Chapter 13.04
SEWER CONNECTIONS

Sections:

13.04.010    Connection permit—Costs—Recordkeeping.

13.04.020    Connection permit—Issuance conditions.

13.04.025    Sewer capacity charges.

13.04.030    Sanitary fixtures in garages.

13.04.040    Sewage treatment charges—Established.

13.04.050    Sewage treatment charges—Billing.

13.04.060    Sewage treatment charges—Deposit in fund.

13.04.070    Prohibited discharges into sewers.

13.04.080    Violation—Penalty.

13.04.010 Connection permit—Costs—Recordkeeping.

A.    It is unlawful for any person, persons, firm, company or corporation to connect with any sewer constructed and paid for by the City without first securing a permit so to do, and repaying the City the proportionate cost of the sewer in front of the property seeking such permit.

B.    Whenever a sewer is constructed and paid for by the City, upon the completion thereof the City Engineer shall file with the City Clerk a record showing where the sewer was constructed, the lots fronting thereon and to be served by the sewer, together with the proportionate amount of the cost thereof which each lot shall pay upon seeking a connection with such sewer. (Ord. 118 § 1, 1939)

13.04.020 Connection permit—Issuance conditions.

No permit shall be issued by any official or employee of the City to any person to connect with a sewer constructed and paid for by the City until the proportionate amount of the cost of the sewer shall be paid by the person seeking such permit. (Ord. 118 § 2, 1939)

13.04.025 Sewer capacity charges.

A.    There shall be imposed on all new development and redevelopment in the City a sewer capacity charge as a condition of obtaining a permit to connect and discharge to the sanitary sewer system and prior to issuance of a building permit.

B.    The purpose of the sewer capacity charge is to recover costs for the City’s sewer system infrastructure and assets that provide benefit to (1) new connections to the sanitary sewer system, and (2) existing sanitary sewer connections that increase wastewater discharge, such as due to redevelopment or changes in property use. The charges collected under this section shall be used to pay for improvements and expansion of sewer facilities, including the wastewater collection system, and any other purpose allowed by State and Federal law.

C.    The sewer capacity charge shall be applied based on the increase in volume of estimated wastewater discharge from each new or expanded connection.

D.    The City shall determine the volume of estimated wastewater discharge from each new or expanded connection.

E.    The sewer capacity charge shall be adjusted annually based on the change in the Engineering News-Record Construction Cost Index (20-Cities Average) from the March 2016 Index.

F.    The City shall also collect the sewer connection fees adopted by Silicon Valley Clean Water from new or expanded connections to the sewer system in conformance with the City’s obligations under the Joint Powers of Authority Agreement between the City and Silicon Valley Clean Water.

City of San Carlos Sewer Capacity Charges 

 

Wastewater Demand

Sewer Capacity Charge

 

RESIDENTIAL

Charge per residential dwelling unit

Single-Family

 

$10,811

Per single-family dwelling unit

Multifamily

(Includes Duplexes, Apartments, Condos and Cooperative Projects)

 

$5,000

Per multifamily dwelling unit

NONRESIDENTIAL

Charge per 100 gpd of estimated wastewater discharge

Commercial, Retail, Professional, Institutional, and Industrial Users

100 gpd

$5,690

Minimum charge for up to the first 100 gallons per day of estimated wastewater discharge

 

1 gpd

$56.90

Per each subsequent 1 gallon per day of estimated wastewater discharge

(Ord. 1504 § 2, 2016)

13.04.030 Sanitary fixtures in garages.

It is unlawful for any person or persons to install or use any toilet or other sanitary fixture in any garage built separate from a residence or business building, or in any outbuilding or tent upon any property in the City. (Ord. 87 § 2, 1932)

13.04.040 Sewage treatment charges—Established.

Sewage treatment charges for domestic and commercial use in the City, and outside the corporate limits of the City where applicable, shall be established. Rates, rules and regulations in connection therewith shall be fixed by resolution of the City Council, and changes in such rates, rules and regulations may be made by resolution. (Ord. 294 § 1, 1951)

13.04.050 Sewage treatment charges—Billing.

Charges for sewage treatment shall be billed annually on the real property tax statement of the City for all sewage treatment charges within the corporate limits of the City. Sewage treatment outside of the corporate limits of the City shall be billed annually by separate statement. (Ord. 294 § 2, 1951)

13.04.060 Sewage treatment charges—Deposit in fund.

All moneys received from the collection of sewage treatment charges, as authorized by Sections 13.04.040 and 13.04.050, shall be deposited by the City Tax Collector with the City Treasurer, who shall establish and maintain a “Sewage Treatment Charge Fund.” (Ord. 294 § 3, 1951)

13.04.070 Prohibited discharges into sewers.

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waste liquids, oils or solids into any public sewer:

A.    Any liquids or vapor having a temperature greater than one hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit;

B.    Any water containing gasoline, benzene, naphtha, petroleum oils or any volatile, inflammable or explosive gas, liquid or solid;

C.    Any waste which contains more than one hundred parts per million by weight of fat, oil or grease;

D.    Any sand, grit, straw, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastic, wood, manure, dead animals, offal, or any other solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or which in any way interferes with the proper operation of the sewage system;

E.    Any garbage which has not been properly shredded;

F.    Any waste containing a toxic or poisonous substance in sufficient quantities to constitute a hazard to humans or animals, or to create a hazard in the sewage system and/or the sewage treatment plant, or to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process;

G.    Any waste containing suspended solids of such character or quantity that unusual attention or expense is required to handle such material at the sewage treatment plant;

H.    Any noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable of or creating a public nuisance;

I.    Any liquid waste having a pH lower than 6.0 or higher than 8.0, or having a corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures or equipment of the sewage system or the treatment plant;

J.    Any cesspool or septic tank drainage, except as provided for by this section. (Ord. 507 § 1, 1960)

13.04.080 Violation—Penalty.

A.    Any person violating any of the provisions or failing to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of the ordinances of the City is guilty of a misdemeanor, unless the violation is made an infraction by ordinance.

B.    Except in cases where a different punishment is prescribed by any ordinance of the City, any person convicted of a misdemeanor for violation of an ordinance of the City is punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

C.    Any person convicted of an infraction for violation of an ordinance of the City is punishable by:

1.    A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for a first violation;

2.    A fine not exceeding two hundred dollars for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year; or

3.    A fine not exceeding five hundred dollars for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year.

D.    Each person is guilty of a separate offense for each and every day during any portion of which any violation of any provision of this chapter is committed, continued or permitted by any such person, and he shall be punishable accordingly.

E.    In addition to the penalties set out in this chapter, any condition caused or permitted to exist in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed a public nuisance and may be, by the City, summarily abated as such, and each day such condition continues shall be regarded as a new and separate offense. (Ord. 978 § 2 (part), 1987)