Division 7.20 - Water and Sewer: General Provisions - Sewer

Chapter 7 - Water and Sewer
Division 20 - General Provisions - Sewer

SEC. 7.20-1 DEFINITIONS. Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this Division shall be as follows:

Sewage Works shall mean all facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing of sewage.

Superintendent or Director shall mean the Director of the Department of Public Works of the Town of Normal or his authorized deputy, agent or representative.

Sewage shall mean the water carried wastes from residences, businesses, institutions and industrial establishments, plus minor and incidental amounts of ground, surface or storm water.

Public, Sanitary or Storm Sewer shall mean a sanitary sewer or storm sewer or storm drain located in the public right-of-way or public easement in which all owners of abutting properties have equal rights and which is controlled by a public authority.

Combined Sewer shall mean a pipe or conduit receiving both surface water and sewage.

Sanitary Sewer shall mean a pipe or conduit designed and intended to carry sewage and to exclude storm, surface and ground water.

Storm Sewer or Storm Drain shall mean a pipe or conduit which is designed and intended to carry storm, surface and ground water and to exclude sewage and industrial wastes.

Sewage Treatment Plant shall mean any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.

Industrial Wastes shall mean solids, liquids or gaseous wastes resulting from any industrial or manufacturing operation or process.

Garbage shall mean solid wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.

Properly Shredded Garbage shall mean that 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 particle greater than one-half (1/2) inch in any dimension.

Building Drain means the lowest horizontal portion of a building or structure's sewage collection and disposal system which is designed to carry sewage through or beyond the foundation wall to the building sewer. A building drain may include a sewage sump pump, ejector, lift pump or other similar device which pumps sewage.

Building Sewer shall mean a pipe or conduit located on private property owned and controlled by the private property owner, which is designed and intended to carry sewage from the building drain to the public sanitary sewer or a private sewage disposal system. (Added 4/5/76)

Building Sewer Connection shall mean a pipe or conduit and appurtenances connected to the public sanitary sewer and extending from said sewer to the customers property line for the purpose of carrying sewage from the building sewer to the public sanitary sewer. (Added 3/7/88)

Natural Outlet shall mean any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface or ground water.

Watercourse shall mean a channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.

Person shall mean any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation or group.

Shall is mandatory; May is permissive.

SEC. 7.20-2 USE OF PUBLIC SEWERS REQUIRED. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit or permit to be deposited in an unsanitary manner upon public or private property within the Town of Normal, or in an area under the jurisdiction of said Town, any human or animal excrement, garbage or other objectional waste.

It shall be unlawful to discharge to any natural outlet within the Town of Normal, or in any area under the jurisdiction of said Town, any sanitary sewage, industrial wastes or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with subsequent provisions of this Division.

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

The owner of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes, situated within the town and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located on a public sanitary or combined sewer of the Town is hereby required at his 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 division, within ninety (90) days after the date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within one hundred (100) feet of the property line.

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to connect or cause to be connected, any drain carrying or to carry any toilet, sink, basement, septic tank, cesspool or industrial waste, or any other fixture or device discharging any form of polluting substances, to any storm or water drain or combination storm water drain in the Town of Normal.

SEC. 7.20-3 PROHIBITION OF PRIVATE SEWER SERVICE LINES. No person shall construct or install or use or permit the use of any private sewer service line for any lot building or structure provided:

This section shall not apply where approval is given for private sewer service lines where a final planned unit development plan has been authorized, and
This section shall apply to persons using or permitting the use of such lines on the date of this amendatory ordinance as follows:
1. Said person may continue to use and may repair these private sanitary sewer lines.
2. Replacement of these private sanitary sewer lines shall only be allowed in the event that no public sanitary sewer is located within one hundred (100) feet of the property line at the time the private sanitary sewer needs replacing. If a public sanitary sewer is within one hundred (100) feet of the property line, then use of the private line shall be discontinued and connection shall be made to the public sanitary sewer in accordance with all applicable ordinances.
That for the purpose of this section "private sewer service" is defined as a non-publicly accepted direct or indirect connection to a public sewer by means other than another public sewer, a building drain or building sewer, which traverses property belonging to another person or entity.
That for the purpose of this section "repair" shall mean the reconstruction of less than fifty percent (50%) or more of the private sewer service.
That for the purposes of this section, "replacement" shall mean the reconstruction of fifty percent (50%) or more of the private sewer service. (Entire SEC. 7.20-3 Added by Ordinance No. 1972, 8/18/80)

SEC. 7.20-4 PRIVATE SEWAGE DISPOSAL. Where a public sanitary or combined sewer is not available under the provisions of SEC. 7.20-2, the building sewer shall be connected to a private sewage disposal system complying with the provisions of this section.

Before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the Director. The application for such permit shall be made on a form furnished by the Town, which the applicant shall supplement by any plans, specifications and other information as are deemed necessary by the Director. A permit and inspection fee of Ten ($10.00) Dollars shall be paid to the Town Treasurer at the time the application is filed. (Amended 5/5/80)(Amended 9/19/83)

A permit for a private sewage disposal system shall not become effective until the installation is completed to the satisfaction of the Director. He shall be allowed to inspect the work at any stage of construction and, in any event, the applicant for the permit shall notify the Director when the work is ready for final inspection, and before any underground portions are covered. The inspection shall be made within forty-eight (48) hours of the receipt of notice by the Director. (Amended 5/5/80)

The type, capacities, location and lay-out of private sewage disposal systems shall comply with all recommendations of the Department of Public Health of the State of Illinois. No septic tank or cesspool shall be permitted to discharge to any public sewer or natural outlet. No permit shall be issued for any private sewage disposal system employing sub-surface soil absorption facilities where the area of the lot is less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet, provided however that the Town Council may authorize the Director of the Department of Public Works to issue such a permit on a lot of record containing less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet if each of the following requirements are met:

The lot contains at least ten thousand (10,000) square feet.
The septic system, when installed, will serve a single family dwelling.
That percolation tests conducted on the lot demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Town Engineer that given the existing soil conditions, the proposed lot is of adequate size to efficiently handle the anticipated sanitary discharge.
The McLean County Health Department approves in writing the use of a septic tank at the location proposed.

At such time as a public sewer becomes available to a property served by a public sewage disposal system, as provided in SEC. 7.20-3, a direct connection shall be made to the public sewer in compliance with this Division, and any septic tanks, cesspools and similar private sewage disposal facilities shall be abandoned and filled with suitable material.

The owner shall operate and maintain the private sewage disposal facilities in a sanitary manner at all times, at no expense to the Town.

No statement contained in this Section shall be construed to interfere with any additional requirements that may be imposed by the Health Officer. (Amended 5/6/74)

SEC. 7.20-5 SEWER PERMIT. No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the Director. (Amended 5/5/80)

SEC. 7.20-6 CLASSES OF PERMITS. There shall be two (2) classes of building sewer permits: one for residential and commercial service and one for service to establishments for producing industrial wastes. In either case, the owner or his agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the Town. The required permit fee shall be paid to the Building Inspector, who in turn shall deliver same to the Town Treasurer, and shall, likewise, immediately deliver a copy of the permit to the Director who shall act in accordance with this Division. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the Director. A permit and inspection fee of Five ($5.00) Dollars for a residential or commercial building sewer permit and Fifteen ($15.00) Dollars for an industrial building sewer permit shall be paid to the Town Treasurer at the time the application is filed. (Amended 9/19/83)

SEC. 7.20-7 COSTS OF INSTALLATION. All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer and building sewer connection shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the Town for any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer or building sewer connection. (Amended 3/7/88)

A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building unless approved in writing by the Director; except when one building stands at the rear of another on an interior lot and no private sewer is available or can be constructed to the rear building through an adjoining alley, court, yard or driveway, the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer.

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

SEC. 7.20-8 COST OF INSPECTION AND TESTING AND MAINTENANCE. Any person requesting a Town inspection or test of any building drain, building sewer, building sewer connection, private sewer service line, private storm sewer, private storm drain or part of the private sewage disposal or storm water disposal system of a lot, building or structure shall be liable to conducting such inspection and test based on a current sewer system inspection test fee schedule, prepared by the Director of Public Works for the Town of Normal and available for inspection in his office and in the office of the Town Clerk. All costs and expenses of repair and maintenance of the building sewer and building sewer connection shall be borne by the owner of the building sewer. (Amended 3/7/88)

SEC. 7.20-9 SPECIFICATIONS. The building sewer and building sewer connection shall be cast-iron or ductile iron soil pipe, ASTM Specification A 74-42 (or latest revision) or equal; or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe, ASTM specification D 3034 for sized 4"-15" or F-679 for sizes 18"-27". Minimum specification shall be schedule 40 or SDR 21. Any part of the building sewer or building sewer connection that is located within ten (10) horizontal feet or eighteen (18) vertical inches of a water service pipe, shall be constructed of cast-iron soil pipe. Cast-iron pipe may be required by the Director of Public Works where the building sewer or building sewer connection is exposed to damage by tree roots. If installed in filled or unstable ground, the building sewer or building sewer connection shall be cast-iron soil pipe, except that a non-metallic material may be accepted if laid on a suitable concrete bed or cradle as approved by the Director of Public Works. (Amended 3/7/88)(Amended 2/7/05 by Ord. No. 4994)

All joints for cast-iron pipe shall be tight and waterproof and meet ASTM Specification C-564 (or latest revision) or equal. All joints for PCV Pipe shall be solvent welded ASTM specification D 2855 or Flexible Elastomeric Seal type ASTM specification DC 3212. (Amended 3/7/88)(Amended 2/7/05 by Ord. No. 4994)

If more than one type of sewer pipe is used, they shall be connected by tight and waterproof adapters, especially designed for such jointing, and be approved by the Director of Public Works.

SEC. 7.20-10 SIZE AND SLOPE. The size and slope of the building sewer and building sewer connection shall be subject to the approval of the Director but in no event shall the diameter be less than four (4) inches for single family residential property or less than six (6) inches for all other property. The slope of such pipe shall not be less than one-eight (1/8) inch per foot. (Amended 3/7/88)(Amended 2/7/05 by Ord. No. 4994)

SEC. 7.20-11 ELEVATION. Whenever possible the building sewer and building sewer connection shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. No building sewer shall be laid parallel to or within three (3) feet of any bearing wall, which might thereby be weakened. The depth shall be sufficient to afford protection from frost. The building sewer and building sewer connection shall be laid at uniform grade and in straight alignment insofar as possible. Changes in direction shall be made only with properly curved pipe and fittings. (Amended 3/7/88)

In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewer carried by such drain shall be lifted by approved artificial means and discharged to the building sewer.

Water pressure ejectors and siphons shall not be installed for the discharge of any sewage or wastes unless adequately protected against back-siphonage.

SEC. 7.20-12 EXCAVATIONS. All excavations required for the installation of a building sewer and building sewer connection shall be open trench work unless otherwise approved by the Director. Pipe laying and backfill shall be performed in accordance with ASTM Specifications C12-19 and the applicable sections of the Standard Specifications for Water and Sewer Main Construction in Illinois. No backfill shall be placed until the work has been inspected. (Amended 3/7/88)

All excavations for building sewer installation and building sewer connections shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the Town. (Amended 3/7/88)

SEC. 7.20-13. RESERVED

SEC. 7.20-14 CONNECTIONS. The building sewer connection into the public sewer shall be made at the "Y" or "T" branch, if such branch is available at a suitable location. If the public sewer is twelve (12) inches in diameter or less and no properly located "Y" or "T" branch is available, the owner shall at his expense install a "Y" or "T" branch in the public sewer at the location specified by the Superintendent. Where the public sewer is greater than twelve (12) inches in diameter and no properly located branch is available, a tapping saddle shall be used. The type of tapping saddle shall be subject to the discretion of the Director of Public Works. (Amended 5/5/80)(Amended 3/7/88)

The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the Director when the building sewer connection is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the Director or his representative. (Amended 5/5/80)(Amended 3/7/88)

SEC. 7.20-15 EXCAVATION DRAINS AND CONNECTIONS.

During the time of excavation and as long as an excavated area remains open so as to act as a catch basin, then in such instance, any sewer tile or drainage outlet designed to service the excavated area shall at all times be either kept or furnished with a sufficient stand pipe, so as to eliminate the possibility of any rain or surface water collecting or draining into the excavated area and hence into the outlets and accordingly into the sewer system of the Town of Normal and/or the Bloomington-Normal Sanitary District. (Amended 5/5/86)
When demolishing or removing buildings or building debris, all sewer services and mains must be properly cut off and capped as approved by the Director of the Public Works Department. (Amended 5/5/86)

SEC. 7.20-16 MAINTENANCE, CONTINUATION OR RETENTION OF BROKEN, DEFECTIVE, OR PRESENTLY UNLAWFUL BUILDING DRAINS, BUILDING SEWERS OR STORM DRAIN CONNECTIONS OR CONDITIONS.

It shall be unlawful for any person owning property located within the Town of Normal to permit any of the following conditions to be or remain on such property ninety (90) days after notification by the Director of the Department of Public Works, or actual knowledge, of the existence of such a condition unless a variation has been granted by the Director of Public Works. (Amended 8/20/79)
1. A storm sewer or storm drain which is so constructed or is in such a condition as to allow or permit the discharge of storm water, surface water or ground water into a building drain, building sewer or public sanitary sewer, either directly through a direct connection or indirectly by discharging or permitting the discharge of such water in or near areas of gravel, crushed rock or other porous soil or material located near or around openings, holes, cracks, loose joints or other gaps in a building drain, building sewer or public sanitary sewer;
2. A private combined sewer;
3. A storm water, surface water or ground water collection or diversion device, including without limitation the following: area drains, yard drains, footing tiles, downspouts, leaders, storm water, surface water or ground water sump pumps or other pumping device, which is constructed or in such a condition so as to discharge or permit or allow the discharge of storm water, surface water or ground water into a building drain, building sewer or public sanitary sewer either directly through a direct connection or indirectly by discharging or permitting the discharge of such water in or near areas of gravel, crushed rock or other porous soil or material located near or around openings, holes, cracks, loose joints or other gaps in a building drain, building sewer or public sanitary sewer;
4. A building drain or building sewer with broken, missing or cracked tiles, loose or separated joints or other holes, cracks, gaps or spaces;
5. Any other fixture, structure or condition which permits or allows or is in such a condition to permit or allow storm water, surface water or ground water to enter directly or indirectly a building drain, building sewer or public sanitary sewer.
The Director of the Department of Public Works may give notification of the existence of such a condition described in Paragraph A of this Section either personally or by ordinary mail with postage fully prepaid to the owner of record of the property on which such a condition is located or to the person who last paid local real estate taxes on such property and upon the giving or mailing of such notification, the property owner shall be deemed to have notice of the existence of such a condition.
The notification provided in Paragraph B of this Section shall be given if one or more of the following occurs:
1. An on-site visual or physical inspection of the property indicates the existence of a condition described in Paragraph A of this Section;
2. A dye or TV monitor test indicates that water or dye placed in storm water, surface water or ground water collection or diversion devices or in the ground near the foundation of a building or structure located on such property enters the public sanitary sewer;
3. A "smoke test" indicates that smoke placed into the public sanitary sewer under pressure is escaping through the ground or through downspouts, leaders, gutters, yard drains, area drains or other storm water collection or diversion devices located on the owner's property;
The Director of the Department of Public Works is hereby authorized and directed to develop material describing the testing procedures hereinabove referred to and indicating the manner in which such tests shall be conducted.
Any person to whom such notification is given may appeal the determination of the Director of the Department of Public Works to the Plumbing Board of Appeals of the Town of Normal by delivering to the Town Clerk of the Town within ten (10) days from the date of such notification is given a "Notice of Appeal" detailing the circumstances, grounds or reasons the property owner believes the Director's determination is incorrect or inaccurate, which said notification shall be substantially in the following form:

                NOTICE OF APPEAL

TO: The Plumbing Board of Appeals of the Town of Normal

     I, (name) am the owner of certain property located within the Town of Normal, commonly known as .

     On (date of notification), I was notified that a condition described in SEC. 7.20-16 of the Municipal Code of the Town of Normal, Illinois, 1969, as amended, exists on my property. I do not believe that such a condition exists on my property, and therefore, appeal the Director's determination for the following reasons:

(Enumerate in detail the reasons the property owner does not believe the condition exists and/or the determination of the Director is inaccurate or incorrect.)

     _______________________________
            Signature of Property Owner

Upon the timely filing of such an appeal, the Plumbing Board of Appeals shall conduct an administrative hearing thereon, affording the property owner an opportunity to appear and present evidence in support of his or her appeal and to respond to affirmative defenses offered by the Director and providing the Director an opportunity to respond to the allegations or representations of the property owner, and to present affirmative material in support of the original determination. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Board shall sustain or reverse the determination of the Director and shall notify the property owner and Director of their decision by verbally announcing it at the hearing or in the absence of the property owner, by mailing a copy thereof to the owner at the address indicated in the Notice of Appeal.

A timely appeal shall stay the ninety (90) day period provided in the Director's notification from the date of filing of the appeal to the date of decision by the Board. (Amended 4/5/76)
A variation from the strict requirements of this SEC. 7.20-16 may be granted by the Director of Public Works once all of the following events have occurred:

Excavation of the building sewer line.
Installation of band seal couplings.
Infiltration inflow dye test completed. If there is still some leakage, the band seals are to be removed and the line visually lamped and inspected for cracks.
If there are cracks in the building sewer, further excavation shall be performed so that the cracks can be repaired.
Once the cracks have been repaired, or if there are no cracks, reinstall the band seals and perform another dye test. Steps 3, 4, and 5 may be repeated at the discretion of the Director of Public Works.

If the Director of Public Works refuses to grant a variation after completion of all of the steps mentioned in the preceding subsection, appeal may be had to the Plumbing Board of Appeals as provided in subsection E.

(Subparagraphs F & G Added 8/20/79)

SEC. 7.20-17 EXTENSION OF PUBLIC SEWERS. When it is desired to extend a public sewer to private property which lies more than one hundred (100) feet from the public sewer, the extension of the public sewer shall be made by the property owner.

The size of the sewer to be built shall be approved by the President and Board of Trustees of the Town of Normal, but in no case shall it be less than eight (8) inches in diameter. The owner shall submit detailed construction plans and specifications to the President and the Board of Trustees for approval before the work is started. Construction methods shall be in accordance with the standard specifications used by the Town of Normal. All construction shall be subject to the inspection of the Director or other designated representative.

At the time the plans and specifications for extensions to public sewers are presented to the President and Board of Trustees, persons requesting said extension shall submit a completion bond or deposit cash in an escrow account in the penal sum sufficient to cover the estimated construction cost plus engineering, legal fees and inspection, which funds shall be used to pay the above-referenced costs after the project is accepted by the President and Board of Trustees. The completion bond shall be approved by the City Attorney.

The person, firm or corporation requesting the extension of said sewer shall dedicate all easements, temporary and permanent, necessary for the construction of said sewer as determined by the President and Board of Trustees of the Town of Normal.

No connection shall be made to any sewer, or system of sewers of said Town, whether said extension be within or outside the corporate limits of said Town for the purpose of giving sewer service to any property line outside the corporate limits of said Town and no sewer service shall be given to any property lying outside the corporate limits except land in the corporate limits of Bloomington, Illinois. The President and Board of Trustees may have the right to approve the extension of their sewers by the City of Bloomington.

SEC. 7.20-18 USE OF PUBLIC SANITARY SEWERS.

No person shall discharge, cause to be discharged or permit the discharge of any storm water, ground water, run-off, sub-surface drainage or unpolluted industrial process water from private property to any public sanitary sewer.
No person shall discharge, cause to be discharged or permit the discharge of any material into the public sanitary sewer which does not comply with the Bloomington and Normal Sanitary District ordinances. (Amended 4/5/76)

SEC. 7.20-19 DAMAGE TO SEWERS. No unauthorized person shall maliciously, willfully or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the municipal sewage works. Any person violating this provision shall be subject to immediate arrest under charge of disorderly conduct.

SEC. 7.20-20 POWERS AND AUTHORITY OF INSPECTORS. The Director and other duly authorized employees of the Town bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter upon all properties for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing, in accordance with the provisions of this Division. (Amended 5/5/80)

SEC. 7.20-21 PENALTY. Any person violating any provision of this Chapter or permitting a violation to remain beyond the period of time provided for voluntary correction or elimination thereof, shall upon conviction, be fined not less than One Hundred ($100.00) dollars or more than Five Hundred ($500.00) dollars for each violation. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues. (Amended 4/5/76)

(ENTIRE DIVISION 20 RENUMBERED BY ORDINANCE NO. 3029 9/21/81)

SEC. 7.20-22 CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS. All sewers and appurtenances thereto shall use materials and be installed in the manner meeting or exceeding the requirements, standards, and specifications contained in the Standard Specifications for Water and Sewer Main Construction in Illinois, the current edition as then modified, supplemented, and amended by the Town of Normal. Such standards and specifications with the modifications, amendments, and amplifications are available for public inspection and review in the Department of Public Works for the Town of Normal, Illinois, and are incorporated herein by reference. (Added 5/5/86)

Chapter 7 - Water and Sewer Division 20 - General Provisions - Sewer

Chapter 7 - Water and Sewer
Division 20 - General Provisions - Sewer