All persons developing property within the City intended for occupancy, which abuts on, adjoins or is accessible to the existing sanitary public collection/interceptor system, shall, at their own expense prior to occupancy make connection with the sewer system, and all persons owning improved property which abuts on, adjoins or is accessible to the existing sanitary public collection/interceptor system, shall within one year after the new construction/reconstruction of the public collection/interceptor system make a connection or re-connection with the sewer system, in the manner prescribed by this chapter and in conformance with the International Plumbing Code, as adopted and amended by the City and/or in accordance with the regulations of the owner of the sanitary sewer system, for the purpose of discharging into such sewer such drainage or waste as is specified in this chapter or as may from time to time be specified by the regulations of the owner of the sanitary sewer system.
(a) If the property owner, within 12 months of receiving notice from the owner of the sanitary sewer system to make connection with the sanitary sewer system, fails to make such connection, the owner of the sanitary sewer system may seek an injunction from the Court of Common Pleas.
(b) A separate sanitary sewer connection shall be required for every principal use on a lot of record.
(1) Multiple units within the principal use of a multi-tenant structure under single ownership may be served by a single connection.
(2) Accessory uses, as defined and permitted by the City Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 1260
, of the Codified Ordinances), may be served through the sewer connection for the principal use on the lot of record, subject to subsection (e) below.
(c) If a new lot or lots of record are created from a subdivision of an existing lot of record with the result of new principal uses on the newly created lot(s), then a sanitary sewer connection shall be required for each new lot of record created.
(1) If the subdivision of an existing structure creates multiple units within the multi-tenant structure separately deeded and/or on separate tax parcels, sewer connections will be required for each separately deeded and/or taxed parcel.
(2) If a structure sustaining an accessory use is converted into a permitted principal use, then an additional sanitary sewer connection shall be required for the new principal use prior to occupancy.
(d) Structures containing one or more accessory uses that require connection to the public water system may be connected to the sanitary sewer system via the principal use for that lot of record.
(e) The owner of an existing lot of record may request multiple connections to serve existing and/or anticipated permitted uses with fees payable for each separate connection in accordance with Section 1042.09.
(f) No person who has been granted a permit and has made a connection with a sanitary or storm sewer in the City shall permit any other person to make an attachment or connection with any drain or sewer leading into a sewer in the City so as to drain any property other than that for which a permit was granted and the required fees paid.
(g) No person shall connect a drain, pipe or sewer with a public sanitary or storm sewer in the City without first obtaining a permit therefor and paying the required tap-in fees as set forth in this chapter. All connections with the sanitary public collection/interceptor system and the storm sewer system in the City shall be made under the supervision and inspection of the owner of the sanitary sewer system or the owner of the storm sewer system and shall conform with Commonwealth law and with ordinances, rules and regulations of the City and the owner of the sanitary sewer system governing sewers.
(h) Each user of the sanitary sewer system in the City, before a connection is made thereto, shall provide in his or her house sewer system, inside the building walls, a trap with a fresh air vent on the house side, in accordance with standards approved by the City.
(i) No person shall make a cross-connection between the sanitary sewer system in the City and a potable water supply system, whereby vacuums or back siphonage may permit sanitary wastes to enter the potable water system. No cross-connection shall be made between the sanitary sewer system and storm drains, the storm sewer system or groundwater sump pumps.
(j) When connection has been made with a public sanitary sewer, the owner of the property shall forthwith abandon any on-lot sewage disposal system such as privies vaults, cesspools and septic tanks existing on such premises and shall properly drain and backfill with sand, gravel or other suitable material. Any and all connections between the on-lot sewage disposal system and the building that has been served shall be drained, removed and similarly backfilled in such a manner that sanitary sewage will not enter therein.
(k) Any agreement hereafter entered into by the owner of the sanitary sewer system with any borough or township, or with any property owner in a borough or township, permitting tapping into the sanitary sewer system in the City, shall provide that such borough, township and/or property owner shall construct its plumbing leading to such sanitary sewer system in accordance with the rules and regulations of the owner of the sanitary sewer system and shall comply with the provisions of the International Plumbing Code, as amended by the City.
(l) Any person, firm or corporation which violates any provision of this section shall pay a fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00) plus costs.
(Ord. 5126. Passed 3-27-13; Ord. 5164. Passed 1-14-15; Ord. 5289. Passed 6-10-20.)