BUILDING SEWERS AND CONNECTIONS

Huntsville Code of Ordinances ch. 21, art. II, div. 4

in effect

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-121 Duties of owner generally.

Sec. 21-121. - Duties of owner generally. (a) All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the city from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation, maintenance or mechanical failure of the building sewer. (b) All industries, commercial organizations or other producers of liquid waste of any form, including domestic waste, as at apartments, hotels, motels, hospitals, universities, schools or homes served by the city sewer system, must obtain a permit from the director prior to making a connection to the city sanitary sewer system. (c) Service charge for repair and maintenance of grinder pumps during normal working hours shall be $15.00 per hour for technician and $7.50 per hour for laborer/helper. Service charge for after-hours call-out shall be computed on the greater of: (1) Four times the hourly rate of this subsection; or (2) Actual number of hours worked times the overtime rate (time and one-half). Property owner shall be responsible for invoice cost (replacement parts, including freight, factory service, etc.) plus ten percent, and billing shall be in accordance with section 21-276. Rates will be reviewed on an annual basis and changed as necessary by the engineering division. (Code 1982, § 20-151; Ord. No. 87-167, § 1, 5-14-1987)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-122 Fee when connection was at no cost to the owner.

Sec. 21-122. - Fee when connection was at no cost to the owner. In all cases where the sewer main to which the connection is to be made has been installed at no cost to the property involved, the applicant shall, before obtaining a permit from the inspection division, pay to the city clerk-treasurer the sum of $1,000.00. This provision shall not apply to a connection made to serve approved subdivisions where the sewer mains in the subdivision have been installed at the expense of the property served in the subdivision and a connection made to a developed lot served, at the time of the connection, by a septic tank system of wastewater removal. (Code 1982, § 20-152; Ord. No. 94-809, § 1, 12-20-1994)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-123 Connections outside city.

Sec. 21-123. - Connections outside city. It shall be unlawful for any person to connect with or maintain a connection with the city sewer system any premises located outside the corporate limits of the city; however, this section shall not prevent any person from maintaining any connection heretofore made with such system, or from connecting and maintaining any premises to such system in accordance with approval of the city council heretofore rendered; and the owners of any tract in close proximity to the existing corporate boundaries who are not legally entitled to become annexed to the city because of lack of contiguity may, with the approval of the council, be specifically authorized to connect specifically described premises to the city sewer system under the following conditions: (1) The applicant must file an application with the council describing the premises to be served and listing the proposed use of the facilities and the type and volume of effluent to be discharged. (2) The applicant must agree to pay all connection and service fees. (3) The applicant must irrevocably agree to annexation into the city limits at the discretion of the city council at such time as contiguity with the present city boundary and compliance with applicable law can be met. (4) The applicant must agree, prior to annexation, to make an annual payment in lieu of city ad valorem taxes, such payment to be based upon the city tax rate applied against the value as assessed for state and county ad valorem taxes, the first such payment to be due for the tax year beginning next after such connection is actually made and terminating with the tax year ending prior to the year such property is annexed, or if such property is disconnected from the system, terminating with the year ending prior to the year of termination. (5) The applicant must file such agreement in the office of the judge of probate of the county. Such agreement must, by its terms, bind the successors in interest to the property. (Code 1982, § 20-153(b); Ord. No. 94-297, 5-12-1994; Ord. No. 95-511, 8-10-1995)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-124 Prohibited connections.

Sec. 21-124. - Prohibited connections. No person shall make connection of roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway drains or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a building sewer or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer. (Code 1982, § 20-154)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-125 Method of connection.

Sec. 21-125. - Method of connection. 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 and regulations of the city. (Code 1982, § 20-155)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-126 Elevation of connection.

Sec. 21-126. - Elevation of connection. 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 too low to permit gravity flow to be the public sewer, sanitary wastewater carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer. (Code 1982, § 20-156)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-127 Engineering standards.

Sec. 21-127. - Engineering standards. The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing codes or other applicable rules and regulations of the city, or the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials) and the WPCF (Water Pollution Control Federation) 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 director before installation. (Code 1982, § 20-157)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-128 Separate connections.

Sec. 21-128. - Separate connections. Every building in which plumbing fixtures are installed shall have a connection to a public or private sewer, except where a public sewer is not available, an individual sewage disposal system shall be of a type that is acceptable and approved by the director or other governing authority having jurisdiction. (Code 1982, § 20-158)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-129 Public hazard.

Sec. 21-129. - Public hazard. All excavations for building sewer installation shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the city. (Code 1982, § 20-159)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-130 Grease and solid removal.

Sec. 21-130. - Grease and solid removal. Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the director, they are necessary 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 approved by the engineering division and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. (Code 1982, § 20-160)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-131 Preliminary treatment devices.

Sec. 21-131. - Preliminary treatment devices. Where preliminary treatment of flow-equalizing facilities is provided for any waters or wastes, it shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense. (Code 1982, § 20-161)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-132 Control manhole.

Sec. 21-132. - Control manhole. The owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable control manhole together 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 director. The manhole shall be installed by the owner at his expense and shall be maintained by him so as to be safe and accessible at all times. The manhole must be located on the industrial waste service connection with all sanitary wastes excluded. (Code 1982, § 20-162)

Huntsville Code of Ordinances § 21-133 Cross connections.

Sec. 21-133. - Cross connections. Any cross connection between potable water supply and sanitary sewer shall be prohibited, except as specified by the Standard Plumbing Code (chapter 7, article IV, division 6) as adopted and amended by the city. (Code 1982, § 20-163)

Source: City of Huntsville, Alabama, publisher code (Municode) + enacted ordinances (City Council/Legistar)URL: https://library.municode.com/al/huntsville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH21SESEDIOTWADI_ARTIISESEDI_DIV4BUSECOFetched: 11/6/2026