.

(b)

Water connection required when public water line is available. A customer requesting a connection to the city sewer shall be served by public water if the public water line is within 200 feet of an individual lot or 1,000 feet of a subdivision or business. A connection to the city sewer may be allowed where public water is not available as defined in this subsection. In this case, the customer shall be billed at the average bill as outlined in the city sewer rates.

(c)

Separate sewer connection required for each building. Each residence or other building or structure shall have a separate sewer connection. This requirement shall not be construed to apply to a building customarily incident to and located upon the same lot occupied by a main building or structure.

(d)

Commencement of billing of sewer charges. Sanitary sewer charges shall be levied or billed on the next full billing month after the installation by the city's crew of the sanitary sewer lateral or connection.

(e)

Use of old building sewers. Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the approving authority, to meet all requirements of this chapter.

(f)

Location of connections. Connections to the water system of the city will be made from the main line to the back of the curbline, at which point a water meter will be installed. Sanitary sewer connections will be made from the sanitary sewer main to the right-of-way line or easement.

(g)

Service laterals crossing property other than property served. Neither water nor sanitary sewer connections will be made to service laterals that cross private property other than the individual residence, industrial or commercial premises being served unless and until proper rights-of-way or easements are obtained, approved by the city engineer, and recorded in the office of the register of deeds of the county, and in no case shall the connection circumvent the city's normal water and sewer main extension. In those instances where a connection is approved by the city, it shall be the responsibility of the person requesting the connection to secure the required rights-of-way and easements.

(h)

Elevation of building sewer. Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by the building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer.

(i)

Specifications for sewer connection. The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing codes and other applicable rules and regulations of the city, or the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM and WEF 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 approving authority before installation.

(j)

Separate water service pipe and meter required for each consumer; exceptions. Each consumer of city water, whether a family unit, apartment, separate business operation or otherwise, shall be supplied through a separate metered and independent water service pipe. Each service pipe shall have a curb cock and numbered iron box on the curbline in front of the premises supplied. However, where two or more consumers are being supplied through one water service pipe on the effective date of the ordinance from which this section is derived, they may continue to be so supplied until such time as the city manager notifies any one or more of them, in writing, to install a separate and independent metered water service pipe within 30 days from the date of the notice. It shall be unlawful for any person so notified to fail to comply with the terms of the notice.

(k)

Maintenance of connections and water meters. Except as may be provided otherwise in this chapter, from and after the date of initial installation of water and sanitary sewer connections, the city shall be responsible for all maintenance thereof, and in the case of water connections the city shall be responsible for the maintenance of water meters as installed.

(l)

Meters, pipes and other fittings to be property of the city. All water meters, meter boxes, pipes and other fittings necessary to make the water connection, shall remain the property of the city.

(m)

Connections to be made by city. All water and sanitary sewer taps and any other connections made to the city's water or sewer system shall be made only by the city under the supervision of the water and sanitary sewer construction and maintenance superintendent.

(n)

Tapping fees.

(1)

The fee for water or sewer taps, or both, shall be as determined by resolution of the council and revised at its discretion, based on the costs of labor and materials and such other costs that may be deemed in the best interest of the city to consider. A copy of the currently existing charges shall be on file in the office of the city engineer.

(2)

All tapping fees will be paid to the revenue officer prior to the installation of any water or sewer tap.

(3)

When a developer finds it necessary to build water or sewer extensions by the property of other owners in order to reach his own development, the city will not assume any liability or responsibility for collecting or refunding any money for the original developer. The city does not, however, prohibit the developer from entering into agreements with the other property owners concerning refunds, but the city will assume no responsibility for seeing that such agreements are adhered to.

(o)

City regulations applicable to connections outside city limits. Any person desiring to tap into or connect property with any water or sewer main owned or maintained by the city and located beyond the city limits shall comply with all the provisions of this Code and other ordinances of the city relating to plumbing permits, connection fees and plumbing system requirements applicable to the inhabitants of the city. However, it is not the intention of this section to prohibit septic tanks outside of the city limits.

(p)

Inspection of plumbing prior to connections outside city limits. In order to provide maximum protection to the water and sanitary sewer facilities of the city, the city will not make water or sanitary sewer connections outside the city limits until all internal and external plumbing on the premises has been inspected and approved by the building, plumbing and electrical inspectors. All plumbing shall be done in accordance with the plumbing code of the city.

(Code 1985, § 50.004; Ord. No. 1997-54, § 1, 12-16-1997; Ord. No. 2000-10, 2-15-2000)

State law reference

Authority of city to require water connections, G.S. 160A-317.