A. Before physical connection is made to the city wastewater system, a permit must be secured from and 48 hours’ notice given to the city. The issuance of a permit is subject to sewer availability and approval of the city engineer as to the point and type of connection. The director shall be consulted as regards available capacity for treatment at the plant. Sewer connection permits shall run with the land and shall not be transferable from one parcel to another parcel or from property to property. All such connections shall be made and all such work done at the expense of the applicant. All connections shall be made under the supervision of the city, and no such connection shall be covered until the work has been inspected and approved by the city. The city engineer shall issue permits for connection. The director of wastewater shall issue a written finding of available collection and treatment plant capacity as necessary.

B. Connection to city sewer shall also be a grant of permission to conduct announced inspections of the connected premises to verify compliance with city requirements regarding sewer facilities, materials directed to the sewer system, and flows directed to the sewer system. Subject to approval of the city attorney or other legal authority, the city may conduct unannounced inspections based upon reasonable suspicion that prohibited activities related to the city sewer are taking place or being maintained or allowed to exist on the connected premises.

C. When the lowest drain fixture for a facility served by a gravity sewer lateral is less than four inches higher than the nearest upstream manhole, a backwater prevention device shall be installed on the lateral on private property exterior to and downstream of the facility served by the lateral. A backwater device shall be installed on existing laterals by December 31, 2011, or when the lateral is replaced or repaired, whichever occurs first.

D. All gravity laterals shall have a clean out near the property or right-of-way line in a location approved by the city engineer. The city may require that an on-site pressure system deliver flow to a city gravity main using a gravity sewer lateral.

E. All pressure systems shall have a backflow prevention device on private property between the force main and the facility served by the sewer lateral. This requirement shall be met by December 31, 2011, for all existing pressure systems and before connection and operation of new pressure systems connected thereafter.

F. Pretreatment devices shall be installed when required by city code.

G. Connection shall be made utilizing one sewer lateral per parcel of one acre or less. Properties over one acre in size may appeal to the city engineer for more than one lateral. A lateral may serve no more than one parcel. The city shall not be obligated to install a lateral if it is not extending a main wastewater collection pipe intended to serve more than one parcel. The city shall not be obligated to provide a lateral for a vacant parcel exceeding two acres in area. In cases in which the city is not obligated to install a sewer lateral, the property owner shall install the lateral and/or main to the city’s main sewer line.

H. In cases where the city becomes aware of a sewer lateral not meeting these standards, the city may require that a lateral meeting these standards be installed and the old lateral abandoned. If the lateral was installed prior to July 2007 under a city-issued permit, then the city of Sedona shall bear the cost to replace the lateral between the city system and the portion of the connected facility closest to the connection to the city system, with the exception of backflow and backwater prevention devices, which remain a property owner responsibility. If the lateral was installed without a city-issued permit or after July 2007, the property owner shall bear the cost to replace the new lateral.

I. The city shall determine the point of connection to its system. The city is not required to allow connection to its system at a point other than it determines as appropriate, even if a property owner obtains an easement which might facilitate making connection to another location. Connections to sewer mains are to be located within the addressed street of a connecting facility, unless otherwise approved by the city engineer. [Code 2006 § 13-5-5. Ord. 98-18, 8-11-1998; Ord. 2009-04, 4-14-2009; Ord. 2014-06 § 1, 5-27-2014; Res. 2014-10 Exh. A, 5-27-2014; Ord. 2021-07 § 1, 9-28-2021; Res. 2021-23 Exh. A, 9-28-2021].