Unless the context specifically and clearly
indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this article shall
be as follows:
AUTHORITY
Middletown Township Delaware County Sewer Authority, a Pennsylvania
municipality authority.
BUILDING SEWER
The extension from the sewage drainage system of any improved
property to the lateral of a sewer.
IMPROVED PROPERTY
Any property within this Township upon which there is erected
a structure intended for continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy
or use by human beings or animals and from which structure sewage
and/or industrial wastes shall be or may be discharged.
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
Any solid, liquid or gaseous substance or form of energy
rejected or escaping in the course of any industrial, manufacturing,
trade or business process, or in the course of the development, recovery
or processing of natural resources and or man-made materials, as distinct
from sewage.
LATERAL
That part of the sewer system extending from a sewer to the
curbline, or, if there shall be no curbline, to the edge of pavement
or to the edge of cartway or easement, if not paved, or, if no such
lateral shall be provided, then "lateral" shall mean that portion
of, or place in, a sewer which is provided for connection of any building
sewer.
OWNER
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole
or partial, of any property located in this Township.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, company, association, society,
corporation or other group or entity.
SEWAGE
Normal water-carried household and toilet wastes from any
improved property.
SEWER
Any pipe or conduit constituting a part of the sewer system
used or usable for sewage collection purposes.
SEWER SYSTEM
All facilities, as of any particular time, for collecting,
pumping, transporting, treating and disposing of sewage and industrial
wastes, situate in or adjacent to this Township and owned, maintained
and operated by the Authority or the Township.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Middletown, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
a political subdivision, acting by and through its Board of Supervisors,
or in appropriate cases, by and through its authorized representatives.
TOWNSHIP ENGINEER
An engineer employed by the Township or an authorized member
of his staff.
[Amended 12-8-1969 by Ord. No. 130]
A. Separate connections required. Except as otherwise provided in this Subsection
A, 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, but then only after special permission of this Township and the Authority, in writing, shall have been secured.
B. Connection required after notice. Each owner of any
occupied building in the Township 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 connect his 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 by personal
service or by mail. 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 for said construction,
to be subject in all respects to the general law provided for the
filing and recovery of municipal liens.
C. Application for permit. Each owner of any property to which Subsection
B above applies shall make application in writing to the Township, in such form as may be prescribed by the Township for a permit to make the required connection to the sanitary sewer. Upon submission of the above-mentioned application and payment of a connection charge, the applicant shall be entitled to a permit to make such connection.
D. Compliance required. 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.
[Amended 7-19-1976 by Ord. No. 200]
A. Attachment to sewer line. An improved property, at
the time connection to a sewer is required, shall break the existing
sewer line 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.
B. Inspection of building sewer. No building sewer shall
be covered until it has been inspected and approved by this Township.
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.
C. Maintenance. Every building sewer of any improved
property shall be maintained in a sanitary and safe operating condition
by the owner of such improved property.
D. Excavation and restoration. 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.
E. Failure to comply. 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 15 days of receipt of such notice, this Township or
the Authority may refuse to permit such person to discharge 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. Where the engineer of the Sewer Authority determines
that excessive infiltration is occurring in the building sewer, said
sewer authority shall require the owner or owners of the building
sewer to correct the excessive infiltration. Should the owner or owners
of the building sewer fail to correct the condition after reasonable
notice, the Sewer Authority shall cause the condition to be corrected
and shall forthwith, upon completion of the work, send an itemized
bill covering the costs of said work to such owner or owners, which
bill shall be payable within 30 days thereafter. In case of neglect
or refusal by such owner or owners to pay such bill within said period
of time, it shall be the duty of the Sewer Authority, as operating
agent for the Board of Supervisors, to file a municipal lien for said
correction, to be subject in all respects to the general law providing
for the filing and recovery of municipal liens. The Authority shall
also pursue any other legal remedies available for the collection
of said bills.
F. Types of sewage prohibited. No person shall pass any
sewage into the sewer system containing any direct stormwater, roof
or surface or subsurface drainage from stormwater inlets, sump pumps,
floor drains, roof leaders or discharge from tile fields, nor any
industrial waste, chemicals or other matter:
(1) Having a temperature higher than 150° F.;
(2) Containing more than 100 parts per million, by weight,
of fat, oil, or grease;
(3) Containing any gasoline, benzine, naptha, fuel oil
or other inflammable or explosive liquids, solids, or gas;
(4) Containing any unground garbage;
(5) Containing any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings,
metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, paunch manure or
any other solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction
or other interference with the operation of the treatment plant;
(6) Having a pH lower than 6.0 or higher than 9.0 or having
any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to
structures, equipment or personnel of the treatment plant;
(7) Containing a toxic or poisonous substance in sufficient
quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process,
constitute a hazard to humans or animals or create any hazard in the
receiving waters of the treatment plant. Toxic wastes shall include
wastes containing cyanide or copper, chromium or other toxic metallic
ions;
(8) Containing total solids of such character or in such
quantity that unusual attention or expense is required to handle such
materials at the treatment plant; and
(9) Containing noxious, malodorous gas or substance capable
of creating a public nuisance.
G. Industrial wastes. The admission into sanitary sewers
of any industrial wastes is prohibited unless the owner or occupier
of the property producing such waste shall first make application
to the Board of Supervisors to discharge such waste into the sewer
system, and if approved by the Board of Supervisors, to provide at
his own expense adequate treatment facilities approved by the Township.
Such facilities shall be continuously maintained in good condition.
H. Compliance with Township plumbing code. Every connection
made pursuant to the provisions of this article shall likewise be
made in pursuance of the Township Plumbing Code. The owner of the improved property upon which such connection
is made shall be required to secure permits as required under such
plumbing code (any notice under the provisions of this article shall
not be construed to be a plumbing permit or compliance under the plumbing
code with the requirements of a permit) and such work likewise shall
be done in compliance with such plumbing code.
Any person who shall violate this article shall
be liable, upon summary conviction for a first offense and upon summary
conviction for each subsequent offense, to a fine of not less than
$25 nor more than $100, together with costs of prosecution in each
case. Default in payment of fine and costs shall make the offender
liable for imprisonment for a term not to exceed five days. Each day
that a violation shall continue shall be deemed and shall be taken
to be a separate offense and shall be punishable as such. Fines and
costs imposed under provisions of this article shall be enforceable
and recoverable in the manner at the time provided by applicable law.
It is declared that enactment of this article
is necessary for the protection, benefit and preservation of the health,
safety, and welfare of inhabitants of this Township.