Township of Uwchlan, PA Sewer Connections

Each single dwelling unit, household unit, flat or apartment unit, store, shop, office, business, commercial or industrial unit, or family unit contained within any structure, erected and intended for continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy or use by human beings or animals and from which structure sanitary sewage and industrial wastes, or either thereof, is or may be discharged, located in the Township.

PERSON

Any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation or group.

SANITARY SEWER

A sewer which is part of the sewer system and which carries sanitary sewage and/or treated industrial wastes and to which stormwater, surface water and groundwater are not intentionally admitted.

SEWAGE

Any combination of water-carried wastes from residences, buildings, industrial establishments, institutions, manufacturing plants, processing plants, commercial establishments, or other places in which such wastes are produced, together with such groundwater, surface water, stormwater or other water as may be present.

TOWNSHIP

The Township of Uwchlan, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

TOWNSHIP ENGINEER

An engineer employed or appointed by the Township or an authorized member of his staff.

[Amended 12-14-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-05]

§ 200-16 Use of public sewers required.

It shall be unlawful for any owner of property who is required to connect to the sewer system pursuant to Subsection B below, to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, or cesspool or septic tank, intended or used for the disposal of sewage within the Township.

Each owner of any occupied building situate on property abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there has been constructed a sanitary sewer and where any part of such building is within 150 feet of said sewer shall at his own expense install suitable sanitary facilities therein and connect such facilities directly with such sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article within 60 days after the date of official notice to do so, given in the manner provided by law. In the event any such owner shall refuse or neglect to so connect within said sixty-day period, he shall be deemed to be in violation of this article, and the Board of Supervisors of the Township or their agents may enter upon such property and construct such connection. In such case, the Board of Supervisors shall forthwith, upon completion of the work, send an itemized bill of the cost of the construction of such connection to such owner, which bill shall be payable forthwith. In case of neglect or refusal by such owner to pay said bill, within 30 days thereafter, it shall be the duty of the Board of Supervisors to file municipal liens. The above regulations shall not apply to the owner of any property who is operating under a permit from, or with the approval of, the Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, no owner of an occupied building shall be required to connect such building to a sanitary sewer if the Board of Supervisors determines that connecting such building would result in an overloading of sewage treatment facilities.

Each owner of any property to which Subsection B above applies shall forthwith make application in writing to the Township, in such form as may be prescribed by the Township Engineer, for a permit to make the required connection to the sanitary sewer. Upon submission of the above-mentioned application and payment of (1) an administrative and inspection fee in accordance with the then applicable Township resolution with respect to administration and inspection fees and payment of (2) a tapping fee or fees (imposed by the Authority for collection by the Township as its agent) in accordance with the then applicable Authority resolution with respect to tapping fees. The application shall be entitled to a permit to make such connection, and the applicant, at his own expense, shall construct a connecting sewer lateral from the sanitary sewer trunk line in the street into the applicant's structure according to the standard specification guidelines composed by the Authority for such actions. All work involved here, including street restoration, shall be done in compliance with the above stated guidelines and also the Township's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance No. 79-2, Appendix C.

[Amended 9-4-1973 by Ord. No. 73-08; 4-12-1982 by Ord. No. 82-02[1]]

[1]

Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).

All connections made to any sanitary sewer shall be constructed in compliance with standard rules and regulations hereafter adopted by the Township governing the making of connections.

§ 200-17 Permission required to open or to enter into the sewer system.

[Added 4-12-1982 by Ord. No. 82-02]

No person shall uncover, shall connect with, shall make any opening into or shall use, shall alter or shall disturb, in any manner, any sewer or any part of the sewer system without first obtaining a permit, in writing, from the Township.

No person shall open or enter into any manhole, pumping station, metering chamber, or other structure of the sewer system or enter into such facility without first having obtained the approval of the Township Sanitation Superintendent or his authorized representative.

Any person who intends to open any manhole, pumping station, or metering chamber or who intends to open or excavate around any portion of the sewer system must first satisfy the Township Sanitation Superintendent or his authorized representative that adequate protective measures and procedures will be employed.

§ 200-18 Powers and authority of inspectors.

The Township Engineer and other duly authorized employees of the Township bearing proper credentials and bearing proper identification shall be permitted to enter upon all properties for the purposes of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing, in accordance with the provisions of this article.

§ 200-19 Violations and penalties.

Any person who shall violate any provision of this article other than § 200-18 shall be served by the Township with written notice stating the nature of the violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. (The notice provided in § 200-16B above being deemed to be notice of a violation for this purpose in respect of violations of such section). The offender shall within the period of time (if any, otherwise forthwith) stated in such notice, permanently cease all violations.

Any person who continues any violation beyond the time limit fixed as provided in Subsection A shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days. A new and separate violation shall be deemed to have been committed for each day any violation continues beyond such time limit. Enforcement of this article shall be by action brought before a Magisterial District Judge in the same manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. The Township Solicitor may assume charge of the prosecution without the consent of the District Attorney.

[Amended 3-24-1997 by Ord. No. 97-05[1]]

[1]

Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).

All fines and penalties imposed for violation of any provision of this article shall be paid to the Treasurer of the Township for the use of the Township.

[Amended 3-24-1997 by Ord. No. 97-05]

Any person violating any of the provisions of this article, in addition to becoming liable for a fine and penalty, shall become liable to the Township for any expense, loss or damage occasioned by the Township by reason of such violation.