Chapter 13.08
MUNICIPAL SEWER SYSTEM—REGULATIONS
Sections:
13.08.030 Domestic sewage screening.
13.08.040 Industrial waste screening.
13.08.050 Sewage measurement device—Installation.
13.08.060 Sewage measurement device—Type—Responsibility.
13.08.070 Outside city—Connection.
13.08.080 Cleanout plug required.
13.08.090 Backflow prevention device.
13.08.100 Nonpermanent discharges.
13.08.110 Prohibited activities.
13.08.120 Prohibited discharges.
13.08.130 Prohibited discharge locations.
13.08.140 Maintenance responsibilities.
13.08.160 Private sewer laterals.
13.08.010 Definitions.
As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings set forth below unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
A. “City” means the city of Folsom.
B. “City council” means the city council of the city of Folsom.
C. “City manager” means the city manager of the city of Folsom or his or her designee unless otherwise stated or indicated by context.
D. “Cleanout” means a pipe fitting and associated piping connected to a sewer lateral that provides access to the sewer lateral for purposes of flushing, rodding, cleaning, and other maintenance and diagnostic purposes.
E. “County” means the county of Sacramento.
F. “Director” means the city of Folsom director of utilities department or his or her designee unless otherwise stated or indicated by context.
G. “Dwelling unit” means the habitat of any individual or family.
H. “Lateral” means an underground segment of smaller diameter pipe that transports sewage from a customer’s building or property (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) to the city’s main sewer line in a street or easement.
1. A lower lateral is the portion of the city-owned lateral located between the sanitary sewer system main, and either the property line, sewer cleanout, curb line, or other jurisdictional locations. The lower lateral extends from the cleanout near the property line or easement to the sewer main or within five feet of the property line or easement to the sewer main if there is no cleanout near the property line or easement (as identified in the city of Folsom’s Sanitary Sewer Standard Detail SS-08). The lower lateral includes the connection to the sewer main. A lower lateral is associated with a parcel if it or any portion of it is located upon the parcel or conveys sewage and liquid waste from any structure located on that parcel.
2. An upper lateral is the portion of the privately owned lateral from the property line, sewer cleanout, curb line, or other jurisdictional locations, to the building or property (as identified in the city of Folsom’s Sanitary Sewer Standard Detail SS-08). If the parcel contains a sewer pipe system or multiple private sewer laterals, the entire sewer pipe system, including manholes and other appurtenances, and all private sewer laterals are part of the upper sewer lateral to the extent they are located on that parcel.
I. “New construction” means construction of a new structure or modification of an existing structure or portion of an existing structure.
J. “Person” means any natural person as well as any corporation, partnership, public agency, trust, estate, cooperative association, joint venture, business entity or other similar entity, or the agent, employee or representative of any of the above.
K. “Premises” refers to a lot, parcel of land, building or establishment.
L. “Private sewer lateral” means the privately owned lateral that transports sewage from private property(ies) into a sanitary sewer system.
M. “Private sanitary sewer system” means a sanitary sewer system of any size that is owned and/or operated by a private individual, company, corporation, or organization. A private sanitary sewer system may or may not connect into a publicly owned sanitary sewer system.
N. “Property owner” means a person that owns a parcel of real property, or that person’s authorized representative including a tenant or contractor. As used in this subsection, “person” means an individual, trust, corporation, nonprofit organization, homeowners’ association, partnership, firm, joint venture, limited liability company, or association.
O. “Remodeling” means any significant improvement, addition, construction, reconstruction, remodeling, modification or alteration of or to an existing or previously existing structure.
P. “Repair” means construction activities performed to bring a sewer lateral into compliance with this chapter consisting of correction of a segment of the sewer lateral (i.e., spot repair).
Q. “Replacement” means construction activities performed to bring a sewer lateral into compliance with this chapter consisting of the replacement or lining of the complete length of the sewer lateral.
R. “SacSewer” means the Sacramento Area Sewer District.
S. “Sanitary sewer collection system” means the city-owned system that is designed to convey sewage, including but not limited to pipes, manholes, laterals, pump stations, siphons, wet wells, diversion structures, and/or other pertinent infrastructure, upstream of the SacSewer facilities including:
1. Laterals owned and/or operated by the city of Folsom;
2. Satellite sewer systems; and/or
3. Temporary conveyance and storage facilities, including but not limited to temporary piping, vaults, construction trenches, wet wells, impoundments, tanks and diversion structures.
T. “Satellite sewer system” means a portion of a sanitary sewer collection system owned or operated by a different owner other than the city of Folsom.
U. “Sewage” and its associated wastewater means untreated or partially treated domestic, municipal, commercial, and/or industrial waste (including sewage sludge), and any mixture of these wastes with inflow or infiltration of stormwater or groundwater, conveyed in the sanitary sewer collection system.
V. “Sewer main” means a publicly owned sanitary sewer that receives flows from public and private sewer laterals. The sewer main does not include any portion of a private sewer lateral.
W. “Spill” means a discharge of sewage from any portion of the sanitary sewer collection system due to a sanitary sewer system overflow, operational failure, and/or infrastructure failure.
X. “Waste hauler” means transporters of waste trap grease and grease from interceptors from facilities that collect, store, process or dispose of waste grease. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015)
13.08.020 Permit required.
No person shall tap or make connection to the sanitary sewers in the city, without a permit and the payment of the fees established for the privilege of making such tap or connection. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015: prior code § 9000. Formerly 13.08.010)
13.08.030 Domestic sewage screening.
Domestic sewage, consisting essentially of human waste, may be passed into sewers without screening. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015: prior code § 9025. Formerly 13.08.020)
13.08.040 Industrial waste screening.
Industrial waste must be screened through the equivalent of a twenty-mesh screen. No food particles or solids larger than what would pass through a twenty-mesh screen shall be discharged or permitted to enter the sewage system. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015: prior code § 9026. Formerly 13.08.030)
13.08.050 Sewage measurement device—Installation.
The utilities director shall determine what commercial businesses and industries shall be required to install the means of measurement of sewage discharged and to report the recommendations; and, upon a finding that said installation is reasonably required to determine the amount of the service charge, the utilities director shall direct the person owning said business or industry to install means for measurement of sewage. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015: prior code § 9028. Formerly 13.08.040)
13.08.060 Sewage measurement device—Type—Responsibility.
Every person who is required to install a means for measurement of sewage discharge shall install an approved flume and an automatic recording device or other approved means for measurement of sewage discharge at their own expense. The utilities director shall enforce the provisions and shall have the right at all times to check the operation of the screening mechanism, the operation of the measuring recording mechanism, and to make a record of the readings. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015: prior code § 9029. Formerly 13.08.050)
13.08.070 Outside city—Connection.
Persons owning premises situated outside the city limits may, upon issuance of a permit by the city, connect to the sanitary sewer collection system by paying all costs thereof and an annual rental to be determined from time to time by resolution of the city council. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015: Ord. 692 § 1, 1990: prior code § 9031)
13.08.080 Cleanout plug required.
On all new construction within the city, and on all new connections within the city sanitary sewer collection system, there shall be provided, at the property line, a cleanout plug which shall consist of a single or double wye branch with end or side cleanout, closed with a waterproof cap. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015: prior code § 9042. Formerly 13.08.090)
13.08.090 Backflow prevention device.
A. On all new construction within the city, and all new connections within the city sanitary sewer collection system, the property owner shall be required to install, operate and maintain a backflow prevention device if they meet any of the following provisions:
1. The lowest dwelling plumbing fixture is twelve inches or less above the rim of the nearest upstream manhole.
2. When deemed necessary by the utilities director to protect public health or safety.
B. All existing property owners shall be required to install, operate and maintain a backflow prevention device if they meet any of the following provisions:
1. When deemed necessary during the application process when applying for a construction, remodel or sewer replacement permit.
2. When deemed necessary by the utilities director to protect public health or safety. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015)
13.08.100 Nonpermanent discharges.
Discharges that do not require a separate permanent connection, and do not require a sewer impact permit or temporary discharge permit, are considered nonpermanent discharges. Nonpermanent discharges can be discharged into the city’s sanitary sewer collection system, subject to the following conditions:
A. Discharge must be to a plumbing fixture, utility sink, private cleanout, or sanitary sewer manhole.
B. Discharge must not adversely impact flow of the city’s sanitary sewer collection system; otherwise, the nonpermanent discharge must immediately be disconnected.
C. Discharge must not be from a waste hauler. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015)
13.08.110 Prohibited activities.
The city hereby prohibits the following activities:
A. Access or discharge into manholes, cleanouts, or other openings in the city’s sanitary sewer collection system unless specifically authorized by the city.
B. Damaging, breaking, destroying, defacing, or tampering with the city’s sanitary sewer collection system.
C. Obstructing flow in the city’s sewer facilities. This provision includes but is not limited to obstruction originating from the cleaning of a private sewer that results in an obstruction in the city’s sanitary sewer collection system.
D. Creating a condition that pressurizes the lower lateral.
E. Creating conditions in the city’s sanitary sewer collection system that endanger the health and safety of any person.
F. Interfering or impairing the operation or maintenance of the city’s sanitary sewer collection system.
G. Removal or failing to maintain a required backflow prevention device. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015)
13.08.120 Prohibited discharges.
The following are hereby prohibited from being discharged to the city’s sanitary sewer collection system:
A. Flows exceeding the capacity of city facilities or exceeding the quantity normally or customarily anticipated for the permitted use.
B. Discharge of water that does not meet the water quality standards of acceptability for discharge into the storm drain, such as stormwater, surface water, pool water, groundwater, roof runoff, or subsurface drainage.
C. Fats, oils, and grease in amounts, either alone or in combination with other discharges, that cause:
1. Any visible sheen on the surface of the discharged sewage;
2. Any build-up of grease in any portion of the sanitary sewer collection system; or
3. Any obstruction of the sanitary sewer collection system.
D. Debris and rags.
E. Trucked and hauled wastes.
F. Substances that may cause excessive foaming in any portion of the city’s sewer collection system.
G. Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than one hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit.
H. Any substance, either by itself or combined with other sewage discharge, that is capable of obstructing flow or impairing the performance of the city’s sanitary sewer collection system.
I. Cementitious materials.
J. Any substance that may cause damage, including corrosive structural damage, to any part of the city’s sanitary sewer collection system.
K. Chemicals of any kind that are not specifically authorized for disposal in a sewer system.
L. Garbage, including food wastes, that is greater than one-quarter inch in any dimension.
M. The foregoing discharge prohibitions are not exclusive and are in addition to any prohibitions or requirements specified in any provision of this chapter or by any other applicable statute, regulation, prohibition, or ordinance.
If a person owning or occupying a premises has knowledge that a discharge prohibited by this chapter has entered or will enter the city’s sanitary sewer collection system, such person shall immediately take all reasonable action to contain and abate the discharge and must notify the city immediately of knowledge of the discharge. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015)
13.08.130 Prohibited discharge locations.
No person shall discharge any sewage or any other substance directly into a manhole or other opening in the city’s sanitary sewer collection system except according to the requirements established by this chapter. The utilities director, however, may grant permission and establish requirements and policies for other such direct discharges. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015)
13.08.140 Maintenance responsibilities.
A. Lower Laterals and Upper Laterals. The property owner has the sole responsibility for clearing stoppages, inspecting, maintaining, and repairing the upper lateral, including backflow prevention devices, so as to maintain the upper lateral in a condition that avoids negative impacts to the operation and maintenance of the city’s sanitary sewer collection system. This may include the following:
1. The upper lateral should be kept free from roots, grease deposits, and other solids that may impede the flow or obstruct the transmission of waste.
2. All joints should be tight, and all pipes should be sound and free from structural defects, including cracks, breaks, and missing portions, to prevent ex-filtration by waste or infiltration by groundwater or stormwater.
3. No drains or other appurtenances that collect stormwater or surface water should be connected to the upper lateral.
4. All cleanouts shall be securely sealed with a proper cap or approved overflow device at all times.
Typically, the responsibility delineation between the upper and lower lateral is at the city’s sewer cleanout or, in the absence of a cleanout, it shall be understood that the delineation from the upper sewer lateral to the lower sewer lateral shall be a maximum of five feet from the property line or easement as identified in the city of Folsom’s Sanitary Sewer Standard Detail SS-08 and as shown in the figure below:
Upper Lateral and Lower Lateral Location
Maintenance Responsibilities for Upper and Lower Laterals Where Cleanout Exists
The purpose of this drawing is to delineate maintenance responsibility only. Refer to city of Folsom standards and specifications for design and construction details.
The gray color indicates the portion of the service lateral for which the property owner is responsible for maintaining and repairing. The green color indicates the portion of the service lateral that the city is responsible for maintaining and repairing.
If the city owns the mainline, the city is responsible for clearing stoppages and for inspecting, maintaining, and repairing the lower lateral, city cleanouts, manholes and mainline. If the city does not own the mainline or manhole, the city has no responsibility for clearing stoppages or for inspecting, maintaining, or repairing the mainline, cleanouts, or lower laterals.
B. City and Private Mainlines. The city is responsible for the maintenance of mainlines within the public right-of-way or easement unless the mainline is privately owned, or a specific agreement delineating ownership exists, or the city has expressly accepted the maintenance and repair obligation in writing. In cases where parcels or structures are served by a private sewer, the owner has the sole responsibility for ownership, operation, and maintenance of the private sewer. Where the city is to be responsible for any element of a private sewer system, it shall be expressly so provided in writing and the responsibility must be accepted by the city. The owner’s responsibilities include clearing stoppages, inspecting, maintaining, and repairing the private system so as to maintain the private system in a condition that avoids negative impacts to the operation and maintenance of the city’s sanitary sewer collection system. This may include the following:
1. The private system should be kept free from roots, grease deposits, and other solids that may impede the flow or obstruct the transmission of waste.
2. All joints should be tight, and all pipes should be sound and free from structural defects, including cracks, breaks, and missing portions, to prevent ex-filtration by waste or infiltration by groundwater or stormwater.
3. No drains or other appurtenances that collect stormwater or surface water should be connected to the private system.
Typically, the responsibility delineation between the city and private mainlines is at the city’s sewer cleanout or, in the absence of a cleanout, to the limits of the public right-of-way or easement.
Maintenance Responsibilities for City and Private Mainline and Manholes
The purpose of this drawing is to delineate maintenance responsibility only. Refer to the city’s standards and specifications for design and construction details.
The gray color indicates the portion of the system that the owner is responsible for maintaining and repairing. The green color indicates the portion of the system that the city is responsible for maintaining and repairing. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015)
13.08.150 Easement access.
A. The city requires permanent easements for all city-owned sewer facilities that are located outside of the public right-of-way.
B. Any use of an easement by the owner or occupants (herein after referred to as owner) that is not compatible with or interferes with the construction, operation, maintenance, reconstruction, or repair of city facilities is not allowed. No permanent structure (such as garages, patios, concrete slabs, tool sheds, fences, retaining walls, trees and similar structures) is to be constructed on top of the city’s sanitary sewer collection system facilities or anywhere within any associated sewer or public utility easements.
C. The owner must allow for an unobstructed pathway access to all easement areas, with the access having the following dimensions:
1. A minimum width of fifteen feet.
2. A minimum height of six feet, eight inches.
If access to an easement area is required at any time, city personnel will at their discretion obtain access. The parcel owner may be held financially responsible for any additional costs incurred by the city if the owner has not provided city staff adequate access to its assets in a timely manner. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015)
13.08.160 Private sewer laterals.
A. Each property owner shall, at the property owner’s expense, inspect, maintain in good working order, repair and replace, as necessary, the private sewer lateral so that it does not cause or contribute to any sewage spill from either the private sewer lateral or the public sewer. The private sewer lateral shall be free of displaced joints, open joints, roots, cracks, leaks, inflow, infiltration of water, fats, oils and grease, debris and rags, defects or obstructions likely to cause or contribute to blockage of the private sewer lateral or the public sewer.
B. A property owner shall have the private sewer lateral inspected by a licensed plumber upon the receipt of written notice from the city that an inspection is required. The city may issue a written notice that an inspection is required whenever it determines from its operation, maintenance or inspection of the public sewer, or through any other means, that the private sewer lateral is defective or otherwise in a condition that might cause a blockage in the private sewer lateral or the public sewer. Conditions that render the private sewer lateral defective or in a condition that might cause a blockage include, but are not limited to, displaced joints, open joints, roots, cracks, leaks, inflow, infiltration of water, fats, oils and grease, debris and rags, defects or obstructions likely to cause or contribute to blockage of the private sewer lateral or the public sewer. The city’s written notice shall set forth a reasonable time in which the inspection must occur and shall require the property owner to submit an inspection report meeting the requirements of this chapter to the city within a reasonable time, to be specified in the city’s written notice, after completion of the inspection. The property owner shall be responsible for obtaining any required city permits prior to any construction.
C. All inspections and inspection reports required by this chapter shall be completed in accordance with the following requirements:
1. The inspection and inspection report shall be completed by a licensed plumber.
2. The inspection shall include, at a minimum, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection of the private sewer lateral.
3. The inspection and inspection report shall identify, as applicable, the severity and location of all of the following:
a. Displaced joints, open joints, roots, cracks, leaks, inflow, infiltration of water, fats, oils and grease, debris and rags, defects or obstructions likely to cause or contribute to blockage of the private sewer lateral or the public sewer.
b. Any connection by pipe or otherwise that allows rainwater or groundwater to enter the private lateral or public sewer.
c. Any backflow device installed in the private sewer lateral and the condition of the backwater device.
d. All corrective actions that must be taken to maintain, repair or replace the private sewer lateral and the estimated time and cost associated with such maintenance, repair or replacement.
4. The inspection report shall contain either a printed image, thumb drive, or other suitable electronic recording of the CCTV inspection of the private sewer lateral in a format acceptable to the city. (Ord. 1367 § 2, 2026; Ord. 1233 § 2 (part), 2015)