[Adopted 11-14-1974 by Ord. No. 314]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
BOROUGH — The Borough of Riverton.
GARBAGE — Solid wastes from the preparation,
cooking and the dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage
and sale of produce.
The liquid wastes from industrial processes as distinct from
sanitary sewage.
The sewer laid along the center line or other part of the
streets or other rights-of-way, and to which all owners have equal
rights and which is controlled by public authority.
The Plumbing Inspector of the Borough of Riverton, or his
authorized deputy, agent or representative.
A sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal
rights and which is controlled by public authority.
A sewer which carries sewage and to which surface or ground
waters are not admitted.
A combination of the water-carried wastes from residences,
business buildings, institutions and industrial establishments.
Any arrangement of devices and structures used for the treatment
of sewage.
All facilities for collecting, pumping and disposing of sewage.
The wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of
food that have been shredded to such degree that all particles will
be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in
the public sewers, and no particle greater than 1/2 inch.
A sewer which carries surface waters and drainage, but excludes
sewage and polluted wastes.
It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit or permit
to be deposited in an unsanitary manner upon public or private property
within the Borough of Riverton, or in any area under the jurisdiction
of said borough, any human or animal excrement, garbage or other objectionable
waste.
It shall be unlawful for any owner of any house, building or structure used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other human use within the Borough of Riverton to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other similar facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage, where a public sewer is located within 200 feet of the property line of said premises, except as provided in § 106-4 of this Article.
[Added 8-9-1984 by Ord.
No. 10-84]
A.
Upon the acceptance of any public sewer by the municipal governing
body of the Borough of Riverton, the owner or owners of all houses,
buildings or structures used for human occupancy, employment, recreation
or other human use, the property lines of which are located within
200 feet of said accepted public sewer, shall, at his own expense,
install suitable toilet facilities therein and connect such facilities
to all other sanitary facilities therein, and connect directly with
said public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter;
and such connection shall be accomplished within 180 days after the
date of acceptance of said public sewer by the municipal governing
body of the Borough of Riverton.
B.
The borough may, by resolution of the governing body, authorize the
connection to the borough sanitary sewer system of premises which
are located in adjoining municipalities if such connection is the
most logical point of connection for such premises and if such connection
is not otherwise detrimental to the borough. All connections so authorized
shall be subject to the regulations and fees set forth in this chapter.
All such connections existing on July 1, 1984, are hereby authorized.
No person other than authorized borough personnel for repair
purposes shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into,
use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without
first obtaining a written permit from the Borough Clerk. Such permit
for a house, building or any other structure for the connection to
the extension of or to the public sewer directly shall be in writing
on a form provided by the borough, and shall state the street and
number and be accompanied by a sketch of the location of the line
where it passes into the borough sewer system by reference to property
corners.
[Amended 8-9-1984 by Ord.
No. 9-84]
There shall be two classes of public sewer connections: the
first for residential and commercial service; the second for service
to establishments producing industrial wastes. In either case, the
owner or his agent shall make application on the form provided by
the borough. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans,
specifications or such other information as the Plumbing Inspector
considers pertinent.
All cost and expense incident to the installation and connection
shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the borough
from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned
by the installation of the house sewer connection.
A separate and independent connection shall be provided for
every building, except where one building stands to the rear of another
on an interior lot and no private sewer is available or can be constructed
to the rear building through an adjoining alley, courtyard or driveway,
in which case, the house connection from the front building may be
extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one house
connection.
A portion of the existing outside piping of the house plumbing
system may be used in connection with the house connection only when
it is found upon examination by the Plumbing Inspector to meet all
the requirements of this Article.
The house connection shall be made of extra-heavy cast-iron
pipe and shall be joined with either lead and oakum or with neoprene
rubber gaskets conforming to the current American Society for Testing
and Materials Specifications for Rubber Gaskets for Cast Iron, Cast-Iron
Soil Pipe and Fittings (ASTM Designation C-564-65T); or other materials
permitted by the State Plumbing Code. The connection to septic tank
or cesspool, immediately after said sewer connections, shall be entirely
cut off from the septic tank or cesspool, and the septic tank or cesspool
shall be emptied of the contents and filled with fresh clean earth
or sand. This work shall be done subject to the approval of the Plumbing
Inspector.
The diameter of the house connection pipe shall not be less
than four inches. The house connection shall be laid on a uniform
grade, wherever practical, at a straight grade of at least 1/4 inch
to the foot. Where, in special cases, a minimum grade of 1/4 inch
per foot cannot be maintained, a grade of one-eighth (1/8) inch per
foot will be permitted, but only after the Plumbing Inspector is amply
notified and gives his approval.
Whenever possible, the house connection shall be brought to
the building at an elevation below the basement floor. No house connection
shall be laid to or within three feet on the parallel of any bearing
wall which might thereby be weakened. The depth shall be sufficient
to afford protection from frost. The house connection shall be laid
in uniform grade in the direction from the main sewer to the building
and in straight alignment insofar as possible. Change in direction
shall be made with appropriate fittings. Where a change in direction
is more than forty-five degrees (45°), a cleanout must be installed.
In all buildings in which the house plumbing is too low to permit
gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such
drain shall be lifted by approved artificial means and discharged
to the house connection.
A.
When installing the house connection, the trenches shall be dug in
a careful manner and sheathed where required. The excavation materials
must be piled in a compact heap, so as to cause the least possible
inconvenience to the public. Proper barricades and lights must be
maintained around the trench to guard against accidents. In backfilling,
the material for the two feet immediately over the pipe shall be selected
so it contains no stones. This shall be tamped, and the balance of
the trench shall be backfilled in a workmanlike manner. When the trench
has been filled to the proper height, the road material is to be replaced
and heavily tamped or rolled.
B.
Where the trench is excavated in rock, the rock must be carefully
excavated to a depth of six inches below the grade line of the sewer
and the trench brought to proper elevation by the use of material
satisfactory to the Plumbing Inspector. The rest of the material must
be of suitable backfill material.
C.
Where subsoil conditions are bad, such special precaution must be
taken to assure a watertight job as may be directed by the Plumbing
Inspector. In quicksand, all piping must be laid out on planking two
inches thick and at least six inches wide.
Prior to any connection to the sewer extension or to the main
sewer, the Plumbing Inspector or an authorized agent of the Board
of Health must be given ample notice of at least 24 hours in order
that he may inspect or supervise such work. If the Plumbing Inspector
or an agent so designated by the Board is not given ample notice,
he may require the completed work to be uncovered for examination
at the owner's expense.
The use of cleanouts in the house connection shall be made by
installing a Y and one-eighth bend. The cleanouts shall be installed
on any change of direction in the house sewer greater than forty-five
degrees (45°) and on the straight part of the house sewer when
the distance is greater than 50 feet. When the house drain is below
the cellar floor, the cleanout inside the cellar wall must be carried
above the floor by six inches.
The Plumbing Inspector may require any appropriate test made
to the pipes installed. The licensed master plumber, at his own expense,
shall furnish all tools, labor, materials and assistants for such
tests, and shall move and repair any defective materials when so ordered
by the Plumbing Inspector.
Each contractor, or other person performing work on borough
public property for the purpose of installing house connections, shall
be bonded. Such bond shall be for $1,000. All work shall be adequately
guarded with proper barricades, lights and other measures for protection
of the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, curbs and other public
property disturbed in the course of work shall be restored in a manner
satisfactory to the Borough Engineer.
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater,
surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, cooling
water or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer.
Stormwater and any other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged
into such sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers, or
to a natural outlet approved by the Borough Engineer. Industrial cooling
water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged to a storm sewer
or stream as approved by the proper authority of the borough.
Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall discharge or
cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes
into any public sewer:
A.
Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than one hundred
fifty degrees Fahrenheit (150° F.).
B.
Any water or waste which contains more than 100 parts per million,
by weight, of fat, oil or grease.
C.
Any gasoline, naphtha, benzene, fuel off or explosive liquid, solid
or gas.
D.
Any garbage that has not been properly shredded.
E.
Any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags,
feathers, tar, plastics, wood, manure or any other solid or viscous
substance capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or
other interference with proper operation of the sewerage works.
F.
Any waters or wastes having pH lower than five point five (5.5) or
higher than nine point zero (9.0), or having any other corrosive property
capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel
of the sewerage works.
G.
Any waters or wastes containing a toxic or poisonous substance in
sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment
process, constitutes a hazard to humans or animals or creates any
hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant.
H.
Any waters or wastes containing suspended solids of such character
that unusual attention or expense is required to handle such materials
at the sewage treatment plant.
I.
Any noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable of causing or
creating a public nuisance.
A.
Grease and oil interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion
of the Plumbing Inspector, they are necessary for the proper handling
of liquid waste containing grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable
wastes, sand or other harmful ingredients, except that such interceptors
shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units.
All interceptors shall be of the type and capacity approved by the
Plumbing Inspector, and shall be located so as to be readily and easily
accessible for cleaning.
B.
Grease and oil interceptors shall be of impervious materials capable
of withstanding abrupt and extreme changes in temperature. They shall
be of substantial construction and watertight, and equipped with easily
removable covers which, when bolted in place, shall be gastight and
watertight.
Where installed, the grease and sand interceptors shall be maintained
by the owner, at his expense, in continuously efficient operation
at all times.
[Amended 4-21-2020 by Ord. No. O-2020-01]
A.
The Mayor and Council of the Borough of Riverton shall have entire
control and management of all sanitary sewer mains, and intercepting
sanitary sewers, storm sewers, manholes, underground drains, systems
of sewers and drains, sewer and drain outlets, filtration beds, sewage
disposal works, sewage receptacles, pumping stations or any or all
such improvements, and such other erections, works, establishments
and fixtures as may be required to provide proper sewerage and drainage
within said Borough of Riverton and owned or controlled by it, and
may from time to time enlarge, increase, extend, renew, alter, replace,
repair, cleanse, equip, operate and maintain any and all such sewers,
drains, works and structures.
B.
Maintenance and replacement of any sanitary sewer service lines (laterals),
servicing an improved structure connected to the Borough's sanitary
sewer collection mains, including, but not limited to, that portion
located within the public right-of-way and/or easement, shall be the
sole and exclusive responsibility of the property owner.
The Mayor and Council of the Borough of Riverton may, by resolutions
adopted from time to time, designate the committee, board, official,
employee or agent to be charged with the administration of this Article,
and any such committee, board, official, employee or agent shall be
directly responsible to and shall act in accordance with the directions
and decisions of said Mayor and Council.
The construction, maintenance and use of all cesspools, septic
tanks, vaults, privies, pits and other systems of sewage disposal
upon private property, existing or proposed, and not connected with
the sewerage system as now or hereafter established and extended,
shall be under the regulation and control of the Board of Health of
the Borough of Riverton.
It shall be unlawful for any firm, person or corporation to
cause or permit the discharge of sewage from any house or building
in the Borough of Riverton upon the surface of the ground, or into
or upon any road, highway, street or public place, or into any stream,
watercourse, ditch or drain.
No cesspool, septic tank, vault, privy, pit or other system
of sewage disposal shall be connected with any sewer or building connection
or allowed to drain therein, directly or indirectly, but all building
connections shall lead directly to the plumbing in said building.
The body or person charged with the administration of this chapter
may at any time stop and prevent the discharge into the sewerage system
of any substances liable to injure the same or to interfere with its
normal operation, to obstruct the flow or to hinder any processes
of sewage purification, and the administrators may at any time, without
notice and without recourse, sever the building connection and cause
the removal of any tributary sewer or drain through which such detrimental
substances are discharged.
No person shall break, cut or remove any pipe of any public
sewer or make or cause to be made any connection therewith, except
through a connection branch provided for that purpose and designated
by the body or person charged with the administration of this chapter.
Not more than one building shall be connected with any public
sewer through the same connection without a special permit issued
by the body or person charged with the administration of this chapter,
concurred in by the Board of Health.
No unauthorized person shall maliciously, willfully or negligently
break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure,
appurtenance or equipment which is part of the municipal sewage works.
Any person violating this provision shall be subject to immediate
arrest under charges of disorderly conduct.
The Plumbing Inspector and other duly authorized employees of
the borough bearing proper credentials and identification shall be
permitted to enter upon all properties for the purposes of inspections,
observation, measurement, sampling and testing in accordance with
the provisions of this chapter.
Any connection made with any sewer and any toilet installed
contrary to and in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter
shall be disconnected immediately upon notice from the body or person
charged with the administration of this chapter, and any and every
person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this
chapter shall, upon conviction, pay a fine not exceeding $500 or be
imprisoned in the county jail for a term not exceeding 90 days, or
both.
