LL #01-1970TOWN OF WAPPINGER
DUTCHESS COUNTY, NEW YORK
LOCAL LAW No.l-YEAR 1970
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A Local Law regulating the use of public sewers and drains,
and the discharge of waters and wastes into the public sewer
system and providing penalties for violations thereof, and
providing also for the collection thereof; in the sewer
districts, sewer improvement areas or other Municipal Sewer
Systems of the Town of Wappinger, excluding the incorporated
Village of Wappinger Falls.
BE IT ENACTED and ORDAINED by the Town Board of the Tom Of Wappinger,
Dutchess, New York, as follows:
ARTICLE I
Definitions
Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of
terms used in this local law shall be as follows:
Section 1. "Bod" (denoting Biochemical Oxygen Demand) shall mean the
quantitiy of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter
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under standard laboratory procedure in five (5) days at 20 C, expressed in
milligrams per liter.
Section 2. "Building Drain" shall mean that part of the lowest
horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil,
waste, and other drainage pipes inside the wall of the building and conveys it
to the building sewer, beginning five (5) feet (1.5 meters) outside the inner
face of the building wall.
Section 3. "Building Sewer" shall mean the extension from the
building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal.
Section 4. "Combined Gewer" shall mean a sewer receiving both surface
runoff and sewage.
Se tion 5. "Garbage" shall mean solid wastes from the domestic and
commercial preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food, and from the handling
storage, and sale of produce. 1
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Section 6. "Industrial t-fastes" shall mean the liquid wastes from
industrial manufacturing processes, trade, or business as distinct from
sanitary sewage.
Section 7. "Natural Outlet" shall mean any outlet intg a water-
course, pond, ditch, lake,,or other body of surface or groundwater.
Section 8. "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, company,
association, society, corporation, or group.
Section 9. "ph" shallmean the logarithm of the reciprocal 6f the
weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
Section 10. "Properly Shredded Garbage" shall mean 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 con-
ditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle greater
than one-half (1/2) inch (1.27 centimeters) in any dimension.
Section 11. "Public Sewer" shall mean a sewer in which all owners
of abutting properties have equal rights, and is controlled by public authority.
Section 12. "Sanitary Sewer" shall mean a sewer which carries
sewage and to which storm, surface, and groundwaters are not intentionally
admitted.
Section 13. "Sewage" shall mean a combination of the water -carried
wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial
establishments, together with such ground, surface, and stormwaters as may be
present.
Section 14. "Sewage Treatment Plant" shall mean any arrangement of
devices and structures used for treating sewage.
Section 15. "Sewage Works" shall mean all facilites .or collecting,
pumping, treating, and disposing of sewage.
Section 16. "Sewer" shall mean a pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
Section 17. "Shall" is mandatory, "May" is permissive.
Section 18. "Slug" shall mean any discharge of water, sewage, or
industrial waste which in concentration of any given constituent or in quan-
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tity o,� flow exceeds for any period of duration longer than fifteen (15)
minutes more than five (5) times the average twenty-four (24) hour concen-
tration or flows during normal operation.
Section 19. "Storm Drain" (sometimes termed "storm sewer") shall
mean a sewer which carries storm and surface waters and drainage, but ex-
cludes sewage and industrial wastes, other than unpolluted cooling water.
Section 20. "Superintendent" shall mean the Superintendent of
Sewage Works or in the event there is no Superintendent, the Building
Inspector of the Town of Wappinger, or their authorized deputy or agent.
Section 21. "Suspended Solids" shall mean solids that either
float on the surface of, or are in suspension in water, sewage, or other
liquids, and which are removaOle by lavoratory filtering.
Section 22. "TJatercourse" shall mean a channel in which a flow
of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.
ARTICLE II
Use of Public Sewers Required
Section 1. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit,
or permit to be deposited in any unsanitary manner on public or private pro-
perty within the Town of Wappinger, or in 'any area under the jurisdiction
of said Town, any human or animal excrement, garbage, or other objectionable
waste.
Section 2. It shall be unlaswful to discharge to any natural outlet
within the Town of Wappinger, or in any area under the jurisdiction of said Town,
any sewage or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been
provided in accordance with subsequent provisions of this ordinance.
Section 3. Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unla"-ul to_
construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other
facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.
Section 4. The owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used
fog- human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes, situated within
the Town and abutting on any street, alley, or right-ot-way in which there is
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now located or may in the futrue be located a public sanitary or combined
sewer of the Town, is hereby required at his expense to install suitable
toilet facilities therin, and to connect such facilities directly with the
proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this local law,
within ninety (90) days after date of official notice to do so, provided
that raid public sewer is within one hundred (100) feet (30.5 meters) of
the property line,.
ARTICLE III
Private Sewage Disposal
Section 1. Where a public sanitary or combined sewer is not avail-
able under the provisions of Article II, Section 4,the building sewer shall
be connected to a private sewage disposal system complying with the pro-
visions of this article.
Section 2. Before commencement of construction of a private sewage
disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the
Superintendent. 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 Superintendent. Ak-permit
and inspec.ion fee of $10 shall be paid to the Town at the s-ame time the
application is filed.
Section 3. A permit for a private sewage disposal system shall not
become effective until the installation is completed to the satisfaction of
the Superintendent. 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 Superintendent when the work is ready for final inspection, and before
any underground portions are covered. The inspection shall be made within 48
hours of the receipt of notice by the Superintendent.
Section 4. The type, capacities, location, and layout of a private
sewage disposal system shall comply with all all recommendations of the
Department of Public Health of the State of New York. No septic tank or cess-
pool shall be permitted to discharge to any natural outlet.
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Section 5. At such time as a public sewer becomes available -to a
property served by a private sewage disposal system, as provided in Article
III, Section 4, a direct connection shall be made to the public sewer in
compliance with this local law, and any septic tanks, cesspools, and
similar private sewage disposal facilities shall be abandoned and filled with
suitable material.
Section 6. The owner shall operate and maintain the private sewage
disposal facilitites in a sanitary manner at all times, at no expense to the
town.
Section 7. No statement contained in this article shall be construed
to interfere with any additional requirements that may be imposed by the
Health Officer.
Section 8. When a public sewer becomes availavle, the building
sewer shall ve connected to said sewer with sixty --(60) days and the private
sewage disposal system shall be cleaned of sludge and filled with clean
bank -run gravel or dirt.
ARTICLE IV
Building Sewers and Connections
Section 1. 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 Superintendent.
Section 2. There shall be two (2) classes of building sewer permits;
(a) for residential and commercial service, and (b) for service to establish-
ments producing industrial wastes. In either case, the owner or his agent
shall make application on a special form furnished by the Town. The permit
application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other
information considered pertinent in the judgment of the Superintendent. A
permit and inspection fee of $10 for a residential or commercial building
sewer permit and $25 for an industrial building sewer permit shall be paid
to the Town at the time the application is filed.
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Section 3. All costs and expense incident to the installation and
connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner
shall indemnity the Town from any loss or damage that may directly or in-
directly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.
Section 4. A separate and independent building sewer shall be pro-
vided for every building; except where one building stands at the rear of
another on an interior lot and no private sewer is available or can be con-
structed 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.
Section 5. Old building sewers may be used in connection with
new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the
Superintendent, to meet all requirements of this ordinance.
Section 6. The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction
of a building sewer, and the methods to be used in excavating, placing
of the pipe, jointing, testing, and backfilling the trench, shall all
conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other
applicable rules regulations of the Town. In the absence of code provi-
sions or in amplification thereof, the materials and procedures set forth
in appropriate specifications of the A.S.T.M. and W.P.C.F. Manual of
Practice No. 9 shall apply.
Section 7. Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought
to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. In all buildings
in which any building drain is to low to permit gravity flow to the public
sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such building drain shall be lofted by
an approved means and discharged to the building sewer.
Section 8. No person shall make connection of roof downspouts,
exterior foundation drains, areaway drains, or other sources of surface
runoff or groundwater to a building seweror building drain which in turn
is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer.
Section 9. The connection of the building sewer into the public
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sewer shall conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or
other applicable rules and regulations of the Town, or the procedures set
forth in appropriate specifications of the A.S.T.M. and W.P.C.F. Manual of
Practice No. 9. All Such connections shall be made gastight and watertight.
Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved
by the Superintendent before installation.
Section 10. The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify
the Superintendent when the building sewer is ready for inspection and con-
nection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the super-
vision of the Superintendent or his representative.
Section 11. All excavations for building sewer installation shall be
adejuately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public
from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways, and other public property dis-
turbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory
to the Town.
ARTICLE V
Use of the Public Sewers
Section 1. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any
stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage,
uncontaminated cooling water, or unpolluted industrial process waters to
any sanitary sewer.
Section 2. Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be dis-
charged to such sewers as are specifically designated as combined sewers or
storm sewers, or to a natural outlet approved by the Superintendent. In-
dustrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged, on
apprpval of the Superintendent, to a storm sewer, combined sewer, or natural
outlet.
Section 3. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any
of the following described waters or wastes to any public sewers:
(a) Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or
explosive liquid, solid, or gas.
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(b) Any waters, or wastes containing toxic or poisonous solids,
liquids, or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction
with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process,
constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance, or
create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant,
including but not limited to cyanides in excess of two (2) mg/l as CN in the
Wastes as discharged to the public sewer.
(c) Any waters or wastes having a ph lower than 5.5, or having any
other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures,
equipment, and personnel of the sewage works.
(d) Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable
of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the
proper operation of the sewage works such as, but not limited to, ashes,
cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar,
plastics, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and
fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, etc. either whole
or ground by garbage grinders.
Section 4. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged the
following described substances, materials, waters, or wastes if it appears
likely in the opinion of the Superintendent that such wastes can harm
either the sewers, sewage treatment process, or equipment, have an adverse
effect on the receiving stream, or can otherwise endanger life, limb, public
property, or constitute a nuisance. In forming his opinion as to the accept-
ability of these wastes, the Superintendent will give consideration to such
factors as the quantities of subject wastes in relation to flows and velo-
cities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, nature of the
sewage treatment process, capacity of the sewage treatment plant, degree of
treatability of wasted in the sewage treatment plant, and othet pertinent
factors. The substances prohibited are:
(a) Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than one hundred
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fity (150)F (65C). 8
(b) Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease, or oils, whether
emulsified or nor, in excess of one hundred (100) mg/l or containing sub-
stances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between thirty -
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two (32) and one hundred fifty (150) F (0 and 65 C).
(c) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. The installation
and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of three-fourths
(3/4) horsepower (0.76 hp metric) or greater shall be subject to the review
and approval of the Superintendent.
(d) Any waters or wastes containing strong acid iron picking wastes,
or concentrated plating solutions whether neutralized or not.
(e) Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc, and
similar objectionable or toxic substances; or wastes exerting an excessive chlorine
requirement, to such degree that any such material received in the composite
sewage at the sewage treatment works exceeds the limits established by the
Superintendent for such materials.
(f) Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste -or odor -
producing substances, in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be estab-
lished by the Superintendent as necessary, after treatment of the composite sew-
age, to meet the requirements of the State, Federal, or other public agencies
of jurisdiction for such discharge t6 the receiving waters.
(g) Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concen-
tration as may exceed limits established by the Superintendent in compliance
with applicable State or Federal regulations.
(h) Any waters or wastes having a pH in excess of 9.5.
(i) Materials which exert or cause:
(1) Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (suchas, but
not limited to, Fullers earth, lime residues) or of dissolved
solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride and
sodium sulfate).
(2) Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye
wastes and vegetable tanning solutions.)
(3) Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand, or chlorine requirements
in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the
sewage treatment works. 9
(4) Unusual volume of flow or concentratkon of wastes con-
stituting "slugs" as defined herein.
(j) Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amen-
able to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed,
or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treat-
ment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having
jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
Section 5. If any waters or wastes are discharge, or are proposed
to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances
or possess the characteristics enumerated in Section 4 of this article, and
which in the judgement of the Superintendent, may have a deleterious effect
upon the sewage works, processes, equipment, or receiving waters, or which
otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the
Superintendent may:
(a) Reject the wastes.
(b) Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for dis-
charge to the public sewers
(c) Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge,
and/or
(d) Require payment to cover the added cost of handling and
treating the wastes not covered by existing taxes or sewer charges under
the provisions of Section 10 of this article.
Icf the Superintendent permits the pretreatment of equalization of
waste flows, the design and installation of the plants and equipment shall
be subject to the requirements of all applicable codes, ordinances, and laws.
Section 6. Grease, oil, and sand interceptors shall be provided
when, in the opinion of the Superintendent, they are neeessary for the
proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts,
or any flammable wastes, sand or other harmful ingredients; except that
such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or
dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity ap-
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proved by the Superintendent, and shall be located as to be read4-ly and
easily accessible for cleaning and inspection.
Section 7. Where preliminary treatment or flow -equalizing facili-
ties are provided for any waters or wastes they shall be maintained con-
tinuosly in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.
Section 8. When required by the Superintendent, the owner of any
property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall in-
stall a suitable control manhole togethter with such necessary meters and
other appurtenances in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling,
and measurement of the wastes. Such manhole, when required, shall be accessibly
and safely located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved
by the Superintendent. The manhole shall be installed by the owner at 41s -
expense, and shall be maintained by him so as to be safe an& accessible at
all times.
Section 9. All measurements, test, and analyses of the characteris-
tics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in this ordinance shall
be determined in accordance with the latest edition of "Standard Methods for
the Examination of Water and Wastewater,"published by the American Public
Health Association, and shall be determined at the control manhole provided,
or upon suitable samples t'_.ken at said control manhole. In the event that no
special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered
to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer to the point at
which the building sewer is connected. Sampling shall be carried out by
customarily accepted methods to reflect the effect of constituents upon the
sewage works and to determine the existence of hazards to life, limb, and
property. (The particular analyses involved will determine whether a twenty-
four (?4) hour composite of all outfalls of a premise is appropriate or
whether a grab sample or samples should be taken. Normally, but not always,
BOD and suspended solids analyses are obtained from 24 -hr composites of all
outfalls whereas pH's are determined from periodic grab samples.
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Section 10. No statement contained in this article shall be construed
as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the Town and any
industrial concern wherby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character
may be accepted by the Town for treatment, subject to payment therefore, by
the industrial concern.
ARTICLE VI
Protection from Damage
Section 1. 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 sewage works.
Any person violating this provision shall be subject to immediate arrest
.under charge of disorderly conduct.
ARTICLE VII
Powers and Authority of Inspectors
Section 1. The Superintendent and other duly authorized employees
of the Town bearing proper credentials and identification shall be per-
mitted to enter all properties for the purposes of inspection, observation,
measurement, sampling, and testing in accordance with the provisions of this
local law. The Superintendent or his representatives shall have no authority
to inquire into any processes including metallurgical, chemical, oil, re-
fining, ceramic, paper., or other industries beyond that point having a direct
bearing on the kind and source of discharge to the ,ewers or waterways or
facilities for waste treatment.
Section 2. 10hile performing the necessary work on private properties
referred to in Article VII, Section 1 above, the Superintendent or duly
authorized employees of the Town shall observe all safety rules applicable to
the premises established by the company and the company shall be held harmless
for injury or death to the Town employees and the Town shall indemnify the
company against loss or damage to its property by Town employees and against
liability claims and demands for personal injury or property damage asserted
against the company and growing out of the gauging and sampling operation,
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except as such may be caused by negligence or failure of the Company to rmaintain
safe conditions as required in Article V, Section 8.
Section 3. The Superintendent and other duly authorized employees of the
Town bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter
all private properties through which the Town holds a duly negotiated easement
for the purposes of, but not limited to, inspection, observation, measurement,
sampling, repair, and maintenance of any portion of the sewage works lying
within said easement.. A11 -entry and subsequent work, if any, on said easement,
shall be done in full accordance with the terms of the duly negotiated easement
pertaining to the private property involved.
ARTICLE VIII
Penalties
Section 1. Any person found to be violating any provision of this local
law except Article VI shall be served by the Town with written notice stating
the nature of the violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satis-
factory correction thereof. The offender shall, within the period of time stated
in such notice, permanently cease all violation.
Section 2. Any person who shall continue any violation beyond the time
limit provided for in Article VIII, Section 1, shall be guilty of a misdeamor,
and on conviction thereof shall be fined in the amount not exceeding $50 for
each violation. Each day i -a which any such violation shall continue shall be
deemed a separate offense.
Section 3. Any person violating any of the provisions of this local
law shall become liable to the Town 'for any expense ,"loss, or damage occasioned
the Town by reason of such vi6lation.
ARTICLE IX
Validity
Section 1. Local law of #2 of 1969 is hereby repealbd.
Section 2. The invalidity of any section, clause, sentence, or pro-
vision of this local law shall not affect the validity of any other part of this
ordinance which can be given effect without such ;.},_valid part or parts.
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ARTICLE X
Ordinance in Force
Section 1. This local law shall be in full force and effect from
and after its passage, approval, recording, and publication as provided by
law.
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