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Individual Systems

Part 4.  Individual Sewage Disposal Systems  

404.01.  Definitions.  Subdivision 1.  Words and phrases.  For the purposes of this part, the following words and phrases have the meanings given them in this section.  

   Subd. 2.  Sewage.   Sewage is any water-carried domestic waste, exclusive of footing and roof drainage of any residence, industry or commercial establishment, whether treated on untreated, and includes the liquid waste produced by bathing, laundry, and culinary operations, and from toilets and floor drains.  Raw sewage is sewage which has not been subjected to any treatment process.  

   Subd. 3.  Individual sewage treatment system.  An individual sewage treatment system is a sewage disposal system. other than a public or community system, which receives sewage from an individual establishment.  Unless otherwise indicated the word "system " as it appears in this ordinance means "individual sewage treatment system."  A site of less than 5 acres requires a non-leaching tank, not less than five acres a septic system.  

  Subd. 4.  Building drain.  The building drain is that part of a building drainage system which receives the discharge from soil wastes and other drainage pipes inside the wall of any building and convey the same to the building sewer.  

  Subd. 5.  Building sewer.  The building sewer is that part of the horizontal portion of the building drainage system extending from the building drain to its connection with the septic tank and carrying the sewage of but one building.  

404.02.  Code adopted.  Minnesota Rules 1988 Chapter 7080 is hereby adopted by reference and made a part of this ordinance as if fully set forth herein.  Before publication of this code of ordinances the clerk shall mark at least one copy of this code as an official copy and file it in the clerk's office for use and examination.  

404.03.  Licensing.  No person shall engage in the business of installing and constructing sewage treatment systems within the city without first obtaining a license to carry on such occupation from the city and procuring and posting with the city clerk a bond in the amount of $1,000 in favor of the city and the public conditioned upon the faithful performance of contracts and compliance with this part of the ordinance.  Such license shall be renewable annually on or before January 1 of each  year and may be revoked as provided in this code for licenses generally. Any installation, construction, alteration or repair of a system by licenses in violation of the provisions of Section 404.05 or refusal on the part of a licensee to correct such defective  work performed by such licensee shall be cause for revocation of or refusal to renew a license.  

Before any license issued under the provisions of this section may be revoked or its renewal refused, the licensee shall be given a hearing to show cause why such license should not be revoked or refused.  Notice of the time, place and purpose of such hearing shall be in writing.  The annual licensee fee shall be $25.  Application for such license shall be made annually on a form furnished by the clerk.  

404.04  Permits.   Subdivision 1.  Permit required.  No person shall install, alter, repair, or extend any individual sewage treatment system in the city without first obtaining a permit therefor from the council or its authorized representative for the specific installation, alteration, repair or extension; and at the time of applying for the permit, shall pay a fee therefor of $10.  Permit shall be valid for a period of six months from date of issue.  

  Subd. 2.  Applications.   Applications for permits shall be made in writing upon printed blanks or forms furnished by the clerk and shall be signed by the applicant.  

  Subd. 3.  Contents.   Each application for a permit shall have thereon the correct legal description of the property on which the proposed installation, alteration, repair, or extension is to take place, and each application for a permit shall be accompanied by a plot plan of the land showing the location of any proposed or existing buildings located on the property with respect to the boundary lines of the property and complete plans of the proposed system with substantiating data, if necessary, attesting to the compliance with the minimum standards of this ordinance.  A complete plan shall include the location, size and design of all parts of the system to be installed, altered, repaired, or extended.  The application shall also show the present or proposed location of water supply facilities and water supply piping, and the name of the person who is to install the system, and shall provide such further information as may be required by the council.            

404.05  Construction requirements.  Every individual sewage treatment system installed after the effective date of this part of this code and every alteration, extension, and repair to any system made after that date shall conform to the standards of the code adopted by reference in Section 404.02.  Any system or pertinent part thereof, irrespective of the date of original installation, which is not located, constructed or installed in accordance with the code shall be so relocated, reconstructed, or reinstalled as to comply with the standards of those items.  

404.06.  Administration.  The council shall enforce the provisions of this part.  

404.07.  Inspection.  Council shall make such inspection or inspections as are necessary to determine compliance with this part of the ordinance.  No part of the system shall be covered until it has been inspected and accepted by the council.  It shall be the responsibility of the applicant for the permit to notify the clerk that the job is ready for inspection or re-inspection, and it shall be the duty of the council to make the indicated inspection within 48 hours after receiving notice.   It shall be the duty of the owner or occupant of the property to give the  council free access to the property at reasonable times for the purpose of making such inspections.  Upon satisfactory completion and final inspection of the system the clerk shall issue to the applicant a certificate of approval.  

If upon inspection the council discovers that any part of the system is not constructed in accordance with the minimum standards provided in the part, the clerk shall give the applicant written notification describing the defects.  The applicant shall pay an additional fee of $25.00 for each re-inspection that is necessary. The applicant shall be responsible for the correction or elimination of all defects, and and no system shall be placed or replaced in service until all defects have been corrected or eliminated.  

404.08.  Objectives.  The objectives of this part are to provide adequate and safe methods of sewage disposal and prevent the contamination of any existing or future water supply by any existing or future sewage disposal system.  Any system of special, unusual, or new design which will satisfy the state objectives may be accepted as complying with this ordinance and any permit granted for the construction, installation, alteration, or repair of any such special system shall be subject to such conditions and guarantees as may be stated in the permit.