[Adopted 7-12-1971 as Ch. 68, Art. III, of the 1971 Code]
Beginning with the calendar year of 1950 and
for each year thereafter, there is hereby imposed an annual rental
or charge upon the owners of the property served or to be served,
for the use of the sewers and the sewerage system of the Township
of Marple, and for the use of extensions thereof which are in the
course of construction or to be constructed, and for the use of the
sewage treatment works.
The annual rental or charge shall be such sum
as shall be sufficient to meet the following classes of expenses:
A.
The amount expended annually by the Township in the
operation, maintenance, repair, alteration, inspection, depreciation
or other expense in relation to such sewers, sewerage system, pumping
stations or sewage treatment works.
B.
Such annual amount as may be necessary to provide
for the amortization of the indebtedness incurred, or of the nondebt
revenue bonds or other bonds issued, by the Township in the construction
or acquisition of such sewer, sewerage system or sewage treatment
works, and interest thereon, in order that said improvement may become
self-liquidating, and such further sums as may be sufficient to pay
the amount agreed to be paid annually under the terms of any contract
with any authority or municipality furnishing sewage disposal or treatment
services to the Township.
C.
Sufficient to establish a margin of safety of 10%.
The Board of Commissioners of Marple Township
finds as a fact that the majority of properties of the Township which
are connected to the public sewers obtain water from the Philadelphia
Suburban Water Company, hereafter for convenience called "water company";
and further that the water company has water meters installed in the
majority of said properties. The Board of Commissioners of Marple
Township therefore declares that the fairest manner in which to apportion
equitably the total sewer rental or charge to be made is to base the
charge for each property on the amount of water used by each property
connected to the sewers, in proportion to all water used by customers
of said water company who are connected to the Township sewers and
by those who obtain water from other sources who are connected to
the sewerage system. It is also determined that the sewer rental or
charge for any property should be based, so far as practicable, on
water actually consumed by said property during said year, or a period
of 12 months as near the end of a year as possible. If such records
are not available for a full twelve-month period, such sewer rental
or charge shall be based on water consumption during such of the months
during the said twelve-month period as for which records are available,
divided by the number of full months during which water was consumed,
and multiplied by 12.
The Secretary of Marple Township shall secure from the water company statements of the total number of gallons of water used by each individual customer or property which is connected to the sewerage system for a period of 12 consecutive months as closely proximate in time to the end of the year of 1950 and as the records of the water company and their schedules of water-meter readings will permit, and hereafter in the month of December 1951 and each December thereafter, secure from the water company statements of the total number of gallons of water used by each individual customer or property connected to the Township sewers for a period of 12 consecutive months as closely proximate in time to the end of the year and as records of the water company and their schedules of water-meter readings permit. Reasonable compensation shall be paid by the Township to the water company for the cost and expense incurred by the water company in supplying the Township with this information. Reasonable charges paid to the water company for such data shall be included as part of the total amount of the annual sewer rental, as per § 235-6 hereof. If in any case the water company records disclose the number of gallons of water used for any property for less than a full period of 12 months, the Secretary is authorized to compute the water consumption of said property for a full period of 12 months based on the use for the partial period.
Whenever a property upon which a sewer rental
is hereby imposed uses water from the water company or other source,
a significant portion of which is not discharged into the sewerage
system of the Township, the quantity of water so used and not discharged
into the Township sewers is measured by a meter approved by the Secretary
and installed without cost to the Township; and provided further that
where, in the opinion of the Secretary, it is not practical to install
a meter to continuously determine the quantity of water not discharged
into the Township sewers, the Secretary shall determine periodically,
in such manner and by such method as he shall prescribe, the percentage
of water discharged into the Township sewers, and the sewer rental
for such property shall be based on the amount so determined. Any
dispute as to the estimated amount shall be submitted to the Board
of Township Commissioners, whose decision on the matter shall be final
for the current year.
Where a property uses water all or part of which
is from a source or sources other than the water company's supply
system, there shall be a sewer rental, separate from and in addition
to any sewer rental based on the use of water from the water company's
supply system. Such separate and additional sewer rental shall be
measured by the quantity of water from the source or sources other
than the water company's supply system which is discharged into the
Township sewers from said property. The owner of each property shall
install without cost to the Township an approved meter or meters to
measure the quantity of water received from other than the water company's
supply system and discharged into the Township's sewers. The sewer
rental based upon water received from other than the water company's
supply system shall be the same in amount as is required to be paid
by the owner of a metered property receiving the same quantity of
water from the water company's supply system. If the owner of said
property fails to install an approved meter or meters, the Secretary
shall make and furnish an estimate of the amount of water from sources
other than the water company's supply system which is discharged into
the Township sewers from the said property. Any dispute as to the
estimated amount shall be submitted to the Board of Township Commissioners,
whose decision on the matter shall be final for the current year.
The Township Treasurer is hereby charged with
the duties of collecting all sewer charges and is authorized to adopt
such regulations with respect hereto as may in his discretion seem
fit and proper.
The Township Secretary is hereby charged with
the duty of keeping full, accurate and complete records of all sewer
rentals or charges, bills and receipts, payments and transmittals
of money to the Township.
[Amended 11-14-1994 by Ord. No. 94-16; Ord. No. 98-2]
The face amount of all bills shall be payable
on or before the last day of the month following the month in which
the bills were mailed and dated. All sewer rental charges shall be
a lien against the property serviced by the sewer facilities of the
Township until said sewer rental charges are paid. If said bills are
paid during the second or third month after the month in which the
bills are mailed, a penalty of 5% shall be added. If said bills are
paid in the fourth or succeeding months after the month in which the
bills are mailed, a penalty of an additional 5% shall be added. It
shall be the duty of the Secretary during or after the 12th month
following the month in which the bills were mailed to certify the
unpaid bills to the Township Solicitor, who shall proceed to collect
such delinquent sewer rentals together with penalties and costs accrued
thereon and reasonable attorneys fees, either by action at law or
by filing a lien or liens for the same, in the Office of Judicial
Support of the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County, Pennsylvania,
together with penalties, costs, attorneys fees and interest at the
rate of 10% per annum from the date of filing and collected in accordance
with law. All sewer rentals not paid within 12 months following the
month in which the bills were mailed shall be deemed to be delinquent.
The foregoing directions as to the time in which
to procure information from the water company and other sources and
of the time to make out bills shall be considered directory and not
mandatory, and the failure to do one or some of them or all of said
acts on time shall not invalidate any bill rendered and shall not
invalidate or forego the collection of any sewer rental or charge.
This article, when referring to sewers, sewerage system, sewage treatment
works, is intended to mean sanitary sewers, sanitary sewerage system
and sanitary sewage treatment works, and is not intended to include
or relate to surface water treatment.
[Last amended 1-9-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-1]
A.
For the
year 2012, and annually thereafter, the owner or owners of any property
situate in the Township of Marple, served by sewer or sewer system
of the Township, shall pay to the Township of Marple an annual rental
or charge for the use of the said sewer or sewer system in accordance
with or pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in this article
with said amount being determined and declared necessary to produce
revenue sufficient to meet the requirements herein before set forth.
B.
For the
year 2012, the rate shall be equal to $5.35 per one thousand gallons
of water consumed or estimated to be consumed by the occupants of
any properties connected with the sewer system. For the year 2013,
and thereafter, the annual rental or charge shall be determined and
set from time to time by resolution of the Board of Commissioners.
C.
Any dwelling
unit in which the owner or lessee of record, who by the terms of the
lease is responsible for payment of the annual sewer rent or charge,
is a resident of Marple Township and is 65 years of age or over 60
years of age and is a widow, widower, or totally disabled as of December
31 of the previous year, and where the gross household income of all
occupants of the dwelling unit is $30,000 or less and can exhibit
evidence of the same, shall be allowed a discount of 20% from the
annual sewer rent or charge. Annual gross income shall mean income
from all sources, including, but not limited to, wages, salaries,
tips, commissions, fees, social security payments, interest income
and pension and retirement income for all individuals residing in
the dwelling unit. Exemption forms are available at the Marple Township
Administration Building, 227 South Sproul Road, Broomall, PA 19008.
[Added 5-13-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-3]
[Added 10-8-1973 by Ord. No. 73-31;
amended 2-27-1974 by Ord. No. 74-9; 7-12-1982 by Ord. No. 82-8; 8-14-1995 by Ord. No.
95-5; 2-13-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-2; 1-8-2007 by Ord. No.
2007-2; 1-14-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-2; 1-12-2009 by Ord. No.
2009-4; 1-9-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-1]
All residential property owners who use public
sewers, sewage system or sewage treatment works of the Township of
Marple and who use well water shall pay an annual rental or charge
for the use of said sewers, sewage system or sewage treatment works.
For the year 2012, the rate shall be $300. For the year 2013, and
thereafter, the annual well rate or charge shall be determined and
set from time to time by resolution of the Board of Commissioners.
