[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of
Palmer 2-9-1971 by Ord. No. 110; amended in its entirety 12-18-2000 by Ord.
No. 2000-293. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the "Palmer Township
Plumbing Code." All plumbing work in Palmer Township shall conform to this
ordinance and the code adopted below.
The publication entitled the "National Plumbing Code/2000" and its errata
sheets, published by the National Code Council, hereinafter called the "code,"
is hereby accepted, adopted and incorporated in its entirety, except as may
be hereinafter otherwise indicated, as the Palmer Township Basic Plumbing
Code. Wherever in said code blanks appear, the obvious required or indicated
insertions are to be considered made; and wherever in said code the words
"municipality" or "name of municipality" appear, the words "Palmer Township"
are to be considered as inserted.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, floor drains are prohibited in all uses
and structures unless they are proven necessary to the safe and sanitary operation
of the use to which they service and meet the requirements of the Plumbing
Code. In addition, special separators, traps and filters must be installed
if deemed necessary by the Plumbing Inspector or code official having jurisdiction.
In addition to the other penalties contained in this ordinance, the
Board, after giving notice and affording the aggrieved party an opportunity
for a public hearing, may, for cause, revoke or suspend a plumbing license
or permit or recognition of another municipal license and take such other
action as may be proper. In the case of a plumbing license, cause shall include
but is not limited to violation of this ordinance, the code, rules of the
Board or other improper conduct. The Board may also adopt rules governing
plumbing materials and practices, and by applying for a township plumbing
license or permit or for recognition of another municipal license, a person
or entity shall be held to agree to abide by any and all such rules. No rule
shall be adopted without first posting a notice of the text of a rule and
the intention of the Board to meet and adopt the same in the Township Municipal
Building for five days. Once adopted, such rule shall be similarly posted
for five days, and a copy shall be mailed to all master plumbers licensed
or recognized by the township.
Within Palmer Township, no plumbing work shall be commenced until a
permit for such work has been duly obtained and signed for by a Palmer Township
licensed master plumber, and no person or entity shall advertise as or engage
in or carry out or do plumbing work or install or repair any plumbing fixture,
pipe or device, other than digging ditches or selling supplies, unless such
person or entity holds a valid Palmer Township master plumbing license. The
Palmer Township Plumbing Inspector may recognize a master plumbing license
from a first (1st), second (2nd), or third (3rd) class city and issue a Palmer
Township master plumber's license which is renewable at the beginning of each
calendar year. Licenses and permits are nontransferable, and may not be taken
out in the name of another. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a resident of Palmer
Township may install plumbing in the one principal home in which he lives
and resides without being licensed as a plumber so long as a permit is obtained
and so long as such residence is not part of a multifamily dwelling. No license
or permit shall be required to clean out a sewer line or fixture without altering
the same, except that a permit shall be required to pump out a septic tank,
cesspool or holding tank. The Board may institute proceedings to bar activities
by any person or entity which engages in a practice of cleaning drains or
fixtures and which is unethical or fraudulent in its conduct of the same.
The fees for all permits and licenses and the classifications of permits
shall be set by the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors by resolution. Except
for a homeowner as provided above, only a master plumber may apply for and
hold a plumbing permit.
The following are the classifications of plumbers, the yearly licenses
attributable to them, and the activities in which they may engage:
A.
Master plumber: an adult person with at least four years'
plumbing experience as at least a journeyman plumber, who has demonstrated
skill in bidding, superintending, laying out and installing plumbing, who
is familiar with this ordinance, the code and rules of the Plumbing Review
Board and who has passed a test prescribed by the Board and been duly granted
a license as a master plumber. A master plumber shall take out all permits
and have final and overall responsibility for all work done thereunder. All
master plumbers shall post with the Board at least a performance bond of at
least $3,000 to guarantee performance under this ordinance, the code and rules
of the Board.
B.
Journeyman plumber: an adult person with at least four
years' plumbing experience as at least an apprentice plumber who has demonstrated
ability and knowledge in installing plumbing, who is familiar with this ordinance,
the code and rules of the Plumbing Review Board, and who has passed a test
prescribed by the Board and been duly granted a license as a journeyman plumber.
The senior journeyman plumber shall be in charge of all plumbing work on a
job site in the absence of the master plumber. A graduate of a full-time course
in plumbing at an accredited technical or vocational school shall automatically
receive credit for three years' experience as an apprentice plumber.
C.
Apprentice plumber: an individual at least 16 years of
age who is engaged in learning the plumbing trade either as an employee of
a master plumber or a full-time student at an accredited technical or vocational
school. An apprentice plumber may only do plumbing work under the direct supervision
of a master plumber or journeyman plumber in the absence of the master plumber.
These standards are the minimum required for public safety, and any
conflict with any provision of any other ordinance or law shall be resolved
in favor of the most restrictive of the two provisions.
The provisions of this code and ordinance are severable. If any provision
of the code or this ordinance is for any reason invalid or unconstitutional,
it is hereby declared to be the intent of the Board of Supervisors to have
enacted this ordinance and code without such invalid or unconstitutional provision.
Every day a violation of this ordinance or code continues shall constitute
a separate offense. Repeated or dangerous violations shall constitute a nuisance
and may be abated as such, and the costs of so doing shall be charged to the
persons responsible, in addition to other penalties.
A.
Any person, partnership, corporation, trust or other
entity which or who shall in any way violate any of the provisions of this
ordinance or the code or fail to comply with a lawful order issued hereunder
shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding before any District Magistrate,
Justice of the Peace or Alderman, pay a fine and penalty to and for the use
of the township of not less than $10 nor more than $1,000 and costs, or undergo
imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 30 days, as provided
by law.
B.
Each day of violation of the particular code or ordinance
applicable shall be considered a separate offense, for which the fines and
penalties stated herein may be imposed on a daily basis.
This ordinance shall be effective five days after its adoption.
