Provincetown Sewer Building Connections

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

SCHEDULING THE CONNECTION

 

1.      Can I Change the Date of My Connection?  Not anymore, since there are more than 400 connections to be made and the Metcalf & Eddy team has already scheduled the connections for the whole Town.  The recently published property owner connection schedule included consideration of owner requested tie-in dates (these were obtained from the Summer of 2001 Survey, the returned acknowledgement forms from the Summer of 2002 plot plan approval mailings as well as early connection requests that were received prior to February 2003) and normal construction considerations for proper sequencing and maintaining efficiency.   Recognizing these past efforts at property owner communications, the Town has accepted the published connection schedule as final.  There is no appeal process for these decisions but a property owner may ask to have their name added to a waiting list for an earlier or later scheduled connection date.  Depending on the progress of construction, the wastewater contractor will consider connections from the waiting list (either earlier or later than originally scheduled).  To be put on the waiting list, or check on the current status of the list, property owners should contact the Town’s Independent Engineer at 508-487-7491.  Property owners on the waiting list for an earlier connection date will learn of a new connection date when they are contacted by the M&E field engineer to schedule a pre-construction site visit.  For properties on the waiting list for a delayed connection date, they will be notified by the M&E field engineer of a new date around the time of their originally scheduled site visit. 

 

2.      When do I need to complete the removal of my non-readily removable items?  You should plan on having your items removed within four weeks of your scheduled connection date, since you may need to hire a contractor to assist you in this effort, and they may be difficult to schedule.  A wastewater team field engineer will check your property several weeks before the connection is made, issuing a standard form to indicate if your preliminary work has been completed, or any remaining work needs to be done prior to the connection.

 

3.      Is there a penalty for not being ready (i.e. removing non-readily removable items)?  Yes, since the contractor will need to bypass your property and reschedule you for a later connection date.  You will be notified by M&E that your property has been bypassed, and you will be rescheduled for connection at a later date that fits in with the contractor’s schedule.  If this occurs, you will be assessed a penalty of $4,000 by the Town.

 

4.      When will I know the actual day that the contractor will be working on my property?  Unfortunately, due to the many variables in construction, the wastewater contractor will not be able to provide you with a firm date for your scheduled construction more than a few days in advance.  Given the potential for changing schedules, you will be kept informed through the following measures:

·        Approximately two to four weeks in advance, the wastewater contractor’s field engineer will let you know a better estimate of the date of the connection. 

·        On the day before your scheduled date, the contractor will place notices at your property so that you can make arrangements for parking, and property access.

 

 

GETTING THE PROPERTY READY

 

1.      What non-readily removeables do I need to remove before the connection is made?  Non-readily removeables include any specially built items on your property that cannot be easily dug up and replaced by the wastewater contractor.  Grass, gravel, and asphalt driveways are examples of readily removable items.  Bricks, structures, terraced gardens, seashell and bluestone driveways, shrubs, flower beds and landscaping, and fencing are examples of non-readily removable items.

 

2.      How do I know where to remove these items?  Your “plot plan” which was drawn specifically for your property shows the location of the connection and where items need to be removed.  In general, the wastewater contractor will require 5 foot clearance on either side of the excavation for the pipe trench or pump or vacuum valve pit.   This will result in at least a 10 foot band that must be cleared of obstructions along the sewer route from the street to your building.

 

3.      When can I place everything back on my property?  Once the connection to your system is made by the contractor, or your plumber makes the connection, and you have decommissioned your cesspool or septic tank (see below), then you can replace the non-readily removable items that you removed in order to allow the connection for your property to be made.  If no non-readily removable items existed on your property, then the wastewater contractor will restore the property in the area that he worked, and if you had a plumber work on your property, they would be responsible for restoring the area over which they worked.

 

 

REPLUMBING

 

1.      If replumbing at my property is required, when should I have this done?  Generally, this should be done after the wastewater contractor leaves a pipe “stub” on your property, at the location as indicated in your plot plan. This will minimize interruption of your building plumbing service.  Note that arranging for a plumber to do this re-plumbing work will take some time and you should investigate pricing and contract with a plumber well in advance of your scheduled connection date so you can connect to the wastewater treatment system shortly after your “sewer stub” is installed.  You may also be able to have your plumber do some work in advance of the connection date.  For example, your plumber may be able to upgrade your interior plumbing to meet code, or he may be able to tie together several discharge lines going into separate septic tanks or cesspools into one pipe.  In most cases, however, it will make sense to have the plumber work after the stub is installed for your property.

 

2.      My connection letter states that I am required to replumb, and that two site visits will be required by the wastewater contractor because I am scheduled to provide the initial flow for WWTP when it goes on-line.  When do I need to replumb?  In order to facilitate an immediate connection to the wastewater system once the WWTP goes on-line, the wastewater contractor will make the first visit to your property on the date stated in your letter, before the WWTP is operational.  During this visit the wastewater contractor will install the vacuum pit and service lateral, and will leave a stub for your plumber to connect to.  You should have your plumber replumb your site soon after the first visit by the wastewater contractor.  There are two main options for doing replumbing in advance and facilitating a final connection to the new sewer once the wastewater treatment plant is ready to receive flow.  One option is leave out a small piece of the new plumbing and connect it later once the plant is running.  A second option is to add valves, one on the old house plumbing and another on the new so that flow can be directed to the new sewer system when the time is right.   Your plumber can advise you as to which option would work best for your situation.  For this special scenario, the Town has developed specific guidelines for your plumber to follow, that will direct them on how to replumb your home for future connection to the wastewater system, while maintaining the use of your existing septic system until the WWTP goes on-line.  After the WWTP goes on-line, either the Town’s engineer or the wastewater contractor will notify you.  At this time you can have your plumber to make the final arrangements to discharge sewage to the new sewer system and isolate your existing septic system for decommissioning..

 

3.      If I have plumbing in my basement, will it be connected? If the wastewater team could tell that you had plumbing in your basement from the surveys, your response to official mailings, and/or from observations performed during field inspections, then the system was designed to place the connection from your property as deep as the wastewater system would allow.  However, in some cases, because of the elevation of the pipe under the street, and the elevation of the piping in your house, the sewage from your basement will not be able to flow by gravity to the wastewater system.  In this case, your plumber will need to determine whether a small pump for your basement is required.

 

4.      What if I only have a washing machine in my basement?  Since washing machines already come with their own built-in pump it is likely that your basement machine will be able to pump directly to your new sewer connection.  If the new sewer tie-in is to your septic system outside your home then you will be all set.  If your home is being replumbed to connect to the new sewer system, then your plumber can confirm washing machine pump will be adequate and make arrangements to connect the discharge hose from the washing machine to the new main drain to the sewer system.

 

 

CONNECTING A PROPERTY

 

1.      What happens if I have more than one connection on my property?  The Town has required Metcalf & Eddy to make one connection per property.  Therefore, after M&E makes the first connection, you will need to have your plumber make the remainder of the connections at your property.

 

 

2.      What happens if I didn’t turn in any surveys or respond to any official mailings until now?  A design has still been completed for your property, and the wastewater system will be built to receive flow from your property.  However, no accommodation for property specific issues can be made at this time, since the system is now under construction and time for property connections designs has been completed.  Thus, you may incur additional costs to finish your connection as without the benefit of your input, the wastewater contractor may have been required to make assumptions about your connection requirements which have resulted in a sewer stub at the location and elevation as shown on your plot plan.

 

3.      How much time will be required by the wastewater contractor to install the building sewer? In general, it is anticipated that the wastewater contractor will require approximately one day to install your connection.  This timeframe may vary, however, due to the complexity of the tie in, potential for unforeseen conditions, and the number of homes connected to a single structure.

 

4.      Will I be without water and sewer while my house is being connected? The day that the wastewater contractor is on your site, a representative will notify you to refrain from the use of such items as toilets, faucets, and washing machines for a short duration (generally 1 to 2 hours) while the final connection is made.

 

5.      Once the wastewater system stub is installed in front of or on my property, how long do I have to connect my own plumbing to the system(excludes properties targeted for early connection April/May 2003)? The Town has drafted a new set of wastewater system regulations, which are now under review by the Town’s Water and Sewer Board.  These regulations allow for a period of  sixty (60) days_____ months from the date the stub is placed until the date you must connect to the system.  A penalty totaling several thousand dollars or more will be assessed by the Town if you are not connected within this period of time based on remobilization costs due to the contractor.

 

6.      Where will my vent be located and who is responsible for providing it? A vent is required for each home connecting into the vacuum portion of the collection system.  The vent must be located a minimum of 20 feet from the valve pit or buffer tank installation.  A plot plan was issued in the recent Town wide mailing and identified connection responsibility.  If the property owner is responsible for making the connection, they will also be responsible for installing the vent.  If the vendor is making the connection, they will install the vent to within 5 feet of the foundation.  A special handout for each plumber will be available by the end of March, when they pull a permit from the Town to the work on your property.  The handout will provide guidance about the installation of the vent on your property.  Note that a property not connected within a vent will constitute an illegal connection to the system and will subject a property owner to fines and penalties. Only Board of Health licensed septic installers will be allowed to make connections to the sewer.

 

7.      What if I have more than one cesspool or septic tank to be connected to the system?  Since the Town can only make one connection to the system, each property owner with multiple connections will have to hire a separate contractor to make the additional connection(s) to the system.   This work will need to be done after the primary connection is made.  To make this easier for the property owner, the Town has assembled a list of qualified contractors. 

 

 

OPERATIONS ISSUES

 

1.      I have a grease trap on my property.  What will happen to it when I get connected to the wastewater system?   The Town has asked Metcalf & Eddy to inventory and inspect  all grease traps in the Town.  When these traps are working properly, this will prevent grease from entering the system which could cause the collection system to malfunction.  There will be a modest charge for this grease trap inspection which will be added to your monthly operations bill once you are connected to the wastewater system.

 

2.      When will I be able to discharge my flow into the wastewater system?  After your connection is made to the system (either you are connected by the wastewater contractor, or your plumber connects you to a “stub”), you will be discharging flow into the wastewater system.

 

3.      Do I have to do anything with my old cesspool or septic system?  Once you have been connected, you will need to decommission your cesspool, septic system, leaching field, etc.  The Town’s Board of Health Department has regulations for how you will need to do this.  In general, you will need to hire a contractor who will pump out any remaining sewage, and will fill your system in with sand or, if the system is in danger of collapse, with flowable cement.

 

4.      My property will be served by a grinder pump instead of a vacuum valve.  How will the power to the grinder pump be provided?  Who will pay for it?  Power for the grinder pumps will be provided by a separate metered electrical service from the property served by the grinder pump.  In cases where multiple homes are served by a single grinder pump, the separate metered service will be installed from the home most conveniently located (in most cases the closest) to the grinder pump.  The Town will conduct and pay for the installation of this separate service as well as the electrical, operation, and maintenance costs associated with operation of the pump.  This spring additional details on this separate electrical service will be provided directly to those homes providing power for the grinder pumps

 

5.      My property will be served by a grinder pump instead of a vacuum valve.  Will I require a vent?   A vent is not required, nor will one be installed for systems served by a grinder pump.

 

6.      How will general restoration be handled (grass, paving, etc.)?  The wastewater contractor will loam and seed all vegetated areas disturbed during construction and will provide trench width asphalt patch for areas of bituminous driveways disturbed by their construction activities.  If you removed non-readily removable items to clear a path for the wastewater contractor, you will be responsible for replacing the non-readily removable items once the connection to the wastewater system is made.  The wastewater contractor will not be responsible for replacing any non-readily removable items.

 

7.      Can I discharge water from sump pumps into the system?  Only water from your household sanitary plumbing can be discharged into the wastewater system.  The Town's Water & Sewer Board is now developing ordinances for connection to and operation of the system, which are available at www.provincetown-ma.gov or the Department of Public Works.  The Town will also be inspecting each property on a periodic basis to ensure that only authorized connections have been made to the system.