IPC 701 Separate Sewer Connection

[jar546]

701.3 Separate sewer connection.​

A building having plumbing fixtures installed and intended for human habitation, occupancy or use on premises abutting on a street, alley or easement in which there is a public sewer shall have a separate connection with the sewer. Where located on the same lot, multiple buildings shall not be prohibited from connecting to a common building sewer that connects to the public sewer.

With that requirement being read and around for decades, what is your thought on this situation?

You have a new home being built on an existing lot that once had a house on it. It is discovered that the old sewer connection is shared with the property next door where it WYEs before a single connection to the public sewer. This violates 701.3.

1) Would you require that the new home comply with 701.3?
2) Does the fact that compliance means crossing a State highway affect your decision?

 

[classicT]

The AHJ wherein I am employed deals with this situation quite frequently. Our origins are with government housing built for military personnel and government scientists. Many types of homes were built, including prefabricated mobile homes and a significant number of two-family homes. Because of this being government built in the '40's, many things are a bit abnormal if you will. The public sewer system being one of the more unique aspects.

Because it was all owned by the government (including the homes), easements were not created and many of the private laterals off the sewer served multiple homes. The sewer mains generally ran down the rear fence line of each home, but there were a number of off-shoots.

Once the government sold off the homes and land, our city was incorporated. During the plat of the city, easements were created over the mains. However, many of the 6" laterals did not receive easements, and many of these 6" lines serve 2-4 residences. Our Public Works department offers maintenance of these shared laterals up to the wye. After the wye, where the line only serves a single residence, it becomes homeowners responsibility. Public Works maintenance of these shared laterals continues until the line completely fails, at which point Public Works and Building jointly require that separate lines serving each lot must be installed. The City Surveyor assists in getting the easements done up and there is some assistance from Public Works in the replacement, but ultimately we get each house on its own lateral to provide a separate sewer connection.

 

[jar546]

The AHJ wherein I am employed deals with this situation quite frequently. Our origins are with government housing built for military personnel and government scientists. Many types of homes were built, including prefabricated mobile homes and a significant number of two-family homes. Because of this being government built in the '40's, many things are a bit abnormal if you will. The public sewer system being one of the more unique aspects.

Because it was all owned by the government (including the homes), easements were not created and many of the private laterals off the sewer served multiple homes. The sewer mains generally ran down the rear fence line of each home, but there were a number of off-shoots.

Once the government sold off the homes and land, our city was incorporated. During the plat of the city, easements were created over the mains. However, many of the 6" laterals did not receive easements, and many of these 6" lines serve 2-4 residences. Our Public Works department offers maintenance of these shared laterals up to the wye. After the wye, where the line only serves a single residence, it becomes homeowners responsibility. Public Works maintenance of these shared laterals continues until the line completely fails, at which point Public Works and Building jointly require that separate lines serving each lot must be installed. The City Surveyor assists in getting the easements done up and there is some assistance from Public Works in the replacement, but ultimately we get each house on its own lateral to provide a separate sewer connection.

Excellent information. Thank you for sharing with the group.

 

[e hilton]

1) Would you require that the new home comply with 701.3?
2) Does the fact that compliance means crossing a State highway affect your decision?

Yes.
Yes, might lean toward not requiring it, depending on the width of the street.

 

[classicT]

I guess that I forgot to answer your questions Jar, but instead just shared an issue that I have to deal with locally.

1) Typically yes, I would require separate sewer connections.
2) Yes, the difficulty in making the required connection does affect the decision. I'd want to know what the Public Works Dept. has to say. Will they accept ownership of the shared lateral as a main? If yes, problem solved. If no, then it is a bit more of a challenge. Can the two owners provide an agreement for joint ownership and maintenance of the line? Is the line poly or other material that has a long life span? (i.e. answer may be no if it is an old AC line) Is the sewer line appropriately sized for serving two residences? Many factors at play here... but ultimately, it is pretty low risk situation.

 

[steveray]

1. Yes
2. No.....The State might give them a pass, but I can't....

 

[Beniah Naylor]

If you make the new home comply now, and then the neighbor's old home comply when their sewer fails and they have to fix it, eventually everything will meet code and be simpler for everybody.

If they are building a new house and no one is living there, now is the best time to address it.

Unless you are planning to retire and it'll be someone else's problem down the road when the sewer needs maintenance, lol.

 

[mtlogcabin]

It is discovered that the old sewer connection is shared with the property next door where it WYEs before a single connection to the public sewer.

1 Yes
2 Yes only if the state will not allow them to cross a state highway.

there should be some kind of easement for maintenance where the shared line is if you can not separate the services

 

[steveray]

there should be some kind of easement for maintenance where the shared line is if you can not separate the services

Agreed...Only problem with that is when one of the owners does not want to pay for the "common" repair.....And the utility doesn't own it....Someone gets the S@#$ end of the sewer pipe repair...