[Adopted 1-7-1992 by Ord. No. 58]
Hamilton Township may permit the owner of any property that cannot otherwise be served by the sewer system of Hamilton Township to use a grinder pump to force sewage from his property into the sewer system.
[Amended 9-13-2004 by Ord. No. 108]
A grinder pump may be used only if there is no other feasible method of connecting the property to any Hamilton Township sewer system and only if the following requirements are met:
A. 
No person shall use a grinder pump without a permit first being obtained from Hamilton Township.
B. 
Application for a grinder pump permit shall be made to the Hamilton Township Zoning Officer or Sewage Enforcement Officer. A nonrefundable application fee as may be established from time to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors of Hamilton Township shall be paid at the time of application for a grinder pump permit.
C. 
The application shall set forth the type, make and model of the pump to be installed and such other information as may be required by the Township Engineer.
D. 
The Township Engineer shall review the application and shall recommend to the Township that the type, make and model of the pump proposed to be used and design of the system is adequate to meet the anticipated need to protect the public health and welfare.
E. 
The Township Engineer may, if he deems it necessary due to the nature of the installation and the local availability of repair parts for the pump proposed to be used, require the applicant to purchase and maintain a backup pump for emergency use.
F. 
The Township Engineer may impose any condition that he deems necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the property owner or any other person and to ensure the integrity and proper functioning of the Township sewer system.
The Township Engineer or Zoning Officer or Sewage Enforcement Officer is hereby authorized to inspect any privately owned grinder pump unit or pressure line at reasonable hours to insure that it is in proper working order and that any required backup pump is available. If the pump unit or pressure line in not functioning properly, the Township Engineer or Zoning Officer or Sewage Enforcement Officer may declare the same to be public nuisance.
Should the Township Engineer or Zoning Officer or Sewage Enforcement Officer declare any grinder pump or pressure line to be a nuisance, the owner shall immediately abate the nuisance or the permit to use a grinder pump shall be revoked and appropriate legal proceedings may be initiated by Hamilton Township to abate the nuisance. If the owner fails to abate the nuisance, Hamilton Township shall have the right to make the necessary repairs and assess the cost of doing so against the property involved as a municipal lien according to the procedures established by law for the filing and collection of municipal claims and liens.
All grinder pumps and sewer lines shall be owned and maintained by Hamilton Township except where the pumps and lines are located outside the Township right-of-way and are on private property where Hamilton Township shall control the type of pumps and conditions of use pursuant to the provisions of this article. Hamilton Township hereby accepts responsibility for abating any nuisance or public health hazard that may occur in any privately owned pressure lines or grinder pump units should the owner fail to do so.
[Amended 12-3-1996 by Ord. No. 75; 5-6-1997 by Ord. No. 76]
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and 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. Each day or portion thereof that such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this article that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense. Hamilton Township police officers, or other appropriate officer(s) of Hamilton Township, shall have the power to enforce the provisions of this article.