Every owner of property in the Borough of Coudersport
whose property abuts upon any public sanitary or combined sewer constructed
or to be constructed as a part of the Borough's sewer system shall
connect, at its own cost, the house, building or other structures
located on said property with the aforementioned public sanitary or
combined sewers immediately or upon completion of their construction
for the purpose of disposing of all acceptable sanitary sewage emanating
from said property.
It shall be unlawful for any owner, lessee,
or occupier of any property in the Borough of Coudersport abutting
upon any of said public sanitary or combined sewers upon completion
of their construction to employ any means, either by septic tank,
cesspool, privy vault, mine hole or otherwise, for the disposal of
acceptable sanitary sewage other than into and through said public
sanitary or combined sewers.
Where any house, building or structure in the
Borough abutting any of said public sanitary or combined sewers upon
completion of their construction is determined to be using any method
for the disposal of sanitary sewage other than through said public
sanitary or combined sewers, it shall be the duty of the Borough Secretary,
or such other person as shall be authorized by the Borough Council,
to notify the owner and lessee or occupier of such structure in writing,
either by personal service, certified mail, or registered mail, to
disconnect the same and make proper connection for the discharge and
disposal of all acceptable sanitary sewage through the said public
sanitary or combined sewers, as herein provided, within 45 days after
receipt of such notice. Any owner or lessee or occupier of a structure
who cannot comply with the provisions of this section as to connection
within the forty-five-day period stipulated above due to causes beyond
his control shall apply to the Borough Council within said forty-five-day
period for a time extension of up to six months in duration. Said
application shall be made on a form to be furnished by the Borough
Secretary and shall contain a voluntary agreement on the part of the
applicant under which the applicant shall agree to commence paying
the regular monthly sewer rates immediately even though actual connection
to the public sanitary or combined sewers will not be accomplished
until some later date within the said six months' extension period.
No privy vault, cesspool, septic tank, mine
hole or similar receptacle for human excrement shall at the present
time or at any time hereafter be connected with the aforesaid public
sanitary or combined sewers.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or
corporation connected to the aforementioned public sanitary or combined
sewers to connect any roof drain thereto or permit any roof drain
to remain connected thereto, or to permit, allow or cause to enter
into said public sanitary or combined sewers any storm water, foundation
drain water, spring water, surface water or any sewage or industrial
waste from any property other than that for which a permit is issued.
[Amended 4-12-1978 by Ord. No. 408; 3-14-1990 by Ord. No.
500]
No person, firm or corporation shall make or
cause to be made any connection with any of the aforementioned public
sanitary or combined sewers until he has fulfilled all of the following
conditions:
A. There is hereby imposed a connection fee for each
connection to be made to the sewer system of the Borough of Coudersport
which fee shall be payable upon application for the permit to make
the connection. The property owner shall pay to the Borough of Coudersport
a connection fee, not less than $200, which shall be based upon the
actual cost to the Borough. The actual cost shall be calculated by
taking into account the following factors: the cost of materials involved
in making the connection; the reasonable rental value of any equipment
used in making the connection; the number of employees or personnel
involved in making the connection; the rates (then in effect) for
the skilled and unskilled personnel and employees (whichever is applicable)
involved in making the connection; and any other expenses or costs
incurred by the Borough in making of said sewer connection.
B. No person shall connect or cause to be connected any
sewer line into the sewer system of the Borough of Coudersport, without
first applying for a permit to make a connection from the Borough
office, and without such permit being approved by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Coudersport.
C. The Borough Council of the Borough of Coudersport
shall approve applications for permit to connect to the sewer system
of the Borough only when such additional connections are in conformity
with the laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
as well as the rules and regulations of the Department of Environmental
Resources of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Environmental
Protection Agency of the United States. Any approval provided by the
Borough of Coudersport and any permit issued by the Borough of Coudersport
shall not relieve the applicant of any duty to comply with any state
and federal or local statutes, laws, ordinances, rules or regulations
that may be in effect. Even if a permit is issued, this does not certify
that the applicant is, in fact, in compliance with any such statutes,
laws, ordinances, rules or regulations and the applicant is hereby
notified that he, she or it must affirmatively inquire into and comply
with all applicable statutes, laws, ordinances, rules and regulations.
No applicant may rely upon the approval of the Borough of Coudersport
or the permit issued hereunder as being a certification or affirmation
that said applicant is in fact in compliance with any such applicable
statutes, laws, ordinances, rules or regulations.
The actual construction of all building sewer
lines or house service sewers shall be done in accordance with the
specifications and procedures established by the Borough in its sewer
system rules and regulations. Copies of the pertinent provisions thereof
may be obtained from the Borough Secretary.
If the owner or owners of any occupied houses, buildings or structures in the Borough shall neglect or refuse to comply with the provisions of this article or the written notice as prescribed in §
341-3 hereof, the Borough may perform or cause to be performed such work and labor and furnish or cause to be furnished such material as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of this article at the cost and expense of such owner or owners, together with 10% additional thereof and all charges and expenses incidental thereto, which sum shall be collected from said owner or owners for the use of the Borough as debts are by law collectable, or the said Borough may, by its proper officer, file a municipal claim or lien therefor against said premises as provided by law.
[Amended 7-8-1987 by Ord. No. 474]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate
any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced
to pay a fine of not more than $300; and/or to imprisonment for a
term not to exceed 90 days.