[Adopted 8-10-1961 as Ord. No. 906, approved 8-10-1961]
[Amended 3-13-1987 by Ord. No. 1531, approved 3-13-1987]
Unless the context specifically and clearly indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this article shall be as follows:
AUTHORITY
The Carlisle Borough Sewer System Authority, a municipality authority incorporated, organized and existing under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, approved May 2, 1945, P.L. 382,[1] as amended and supplemented.[2]
AVERAGE DAILY FLOW
Calculated by dividing total sewage wastes flow under consideration for the 60 days immediately preceding the date of calculation by the number 60.
BOD (denoting "biochemical oxygen demand")
The quantity of oxygen, expressed in milligrams per liter, utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure for five days at 20° C. The standard laboratory procedure shall be that found in the latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Sewage published by the American Public Health Association.
BOROUGH
The Borough of Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, a Pennsylvania municipal corporation, acting by and through its Council or, in appropriate cases, acting by and through its authorized representative.
DOMESTIC WASTE
Normal household wastes from kitchens, water closets, lavatories and laundries.
GARBAGE
Solid wastes resulting from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.
IMPROVED PROPERTY
Any property 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 sanitary 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 development, recovery or processing of natural resources, as distinct from sanitary sewage.
OWNER
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole or partial, of any improved property.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, partnership, company, association, society, trust, corporation or other group or entity.
pH (hydrogen ion content)
The logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions, expressed in grams per liter of solution, and indicates the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a substance.
ppm
Parts per million.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY
A business certified or licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to manage residential rental property or which takes responsibility for the care, maintenance, tenant management and supervision of the residential rental property, under written contract with the owner of an improved property.
[Added 8-8-2019 by Ord. No. 2341; approved 8-8-2019]
PROPERTY MANAGER
An individual certified or licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to manage residential rental property or who takes responsibility for the care, maintenance, tenant management and supervision of the residential rental property, under written contract with the owner of an improved property.
[Added 8-8-2019 by Ord. No. 2341; approved 8-8-2019]
SANITARY SEWAGE
All water-carried domestic waste discharged into the sewer system from any improved property.
SEWAGE WASTES
Sanitary sewage or industrial wastes or any combination of either thereof, but only to the extent that industrial wastes have been pretreated and otherwise meet the requirements of this article.
SEWER
Any pipe, main or conduit constituting a part of the sewer system, used or usable for collection of sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes.
SEWER SYSTEM
All facilities, as of any particular time, for collecting, transporting, pumping, treating and disposing of sanitary sewage and industrial wastes, situated in or outside of the Borough, owned by the Authority and leased to the Borough for operation and use.
SLUG
Any discharge of sewage wastes which for a period of 15 minutes shall exceed five times the average daily flow. The term particularly applies to the sudden emptying of large vats, tanks or swimming pools into the sewer system.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
Solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension or dissolved in water, sewage or other liquids and which shall be determined by laboratory analysis.
TOXIC SUBSTANCE
Any poisonous substance, including but not limited to wastes containing cyanide, lead, copper and/or chromium ions.
TREATMENT PLANT
The Carlisle Regional Wastewater Control Facility owned by the Authority, together with any additions, improvements, enlargements and/or modifications thereto.
[Amended 5-8-2008 by Ord. No. 2103, approved 5-10-2008]
WATER SYSTEM
All facilities owned by the Carlisle Borough Municipal Authority, a Pennsylvania municipality authority, and leased to the Borough for operation and use in the supply of water to the public within the Borough.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Municipality Authorities Act of 1945 was repealed 6-19-2001 by P.L. 287, No. 22. See now 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5601 et seq.
[2]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 10, Authorities, Art. II.
A. 
Rentals and charges for the use of the sewer system hereby are fixed and imposed upon and shall be collected from the owner of each improved property located within the Borough which shall be connected to the sewer system, whether such use of the sewer system or the connection thereto or the benefit resulting from such use or connection shall be direct or indirect. The Borough may allow a property manager or property management company to be mailed or delivered bills for rental and charges for use of the sewer system in the owner's name provided the owner in writing makes such a request on a form to be provided by the Borough, which form shall be required to provide, among other items, the name, address, telephone number and email address of the property manager or the property management company, a current copy of the fully executed contract authorizing the property manager or property management company to manage specific residential unit(s) of the owner and a copy of the current certification or license issue by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania authorizing the property manager or property management company to serve as a property manager for the owner's property. Upon approval of the request by the Borough, such bills in the name of the owner shall be mailed or delivered to the property manager or property management company. This same procedure may be used for the issuance of stormwater management fee bills at the request of the owner.
[Amended 3-10-2005 by Ord. No. 2032, approved 3-10-2005; 2-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2325, approved 2-14-2019; 8-8-2019 by Ord. No. 2341; approved 8-8-2019]
B. 
Such sewer rentals and charges shall commence and shall be effective on the first day of January 1962 or on the date thereafter when the Borough first shall be capable of accepting sanitary sewage and industrial wastes from such improved property for transportation and treatment in the sewer system.
[Amended 2-10-1977 by Ord. No. 1244, approved 2-10-1977; 10-9-1980 by Ord. No. 1361, approved 10-9-1980; 1-2-2018 by Ord. No. 2292, approved 1-2-2018; 12-13-2018 by Ord. No. 2319, approved 12-13-2018; 12-12-2019 by Ord. No. 2353; approved 12-12-2019; 12-9-2021 by Ord. No. 2395, approved 12-9-2021; 3-10-2022 by Ord. No. 2399, approved 3-10-2022; 12-8-2022 by Ord. No. 2408, approved 12-8-2022; 12-14-2023 by Ord. No. 2427, approved 12-14-2023; 12-12-2024 by Ord. No. 2448; approved 12-12-2024; 12-11-2025 by Ord. No. 2465, approved 12-11-2025]
Sewer rentals and charges for sanitary sewage and industrial wastes discharged into the sewer system from any improved property shall be based upon and shall be computed in accordance with the following rate schedule:
A. 
Basis for charges.
(1) 
Except as otherwise provided in this article, sewer rentals and charges for sanitary sewage and industrial wastes discharged into the sewer system from any improved property shall be based upon the volume of water usage, adjusted, if appropriate, as provided in this article where the volume of water usage shall be metered, whether by the Borough in connection with the water system or otherwise.
(2) 
Sewer rentals and charges for sanitary sewage and industrial wastes discharged into the sewer system from any improved property may be based upon the actual metered volume of such discharge of sanitary sewage and industrial wastes into the sewer system as permitted in this article.
(3) 
In either of the foregoing cases, and subject to the minimum provided in this article, such sewer rentals and charges for all discharges billed subsequent to May 1, 2026, for discharge on and after January 1, 2026, shall be computed in accordance with the following Metered Rate Schedule. For prior periods, the rates shall be as previously established.
Metered Rate Schedule Minimum Charges
(Volume of Water Usage or Discharge of Sanitary Sewage and Industrial Wastes into the Sewer System, as Applicable, in Cubic Feet Per Minute)
Size of Water Meter
(inches)
Monthly Charge
5/8
$15.32
1
$22.98
1 1/4
$30.64
1 1/2
$30.64
2
$53.62
3
$107.24
4
$176.18
6
$367.68
8
$689.40
Consumption Charges per 100 Cubic Feet
Per 100 Cubic Feet (All Consumers)
$7.66
(The customer will pay the greater of the consumption charge under the scheduled titled "Consumption Charges Per 100 Cubic Feet" or the minimum charge for the meter size being used under the schedule titled "Minimum Charges.")
B. 
Sewer rentals and charges for sanitary sewage and industrial wastes discharged into the sewer system from any improved property when the volume of water usage shall not be metered by the Borough in connection with the water system or otherwise and when the actual volume of discharge shall not be metered as permitted in this article shall be computed according to the above schedule set forth in subsection A.
C. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, inasmuch as industrial wastes may be stronger and more difficult to treat than sanitary sewage, additional sewer rentals and charges may be imposed, from time to time, by the Borough for industrial wastes discharged into the sewer system.[1] The Borough hereby reserves the right to regulate the discharge of industrial wastes into the sewer system, to establish and impose additional sewer rentals and charges for industrial wastes discharged into the sewer system and to promulgate such rules and regulations governing the volume and concentration of industrial wastes discharged into the sewer system and the measurement thereof as may be deemed necessary from time to time.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Art. III of this chapter.
D. 
For each permit issued with respect to the use of the sewage dumping station at the Carlisle Fairgrounds (such a permit shall be required for each seven-day period during any part of which such station may be operating, and each permit shall authorize such operation for a seven-day period only; the issuance of such permits shall be at the absolute discretion of Borough Council and the operation of the station without a permit for the time period in question shall be unlawful), the permit fee shall be as established through § 120-9E.
[Amended 2-10-1977 by Ord. No. 1244, approved 2-10-1977]
Sewer rentals and charges imposed by this article shall be payable as follows:
A. 
Billing date.
[Amended 3-10-2005 by Ord. No. 2032, approved 3-10-2005]
(1) 
Where a bill for sewer rentals and charges shall be computed in whole or in part upon the basis of water volume usage metered by the Borough in connection with operation of the water system or where a bill for sewer rentals and charges shall be computed upon the basis of a percentage of the water rates, rents and charges imposed by the Borough in connection with operation of the water system, the billing date for such sewer rentals and charges shall be the same date and shall cover the same period as shall be applicable for billing by the Borough in connection with the water system.
(2) 
Where a bill for sewer rentals and charges shall be computed on any basis completely independent of water volume usage metered by the Borough in connection with the water system or where a bill for sewer rentals and charges shall be computed on any basis completely independent of a percentage of the water rates, rents and charges imposed by the Borough in connection with operation of the water system, such bill for sewer rentals and charges shall be rendered and paid on a cycle determined by the Borough Manager.
[Amended 5-8-2008 by Ord. No. 2103, approved 5-10-2008]
B. 
Delinquent bills; penalty. Sewer rentals and charges shall be due and payable upon the applicable billing date set forth in Subsection A of this section. If any payment date above shall fall on a legal holiday or a Sunday, payments received by the next succeeding weekday which is not a legal holiday shall constitute a timely payment. Such rentals and charges for sewer shall be due and payable by the 45th day from the date of billing. Any bill that is not paid by the 45th day after the date of billing shall be subject to a penalty of 1.5% and be considered delinquent. Thereafter, delinquent bills shall be subject to a one-percent penalty per month on the full unpaid and overdue principal of the bill. This penalty shall become an additional charge with the bill. To be considered paid, payment must be received in the office of the Borough of Carlisle. If payment is not received by the 59th day after the date of billing, a notice of disconnection of water service will be delivered to the physical address for the account. If the bill remains unpaid for 13 days following delivery of such notice, water service will be disconnected.
[Amended 8-9-1979 by Ord. No. 1327, approved 8-9-1979; 3-10-2005 by Ord. No. 2032, approved 3-10-2005; 5-8-2008 by Ord. No. 2103, approved 5-10-2008]
C. 
Whenever service to any improved property shall begin after the first day or shall terminate before the last day of any billing period, sewer rentals and charges for such period shall be prorated equitably, if appropriate, for that portion of the billing period during which such improved property was served by the sewer system.
D. 
Every owner of improved property which is connected to the sewer system shall provide the Borough with and thereafter shall keep the Borough advised of his or her correct address. Failure of any person to receive bills for sewer rentals and charges shall not be considered an excuse for nonpayment nor shall such failure result in an extension of the period of time during which the bill shall be payable at a discount or in full.
[Amended 3-10-2005 by Ord. No. 2032, approved 3-10-2005; 2-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2325, approved 2-14-2019]
[Amended 3-10-2005 by Ord. No. 2032, approved 3-10-2005]
A. 
The sewer rentals and charges hereby imposed shall be a lien on the improved property connected to and served by the sewer system from the date such sewer rental and charge becomes due and payable under provisions of this article. All sewer rentals and charges hereby imposed which shall not be paid as required in § 197-15B above shall be entered as a lien against the improved property so connected to and served by the sewer system, which lien shall be filed in the office of the Prothonotary of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the manner provided by law for the filing of municipal claims. All delinquent bills shall be collected by the Borough in any manner permitted and authorized by law.[1]
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection B, regarding the Borough’s right to bill, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 2-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2325, approved 2-14-2019.
A. 
Methods of measuring volume.
(1) 
Whenever the entire water supply of an improved property discharging sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes into the sewer system is supplied by the water system, sewer rentals and charges for such improved property shall be computed in accordance with provisions of § 197-14 of this article.
(2) 
Whenever an improved property discharging sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes into the sewer system shall have a source or sources of water supply in addition to or other than the water system, the owner of such improved property shall provide a meter on such additional or other source or sources of water supply, if applicable, and the Borough shall install a meter on the water supply furnished by the Borough through the water system. The total volume of water consumed, as determined from the meter readings of the water system and the meter readings of the meter or meters on such additional or other source or sources of water supply, or the meter readings of the meter or meters on such other source or sources of water supply, as appropriate, shall be used as the measure of discharge of sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes in computing the sewer rentals and charges, subject to the minimum sewer rental and charge as provided in this article and subject to adjustment, if appropriate, as provided in this article.
(3) 
Whenever an improved property shall use water from the water system and/or water from a source or sources of supply in addition to or other than the water system and all or part of the water used shall not be discharged into the sewer system, the volume used as the measure of discharge of sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes in computing sewer rentals and charges may be adjusted by one of the following methods:
(a) 
Method 1. By installing a meter or other measuring device on the connection to the sewer system. The readings from such meter or measuring device shall be used as the measure of discharge of sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes in computing sewer rentals and charges.
(b) 
Method 2. By installing a meter or other measuring device to measure the volume not being discharged into the sewer system. The readings from such meter or measuring device shall be deducted from the total water meter readings, and the remainder shall be used as the measure of discharge of sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes in computing sewer rentals and charges.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Subsection A(3)(c), regarding Method 3, which immediately followed this subsection, was deleted at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
B. 
Measuring devices.
(1) 
Meters or other measuring devices which shall not be owned by the Borough in connection with the water system but which shall be required or permitted under provisions of this article shall be furnished and installed by the owner of the improved property at his expense, shall be under the control of the Borough and may be tested, inspected or repaired by the Borough whenever necessary. The owner of the improved property upon which such meter or other measuring device shall be installed shall be responsible for its maintenance and safekeeping; and all repairs thereto shall be made at the expense of the owner, whether such repairs shall be made necessary by ordinary wear and tear or other causes. Bills for such repairs, if made by the Borough, shall be due and payable immediately upon completion of such repairs and shall be collected in the same manner as bills for sewer rentals and charges.
(2) 
Any measuring device installed for the primary purpose of measuring sewage flow shall be at the expense of the property owner with respect to both the cost of the device and the installation thereof. Such installation and use of such measuring device shall be subject to the approval of the Borough Manager as to appropriateness under the circumstances, accessibility and similar matters.
[Added 4-14-1977 by Ord. No. 1255, approved 4-14-1977]
C. 
Meter readings. The Borough shall be responsible for the reading of all meters or other measuring devices, and the same shall be available to the Borough at all reasonable times.
[Amended 3-12-1987 by Ord. No. 1531, approved 3-13-1987]
A. 
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into a sewer or the sewer system any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage or any discharges other than sewage wastes as herein defined.
B. 
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into a sewer or the sewer system, with or without pretreatment,[1] any industrial wastes, chemicals or other discharges having any one of the following characteristics:
(1) 
Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 120° F.
(2) 
Any water or waste containing more than 100 parts per million by weight of fats, oils or grease.
(3) 
Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas.
(4) 
Any unground garbage, scraps or vegetables.
(5) 
Any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, wood or metal shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, paunch manure, butcher's offal or any other solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction to the flow in the sewer system or capable of causing injury to the sewer system or capable of causing a nuisance or other interference with the proper operation of the sewer system.
(6) 
Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 6.0 or higher than 9.5 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to the structures or equipment constituting part of the sewer system or to personnel engaged in the operation and maintenance thereof.
(7) 
Any waters or wastes containing any toxic substance in quantity sufficient to constitute a hazard to humans or animals or to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process of the treatment plant or to create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewer system.
(8) 
Any waters or wastes having an average five-day BOD greater than 200 parts per million, a suspended solids content greater than 200 parts per million or of such character and quantity that unusual attention or expense shall be required to handle such waters or wastes at the treatment plant, a total soluble phosphate content greater than 50 parts per million or an ammonia nitrogen content greater than 25 parts per million, except as may be approved by the Authority.
(9) 
Any noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable of creating a public nuisance or hazard to life or of preventing entry into any sewer or the sewer system for maintenance and repair.
(10) 
There shall be no rates of flow taking on the proportions of a slug. This subsection applies likewise to sanitary sewage.
(11) 
Any toxic radioactive isotopes or materials.
(12) 
Any drainage from building construction.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also Art. III of this chapter.
C. 
Exclusion from the sewer system of noncontaminated waters and wastes may be required by the Borough or such exclusion may be optional on the part of any person if not required by the Borough.
D. 
Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as preventing any special arrangement or agreement between the Borough and any person whereby industrial wastes of unusual strength or character may be accepted for treatment; provided, however, that the costs incident to accepting and treating such industrial wastes of unusual strength or character shall be borne by the industrial establishment so discharging it, and further provided, however, that no special arrangement or agreement shall become effective until approved by the Authority.
A. 
When required by the Borough, the owner of any improved property from which industrial wastes are discharged into the sewer system shall install fine screens to remove husks, hulls, vegetable skins, peelings, threads, lint, grease and other such nonsettleable and floating solids or other organic or inorganic substances determined by the Borough to overload, impair the efficiency of or cause difficulties in operation of the sewage treatment plant used to treat and dispose of the wastes or in maintaining required quality of treatment plant effluent.
B. 
When required by the Borough, the owner of any improved property discharging 50,000 gallons or more of sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes per day into the sewer system and having large variations in the rate of discharge of such within a twenty-four-hour period shall install suitable holding tanks for equalizing the rate of discharge more uniformly over the entire twenty-four-hour period. The average rate of discharge during any twenty-four-hour period shall not be exceeded by more than 50% at any time during such twenty-four-hour period.
A. 
Industrial wastes being discharged into the sewer system shall be subject to periodic sampling, inspection and determination of character and concentration. Such sampling, inspection and determination shall be made by the Borough as frequently as may be deemed necessary. The Borough shall be responsible for analysis of samples of industrial wastes.
B. 
When required by the Borough, the owner of any improved property from which industrial wastes are discharged into the sewer system shall install a suitable control manhole in the sewer service line serving such improved property in order to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of such industrial wastes. Such manhole, when required, shall be accessible and shall be so located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Borough. The manhole shall be installed by such owner, at his own expense, and shall be maintained by such owner so as to be safe and accessible at all times.
C. 
If the owner of any improved property from which industrial wastes are discharged into the sewer system shall propose to change methods of operation so as to alter the type of industrial wastes then being discharged into the sewer system, such owner shall notify the Borough, in writing, at least 10 days prior to such change so that the Borough can sample the industrial wastes immediately after such change takes place.
The Borough reserves the right to refuse to any person the privilege of connection of any improved property to the sewer system, or to compel the discontinuance of use of a sewer and the sewer system by any person, or to compel the pretreatment of any industrial wastes, in order to prevent discharges into the sewer system of any wastes deemed to be harmful to the sewer system or to have a deleterious effect on sewage treatment processes.
Representatives of the Borough shall have access at all times to any improved property which shall be connected to the sewer system and to any meters or control manholes for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing and for the performance of other functions relating to service rendered by the Borough through the sewer system.
A. 
The Borough reserves the right to adopt and promulgate, and from time to time the Borough may adopt and promulgate, as it shall deem necessary, additional classifications and sewer rentals and charges therefor, or modifications of the schedule of sewer rentals and charges as set forth in this article, which additional classifications and sewer rentals and charges or modifications, as the case may be, shall be, shall become and shall be construed as a part of this article.
B. 
The Borough reserves the right to adopt and promulgate, and from time to time the Borough may adopt and promulgate, as it shall deem necessary, additional rules and regulations for the use and operation of the sewer system, which rules and regulations shall be, shall become and shall be construed as a part of this article.
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 the Borough.
[Added 3-10-1988 by Ord. No. 1576, approved 3-10-1988]
Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this article or failing to comply with any of the requirements hereof shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000, plus costs of prosecution, or in default of payment of such fine and costs, shall be imprisoned in the county jail for a term not exceeding 30 days.