[Adopted 11-17-1916]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
INSPECTOR
The Director of Public Works, whose duties shall be performed by the Borough Director of Administration and Finance or his duly authorized agents.
[Amended 10-10-1990 by Ord. No. 90-16; 2-12-1992 by Ord. No. 92-1; 2-12-1992 by Ord. No. 92-2]
SYSTEM OF SEWERS, SEWAGE-DISPOSAL WORKS AND WATER SYSTEM OF THE BOROUGH OF DOWNINGTOWN
Not only the system of sewers, disposal works and water system proper, but all house receptacles and inlets or openings connected directly or indirectly with any water main or public sewer.
After official notification is given by the Borough Council of the completion of the system of sewers or any extension thereof, the main sewer of any building or buildings, except as hereinafter provided, abutting on any street, road, lane, alley or right-of-way in which a public sewer is laid shall be connected therewith in the manner hereinafter provided, and all liquid waste of human origin, soiled waters of all descriptions from the household, with such exceptions as are hereinafter provided, shall be discharged into a properly laid and approved sewer pipe discharging directly into said public system of sewers.
Within a period of one year from the date of the official notification hereinbefore referred to, unless otherwise provided, or within 30 days from the date of the serving of any specific notice, in writing, to the owner of any existing building or buildings located in the Borough of Downingtown, upon the premises abutting on any street, road, lane, alley or right-of-way in which a public sewer is laid shall cause such building or buildings to be connected with said public sewer and shall close, up to the satisfaction of the Inspector, after properly disinfecting it, any cesspool or privy vault, using satisfactory material.
Where sewer service is desired by the owner of a property fronting on a street, avenue or place wherein no sewer is laid, but which property can be connected to a sewer, in another street, such connection may be authorized upon condition that no expense incident to making such connection for right-of-way or otherwise shall be a charge against the Borough and that, in addition to the regular connection charge and general annual sanitary service charges, said party shall likewise pay such frontage costs or tax levy cost equal to the frontage assessment on a property of equal frontage abutting on a street containing service.
It shall not be lawful for any person or any plumber to connect any privy, well, cesspool or dry closet with any sewer which is part of the public system of sewers.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to uncover any portion of the public sewers, water mains or the connecting branches thereof; to open any manhole, flush tank, lamp hole or valve box; to open any public street, alley, sidewalk or public place for making a sewer or water connection; to make or cause to be made any connection with a public sewer or water main; to break into a sewer main when a "Y" cannot be located; to connect any pipe with the sewer carrying hot water, acids, dyes, germicides, brewery mash, gasoline, naphtha, gasoline, oil or any substance of an explosive or dangerous nature and detrimental to the operation of the system of sewers and the disposal works until a written permit has been obtained naming the conditions under which such connections may be made by the Director of Public Works and the President of the Council.
[Amended 10-10-1990 by Ord. No. 90-16]
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to throw or deposit or to be caused to be thrown or deposited in any fixture, vessel, receptacle, inlet or opening connected directly or indirectly with any public sewer any garbage, vegetable parings, ashes, rags, hair or any other matter or anything whatsoever except feces, urine, liquid house slops and thin toilet paper; newspapers and paper heavier than toilet paper are never to be used.
C. 
It shall be unlawful to discharge into the public sewers any surface water or rain, snow, groundwater, spring or old well.
D. 
The Borough Council may at any time in its discretion, stop and prevent the discharge into the sewers, directly or indirectly, any substance liable to injure the sewers or to obstruct the flow or hinder the operation of the sewage purification plant, and the Borough Council may, without notice, cut off or disconnect any sewer, where the owner or tenant fails to obey the terms of §§ 235-1 to 235-7 and 235-9 without redress.
E. 
It shall be unlawful to trespass on Borough property upon which is located the disposal works, pumping station and dam.
F. 
It shall be unlawful to use a terra-cotta house sewer larger than six inches in diameter unless a special permit is granted therefor, by the Borough Council, after all reasons for the request for the larger pipe are made known and a full record made of the same in the minutes.
[Amended 10-10-1990 by Ord. No. 90-16]
Whenever the conditions of the excavation warrant the use of a joint other than cement for making the house sewer watertight, the plumber shall use a special joint compound, such as posit, pine tar and cement, properly prepared, or other material satisfactory to the Director of Public Works, the cost of which must be borne by the plumber doing the work.
[Amended 10-10-1990 by Ord. No. 90-16]
Before a sewer permit is issued to any manufacturing firm, individual, corporation or other party having or using substances on their premises objectionable for discharging into the sewer or treatment at the disposal plant, they, he or it shall indicate by their petition for a permit just what they propose to discharge into the sewers, and in all cases when a permit is so issued, it will only be issued with the understanding that said party's pipeline shall discharge into a manhole, or, if the distance to a manhole makes it inconvenient or expensive, then the party shall construct a manhole on its premises at its expense, which shall always be accessible for inspection by the Borough's Director of Public Works after which the nearest Y-branch can be used.
[Amended 10-10-1990 by Ord. No. 90-16]
Any person, firm or corporation who or which shall violate any of the provisions of §§ 235-1 through 235-7 shall, upon conviction thereof before any District Justice, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 and costs of prosecution and, in default of payment of such fine and costs, to imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 30 days, provided that each day's continuance of a violation of any of the provisions of this article shall constitute a separate offense.