Date: Fri 16-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

WPCA-sewer-regulations

Full Text:

WPCA Releases Draft Rules For Sewer Use

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

The Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) has been formulating proposed

sewer regulations describing policies and procedures for operating the town

sewer system for the past several years, and they are now being codified.

The draft proposal is subject to revision before its eventual adoption by the

WPCA, said Fred Hurley, the town's public works director. The public works

director will be authorized to administer, implement, and enforce the sewer

regulations.

WPCA Chairman Peter Alagna said Tuesday the WPCA would like to have sewer

regulations in place within three to four months.

Mr Alagna said he hopes the municipal sewage treatment plant begins running as

soon as August 1, but no later than September 7.

According to the proposed regulations, all areas lying outside the town sewer

district are designated as a sewer avoidance zone to which the town doesn't

intend to extend sewers. Within the sewer avoidance zone the town intends to

control surface water pollution and groundwater pollution through an on-site

wastewater management policy.

The WPCA is proposing five rank-ordered usage priorities for the 330,000

gallons of daily wastewater treatment capacity earmarked for the town at the

sewage treatment plant.

Priorities

The town's treatment capacity, in descending order, is intended for:

Existing development within the sewer district;

Potential development that meets zoning rules within the sewer district;

Existing development along sewer transmission routes;

Existing development outside the sewer district identified as areas of concern

and which is reasonably close to the sewer district;

Other existing development outside the sewer district, but in close proximity

to it.

According to the proposed regulations, the owner of any property within the

sewer district which abuts any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is

a public sewer will be required to connect to the sewer system. Such property

owners would have four months, unless other arrangements are made with the

town, to connect to the sewer system after being notified by the town to

connect. Any property owner who neglects to connect to the sewer system would

be liable to a $10 daily fine until a connection is made.

An exception to the sewer connection requirements may be made for a

residential property where the residence is more than 300 feet from the

nearest public sewer.

If a property owner's land abuts a sewer transmission main, the owner only

would be required to connect to the sewer system if there is a failure of all

or part of his septic system, at which time the owner would have 30 days to

connect.

Also, owners of property abutting sewer transmission lines may request WPCA

permission to connect to the sewer system at any time.

Under the proposed regulations, it would be unlawful for anyone to construct

or repair a privy, septic tank, cesspool or any sewage disposal facility if

public sewers are available, unless recommended by the health district and

approved by the WPCA.

The proposed regulations list a wide variety of pollutants, materials and

wastewater which cannot be discharged into the sewer system because they would

either pass through the sewage treatment plant without treatment, overburden

the plant, or foul the plant's operations.

Substances which cannot be discharged into the sewer system would include

stormwater, surface water, groundwater, artesian well water, roof runoff,

subsoil drainage, swimming pool drainage, condensate, deionized water and

non-contact cooling water.

According to the proposed regulations, a wastewater discharge permit would be

required from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to

discharge industrial wastewater, or discharge domestic sewage exceeding 46,600

gallons per day from a single site into the sewer system.

If a discharge or proposed discharge would have a harmful effect on the sewer

system, wastewater treatment processes, equipment, or the water which receives

the treated wastewater, or would create a hazard to life or create a public

nuisance, the DEP commissioner or the town's public works director may:

prohibit the discharge; require wastewater pre-treatment; or require controls

over the quantities and rates of discharge, according to the proposed rules.

The proposed regulations give the public works director the right to enter the

premises of any sewer user to determine whether the user complies with the

regulations.

If the public works director determines a sewer user has violated or is

violating the regulations, the director may: issue a cease-and-desist order;

require the user to comply with all regulations; and act to remedy or prevent

a continuing or threatened violation, including halting operations or

terminating the wastewater discharge.

Violations of the regulations would be punishable by fines of up to $100 per

violation, per day.

If ordered to correct a sewage discharge problem by the public works director

and the sewer user doesn't do so, the director may disconnect the premises

from the sewer system, according to the proposed rules. The town would be able

to recover the costs for disconnection from the sewer user before the user

could reconnect to the system.

Establishing Rates

Criteria for establishing sewer use rates would include: the volume of

wastewater discharged; the type or size of buildings connected to the system;

the number of plumbing fixtures connected to the system; the number of people

using the property; the type material discharged into the system; and, in the

case of commercial and industrial properties, the average number of employees

and visitors using the property.

Sewer use charges would be the subject of public hearings. The charges will be

subject to WPCA action. Sewer users would have the right to appeal their sewer

use charges in Superior Court.

Sewer users would be billed quarterly on October 1, January 1, April 1, and

July 1. Payments are due within 30 days of the billing date. Delinquent

payments will be collected in the manner by which delinquent property taxes

are collected.

A minimum sewer use charge will be established.

Sewer use bills will be based on 90 percent of the volume of water, as

measured through the user's water meter, during the previous billing period.

The public works director may require that any non-residential sewer user

install a water meter at the user's expense.

When sewer users have private water sources, the water use may be metered for

billing purposes. Industrial and commercial sewer users may install "exception

meters" for water they consume in manufacturing processes.

Besides the sewer user charges based on wastewater volumes, industrial users

who generate high-strength wastewater would be subject to surcharges based

upon wastewater strength, volume, and/or treatment costs.

Sewer Extensions

According to the proposed regulations, the WPCA may extend the sewer system if

it deems it to be in the town's best interest.

The proposed rules list a variety of criteria to determine if a sewer system

extension is needed. Such sewer extensions could be paid for with town funding

or private funding, depending on the circumstances of the extension.

Residential sewer assessments will be set as a class at $9,900 per unit for

properties in the initial sewer district.

Non-residential sewer assessments will vary in amount and will be based on 90

percent of the estimated benefit which the presence of sanitary sewers creates

at a property.

The proposed regulations will be subject to approval by the WPCA and the DEP.

The town is building a $34.3-million sewer system to rectify groundwater

pollution problems in Sandy Hook Center, Taunton Pond North and Newtown

Borough.