The sanitary sewers of the Township of Pohatcong
shall be operated as a self-liquidating utility and charges for sewer
service shall be imposed upon users thereof. The revenue derived therefrom
shall be dedicated to the purposes of such service as a self-liquidating
utility.
[Amended 9-15-2015 by Ord. No. 15-10]
In areas where public sanitary sewers are not physically available
and operational, but are intended to be the means of wastewater management
according to the adopted water quality management plan applicable
to an area, interim use of individual subsurface sewage disposal systems
(ISSDSs) by existing and proposed development is allowed. However,
at such time as the sanitary sewers are made available and operational,
connection of buildings or structures served by ISSDSs to the sewers
is required in accordance with this article.
A. Connection required. Except as otherwise provided by this article,
an owner of a building or structure equipped with an ISSDS located
on a property abutting any street or sewage easement in which a gravity
sanitary sewer line is operational and available shall promptly connect
thereto in a manner complying with the National Standard Plumbing
Code and N.J.A.C. 7:14A and cause all sewage on such premises to be
discharged into said sanitary sewer, provided that the building or
structure is located within the adopted sewer service area of the
wastewater treatment facility to which the sanitary sewer line is
connected, and discontinue use of the ISSDS.
B. Exceptions. This article shall not apply to buildings or structures
for which a sanitary sewer line is considered not to be available
in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:9A-1.6(e) as amended or supplemented
or is not operational in accordance with a valid treatment works approval.
Sanitary sewers which are considered not available or not operational
for the purpose of this article include:
(1) Those connections to the sanitary sewer line that cannot be accomplished
without requiring the installation of a pumping station; blasting
of bedrock; the acquisition of an easement or right-of-way to cross
an adjoining property; or the crossing of a watercourse, railway,
major highway or other significant obstacle;
(2) Where the sanitary sewer line is located 100 feet or more from the
building or structure to be served;
(3) Where the sanitary sewer has received a Stage II "construction only"
treatment works approval in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:14A-22.9 and
has not yet received a Stage III treatment works approval, which is
an approval to operate the treatment works in accordance with N.J.A.C.
7:14A-22.10, until such time as the Stage III treatment works approval
is approved; or
(4) Where the sanitary sewer line or receiving sewage treatment plant
is subject to a sewer connection ban in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:14A-22.17,
until such time as the sewer connection ban is lifted.
C. Time limit of connection. Such connection shall be accomplished on
or before the expiration of 90 days following the date the sanitary
sewer becomes available and operational or the effective date of this
article, whichever shall occur later.
D. Pumping and filling of septic tank upon connection to sanitary sewer.
Upon connecting to the sanitary sewer, the ISSDS shall be pumped and
all its contents removed by a licensed septic cleaner. The lid of
the septic tank and/or cesspool shall then be broken or removed and
the tank and/or cesspool backfilled with clean fill.
[Amended 9-15-2015 by Ord. No. 15-10]
If the owner of any house, building or structure referred to in §
220-2 of this chapter shall fail to make any installation or connection required by this chapter within the time herein required, the Township may proceed to make such installation or connection, or cause the same to be made, and assess the cost thereof as a lien against such house, building or structure, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:63-52 to 40:63-64, inclusive.
[Amended 9-15-2015 by Ord. No. 15-10]
The installations and connections required to be made pursuant to the provisions of §
220-2 this chapter shall be made in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Township, which rules and regulations shall be kept on file in the office of the Township.
The Township Council shall have the authority
to establish, by resolution, a schedule of quarterly sewer service
charges for residential, commercial and industrial users, and may
compute the sewer service charges on the basis of water usage as determined
by actual water meter reading or by minimum and maximum quarterly
sewerage service charges.
[Added 9-5-2006 by Ord. No. 06-20; amended 3-18-2008 by Ord. No.
08-4]
Following the effective date of this section,
if there is any change in ownership of a property located within the
Pohatcong Township sewer service area upon which a private water well
is located and for which a community water supply system is available,
said property shall be subject to the following provisions:
A. The owner of any such property shall install and maintain
a water meter thereon and shall connect to a community water supply
system, both at the owner’s expense, within 60 days of assuming
ownership of the property, with the exception of those property owners
in the Borough of Alpha water district, who shall have 120 days following
assumption of ownership of the property. If the owner shall fail to
do so, the Township Council of Pohatcong may, by resolution, provide
for the installation of such meter and add the cost thereof to the
user charge levied under this chapter.
B. No new on-site well shall be permitted to be constructed
on any property located within the Pohatcong sewer service area and
for which a community water supply system is available.
[Amended 9-15-2015 by Ord. No. 15-10]
In the event of noncompliance with the terms of this article, the Council of the Township of Pohatcong is authorized to order such connection by written notice signed by the Mayor and served either upon the owner(s) personally or by mail. If, following service of such an order in the manner described above, the owner(s) should fail to connect within 30 days of receipt of the aforesaid order, the owner(s) shall be subject to a fine in accordance with Chapter
153, General Penalty.
No individual, partnership, corporation or other entity shall uncover, connect with, make any opening into or use, alter or disturb in any manner any sewer or the sanitary sewer system of Pohatcong Township without first obtaining a written permit from the township's authorized agent. Such permit shall be issued upon approval by the Township Engineer and payment of a connection fee based upon the number of equivalent dwelling units which are to be connected to the sanitary sewer system. The amount of the connection fee shall be in accordance with Chapter
45, Land Use Procedures, of the Pohatcong Code. One equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) is equal to a sewage discharge of 13,000 gallons per quarter of a year (90 days).
All the costs and expenses of connection of
a sewer line serving an existing house, building or structure to the
sewer main shall be borne by the owner of the unit to be connected,
and such owner shall indemnify and save harmless the Township from
all loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly as
a result of construction or connection.
No person shall make or cause to be made a connection
of any improved property with a sewer until such person shall have
given the Township Engineer at least 48 hours' notice of the time
which such connection will be made, so that said Engineer or the Township's
authorized agent may supervise and inspect the work of connection
and the installation from the foundation line of the improvement to
the connection point, said connection point being at the curbline
of said property.
The connection unit which shall be located under
highways, roads, streets and rights-of-way shall be installed by the
owner of the property affected through a registered plumber at the
sole cost and expense of the owner.
The connection unit between the main sanitary
sewer line and the property affected shall be repaired, replaced and
cleaned by the owner of the property affected at the sole cost and
expense of the owner.
Openings in the pavement or roadway shall be made pursuant to the provisions of Chapter
241, Street Openings, of the Pohatcong Township Code.