§ 18-402. Use of Public Sewers Required.

   1.   The owner of any improved property located in the service area and either adjoining 1 or adjacent 2 to the sewer system shall connect such improved property to the sewer system, in such manner as this Township and the Authority may require, within 60 days after notice to such owner from this Township to make such connection, for the purpose of discharge of all sanitary sewage and industrial wastes from such improved property, subject to such limitations and restrictions as shall be established herein or otherwise shall be established by this Township or the Authority, from time to time.

   2.   All sanitary sewage and industrial wastes from any improved property, after connection of such improved property with a sewer shall be required under § 18402(1), shall be conducted into a sewer, subject to such limitations and restrictions as shall be established herein or otherwise shall be established by this Township or the Authority from time to time.

   3.   No person shall place or deposit or permit to be placed or deposited upon public or private property within this Township any sanitary sewage or industrial wastes in violation of § 18-402(1). No person shall discharge or permit to be discharged to any natural outlet within this Township any sanitary sewage or industrial wastes in violation of § 18-402(1), except where suitable treatment has been provided which is satisfactory to this Township.

   4.   No privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle shall be used and maintained at any time upon any improved property which has been connected to a sewer or which shall be required under § 18-402(1) to be connected to a sewer. Every such privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle in existence shall be abandoned and, at the discretion of this Township, shall be emptied, cleansed and filled at the expense of the owner of such improved property and under the direction and supervision of this Township; and any such privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle not so abandoned and, if required by this Township, emptied, cleansed and filled, shall constitute a nuisance and such nuisance may be abated as provided by law, at the expense of the owner of such improved property.

   5.   No privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle at any time shall be connected with a sewer.

   6.   The notice by this Township to make a connection to a sewer, referred to in § 18402(1), shall consist of a copy of this Part, including any amendments at the time in effect, or a brief summary of each section thereof, and a written or printed document requiring such connection in accordance with the provisions of this Part and specifying that such connection shall be made within 60 days from the date such notice is given. Such notice may be given at any time after a sewer is in place which can receive and convey sanitary sewage and industrial wastes for treatment and disposal from the particular improved property. Such notice shall be served upon the owner either by personal service or by registered mail or by such other method as at the time may be provided by law.

(Ord. 2000-2, 2/14/2000, Art. II)

1 Black's Law Dictionary 41 (6th ed. 1990) defines "adjoining" to mean touching or contiguous, as distinguished from lying near to or adjacent. To be in contact with; to abut upon.

2 Black's Law Dictionary 41 (6th ed. 1990) defines "adjacent" to mean lying near or close to: sometimes, contiguous; neighboring. "Adjacent" implies that the two objects are not widely separated, though they may not actually touch, while "adjoining" imports that they are so joined or united to each other that no other object intervenes.

§ 18-403. Building Sewers and Connections.

   1.   No person shall uncover, connect with, make any opening into or use, alter or disturb, in any manner, any sewer or the sewer system without first making application for and securing a permit, in writing, from the Authority.

   2.   Except as otherwise provided in this § 18-403(2), each improved property shall be connected separately and independently with a sewer through a building sewer. Grouping of more than one improved property on one building sewer shall not be permitted, except under special circumstances and for good sanitary reasons or other good cause shown, and then only after special permission of this Township and the Authority, in writing, shall have been secured.

   3.   All costs and expenses of construction of a building sewer and all costs and expenses of connection of a building sewer to a lateral shall be borne by the owner of the improved property to be connected; and such owner shall indemnify and save harmless this Township and the Authority from all loss or damage that may be occasioned, directly or indirectly, as a result of construction of a building sewer or of connection of a building sewer to a sewer.

   4.   A building sewer shall be connected to a sewer at the place designated by the Authority and where the lateral is provided. The invert of a building sewer at the point of connection to a lateral shall be at the same or a higher elevation than the invert of the lateral. A smooth, neat joint shall be made and the connection of a building sewer to the lateral shall be made secure and watertight.

   5.   If the owner of any improved property located in this Township and adjoining or adjacent to or whose principal building is within 150 feet from the sewer system, after 60 days' notice from this township, in accordance with § 18-402(1), shall fail to connect such improved Property, as required, this Township may make such connection and may collect from such owner the costs and expenses thereof. In such case, this Township shall forthwith, upon completion of the work, send an itemized bill of the cost of the construction of such connection to the owner of the improved property to which connection has been so made, which bill shall be payable immediately or if the owner of such improved property fails to pay said bill, this Township shall file a municipal lien for the cost of said construction within 6 months of the date of the completion of said connection.

(Ord. 2000-2, 2/14/2000, Art. III)

§ 18-404. Rules and Regulations Governing Building Sewers and Connections to Sewers.

   1.   Where an improved property, at the time connection to a sewer is required, shall be served by its own sewage disposal system or device, the existing house sewer line shall be broken on the structure side of such sewage disposal system or device and attachment shall be made, with proper fittings, to continue such house sewer line, as a building sewer.

   2.   No building sewer shall be covered until it has been inspected and approved by this Township and the Authority. If any part of a building sewer is covered before so being inspected and approved, it shall be uncovered for inspection at the cost and expense of the owner of the improved property to be connected to a sewer.

   3.   Every building sewer of any improved property shall be maintained in a sanitary and safe operating condition by the owner of such improved property.

   4.   Every excavation for a building sewer shall be guarded adequately with barricades and lights to protect all persons from damage and injury. Streets, sidewalks and other public property disturbed in the course of installation of a building sewer shall be restored, at the cost and expense of the owner of the improved property being connected, in a manner satisfactory to this Township.

   5.   If any person shall fail or refuse, upon receipt of a notice of this Township or the Authority, in writing, to remedy any unsatisfactory condition with respect to a building sewer, within 60 days of receipt of such notice, this Township or the Authority may refuse to permit such person to discharge sanitary sewage and industrial wastes into the sewer system until such unsatisfactory condition shall have been remedied to the satisfaction of this Township and the Authority.

   6.   This Township reserves the right to adopt, from time to time, additional rules and regulations as it shall deem necessary and proper relating to connections with a sewer and the sewer system, which additional rules and regulations, to the extent appropriate, shall be and shall be construed as part of this Part.

(Ord. 2000-2, 2/14/2000, Art. IV)

§ 18-405. Enforcement.

   1.   Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this Part, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before a district justice in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation of this Part continues or each Section of this Part which shall be found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense.

   2.   Fines and costs imposed under provisions of this Part shall be enforceable and recoverable in the manner at the time provided by applicable law.

(Ord. 2000-2, 2/14/2000, Art. V; as amended by Ord. 12/10/2001)

§ 18-406. Declaration of Purpose.

It is declared that enactment of this Part is necessary for the protection, benefit and preservation of the health, safety and welfare of inhabitants of this Township.

(Ord. 2000-2, 2/14/2000, Art. VII)

PART 5 INDUSTRIAL PRETREATMENT PROGRAM

A. Purpose and Policy