Connecting your property to the public sewer

(a) Owners of all dwellings, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes, which are accessible to a sewer are required at their expense to connect directly with the public sewer within one hundred eighty days after date of official notice. (b) If, due to rock, wastewater collection system depth, or other construction problems, a building cannot be practically served, the owner shall install, operate and maintain a residential pumping station. (c) The director may grant a variance/exemption of the foregoing connection requirements to owners of single-family dwellings existing at the time of installation of the public wastewater system, if the following is found: (1) There are special or unusual circumstances applying to the subject real property which exist that render the ability to connect to a wastewater system an extreme physical or financial hardship; and (2) There are no other reasonable alternatives; and (3) The variance is consistent with the general purpose of the chapter and will not be materially detrimental to public health, safety, or welfare. (d) To obtain a time extension under the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, owners must file a written request to the connection requirement before the expiration of the aforesaid one hundred eighty days. The written request shall document the need for the extension and the requested amount of time. (e) Time extensions granted pursuant to subsection (d) of this section shall be for a period not to exceed two years. (f) An appeal from the decision of the director in subsection (c) or (d) may be filed with the environmental management commission within thirty days of receipt of the decision. A person is aggrieved by a decision of the director if: (1) The person has an interest in the subject matter of the decision that is so directly and immediately affected, that the person's interest is clearly distinguishable from that of the general public; and (2) The person is or will be adversely affected by the decision. An appeal shall be in writing, in the form prescribed by the environmental management commission, and shall specify the person's interest in the subject matter of the appeal and the grounds of the appeal. Any such appeal shall be accompanied by a filing fee of $50. The person appealing a decision of the director shall provide a copy of the appeal to the director and to the owners of the affected property and shall provide the environmental management commission with the proof of service. The appellant, the owners of the affected property, and the director shall be parties to an appeal. Other persons may be admitted as parties to an appeal, as permitted by the environmental management commission. The director and the environmental management commission shall adopt rules to implement this section.