The purpose of this article is to establish
procedures for the use and maintenance of holding tanks designed to
receive and retain sewage, whether from residential or commercial
uses, and it is hereby declared that the enactment of this article
is necessary for the protection, benefit and preservation of the health,
safety and welfare of the inhabitants of this township.
Unless the context specifically and clearly
indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this article shall
be as follows:
AUTHORITY
The Lower Providence Township Sewer Authority, a Pennsylvania
municipality authority.
HOLDING TANK
A watertight receptacle which receives and retains sewage
and is designed and constructed to facilitate ultimate disposal of
the sewage at another site. Holding tanks include but are not limited
to the following:
B.
RETENTION TANKA holding tank where sewage is conveyed to it by a water-carrying system.
C.
VAULT PIT PRIVYA holding tank designed to receive sewage where water under pressure is not available.
IMPROVED PROPERTY
Any property within 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 shall or may be discharged.
OWNER
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole
or partial, of any property located in the township.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, company, association, corporation
or other group or entity.
SEWAGE
Any substance that contains any of the waste products or
excrement or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or animals,
and any noxious or deleterious substance harmful or inimical to the
public health or to animal or aquatic life or to the use of water
for domestic water supply or for recreation.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Lower Providence, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
The Authority is hereby authorized and empowered
to undertake within the township the control and methods of holding
tank sewage collection, transportation and disposal.
The Authority is hereby authorized and empowered
to adopt such rules and regulations concerning sewage which it may
deem necessary from time to time to effect the purposes herein.
All such rules and regulations adopted by the
Authority shall be in conformity with the provisions herein, all other
ordinances of the township and all applicable laws and applicable
rules and regulations of administrative agencies of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
The Authority shall have the right and power
to fix, alter, charge and collect rates, assessments and other charges
in the area served by its facilities at reasonable and uniform rates
as authorized by applicable law.
The collection and transportation of all sewage
from any improved property utilizing a holding tank shall be done
under the direction and control of the Authority, and the disposal
thereof shall be made only at such site or sites as may be approved
by the Department of Environmental Protection of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
The owner of an improved property that utilizes
a holding tank shall:
A. Maintain the holding tank in conformance with this
article or any ordinance of this township, the provisions of any applicable
law and the rules and regulations of the Authority and any administrative
agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B. Dispose of the contents of the holding tank in accordance
with the direction and rules of the Authority, all other ordinances
of the township and all applicable laws and applicable rules and regulations
of administrative agencies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
[Amended 11-27-1978 by Ord. No. 243; 3-14-1983 by Ord. No. 295]
Any person who violates any provisions of §
117-45 shall, upon conviction thereof by summary proceedings, be subject to a fine of not more than $300 and costs, provided, however, that each day's violation shall constitute a separate offense.
In addition to any other remedies provided in this article, any violation of §
117-45 above shall constitute a nuisance and may be abated by the municipality or the Authority by seeking either appropriate equitable or legal relief from a court of competent jurisdiction.