New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 21 - Miscellaneous
Chapter XXX - Niagara Falls Water Board
Part 1960 - Wastewater Regulations
Section 1960.3 - POTW and MS4 connections

Current through Register Vol. 45, No. 52, December 27, 2023

(a) Connection of accessible premises to the POTW or MS4.

(1) All persons owning any occupied building now erected upon premises accessible to the water board POTW and/or MS4 shall, at their own expense, connect to the water board POTW and/or MS4.

(2) All persons owning any premises accessible to the water board POTW or MS4 upon which a building is hereafter erected, shall, at the time of the erection of such building and at their own expense, connect to the water board POTW and/or MS4.

(3) All persons owning any occupied premises which hereafter becomes accessible to the water board POTW or MS4 shall, at their own expense, connect to the water board POTW or MS4 within three months after written notice to do so from the director.

(b) Plumbing code requirements.

(1) No connection shall be made to the water board POTW or MS4 except by a plumber duly registered and licensed by the city and the water board, and in a manner and of such materials as are approved by the city and the director.

(2) Where the buildings to be connected to the water board POTW are used, in whole or in part, for the preparation or serving of food or for any other processing where grease or oil may be produced, including but not limited to eating houses, restaurants, hotels, drug stores, bars and saloons, there shall be installed in each connection a grease interceptor or trap of design and make as approved by the director and the city.

(3) All industrial and commercial storage or repair garages, gasoline stations with grease racks, grease pits or wash racks; all motor vehicle cleaning facilities and all facilities which have oily and/or flammable wastes as a result of manufacturing, storage, maintenance, repair or testing processes, shall provide sand interceptors, catch basins and oil interceptors as are approved by the director and the city.

(4) Interceptors and separators shall be maintained in efficient operating condition by removal of accumulated grease, scum, oil or other floating substances and solids deposited in the interceptor or separator so as to preclude these substances from entering the water board's POTW, or at scheduled intervals as directed by the director.

(c) Separate connections required for connections to the POTW. Except for industrial users, and except where there is a separate dwelling house of the same owner upon the rear part of a lot, each separate building shall be provided with an independent connection to the water board POTW. A separate dwelling house of the same owner on the rear part of a lot may be connected to the POTW through the same building connection as that serving the main house. Two or more properties (or parcels of property) shall not be permitted to discharge in the same building connection to the water board POTW, except by specific authorization in writing from the director.

(d) Connection permit. Whenever any connection pipe, or other facility is to be connected to the water board POTW or MS4, the owner of such building or facility shall make written application to the director and the city director of inspections in person or through a plumber duly licensed and registered by the city, acting as agent for such property owner, upon a form to be supplied by the city and the water board. The application shall set forth the nature and character of the connection to be made and the time within which the same is to be completed. Upon the approval of such application, a permit to make such connection shall be issued to the applicant. The fee for such permit shall be established by and payable, in advance, to the city director of inspections. In the case of an SIU defined herein, the applicant shall also be required to obtain the approval of the director in order to validate the connection permit approved and issued by the city director of inspections. Approval of the director shall also be required for those making application for connection to the diversion sewer.

Whenever said connection involves work in a publicly owned right-of-way, a city engineering department permit application for work within the city's right-of-way must be filed in the office of the city engineer, or if such right-of-way is owned by the water board, then an application for a water board permit must be filed with the director. Such application must be filed by a plumber duly licensed and registered by the city, 24 hours in advance of starting work. All provisions of said engineering permit or water board permit, as the case may be, shall be strictly adhered to.

(e) Water board's right to do work. The water board reserves the right and may elect to do all or any part of the work incident to making connections and shall so endorse the permit. The costs of such part of the work shall be charged to and paid by the property owner and shall be due and payable immediately upon the completion of the work. If not so paid, costs may be collected by the water board in such manner as may be permitted by law.

(f) Permit invalid for non-compliance.

(1) Each permit issued to a property owner pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (d) of this section, for the making of the connection with the water board POTW or MS4, shall be invalid unless work is commenced and completed in accordance with the terms thereof, and no work shall be done after any permit has expired unless and until a new permit shall have been obtained from the city director of inspections, or the director, as the case may be.

(2) The water board reserves the right to revoke any permit so issued upon violation of any of the provisions of this Part. The property owner whose permit shall be so revoked shall thereupon be required to secure a new permit for the making of a connection to the water board POTW or MS4 upon such terms as the director may prescribe.

(g) Inspection requests.

(1) Upon request of any property owner or his agent, the director shall make an inspection of sewer connections or building sewers to determine compliance or non-compliance with this Part and sections 501 and 502 of the State Plumbing Code. A property owner or his agent shall submit with any inspection request a fee of $100 to cover the cost of such inspections; provided, however, that if the $100 inspection fee has been paid and an inspection reveals any non-compliance with this Part or the State Plumbing Code, a request for reinspection, made within 120 days of the last inspection may be made and will be provided without payment of any additional fee.

(2) Upon completion of any inspection or reinspection, the director shall issue or cause to be issued a letter stating compliance or non-compliance with this Part and the State Plumbing Code.

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