§ 31-02 Sewer Availability Certification.
RCNY § 31-02
(a)General Requirements. Owners proposing to connect to a City sewer, a private sewer, a private drain, or an approved outlet to serve an existing or a proposed development must file a sewer certification application with the appropriate department of the City, in accordance with the following requirements: (1) For an existing or a proposed Fee Simple One (1), Two (2) or Three (3) Family Dwelling Unit less than 20,000 square feet in total site area, a House Connection Proposal for sewer availability certification shall be required. Stormwater management systems for developments that include subdivision of lots must be submitted to DEP for review and approval.
(2)For all existing or proposed developments other than House Connection Proposals, a Site Connection Proposal for sewer availability certification shall be required and must be submitted to DEP. Stormwater management systems for developments that include multiple construction phases or subdivision of lots must be submitted to DEP for review and approval as a master/phased plan site connection application proposal.
(3)For the elimination of existing cesspools, septic tanks, or shared sanitary connections for existing buildings other than House Connection Proposals, a Site Connection Proposal for sewer availability certification shall be required, unless the site has been granted a prior sewer availability certification.
(4)All House Connection Proposals or Site Connection Proposals for sewer availability certification shall be prepared by, or under the supervision of, a professional engineer or registered architect licensed by the State of New York and shall be submitted with the appropriate sewer certification application form. The signature and seal of a professional engineer or registered architect shall appear on each proposal.
(b)Specific Requirements.
(1)A professional engineer or registered architect may self-certify the availability of sewers by using the appropriate self-certified sewer certification application, except as specified in paragraph (2) of this subdivision.
(ii)Computation of the stormwater release rate shall be in accordance with 15 RCNY § 31-03(a)(1) for connections in a combined or storm sewer system. In no case shall the maximum release rate exceed the allowable flow. If it is determined by DEP that the allowable flow is less than the maximum release rate outlined in 15 RCNY § 31-03(a)(1), then the maximum release rate will be equal to the allowable flow. Computation of allowable flow to be discharged into stormwater or combined sewers or drains shall be based on either the City drainage plan or an approved drainage proposal under which the existing sewers or drains were constructed.
(iii)DEP will accept for review applications that minimize the runoff coefficient of the entire site by maximizing open areas, and areas with grass or vegetative cover, green roofs, permeable pavements with suitable infiltration, or other techniques based on the runoff coefficients published by DEP. Further runoff coefficient reductions must be substantiated by soil borings taken at the location of the proposed areas in addition to a permeability test performed in situ.
(iv)Overall site runoff coefficients must not be decreased without the express written approval of DEP.
(v)Applicants shall specify the method(s) of disposal of all developed site storm flow in conformance with the provisions of local laws governing such disposal.
(vi)Sanitary flow discharged to sanitary or combined sewers or drains shall be computed based on the density development permissible under zoning designation for the proposed development in accordance with the most recent drainage design criteria of the DEP.
(5)Block and lot numbers shall correspond to the most recent records supplied by the DOF. Any applicant proposing to alter an existing block and/or lot layout shall submit to the DEP a Tentative Lot Number(s) Request Form bearing the applicant's signature and seal and showing the proposed block or lot modifications.
(6)All existing and proposed sewer connections shall be shown on the site plan and supporting documents. The minimum size of pipe for proposed or reused connections to the sewer system shall be an eight (8) inch pipe in the Borough of Manhattan and a six (6) inch pipe in all other Boroughs. The diameter of a sewer service connection may never be larger than the diameter of the sewer to which it is connecting.
(7)No horizontal bends for sewer connections shall be permitted outside the property lines of the project site.
(8)All sewer connections shall be gravity connections. Single structures utilizing an internal ejector shall follow provisions of the New York City Building Code and shall connect to the sewer by gravity for such use. In cases where multiple structure developments use internal ejectors, the internal ejector system shall discharge into a pressure relief manhole within the property lines, and then flow into the existing sewer by a gravity sewer connection.
(9)All site plans submitted to the DEP with sewer certification applications shall be prepared in accordance with the latest standards and requirements of the DEP, as indicated below: (i) Site plans shall be drawn to scale, and shall contain the original seal and signature of the filing professional engineer or registered architect.
(10)Subsoil boring logs and soil permeability testing information must be submitted, in accordance with the NYC Stormwater Manual, to substantiate any proposed on-site stormwater infiltration.
(11)Any person constructing a new development abutting a waterway shall discharge its stormwater to that waterway. All direct discharges shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
(12)For sites with industrial waste discharge, the applicant must obtain approval from the DEP for such discharge prior to the certification of the sewer certification application. For self-certified sewer certification applications, the approval for the discharge of industrial waste must be obtained prior to submission of the self-certified sewer certification application to the City.
(c)(1) System Availability. The Department will determine the sewer availability based on the following requirements. The Department shall determine that connection is feasible if: (i) the sewer is considered a Department asset; (ii) the sewer is of adequate capacity to receive all sewage flowing from the tributary area; (iii) the sewer is in adequate physical condition to receive such flow; (iv) no physical obstacles exist, between the boundaries of the lot or tract of land on which the building is located and the sewer, which would make connection to the sewer impracticable; (v) the sewer is located in the same drainage area as all or most of the lot or tract of land on which the building is located; and (vi) no other factor reasonably related to the conveyance of flow from the building to the sewer would make such connection impracticable or undesirable as a proper means of sewage disposal.
