(a) When required by the City, the owners of any property served by the sewage collection system shall install a suitable control manhole for sampling and measuring devices, if necessary, to facilitate observation, measurement and sampling of the wastewater. Such manhole shall be accessible, safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with the Department’s requirements and all applicable local agency construction standards of quality. The cost of construction of the manhole and installation of the measuring and sampling accessories shall be at the expense of the owner.

(b) There shall be ample space in or near each sampling manhole to allow accurate collection in compositing of the wastewater samples for analysis. The measuring equipment and accessories shall be made available for use of Department personnel on request at no expense to the City. When specialized equipment is required to collect the samples of wastewater from the manhole because of the peculiar characteristics of the individual manhole, the user shall make the equipment available to Department personnel upon request at no expense to the City. There shall be no restrictions on the sharing of the sampling and measuring equipment in the sampling manholes of the different users nor upon the users’ right to contract with an independent firm to perform this service.

(c) If a water supply is used other than the City water supply, the City may require that such meters as are deemed necessary by the City be installed on such supplemental water supply. During the period of installation of additional equipment, manholes, etc., the City shall estimate as accurately as possible the volume and strength of the wastewater.

(d) The monitoring facility should normally be situated on the user’s premises, but when such a location would be impractical or cause undue hardship on the user, the Water Pollution Control Division may recommend to the Utilities Director that the user be allowed to construct the facility in the public right-of-way and locate it so it will not be obstructed by landscaping or parked vehicles. Construction shall be completed within a specified time following written notification by the Department.

(e) It shall be unlawful for any person to cover up or bury any existing manhole cover with dirt, rock, surfacing, bituminous surfacing, concrete or other material or obscure the location so that the manhole cannot be found or is not accessible for sewer maintenance. Cost of regrading or rebuilding the manhole, including resurfacing of the adjacent street or alley, may be charged to the person responsible. (Ord. 20089 § 59, 10-17-17.)