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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1E, Sump Pump Ordinance ~ ~HILLS Request for Council Action Prepared By: Ron Moorse, City Administrator Council Meeting Date: December 15, 2008 Sump Pump Ordinance Budgeted Amount: $0 $0 Funding Source: Not Applicable Actual Amount: Supporting Documents: 1. See the attached memo from Ron Moorse dated December 15, 2008 ~ MEMORANDUM DATE: December 15,2008 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Ron Moorse, City Administrator SUBJECT: Sump Pump Ordinance Background The City is currently involved in efforts to substantially reduce the inflow and infiltration (1&1) of surface water into the City's sanitary sewer system. 1&1 is causing substantially increased costs from the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES), the operator of the metro sanitary sewer system. These higher costs are being passed on to all sewer customers. Identification and Correction of Illegal Sump Pump Connections One potentially significant source of inflow is the discharge from sump pumps that are illegally connected to the City's sanitary sewer system. In order to identify sump pumps that are connected to the City's sanitary sewer system, the plumbing related to the sump pumps needs to be inspected. If an illegal connection is found, the connection needs to be removed. This requires an inspection program and an incentive for compliance. Sump Pump/Ordinance Elements The City Code does not currently include the items necessary for the identification and correction of illegal sump pump connections. The attached ordinance provides for the inspection of properties to identify illegal connections to the sanitary sewer system, the reimbursement of costs incurred by property owners to gain compliance, and a surcharge for non-compliance. Inspection Program The ordinance provides that property owners shall allow an employee of the City, or a designated representative of the City, to inspect the building or premises to determine whether the building or premises are in compliance with this ordinance. It also provides that, in lieu of a City inspection, the property owner or occupant may furnish a certificate of compliance from a licensed plumber. 12/10/2008 Page 2 Expense Reimbursement The ordinance provides for expense reimbursement to property owners for two items. The first is a $25.00 reimbursement for the expense of hiring a licensed plumber to inspect and provide a certification regarding the compliance of the property. The second is a reimbursement of75% of the costs of bringing a non-compliant connection into compliance, to a maximum of $400.00. The $400.00 reimbursement is a reasonable amount, given that the average discharge from a sump pump adds approximately $600.00 per year to the City's MCES surcharge. Surcha~ge for Non-compliance The ordinance provid~s for a surcharge for a non-compliant sump pump connection. The City's fee schedule currently includes a surcharge of $100.00 per month for a non-compliant sump pump connection. This surcharge would be added to the utility bill, and would be assessed to the property if unpaid. Timeline for Compliance The ordinance provides for a time period of sixty days to bring the property into compliance. Recommendation It is recommended that a sump pump ordinance be adopted to enable the city to inspect for non- compliant sump pump installations, and to take enforcement actions for non-compliance. CITY OF ARDEN HILLS COUNTY OF RAMSEY STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE No. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 10, SECTION 1010.10 ARDEN HILLS CITY CODE TO PROVIDE FOR THE INSPECTION OF PROPERTY TO DETERMINE ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS TO THE SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM, TO PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN REIMBURSEMENTS TO PROPERTY OWNERS OF EXPENSES RELATED TO PROPERTY INSPECTIONS AND COMPLIANCE WITH CONNECTION REQUIREMENTS, AND TO PROVIDE A SURCHARGE FOR NON-COMPLIANCE WITH INSPECTION AND CONNECTION REQUIREMENTS THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARDEN HILLS HEREBY ORDAINS THAT CHAPTER 10, SECTION 1010.10 OF THE ARDEN HILLS CITY CODE ARE HEREBY AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: Findings and Purpose. The Council finds that the discharge of water from any surface, groundwater sump pump, roofs, yards, lawns, streets, alleys, footing tile, or other natural precipitation into the City sanitary sewer system contributes to the flooding and overloading of the sanitary sewer system. Such overloading of the sanitary sewer system may result in sewage flowing into lower levels of City residences and businesses, creating hazardous public health conditions and significant damage to properties. These discharges also result in substantially increased treatment costs charged by the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES), which are passed on to all users of the system. The Council, therefore, determines that this ordinance is necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens through the regulation of connections to the City's sanitary sewer system. Section 1010.10 Construction Requirements Subdivision 8. Prohibited Connections of Surface Water and Ground Water Discharge Facilities to the City's Sanitary Sewer System. A. No person, owner, lessee or occupant of any parcel of land, building, or premises shall discharge, or permit to be discharged, directly or indirectly, into the sanitary sewer system any surface water or groundwater including water from roofs, yards, lawns, streets, alleys, groundwater sump pumps, footing tile, or other natural precipitation. B. A sump pump discharge system shall not be connected directly or indirectly to the City's sanitary sewer system. A sump pump shall have a permanently installed discharge line, which provides for year-round discharge to either the outside of a building or structure, or is connected to the City storm sewer. The system shall consist of a discharge line without valving or quick connections or flexible sections, which allows the redirection of the sump pump discharge into the sanitary sewer system. If connected to a City storm sewer, the system shall include a check valve and an air gap. Subdivision 9. Inspection; City Reimbursement Every person, owner, lessee or occupant of any parcel of land, building or premises that discharges into the City's sanitary sewer system shall allow an employee of the city or a designated representative of the City to inspect the building or premises to confirm that the building or premises conforms to the requirements of Subdivision 8 of this section. In lieu of the City inspection, the owner, lessee or occupant may furnish a certificate from a City registered State licensed plumber certifying that the building or premises are in compliance with the requirements of Subdivision 8. The City will reimburse a property owner $25.00 of the cost of hiring a licensed plumber to perform the inspection and provide a certification regarding compliance. The City may periodically re-inspect any building or premises to determine continued compliance with the requirements of Subdivision 8. Subdivision 10. Removal of Prohibited Connections; Surcharge; City Reimbursement Any person, owner, lessee or occupant, and any plumber or building contractor who has presently made or permitted to be made, or shall make or permit to be made, any connection or installation in violation of subdivision 8, shall immediately remove such connection or correct such an installation. The City will reimburse 75% of the cost of removing or correcting an illegal connection to bring the property into compliance, to a maximum of$400.00. If not removed or corrected within sixty calendar days after notice of the violation has been delivered personally or by certified mail to such person, owner, lessee or occupant, the City shall impose a surcharge in the amount directed by the City Council. Such a surcharge shall also be imposed upon any property owner, lessee, or occupant who, after a sixty calendar day notice, refuses to allow their property to be inspected or fails to provide the certificate from a City registered State licensed plumber as required by Subdivision 9. The owner, lessee, occupant of a building or premises found to be not in conformance as required in Subdivision 8 during periodic re-inspections shall be subjected to a surcharge as provided in Subdivision 10, for all months between the two most recent inspections or a maximum charge not to exceed twelve (12) monthly surcharges. Subdivision 11. Surcharge Fee. Surcharges for buildings or premises that are not in conformance with Subdivision 8 will be determined by the City Council Subdivision 12. Clear Water Sump Pits. The construction or installation of arty clear water sump pit shall include the installation of a sump pump and sump pump discharge lines which meet the requirements of subdivision 8 of this section and all applicable codes. Effective Date. Ordinance No. _ shall become effective the day following its publication, or the publication of this Ordinance Summary in the City's official newspaper. Adoption Date. Passed by the City Council of the City of Arden Hills the _ day of _, 2009 STANLEY D. HARPSTEAD, MAYOR ATTEST: RONALD J. MOORSE, CITY ADMINISTRATOR Publication Date. Published on the day of , 2009.