The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-23
NEW SEWER REGULATION.
DOUBT As TO TIME CITY ORDINANCE
GOES INTO EFFECT.
superintendent of streets IL TO Make
All Sewer Connections, but Con-
tractors, Who Now DO the Work,
Have Rights Until April "a, 1901.

Although the ordinance requiring all fu-
ture sewer connections TO be made by
the superintendent of streets. which was
passed by the council at Its last meet
ing. has been approved by the mayor and
is therefore a city statute, the connec-
lions with the city sewerage system are
still being made by licensed contractors
and the indications are that they will con-
tinue to do most of the work until April
q. 1901, the date of the expiration of the
last sewer connection license. In the
meantime Superintendent Little will make
sewer conneetionssfor such property own
ers as come to him. unless the following.
section 3 OF the new ordinance. can be
construed by the private contractors so
as to make any work on his part an in
reference with their rights:
Sec. g. That this ordinance shall
not be taken to in anywise affect the
rights of any persons now holding from
the city OF Seattle, licenses for the max
ing of sewer connections, but that as
said licenses may expire. the rights or all
such persons shall cease and no further
license for said purpose Of eonnectlns pr,
be granted by the city council: provided.
that persons heretofore holding licenses
from the city authorizing them TO connect
house sewers with the public mains may
have said license renewed so that they
shall terminate and cease upon the 24th
day OF April. 1901. said date being the
said purpose authorized by the city coun-
ell. After said date no further license
shall be granted whatsoever"
Superintendent Little yesterday after
noon stated that he had not yet been
called upon to do any sewer work ana
that he did not know what he would DO
when such a call came. There Isl he
said. considerable doubt in my mind as
to the proper construction to be placed
upon section g. or course, have no right
to compel property owner TO have the
work done by the city until April "a. and
some of the city officials are of the opin-
Ion that this section practically makes
the ordinance dead letter act until that
date. / will take no action until have
consulted with Corporation Counsel Hum
phrey and secured on opinion from him as
to the meaning of the section
The sewer connection contractors. who
have heretofore done all this work ana
promise to be competitors of the city.
number six and are regularly licensed by
the council. They are compelled to snow
their fitness for this important work and
are taxed license fee of SIS a year. All
plans for sewer connections are prepared
by them and are submitted to the city
engineer for approval. They do all the
work and the city has no concern In the
matter beyond keeping file or the plans
the issuance Of a permit and the inspec-
ton of the work when completed
THE new ordinance. which may or may
not be in force, provides that hereafter
all connections between the property mar
gin and the street sewer shall be made by
the superintendent of streets, and then
goes on and describes the method or pro-
ccedure. When the owner. agent or occu-
pant OF the property desires 70 rut IN
connection with the sewer. he SHAH ME
a petition with the superintendent OF
streets. Upon receipt OF this petition. an
examination shall be made. plans pre-
pared and the superintendent shaii SUD
NIT an estimate OF the cost of the con-
nection, so far as It lies In any public
street or alley
The amount of this estimate shall be
certified to the owner and he shall de-
post the necessary sum with the score
tary of the board of public works. the
work shall then be done and upon COM
pletiou detailed map shall be He'd Nith
the city engineer and statement or the
actual cost shall be given to the secre-
tary of the board OF public works, who
shall pay It out OF the deposit tn his hands,
turning the amount into the city treasury
10 the credit of the general fund The
surplus ~ there IL any, shall go back 20
tho depositor In case of a deficit IN the
amount OF the deposit the sewer shall not
be turned over TO the property owner UNI
nj II d entirely paid for.