PRIVATE SEWER DISTRICTS

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, ch. 6

in effect

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 600 Definitions.

Section 600. - Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given herein: A. House sewer shall include all sewer lines carrying sewage from individual dwellings or places of business to the lateral lines. B. Lateral sewer shall include all gathering sewer lines carrying sewage from the house sewer lines to the sub-main or main sewer lines. No lateral sewer shall be less than eight (8) inches in diameter, except as approved by the Director. C. Adequate lateral shall mean any sewer constructed as an "excess capacity main" when it is utilized as a lateral by the property abutting thereon. The value of the benefit to such abutting property shall be defined as the amount equal to the proportionate cost of an eight (8) inch sewer to that of the sewer constructed as an "excess capacity main." This amount shall be equal to four (4) times the cost of the "excess capacity sewer" per inch of diameter per foot of length that it abuts the property along either side of the sewer, and shall be in addition to the "allowable recovery per thousand gallons per day capacity" for each thousand gallons of capacity utilized by the abutting property. D. Sub-main sewer shall include all sewers eight (8) inches, ten (10) inches or twelve (12) inches in diameter, which serve to convey sewage from lateral sewers to a main sewer. E. Main sewer shall include all sewers carrying sewage gathered from a number of lateral sewers or sub-main sewers to a central plant for treatment. F. Entire drainage area shall mean that area as determined by the City of Tulsa and as established from any point on any existing sewer of the sewerage system of the City of Tulsa such that sewers flowing by gravity may be extended from such point to collect sewage originating from each and every tract of land within such area. G. Required capacity shall mean the millions of gallons per day capacity required for any sewer to serve the entire drainage area as determined by the City of Tulsa. The required capacity in millions of gallons per day shall be equal to the product of the drainage area in acres raised to the exponent 0.8169 multiplied by the constant number 0.01467. (Qm = A 0.8169 × 0.01467), where Qm equals capacity in millions of gallons per day and A equals area in acres. H. Sewer capacity shall mean the quantity of sewage in thousands of gallons per day that can be conveyed through a given sewer flowing full on a predetermined grade. This capacity shall be equal to the product of the constant number 23,000 multiplied by the diameter of the sewer in feet raised to the exponent 2.667, and that product multiplied by the square root of the grade of the sewer in feet per thousand feet. I. Excess capacity main sewer shall include any privately financed sewer, larger than twelve (12) inches in diameter, required to serve an entire drainage area and having capacity in excess of the capacity actually required to meet the needs of the owner. J. Excess capacity system shall include any system of sewers containing one (1) or more excess capacity mains whose network of sewers corresponds roughly but not necessarily coincidental with the natural surface drainage area. K. Excess capacity contract shall include any contract covering the construction, use and reimbursement of excess capacity mains. L. Excess capacity fee shall mean the amount of money to be paid by the user of any excess capacity main to the City of Tulsa for the use and benefit of the owner of an excess capacity main. Such fee shall be based upon the cost of providing within the excess capacity sewer the thousands of gallons per day capacity required by any user and shall be equal to the amount as determined by the "allowable recovery per thousand gallons per day capacity" for each and every one thousand (1,000) gallons per day capacity required by the following: 1. Each lot or parcel of land on which a single residence is located or is to be located shall require one thousand two hundred (1,200) gallons per day capacity; 2. Each motel unit, hotel unit or other transient living unit shall require six hundred (600) gallons per day capacity; 3. Each trailer space or apartment living unit shall require eight hundred (800) gallons per day capacity; 4. Each school shall require a capacity equal to four hundred (400) gallons per day for each student; 5. Each church shall require a capacity equal to two hundred (200) gallons per person, per day, based on the number of persons its main assembly hall will accommodate; 6. Each hospital shall require a capacity of seven hundred fifty (750) gallons per day for each bed; and 7. Any other use not specified herein shall require a sewer capacity equal to five and two tenths (5.2) times its average water use for sewage disposal purposes. M. Allowable cost shall mean the aggregate cost of any excess capacity main in accordance with the following: 1. The owner's actual cost of construction as determined in the manner of any public contract providing for the advertisement of bids, award of contracts and compliance with the terms of contract as required by the City of Tulsa, but, if not awarded to the low bidder, limited to the amount of cost as calculated according to the bid of the low bidder; 2. Engineering fees of five percent (5%) of construction costs; 3. City inspection and flushing fees; and 4. The actual cost of advertising and recording. N. Allowable cost per thousand gallons per day capacity shall mean that unit cost as determined by dividing the "allowable cost" by the "required capacity." O. Theoretical collection factor shall mean the percentage that the theoretically required capacity of any sewer bears to the volume of sewage which would result if each acre within the entire drainage area served by the sewer contributed four thousand (4,000) gallons per day simultaneously. The "theoretical collection factor" shall equal 0.8005 - 0.2164 Log 10X expressed as a percentage, wherein X is the drainage area in thousand of acres. P. Actual collection factor shall have the same meaning as the "theoretical collection factor," except that the actual capacity of the sewer as constructed may vary within limits of acceptable tolerance as approved and as predicated by available grades, pipe sizes and other considerations. Q. Recovery factor shall mean the factor to be applied to the allowable cost on any "excess capacity contract" of the capacity to be utilized by users other than the owner. The "recovery factor" shall be equal to the following: R equals 1.5790454 - 0.5790454 C, wherein R equals Recovery Factor and C equals Theoretical Collection Factor. R. Allowable recovery shall mean that amount of money established by the product of the "allowable cost" multiplied by the "recovery factor." S. Allowable recovery per thousand gallons per day capacity shall mean that unit cost as determined by dividing the "allowable recovery" by the "required capacity," and that quotient multiplied by the "actual collection factor." The "actual collection factor" may not exceed the "theoretical collection factor" in any computation. T. Private sewer districts shall mean any system of one (1) or more sanitary sewers, other than house sewers, constructed within or outside the corporate limits of the City of Tulsa, which includes any excess capacity sewer and is connected to the sewerage system of the City of Tulsa. The physical boundaries of such "private sewer district" shall be as established and defined by legal description, setting forth the actual tracts of land served thereby, whether platted or unplatted. Such tracts of land as described shall be exempt from subsequent assessment for sewer construction. Off-site excess capacity sewers shall not be included within the boundaries of the district. (Ord. Nos. 10629, 20623)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 601 Private sewerage systems connecting to sewerage systems of the City.

Section 601. - Private sewerage systems connecting to sewerage systems of the City. A. Private districts. Whenever it is the desire of the owner or owners of properties within or outside the corporate limits of the City of Tulsa to install a sewerage system, which may or may not require the construction of an excess capacity sewer, and to connect such sewerage system to the City's system of sanitary sewers, the owner or owners shall first apply to the City of Tulsa, through its duly authorized representatives for permission in the form to be prescribed, setting forth the legal description and the record owners of the property to be sewered. If such petition is approved, the applicant shall have prepared by a registered engineer, plans, specifications and estimates of cost which shall be submitted to the City for its approval. Upon approval of the application, the owner and the City shall enter into a contract covering the construction, operation and maintenance of such sewers, which contract shall provide in substance the following provisions. 1. Upon completion and acceptance of such sewers, the sewage collecting system therein, with the exception of "excess capacity mains" as herein defined, shall become the property of the City. Excess capacity mains shall remain the property of the owner until the owner shall have received his full allowable recovery or until the excess capacity contract has expired, whichever occurs first; thereafter the excess capacity mains shall become the property of the City. 2. The owner shall deposit with the City a sum equal to the engineering inspection fee and other amounts which may be due the City, including an administrative charge of two and one-half percent (2½%) of any sums paid to the City for the benefit of the owner of any excess capacity main; provided, however, that upon completion of the work, the amount finally paid to the City shall be adjusted in accordance with actual City expenditures. 3. The owner shall pay to the City, for the benefit of the owner of any excess capacity main through which sewage emanating within the proposed system must flow to reach a treatment plant, an amount equal to the "excess capacity fee" for such connection, the aggregate of which shall, in no event, be less than the allowable recovery for four thousand (4,000) gallons per day capacity for each acre served. 4. The owner shall pay to the City, for the benefit of the owner of any excess capacity main, an amount equal to the equivalent cost of an adequate lateral in the event any excess capacity main is so utilized. 5. All sanitary sewer and plumbing work upon the properties involved shall be done in accordance with the Revised Ordinances of the City of Tulsa governing properties within its corporate limits. 6. The contractor for such work shall file with the City of Tulsa a performance bond in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the contract, guaranteeing completion of the work and a maintenance bond in the amount of fifty percent (50%) of the amount of the contract, guaranteeing the work for a period of one (1) year after its completion and approval by the City. 7. The City shall be at no expense in the construction, repairing or cleaning of any excess capacity sewer for so long as it remains private property. B. Excess capacity contracts. The City of Tulsa may require any sewers so situated as to subsequently serve an entire drainage area to be constructed with a capacity and at such depths as to permit future extensions thereto throughout the entire natural contributing drainage area, without subsequently exceeding the capacity available. The capacity required under the circumstances is defined herein. Whenever and wherever any sewer larger than twelve (12) inches in internal diameter is required, the owner may be reimbursed for the costs of providing such capacity over and above the capacity utilized by himself and over and above the use he makes of the sewer as an adequate lateral, subject to the following conditions. 1. The owner shall enter into a standard form of contract with the City of Tulsa in accordance with the procedures and in a manner prescribed for public contracts. 2. The City's determination of the entire drainage area, amounts of allowable cost, collection factor and recovery factor to establish the total allowable recovery and the allowable recovery per thousand gallons per day as defined herein shall be final and binding upon all parties; and the City shall not be liable for errors made therein. 3. After completion and acceptance of the owner's sewers, constructed pursuant hereto, and payment to City and to other owners all amounts required herein, and upon connection of owner's sewers to the sewerage system of the City of Tulsa, the owner's sewers shall be and become a part of the sewerage system of the City, under its exclusive control and operation, subject only to the specific rights reserved to the owner as herein set forth. The City shall have the right to make such connection and cross-connection as it may deem necessary for the proper management and utilization of owner's sewers as an integrated part of the sewerage system of the City of Tulsa. 4. Unless sooner terminated by the provisions of the contract, the term of any excess capacity contract shall run from the date of acceptance by the City of the owner's sewer for a period of twenty (20) years. 5. The owner shall not be entitled to receive any payment from persons utilizing the excess capacity of any sewer he may construct until the owners of all excess capacity of elevations lower than his in the drainage area have recovered that proportionate part of the full amount of their allowable cost applicable to that segment served by himself. 6. The sole and only obligation of City to the owner hereunder, after the sewers have been constructed and have become a part of City's system, shall be to require the payment of the sums to be paid by others. 7. The City of Tulsa shall, during the term of any excess capacity contract, require any persons who desire to connect to or to extend any excess capacity system to pay to the City, for the benefit of the owners of all excess capacity mains within the system, that portion of the allowable recovery for each excess capacity main within the system applicable to the property to be served, including the use made of any excess capacity main as an adequate lateral. 8. The City of Tulsa shall make all reimbursements for multiple excess capacity contracts within any excess capacity system only in the order and sequence constructed so that contracts for excess capacity sewers of higher elevation in the drainage area shall not be entitled to reimbursement until the contracts of excess capacity sewers of lower elevation have been reimbursed the full amount of the allowable recovery applicable to that particular contributing segment. Subsequent reimbursements shall be made for the next succeeding contract in order until all contributing areas are developed. C. Restrictions and reservations. The following restrictions and reservations are placed upon all connections to the sewerage system of the City of Tulsa: 1. Diversion of sewage flow from one drainage area or excess capacity system to another by gravity shall be limited to such minor areas as may be approved; but in no event shall such diversion cause the capacity of any eight (8) inch sewer under gravity flow to exceed four hundred sixty thousand (460,000) gallons per day. In the event an excess capacity main is under contract within the drainage area or excess capacity system from which diversion is made and such drainage area or excess capacity system is defined by public land description, the excess capacity fee shall be paid to the excess capacity system from which diverted. Correspondingly, the size requirement for subsequent sewers within the system from which diverted shall be reduced to provide for the reduction in capacity required. 2. Diversion of sewage flow from one drainage area or excess capacity system to another by pumping shall be limited to the City's unobligated available capacity within any excess capacity main receiving the pumped sewage, and then only with the concurrence in writing from the owners of all excess capacity contracts then in force within the receiving excess capacity system. Reimbursement shall be made for all excess capacity contracts then in force within both systems, including the system pumped from and the system pumped into, on the basis of the allowable recovery per thousand gallons per day for each thousand gallons capacity required. In addition to the above, a sum shall be escrowed with the City of Tulsa by any person, persons, firm, corporation or trust desiring to pump sewage from one drainage area to another or to pump downstream within the same drainage area. Such sum shall be sufficient to cover the estimated proportionate cost, based on thousands of gallons capacity, to subsequently eliminate the pump station. The escrow shall be conditioned that it shall be payable to and to the extent that any qualified builder, including the City of Tulsa, contributes to the elimination of the pump station. 3. Nothing herein shall be construed to obligate the City to give or continue to give sewer service to any person, firm or corporation, or to any particular tract of land, other than pursuant to its ordinances, regulations and sewer service charges as are now in effect or may hereafter be adopted. (Ord. No. 10629)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 602 Outside connections.

Section 602. - Outside connections. Any person owning property or in charge of property outside of the corporate limits of the City of Tulsa, who desires to connect a house sewer to serve such property with the nearest sanitary sewer, shall file a written application with the City. If such application is approved, the City shall enter into an agreement with such applicant to supply sanitary sewage collection and disposal services. The applicant, as consideration thereof, shall agree to pay, in addition to all filing fees, a connection fee of Forty-Five Dollars ($45.00) plus the following: A. Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) for each lot or parcel of land on which a single residence is located; B. Nine Dollars ($9.00) for each motel unit, hotel unit or other transient living unit; C. Twelve Dollars ($12.00) for each trailer space or apartment living unit; D. Sixty cents ($.60) per student for designed enrollment at each school; E. Thirty cents ($.30) for each member of the congregation of each church (to be based upon the seating capacity of the main assembly hall); F. Twelve Dollars ($12.00) for each hospital bed; and G. Sixty Dollars ($60.00) for each one thousand (1,000) gallons per day of any anticipated average water use for sewage disposal purposes which are not specified herein. (Ord. No. 16868)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 603 Records.

Section 603. - Records. The Director shall prepare a record of all users, as herein defined, whose property outside of the corporate limits of the City of Tulsa is served by any sanitary sewer. Such record shall describe the location of each such property, the name and address of the user, the number of persons employed or housed on such premises and such other pertinent information as the Utility Board may from time to time require. The Director shall classify each user as required by the terms of this chapter and shall indicate in his records the connection charge or amount due to the City of Tulsa from such user under the terms of this chapter.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 604 Disclosure of facts.

Section 604. - Disclosure of facts. It shall be the duty of each user, as herein defined, to disclose to the Director all facts necessary to properly determine the sewage load to be imposed from any connection and to correctly classify the type of use in computing connection charges and fees under the terms of this chapter.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 605 Refusal to furnish information.

Section 605. - Refusal to furnish information. In the event of the refusal of any such user on demand to furnish all required information to the Director or to permit access to the plumbing system on his property, the Director shall certify such fact to the Mayor through the Utility Board. Upon any such certificate, the Mayor, at his option, may order such sanitary sewer service disconnected and discontinued until the necessary information is submitted for proper classification and the correct connection charges and fees are paid by the user.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 11-C, § 606 Other sewers.

Section 606. - Other sewers. Nothing herein provided shall be construed to take away the jurisdiction, control and supervision of the Director of Public Works over the operation, construction and maintenance of storm sewers or sewers other than sanitary sewers of the City of Tulsa.

Source: City of Tulsa, Revised Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ok/tulsa/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TIT11-CWASE_CH6PRSEDIFetched: 10/28/2026