HomeMy WebLinkAbout6*. y
~orre~t: copy of Orcitn~mee ~o. , ~ of the
dsy of ..... the ~ame
ACtin~ Cit~ Clerk
ORDINANCE N0. ~
AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE SANITARY'~DISPOSAL OF
SEWAGE IN THE ICiTY OF SARATOGA, CALIFORNIA.
The City Council of the City of Saratoga does ordain as
follows:
SECTION l: This Ordinance shall apply to all territory
embraced within~ the incorporated limits of
the City of Saratoga, State of California.
SECTION la: Definition of "Health Officer": "Health
Officer" shall mean the Santa Clara County Health Officer, his
assistants, or authorized deputies acting as health officer
of the City of Saratoga.
SECTION 2: It shall be unlawful to maintain, use, any
residence, plac'e of business, or other build-
ing or place where persons residue,. congregate, or are employed .
which is not provided with means~ for the disposal of sewage,
either by a flush toilet connected with a sewage system
approved by the Health Officer, or when it is Judged permissible
by the Health Officer, a privy which meets the requirements
of construction and maintenance hereinafter described.
SECTION 2: EVery building where persons reside, congre-
gate, or are employed which abuts a street or
alley in which there is an apprqved public sanitary sewer, or
which is within 200 feet of an approved public sanitary sewer,
provided a right of way can be obtained, and if possible grade
is present, shall be connected tb the sewer, by the owner or
agent of the premises, in the most direct manner possible, and.
with separate connection for each home or building.
SECTION ..4: It shall be u~lawful for any person to con-
struct or maintain any privy, cesspool, septic
tank, sewage treatment works, sewer pipes or conduits, or other
pipes or conduits for the treatment or discharge of sewage or
impure waters or any matter or substance offensive, injurious
or dangerous to health, whereby !they shall do any of the follow-
ing:
(a) Overflow any lands whatever;
(b) Empty, flow, seep, drain ~nto or affect any
springs, streams, rivers, lakes or other Waters
within the City of Saratoga, PRO. VIDED HOWEVER, if with respect
to existing septic tanks, sewage treatment workS, sewer pipes
or conduits or other pipes or conduits for the treatment or
discharge of sewage or impure waters, it would be exceptionally
~-l-
'ffi ul if ot possible to comply with the provisions of '
~ls ~ec~ton or this Ordinance, ,the Health Officer shall have
the power by special permit to ~llow such variations fromthe~
provisions contained in this Section as will prevent ~unnecessary
hardship or injustice and at the same time most hearly accomplish
the general purpose and intent hereof.
SECTION 5: Every residence, place of residence, or other
building or place where persons congregate,
reside, or are employed, and whi!ch does not abut a street or
alley in which there is an apDr6ved sanitary sewer, or which is
not within 200 feet of an approved public sanitary sewer, shall
be provided with a private wate~ flush toilet, or if in the
opinion of the Health Officer conditions permit, a privy, by
the owner or agent or occupant of the premises~ said water
flush toil.et system, or privy, to be built or rebuilt, con-
structed, altered or reconstructed, or maintained in such manner
as to meet the requirements of cXonstruction. and maintenance
herei~after described to-wit:
A. Private Sewage D~sposal Systems.
1. .At any residence, place of business or other
building where there is installed a water
flush system or .sewage disposal system which is not connected
to a public sewer system, and w~ere the customary users do not
exceed fifteen (15) in number, there shall also be established or
installed a private sewage disposal system. Said disposal system
to consist of a septic tank and a system of underground ~ains
for the disposal of the tank effluent. Said tank and drains shall
be so constructed as to meet the requirements of construction and
maintenance hereinafter described.
(a) SEPTIC TANKS. The septic tanks shall
of two compartment construc~
tion; the first compartment being twice the capacity of the
second. Said tank shall be of a type, constructed and located in
accordance with the recommendations of the State Department of
Public Health and the Health 0ff~cer. If it is necessary to
install the tank above the ground surface, it must be made air
and odor tight. The septic tank, distribution box if used, and
all inlets and outlets thereto, shall be water tight.
(1) SIZE.* The minimum capacity of the
septic tank shall ~e 700 gallons..
· (2) ~TERI~LS. The septic tank shall be
constructed oflc0ncrete, irrigation heart grade redwood or equal,
orsome other material of equal durable and waterproof qualities
approved by the Health 0fficer.~
(b) DRAINS. The effluent from the septic tank
~ust discharge into an approved
absorption field. The construction shall be such that the sewage
shall at no time flow over the tpp of the ground. The absorption
field shall be laid at a grade of not more than two (2) inches
in one hundred (lO0) feet. The effluent lines shall be laid in
a trench at least ~venty-four (2~) inches wide, which has a layer
of one to two inch loose rock on the bottom at least twelve (12)
inches deep and at least four (~) inches over the top of said
-2-
effluent lines. The minimum length of the effluent leaching
lines shall be one hundred and twenty-five (125) feet. Addi-
tional length of effluent line may be required by the Health
Officer if unusual conditions are encountered. In any case
where the topography or area of any lot, piece or parcel of
land upon which a septic tank iserected, maintained, construc-I
ted~ or is proposed to be erected~ maintained or constructed,
is such that the minimum requirements for the length of effluent
leaching lines cannot be complied with the Health Officer may
grant a special permit for the erection, construction or main-
tenance of shorter effluent leaching lines, or other means of
effluent disposal, if in his judgment such other means or shorter
effluent lines are sufficient to provide for the disposal of the
effluentswithout endangering public health or safety.
(c) CESSPOOLS.' It shall be unlawful to use a
cesspool for the disposal of
sewage without a permit from the Health Officer.
(d) SEWERWELLS.' All sewer wells are hereby
declared to be a public
nuisance. It shall be unlawful~ to drill, construct~ maintain
or operate a sewer well~ and such an offense shall constitute a
misdemeanor.
2. At any residence, place of business, or
other building where there is installed a
water flush system of sewage disposal, which is not connected to
a public sewer system, and where the customary users exceed
fifteen (15) in number', there shall also be established or in-
stalled a private sewage disposal plant~ the plans and construc-
tion of which~ in each separate case, shall be approved by the
Health Officer.
B. Pit Privy.
1. It shall be~unlawful to use a pit privy for
the disposal of sewage without ~ permit from
the Health Officer. Whenin the opinion of the Health Officer
the conditions permit the disposal of sewage by means of a pit,
privy~ said privy, if established or installed, shall be so con-
structed~ built~ rebuilt~ or maintained that:
(a) The privy shall be placed ata distance
approved by the Health Officer from all
wells~ streams and dwellings;
ib) The sewage deposited therein shall not fall
upon the surface of the g round~ but shall
enter into a vault or pit in the ground or a compartment built
for that purpose;
(c) Said vault and building thereon shall at
all times be inaccessible to insects~
rodents, or other animals~
(d) The pit vault or compartment, together with
the floor riser seat and other portions of
the building shall as a uni~ prevent the entrance of either rain
or surface water into the pit bel0w;
(~) All privy buildings shall be kept in clean
and sanitary conditions at all times;
2. Chemical p~ivies, septic privies, concrete
· vaul~ privies or other privies not hereto-
fore mentioned may be used only~h the special permission of
the Health Officer.
SECTION ~:" It shall be unlawful' for any person, firm or cor-
poration to construct, build, or rebuild any
residence,' place of residence~ or other building or place where
persons congregate, reside or are employed which is not to be
connected to an approved public sanitary sewer without first
submitting plans of the means of sewage disposal to the Health
Officer, and obtaining a permit jtherefor as herein provided.
Such plans shall include the pl0t plan of the premises with
sufficient elevations, the size~and type of ~eptic tanks, and a
plan of the absorption field, g~ving all dimensions and other
pertinent information. Every applicant for a permit shall pay
to the Health Officer for each ~ermit issued and at the time of
issuance a fee of Five ($5.00) ~or each sewage disposal system.
SECTION 7: No building permi. t asrequired by OrdinanCe
No. ~ , and any amendments thereto, shall
be issued for any building which is not to be connected to an
approved public sanitary sewer, without the written approval of
the Health Officer of the plan df the means of sewage disposal
for said building. ~
SECTION 8: No Certification 'of Occupancy shall be issued for
any building which is not connected to an approved
public sanitary sewer without t~e written approval by the Health
Officer of the means of sewage diisposal for said building.
SECTION 9: It shall be the duty of the.Health Officer to
enforce the provi~sions of this Ordinance, and in
the performance of this duty the Health Officer or his duly
authorized agent is hereby authorized to enter at any reasonable
hour any premises as may be'necessary in the enforcement of this
Ordinance.
SECTION lO: Any person~ firm for corporation who violates or
refuses or fails to comply with any of the pro-
visions of this Ordinance shall ~e guilty of a misdemeanor and
shall be punished upon conviction by a fine of not less than
Twenty-Five ($25.00) Dollars nor more than Five Hundred ($500.00)
Dollars or by imprisonment in the County Jail for not more than
Six (6) months or by both such f%ne and imprisonment.
SECTION ll: If any section, sub-section, paragraph, sentence,
clause or Rhrase of this Ordinance is for any
reason held to be Unconstitutional or invalid, such decisioh shall
not affect the validity of'the remaining portions of this Ordinance.
The Council of the City of SaratOga hereby declares that it would
have passed this Ordinance and e~ch section, sub-section, paragraph,
sentence, clause and phrase thereof irrespective of the fact
that any one or more sections, ~ub-sections~ paragraphs, sen-
tences, clauses or phrases be declared unconstitutional or
~ECTION 12: This Ordinance s~all not be construed as imposing
upon the City of!Saratoga any liability or res-
ponsibility for damage resulting from the defective construction
of any sanitary disposal system~as herein provided, nor shall
the City of Saratoga or any official or employee thereof be held
as assuming any such liability Or responsibility by reason of the
inspection authorized thereunder.
SECTION l~: This Ordinance is hereby declared to be an
emergency and urgency measure for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health and safety, and shall
take effect immediately on itsmpassage. The facts constituting
such emergency are as follows:
The City of Saratoga has recently become an in-
corporated general law City in the County of Santa Clara, State
of California, and owing to the:terminati'on of County jurisdiction
over said area the regulation of matters hereinabove set forth
will be lacking within said area until a city ordinance becomes
effective concerning the same.
The present and Sxpected influx of people into
the City of Saratoga and thepresent and proposed building within
the same require the immediate Bupervision of sewage disposal
to prevent unsanitary situations imminently dangerous to the
public health and safety.
This Ordinance w~s regularly introduced and after the wait-
ing time required by law was thereafter passed and adopted the
~.~ day of .~~-~ 1956, by the following
vote:
AYES~: Councilmen Brazil, Jepsen, ~'~n~ill, R0s~sce, Willjams
NOES: ~one
ABSENT: None
The above and foregoing is a true and c~rrect
.