Chapter 13.24 SEWER SYSTEM

This chapter shall be deemed an exercise of the police power of the state, and of the city of Mattawa, and is deemed expedient to maintain the peace, good government and welfare of the town and its trade, commerce, and manufactures, and to insure greater protection to life and health and all of its provisions shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of such purposes.

(Ord. 365 §1, 1999).

13.24.020 Definitions.

Unless the content specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this chapter shall be as follows:

A. “As builts” means the detailed sketch or drawing of the building sewer or disposal system as constructed.

B. “BOD” (denoting biochemical oxygen demand) means the quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days at twenty degrees Centigrade, expressed in parts per million by weight.

C. “Building drain” means that part of the lowest horizontal piping of the drainage system which received the discharge from soil, wastes, and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer beginning two feet outside the wall.

D. “Combined sewer” means a sewer receiving both surface runoff and sewage.

E. “Garbage” means solid wastes from the preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.

F. “Industrial wastes” means the liquid wastes from industrial processes as distinct from sanitary sewage.

G. “May” is permissive.

H. “Natural outlet” means any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, take, or other body of surface or ground water.

I. “pH” means the logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.

J. “Properly shredded garbage” means the wastes from the preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food that have been shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particles greater than one-half inch in any direction.

K. “Public sanitary sewer” means a sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal rights, and which is controlled by public authority.

L. “Sanitary sewer” means a sewer which carries sewage and to which storm, surface, and ground water are not intentionally admitted.

M. “Sewage” means a combination of watercarried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments, together with such ground, surface, and storm waters as may be present.

N. “Sewage treatment plant” means any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.

O. “Sewage works” means all facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing of sewage.

P. “Sewer” means a pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.

Q. “Shall” is mandatory.

R. “Storm sewer” and “storm drain” mean a sewer which carries storm and surface waters and drainage, but excludes sewage and polluted water.

S. “Superintendent” means the person designated from time to time, in accordance with personnel policies of the city, or his authorized deputy, agent, or representative.

T. “Suspended solids” means solids that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in water, sewage, or other liquids and which are removable by laboratory filtering.

U. “Watercourse” means a channel in which a flow of water occurs either continuously or intermittently.

(Ord. 365 §2, 1999).

13.24.030 Appointment of sewer department personnel.

All personnel of the sewer department shall be appointed in accordance with personnel policies of the city.

(Ord. 365 §3, 1999).

13.24.040 Powers and authority of superintendent, inspectors and assistants.

The superintendent and other duly authorized employees of the city bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter upon all properties for the purposes of inspection, observation, measurements, sampling, and testing in accordance with provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 365 §4, 1999).

13.24.050 Permit—Fees.

The fee for each permit to connect with any public sewer or to construct, extend, relay, repair, or make connections with a lateral or private sewer inside of property line is fixed by a resolution of the city council from time to time. Said fee shall be paid to the city’s clerk who shall issue a receipt therefore, and such receipt must be filed with the superintendent before the permit is issued. The permit fee for a side sewer permit shall be fixed by a resolution of the city council from time to time and shall require a street excavation permit. Permits for the extension of public sanitary sewers shall be required separately from permits for building sewers and side sewers. There shall be no charge for a permit for the extension of public sanitary sewers. Plans consisting of three prints and one mylar suitable for reproduction showing work to be done under a public sanitary sewer extension permit shall be submitted with the permit application. Upon completion of the work and before release of the bond, the applicant shall submit “as-built” drawings showing all underground utilities encountered during construction as well as actual construction details. All sanitary sewer work requiring permits shall be done in accordance with the design criteria and construction and material standards and specifications of the city. The applicant for a sanitary sewer permit shall provide the city with a bond or bonds in amounts determined by the city sufficient to assure completion of the work in the event the applicant refuses or is unable to complete the work.

(Ord. 365 §5, 1999).

(Ord. No. 497, § 1, 4-15-10)

13.24.060 Permit—Display.

The permits required under the terms of this chapter must, at all times during the performance of the work and until the completion thereof, be posted in some conspicuous place at or near the work.

(Ord. 365 §6, 1999).

13.24.070 Permit—Time limit.

Any permit issued under the provisions of this chapter shall be valid for a period of six months. Renewal permits shall be valid for an additional six months.

(Ord. 365 §7, 1999).

13.24.075 Sewer system development charges.

A system development charge shall be assessed on all properties in the amount shown in the fee resolution adopted under Section 13.24.270. The charge shall be paid upon application of a building permit or upon a request to connect to city sewer. Sewer shall not be turned on or be allowed to remain turned on if this charge is not paid. The charge shall be a portion of the regular permit fee for sewer services as required by city ordinance.

(Ord. No. 589, § 1, 10-20-16).

13.24.080 Depositing excrement, garbage and waste on property prohibited.

It is unlawful for any person to place, deposit, or permit to be deposited in an unsanitary manner upon public or private property within the city or in any area under the jurisdiction of the city, any human or animal excrement, garbage, or other objectionable waste.

(Ord. 365 §8, 1999).

13.24.090 Privies, septic tanks and cesspools prohibited.

Except as hereinafter provided, it is unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.

(Ord. 365 §9, 1999).

13.24.100 Public sewer available—Toilet facilities installation and connection required.

The owners of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purpose, situated within the city and abutting on any street, alley, or casement in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary sewer of the city, are required at their expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, within one hundred twenty days after date of official notice to do so, provided that the public sewer is within two hundred feet of the building or buildings and specific provisions have been made to connect such to the public sewer and that no public health or safety hazards exist as determined by the superintendent, except that the owners of all new houses, buildings and properties used for human occupancy after January 17, 1999, shall be required to connect to a public sewer.

(Ord. 365 §10, 1999).

13.24.110 Health or safety hazard—Connection required—Disinfection.

In all cases where a public health or safety hazard exists as determined by the superintendent and the property is available to the public sewer, the city council shall compel the owners of such buildings or properties to connect to the public sewer at their expense within twenty days of such notice, under the supervision and to the satisfaction of the superintendent and to that end the city council shall direct the superintendent to notify in writing the owner or occupant of such premises that the use of the privy, well or vault, or cesspool, shall be terminated, and the privy, well or vault, or cesspool, must be disinfected and filled with fresh earth, and that suitable plumbing must be installed in any building or structure located on the property, and such plumbing connected to the public sewer, all within the aforestated time limits.

(Ord. 365 §11, 1999).

13.24.120 Cesspools and sumps—When permitted.

Nothing contained in Sections 13.24.080 through Section 13.24.110 of this chapter shall prohibit the use of cesspools or sumps for the disposition of liquids from floor drains or laundry trays where such fixtures are too low to drain into the sanitary sewer.

(Ord. 365 §12, 1999).

13.24.130 Refusal to connect—Connection by city—Cost assessment—Lien.

If any owner or occupant fails, neglects or refuses to connect his lands, buildings, or premises with the public sewer within the time specified in the notice referred to in Section 13.24.100 or Section 13.24.110 of this chapter, or fails, neglects or refuses to do the other work specified and ordered to be done within the time specified in the notice theretofore served upon such owner or occupant, the superintendent shall make such connection or do such work and the cost of the connection or of such work done by the superintendent shall be assessed against the property so connected or upon which such work is done and the amount of such cost shall become a lien upon the premises so connected or upon which the work is done, and the city attorney is authorized, empowered and directed to collect the amount of the cost of such connection on the doing of such work, either by foreclosure of the lien or by a suit against the owner or occupant of the premises, which suit shall be maintained in the name of the city as plaintiff, in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(Ord. 365 §13, 1999).

13.24.140 Repair of obstructed or broken sewers.

Whenever any private sewer pipe connected with any public sewer becomes obstructed, broken or out of order, and if the owner, agent or occupant of such premises fails to repair the same within five days after notification to do so by the superintendent, the superintendent is authorized to remove, reconstruct, replace, alter or clear the same as required, at the expense of the owner, agent or occupant of such premises, and when two or more houses or buildings are connected with the same private sewer, the owners, agent or occupants of such premises, shall be jointly and equally liable for any work done at the direction of the superintendent under this section. No permit shall be required for the removal of obstructions from private sewers, providing the pipe is not damaged.

(Ord. 365 §14, 1999).

13.24.150 Storm water and other waters—Discharge into sanitary sewer prohibited.

No person or business firm shall discharge or cause to be discharged any storm water, surface water, ground water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, cooling water, or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer.

(Ord. 365 §15, 1999).

13.24.160 Storm water and other unpolluted drainage—Use of storm sewer or natural outlet required.

Storm water and other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such drains as are specifically designated as storm sewers, or to a natural outlet approved by the superintendent. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged, upon approval of the superintendent and other authorizing government agencies to a storm sewer or natural outlet.

(Ord. 365 §16, 1999).

13.24.170 Prohibited discharges.

Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters to any public sewer:

A. Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than one hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit;

B. Any water or waste which may contain more than one hundred parts per million, by weight of fat, oil, or grease, specifically, no raw meat, meat by products, cooked meat, or the oil or grease used to cook meat or used to fry any food stuffs or to render animals parts to create a food product may be discharged to the sewer system in any weight or quantity;

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

D. Any garbage that has not been properly shredded;

E. Any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, paunch manure, or any other solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the sewage works;

F. Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 9.0 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and personnel of the sewage works;

G. Any waters or wastes containing a toxic or poisonous substance in sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant;

H. Any waters or wastes containing suspended solids of such character and quantity that unusual attention or expense is required to handle such materials at the sewage treatment plant;

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

(Ord. 365 §17, 1999).

(Ord. No. 497, § 1, 4-15-10)

13.24.180 Grease, oil and sand interceptors—When required—Type, capacity and location.

Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided for all commercial establishments that may serve or sell food products and for all butcher shops and meat markets and when in the opinion of the superintendent, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable wastes, sand and other harmful ingredients; except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters for dwelling units unless the superintendent has reason to believe that grease, fat or oils are entering the sewer system from a private living quarter in which case a grease, oil or sand interceptor will be required. The requirement to install grease, oil and sand interceptors on commercial sewer connections shall become effective June 1, 2010. All interceptors shall be of the type and capacity approved by the superintendent, and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection at the expense of the owner or user.

(Ord. 365 §18, 1999).

(Ord. No. 497, § 1, 4-15-10)

13.24.190 Grease, oil and sand interceptors—Construction.

Grease and oil in interceptors shall be constructed of impervious materials capable of withstanding abrupt and extreme changes in temperature. They shall be of substantial construction, watertight, and equipped with easily removable covers which, when bolted in place shall be gastight and watertight.

(Ord. 365 §19, 1999).

13.24.200 Grease, oil and sand interceptors—Maintenance.

Where installed, all grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be maintained by the owner, at his expense, in continuously efficient operation at all times.

(Ord. 365 §20, 1999).

13.24.210 Discharge of certain waters or wastes—Approval—Preliminary treatment.

A. The admission into the public sewers of any waters of wastes having: (1) a five-day biochemical oxygen demand greater than three hundred parts per million by weight; or (2) containing more than three hundred fifty parts per million by weight of suspended solids; or (3) containing any quantity or substances having the characteristics described above in this section and Sections 13.24.150 through 13.24.200 of this chapter, or (4) having an average day flow greater than two percent of the average daily sewage flow of the city, shall be subject to the review and approval of the superintendent.

B. Where necessary in the opinion of the superintendent, the owner shall provide, at his expense, such preliminary treatment as may be necessary to:

1. Reduce the biochemical oxygen demand to three hundred parts per million and the suspended solids to three hundred fifty parts per million by weight; or

2. Reduce objectionable characteristics or constituents to within the maximum limits provided for above; or

3. Control the quantities and rates of discharge of such waters or wastes.

C. Plans, specifications, and other pertinent information relating to proposed preliminary treatment facilities shall be submitted for the approval of the superintendent and the Department of Ecology of the state, and no construction of such facilities shall be commenced until said approvals are obtained in writing.

(Ord. 365 § 21, 1999).

13.24.220 Preliminary treatment facilities—Maintenance.

Where preliminary treatment facilities are provided for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation, by the owner at his expense.

(Ord. 365 § 22, 1999).

13.24.230 Fees for inspection.

A. There shall be no charge for required inspections unless an inspection is necessary because of failure to comply with the terms of this chapter or any construction standards, specifications or codes of the city. For all inspections for which a charge is made, the charge shall consist of the actual cost per hour, including overhead, of sending sewer department personnel to make the inspections plus equipment rental charges, if any. In no event shall the charge be less than ten dollars. Inspection of sewer main construction shall consist of the actual cost per hour, indicating overhead, of sending sewer department personnel to make the inspections, plus equipment rental charges, if any. The estimated amount of said charges plus excavation permit charges shall be deposited in advance of said inspection.

B. All inspection fees shall be paid to the city clerk-treasurer who shall issue receipts therefor. No permit shall be issued to any person who is delinquent in the payment of inspection charges.

(Ord. 365 § 23, 1999).

13.24.235 Delinquent fee for late payment.

Whenever the payment of charges for any water, sewer service and/or garbage pickup service supplied by the city of Mattawa is more than thirty days delinquent, a late fee of twenty dollars shall be added to the delinquent balance and shall be collected along with the total of the delinquent balance.

(Ord. 451 § 1(part), 2007).

13.24.240 Damaging sewers prohibited.

No person shall maliciously or wilfully break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance, or equipment which is a part of the sewage works.

(Ord. 365 § 24, 1999).

13.24.250 Planting certain trees and shrubs prohibited—Removal.

It is unlawful to plant poplar, cottonwood, soft maples, willow, or any other tree or shrub whose roots are likely to obstruct public or private sewers. The superintendent is authorized to remove any trees or shrubs from any public street, or the roots of any trees or shrubs which extend into any public street, when the trees or the roots thereof are obstructing, or when he determines that they are liable to obstruct, public or private sewers; provided, however, that he shall give ten days’ notice in writing to the owner or occupant of the abutting property to remove the same, and if such owner or occupant fails or refuses to do so, the reasonable cost of such removal from either private property, alleys or street when done at the direction of the superintendent shall be a charge against, and a lien upon, the abutting property from which such trees or shrubs are removed, and the city attorney is authorized and directed to collect such charge by suit maintained in the name of the city as plaintiff, against the owner in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(Ord. 365 § 25, 1999).

13.24.255 Damages—Charges.

If a discharge of grease, oil, fat or sand causes damage or disruption to the city sewer system, the person or persons determined by the superintendent to have permitted such materials to improperly enter the sewer system shall be billed for the city’s actual repair costs plus ten percent. Responsible persons include the owner or any property where the sewer discharge which resulted in such expense is located.

(Ord. No. 497, § 2, 4-15-10)

13.24.260 Violation—Penalties.

Any person violating any of the provisions or failing to comply with any of the requirements of this chapter, is declared to have created a public nuisance and shall be subject to administrative enforcement pursuant to Chapters 1.20 and 8.28 of this Code. Each such person is deemed to have committed a separate code violation for each and every day during any portion of which any violation of any provision of this chapter is committed, continued, or permitted by such person.

(Ord. 365 § 26, 1999).

(Ord. No. 497, § 1, 4-15-10)

13.24.270 Sewer fees.

A. Any service outside the city limits shall be subject to fifty percent surcharge.

B. Sewer hookup charges include a base fee per service plus a sewer hookup inspection fee to be paid in advance.

C. When a sewer line is capped, which shall be allowed only with the city council’s prior approval, a charge for such shall be made.

D. A penalty shall be assessed on all delinquent utility bills in a per monthly amount.

E. The Mattawa city council shall, annually or more often if necessary, by resolution, establish a schedule “Appendix S” of charges and rates for sewer hookup and connection charges, sewer rates, allotments and overage charges. The resolution shall also list all other sewer service fees and charges.

(Ord. 612 § 1, 5-3-18; Ord. No. 497, § 2, 4-15-10)