Daytonites: You Own It, You Fix It

DAYTON - In Waitsburg and many other cities in Washington State, homeowners are responsible for any trouble in the sewer line between their home and the sewer main. When the line gets blocked and needs to be dug up, residents are required to hire a contractor or pay the city to do the work.

Not so in Dayton, at least not until the city passes a proposed new ordinance that takes away the current "gray" area in the law still holding the city for repairs in the city right of way.

The Dayton City Council on Monday passed the first three readings of an amendment to its municipal code that changes the definition of the word "side sewer," the line that runs from property owners' home to the "collection system" in the street.

A public hearing on the amendment is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m.

Currently, the code still leaves the portion of that line from the homeowner's property to the main line in the city's domain, but city public works officials have encountered a number of problems they say were caused by trees planted by home owners in the right of way or by garbage flushed down the drain.

"It happens way too much," said Jim Costello, the city's public works director, who presented some of his findings to the council on Monday. "According to our insurance carrier, there are only a few cities in the state that do it this way."

Under the proposed ordinance, the definition of a "side sewer" would change to "a sanitary sewer pipe located on private property and/or public right of way and connecting the building sewer to the collection system (sewer main) and shall be maintained by the connecting building sewer owner."

Mayor Craig George said the amendment would take away any doubt that now exists about who is ultimately responsible for repairs on a "side sewer."

City Councilman Merle Jackson said such wording would represent a significant change of what Daytonites are accustomed to. He was among several council members who were uncomfortable about passing the amendment without first subjecting it to public comment. A motion to pass the amendment Monday without a public hearing was defeated 4-3.

Dayton has long had a problem with homeowners flushing banned items and substances down their sewer lines, causing blockages in the system and at the waste water treatment plant, Costello said.

"Drains are not garbage cans and the sewer system and treatment process can't handle chemicals, trash, garbage and fats," according to an advisory flyer Costello composed for the city.

The city advises homeowners to use the transfer station to dispose of residential flammables, pesticides, poisons and corrosives at no charge. "By thinking twice before disposing of household waste down the drain, you can significantly reduce the risk of blockages in your pipes and the city's," according to his advisory.

For questions or more information, Jim Costello can be reached at 509-382-4571 or 382-2361. The transfer station is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.