FAIRFIELD COUNTY UTILITIES DEPARTMENT WATER AND SANITARY SEWER TAP INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS The Fairfield County Utilities Department requires all water and sewer taps to be paid for before a permit is issued or tap inspection is made. The current Water and Wastewater Connection Fee Schedule and the current Water System Line Charge Schedule are available upon request. The builder must present the pink copy of the water and/or sewer permit form to the County Inspector at the time of inspection. How to obtain tap permits - You may obtain a tap permit by writing to the Fairfield County Utilities Office, 210 E. Main Street, Room 302, Lancaster, Ohio 43130, or by applying in person at the Utilities Department Office on the 3rd floor of the old Courthouse. The Courthouse is located on the southeast corner of Main Street and High Street in Lancaster, Ohio. Taps will be issued between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M., Monday thru Friday. No tap permits will be issued after 3:00 P.M. If you apply by mail - Please return the white copy of the tap permit form to the Utilities Department office after you have signed all the forms, keep the canary form for your files, and have the pink copy on the job site to present to the County Inspector. White form(s) must be returned to the Utilities Department in a timely manner. Inspections will not be scheduled until the white permit form is received. Sewer Deposit Refund - To receive your sewer deposit refund, you must have first completed the tap according to County Specifications. The sewer deposit will not be refunded if the County Inspector is not on site for the required four (4) inspection occasions or if any water, mud or other undesirable material has entered the sanitary sewer system, or if the Hubsetts or standpipes have been removed or tampered with in any way prior to inspection. In order for the sewer deposit amount to be refunded, there must be no outstanding charges against the property, such as charges for additional or overtime inspections and use of air test equipment or materials. Each account will be checked for outstanding charges before a refund is made. To arrange for inspections - It is required to give 48 hours notice to schedule water and/or sewer inspections. Please call (614) 860-9044 for sewer inspections and (614) 864-3370 for water inspections and meter installations. Miscellaneous Charges - Use of county air test equipment, $40.00 per hour; After hours inspection charge, $35.00 per hour; Replacement pink copy of permit, $35.00; Return inspection charge, $35.00 per each additional inspection; Locate curb box, $35.00; Each additional meter installation trip, $35.00. Normal working hours for inspections are 7:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday thru Friday. Permit is valid for 6 months from the permit issue date. After the six month period, the permit will be voided and the cost of the permit will be refunded, minus a $300.00 processing and handling charge.
SANITARY SEWER PERMIT INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS Sewer Deposit - The Fairfield County Utilities Department requires a sewer deposit of $500 for residential buildings and $1,000 for commercial buildings as assurance of compliance with all County sewer installation requirements. Sewer Line Inspections Required - The Fairfield County Utilities Department requires inspections to be made by a member of the Water Reclamation Division to ensure compliance with County requirements during the following activities: 1) When a connection is made to the main line or the end of an existing sewer service connection. 2) When laying the building sewer service. 3) When air testing the building sewer service. 4) When the Hubsetts or the three (3) foot high standpipes are ready for removal, following the laying of the underground house plumbing and the building roof has been installed. Sewer Standpipes - During the installation of the building sewer, the contractor shall firmly affix and seal in place in a manner acceptable to the Fairfield County Utilities Department, a Hubsett or a three (3) foot high standpipe in each and every basement floor drain and each drain to be extended to an upper floor to preclude ground water, mud or any other undesirable material from entering the sanitary sewer system. Sewer Testing - All Abuilding service connections@ are required to be air tested. The low pressure air test is a test which can be used either for line acceptance or leak location, in accordance with ASTM F1417 and as amended herein. Summary of Method: The section of the sewer line to be tested is plugged. Low-pressure air is introduced into the plugged line. The amount and rate of air loss is used to determine the acceptability of the section being tested. The line passes the test if the rate of air loss, as measured by pressure drop, does not exceed a specified amount in a specified time. Pressure drop may be determined by using Table 1 Minimum Specified Time Required for a 0.5 psig Pressure Drop. Preparation of the Sewer Line: Flush and clean the sewer line prior to testing, thus serving to wet the pipe surface as well as clean out any debris. A wetted interior pipe surface will produce more consistent results. Plug all pipe outlets to resist the test pressure. Give special attention to stoppers and laterals. Safety: This low-pressure air test may be dangerous to personnel if, through lack of understanding or carelessness, a line is overpressurized or plugs/caps are installed or restrained improperly. It is extremely important that the various plugs be properly installed to prevent the sudden expulsion of a poorly installed or partially inflated plug. Observe the following minimum safety precautions.
1) No one shall be allowed in any trenches or manholes during testing. 2) Install and restrain all caps and plugs securely. 3) When lines are tested, it is mandatory that all the caps and plugs be braced as an added safety factor. 4) Do not overpressurize the lines. Do not exceed 9.0 psi. 5) A regulator or relief valve set no higher than 9 psi shall be included on all pressurized equipment. Procedures: 1) Isolate the section of sewer line to be tested by inflatable stoppers or other suitable test plugs. 2) Plug or cap the ends of all branches, laterals, tees, wyes, and stubs to be included in the test to prevent air leakage. All plugs and caps shall be securely braced to prevent blow-out. One of the plugs or caps should have an inlet tap, or other provision for connecting a hose to a portable air control source. 3) Connect the air hose to the inlet tap and portable air control source. The air equipment shall consist of necessary valves and pressure gages to control an oil-free air source and the rate at which air flows into the test section to enable monitoring of the air pressure within the test section. 4) Determine the rate of air loss by the time-pressure drop method. 5) Time-Pressure Drop Method - Air is slowly introduced into the section of pipe to be tested, until the air pressure is raised to approximately 5.0 psi for at least 2 minutes (depending on air/ground temperature conditions) and the test pipe section is stabilized. The air temperature should stabilize in equilibrium with the temperature of the pipe walls. The pressure will normally drop slightly until equilibrium is obtained; however a minimum of 5.0 psig is required. Disconnect the air supply and decrease the pressure to that shown in Table 1 - Minimum Specified Time Required for a 0.5 psig Pressure Drop before starting the test. Determine the time required for the pressure to drop 0.5 psig, and compare this interval to the required time to decide if the rate of air loss is within the allowable time. Minimum holding times required by pipe diameter are shown in Table 1. If the pressure has dropped not more than 0.5 psi (7 kpa) gage during the test period, the line is presumed to have passed. The test may be discontinued when the prescribed test time has been completed even though the 0.5 psi drop has not occurred.
Table 1 Minimum Specified Time Required for a 0.5 psig Pressure Drop Pipe Diameter, Inches Minimum Time, min:sec Test Specification Time for Length (L) Shown, min:sec Pressure, psi 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 6 5:00 5.0 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:00 8 5:00 4.5 5:00 5:00 5:00 5:04 10 5:00 4.0 5:00 5:00 5:56 7:54 Pink Permit Copy - The pink copy of the permit must be handed to the County=s inspector at the time of the first inspection; otherwise, no inspection will be performed. If you lose, misplace or otherwise don=t have your pink copy, please contact the Utilities Office for a replacement copy which carries a $35.00 charge. Scheduling of Inspections - Call (614) 860-9044 for scheduling of sewer inspections. Note: The Fairfield County Utilities Department requires a 48 Hour Notice to schedule sewer inspections. A $35.00 fee will be charged to the builder should a sewer connection inspection be scheduled and the requesting party fails to show for the scheduled inspection. Sewer Deposit Refund - The sewer deposit will not be refunded if the county=s inspector is not on site for the required four (4) inspection occasions or if any water, mud or other undesirable material has entered the sanitary sewer system, or if the Hubsetts or standpipes have been removed or tampered with in any way prior to inspection. In order for the sewer deposit amount to be refunded, there must be no outstanding charges against the property, such as charges for additional or overtime inspections and use of air test equipment or materials. Each account will be checked for outstanding charges before a refund is made. Final Billing - Official notification of a final billing must be given to the Utilities Office in a timely manner. Failure to notify the billing office will result in the bill being issued to the builder/contractor. Once a quarterly bill has been issued, it remains the sole responsibility of the builder/contractor to pay. Additional Charges - A $35.00 additional charge will be levied for: 1) Each return inspection for no-show or not being ready for inspection. 2) After hours inspection, each hour. 3) Replacement pink copy of the permit. 4) Use of County air test equipment ($40.00 per hour). Additional Information Should any questions arise, please call the Water Reclamation Division at (614) 860-9044, during the hours of 7:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday thru Friday.
WATER PERMIT INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS Water Line Installation and Inspection - The Fairfield County Utilities Department requires an inspection to be made by a representative of the Water Division during the installation and testing of the building water service line. It is required to give 48 hours notice to schedule water service line inspections. All water service lines must be snaked in a ditch at a minimum of 42" with no couplings and enter the residence on the front corner opposite the garage. The service line must be sleeved into the basement by 1-1/2" Sch. 40 PVC or steel pipe with the sleeve extending outside the wall 3 ft. from the inside of the block. The water service line must be sealed in this sleeve. Also, the water service line must be sleeved wherever it crosses a driveway or sidewalk. The curb stop and service line must be visible and pressurized to the angle stop inside the structure. The curb box must be a 2-1/2 inch service box as manufactured by Bigham & Taylor, Model 4901-B, or equal as shown on Standard Drawing W-30. Installation of curb boxes are not permitted in the driveway or sidewalk, and must therefore be relocated. Curb boxes must be marked with a 4" x 4" stake by the builder/developer until after final grading is finished. No service lines are permitted entry into or through any crawl spaces. If these items are not completed at the time of the inspection, there will be an additional charge of $35.00 for each subsequent inspection. IMPORTANT NOTE: No couplings are allowed in the service line. Typical Preparations for Meter Installation - The complete water meter and remote installation will be done by the water division personnel with 48 Hour Notice. Service and house side shutoff valves must be installed within 12" on either side of the meter yoke. Meter yoke must be a Ford #CH11-333, Ford #CH11-444 or Mueller #H- 1412, and be installed by the builder. No meter bypasses are permitted. The service line shall be Driscopipe 5100 SDR 9, ASTM D2737 or equivalent. It shall have a service side shut-off as well as a house side shut-off within 12 inches of each side of the meter yoke. A backflow prevention device and/or pressure reducing valve may be required on residential connections. An EPA-approved backflow prevention device is required on all commercial services. A water pressure regulator (Watts 25AUB or equal) is required after the meter and prior to the house side shutoff valve on all structures with a static water pressure of 80 psi or greater. Check with the Water Division at (614) 864-3370 for specific requirements and approved devices. If a request is made to install the meter and all requirements for a meter installation are not complete, a charge of $35.00 for each subsequent attempt to install the meter will be assessed. If the water department personnel are called out to locate a buried curb box that has been covered due to construction, there will be a charge of $35.00 to locate the curb box. Pink Permit Copy - The pink copy of the permit must be handed to the County=s inspector at the time of the first inspection, otherwise, no inspection will be performed. If you lose, misplace or otherwise don=t have your pink copy, please contact the Utilities Office for a replacement copy which carries a $35.00 charge.
Scheduling of Inspections - Call (614) 864-3370 for scheduling of water inspections. Note: The Fairfield County Utilities Department requires a 48 Hour Notice to schedule water inspections. Following the inspection of the service line installation, the water will be shut off at the curb stop and the curb box shall be staked with a 4" x 4" post by the builder. The water must remain off until the permanent meter is installed. Final Billing - Official notification of a final billing must be given to the Utilities Office in a timely manner. Failure to notify the billing office will result in the bill being issued to the builder/contractor. Once a quarterly bill has been issued, it remains the sole responsibility of the builder/contractor to pay. Additional Charges - A $35.00 additional charge will be levied for: 1) Each return inspection for no-show or not being ready for inspection. 2) After hours inspection, each hour. 3) Locating a buried curb box. 4) Each additional meter installation trip. 5) Replacement pink copy of the permit. Penalty - Should the water department personnel discover that a meter by-pass jumper and/or a hose bib connection has been installed or used, and/or the water service turned on for any reason, a fine of $500.00 will be charged to the builder. Additional Information - Should any questions arise, please call the Water Division at (614) 864-3370, during the hours of 7:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday thru Friday.