No construction of any part of the tap-in, the building sewer, the lateral, additions to the sewer system or any construction, renovation, or change in use of a property, lot, project, development or building shall commence until the property owner has made application for a sewer construction permit in the manner provided within and until such permit has been duly issued. The application for tap-in to the sewer system shall be submitted on the official form, and must be completely filled out. Forms may be secured at the Borough office.
The application herein before referred to in § 87-8 shall be accompanied by the proper plan review fee as provided for in the current schedule of fees, and complete plans, specifications and a description of the work to be done. At a minimum, the plans shall show the location of all new waste lines, cleanouts, traps, and adapters; all waste lines with their direction and slope that are affected by, or tap-in with, this installation; the location of the tap-in with the lateral together with the depth of such tap-in below finished grade. The plans must also indicate the point of discharge of all roof drains, downspouts, floor drains and sump pumps. If, in the course of work, it is found necessary to make any change from the approved plans and specifications on which a permit had been issued, amended plans and specifications shall be submitted and, if approved, a supplementary permit shall be issued to cover the change after the same conditions required to secure the original permit have been satisfied.
Upon receipt and approval of a properly executed application to construct, and after receipt of the tap-in fees, the Borough shall issue a sewer construction permit to the property owner for tap-in to said sewer. No permit will be issued until and unless the sewers are the property of the Authority or an agreement to accept sewage flows is executed. An agreement to accept sewage shall only be applicable to those facilities intended to be dedicated at a later date.
The applicant shall secure a digging permit or arrange for said permit from the proper issuing entity before opening any road. The applicant for any road-opening permit within the Borough shall provide a reasonable bond to cover the work. Any and all requirements for excavating in a public road shall be met and satisfied in accordance with the said permit at the expense of the applicant, including proper restoration of the road after installation of any sewer or tap-in.
Testing procedures shall be as set forth below.
A. 
Description. The work of this section includes, but is not limited to:
(1) 
Testing gravity sewer pipelines:
(a) 
Low-pressure air test.
(b) 
Infiltration test.
(c) 
Mandrel test.
(2) 
Testing pressure pipelines:
(a) 
Hydrostatic leakage test.
(b) 
Air test.
(3) 
Deflection testing of plastic pipe.
(4) 
Testing manholes:
(a) 
New manhole vacuum test.
(b) 
Tap-in to existing manhole hydrostatic test/or vacuum test.
(5) 
Testing laterals:
(a) 
Hydrostatic leakage test.
(b) 
Air test.
B. 
Quality assurance; test acceptance:
(1) 
All infiltration and exfiltration tests in sanitary sewer lines and manholes shall be performed by the developer and monitored by a representative of the Borough at the expense of the developer.
(2) 
No test will be accepted until the results are below the specified maximum limits.
(3) 
The contractor shall, at his/her own expense, determine and correct the causes of test failure and retest until successful test results are achieved.
C. 
Submittals to be furnished by the applicant prior to commencement of testing:
(1) 
Testing procedures.
(2) 
List of test equipment.
(3) 
Testing sequence schedule.
(4) 
Provisions for disposal of flushing and test water.
(5) 
Certificate of test gauge calibration.
(6) 
Deflection mandrel drawings and calculations.
D. 
Testing equipment.
(1) 
Air test equipment:
(a) 
Air compressor.
(b) 
Air supply line.
(c) 
Shut off valve.
(d) 
Pressure regulator.
(e) 
Pressure relief valve.
(f) 
Stop watch.
(g) 
Plugs.
(h) 
Pressure gauge, calibrated to 0.1 psi.
(2) 
Infiltration test equipment:
(a) 
Weirs.
(3) 
Hydrostatic test equipment:
(a) 
Hydro pump.
(b) 
Pressure hose.
(c) 
Water meter.
(d) 
Test tap-ins.
(e) 
Pressure gauge, calibrated to 0.1 psi.
(f) 
Pressure relief valve.
(4) 
Deflection test equipment:
(a) 
Go/no-go mandrels.
(b) 
Pull/retrieval ropes.
E. 
Execution; preparation.
(1) 
Backfill trenches in accordance with the Pen Argyl Borough Sewage Procedures Manual, local and state regulations, or the manufacturers recommendations, whichever is more stringent.
(2) 
Thrust blocks shall be provided for all pressure sewers at all bends, valves and connections or as required by the engineer.
(3) 
Flush pipeline to remove debris. Collect flushing water and debris in the closest downstream manhole.
(4) 
Clean pipelines by high-pressure jetting through the pipeline with water from the downstream manhole to the upstream manhole to the satisfaction of the Borough's representative. Vacuum and dispose of cleaning water and debris in a proper manner.
(5) 
Lamping:
(a) 
After flushing and cleaning, lamp gravity pipeline.
(b) 
The contractor shall assist the Borough's representative in the lamping operation by shining a light at one end of each pipeline section between manholes. The Borough's representative will observe the light at the other end. Pipeline that has not been installed with uniform line and grade will be rejected. Remove and re-lay rejected pipeline sections. Reclean and lamp until pipeline section achieves a uniform line and grade to the satisfaction of the Borough's representative.
(6) 
Plug outlets, wye-branches and laterals. Brace plugs to offset thrust.
F. 
Testing gravity sewer pipelines.
(1) 
Low-pressure air test:
(a) 
Test each newly installed section of gravity sewer line between manholes.
(b) 
Slowly introduce air pressure to approximately 4.0 psig. If groundwater is present, determine its elevation above the springline of the pipe by means of a piezometric tube. For every foot of groundwater above the springline of the pipe, increase the starting air test pressure reading by 0.43 psig. Do not increase pressure above 9 psig.
(c) 
Allow pressure to stabilize for at least five minutes. Adjust pressure to 3.5 psig or the increased test pressure as determined above if groundwater is present. Start the test.
(d) 
Test:
[1] 
Determine the test duration for a sewer section with a single pipe size from the table below:
Low Pressure Air Test - Test Times
Nominal Pipe Size
T (Time) Minute per 100 feet
4
.3
6
.7
8
1.2
10
1.5
12
1.8
15
2.1
18
2.4
[2] 
Record the drop in pressure during the test period. If the air pressure has dropped more than 1.0 psig during the test period, the line is presumed to have failed. If the 1.0 psig air pressure drop has not occurred during the test period, the test shall be discontinued and the line will be accepted.
[3] 
If the line fails, the contractor shall determine the source of the air leakage, make corrections and retest. After the leaks are repaired, retest the entire section between manholes.
(2) 
Infiltration test:
(a) 
Use only when gravity pipeline is submerged in groundwater. Obtain prior approval of the Borough Engineer.
(b) 
Maximum allowable infiltration: 100 gallons per inch of pipe diameter per mile per day for any one section under test, including the allowances for leakage from manholes.
G. 
Testing pressure sewer pipelines; hydrostatic leakage test.
(1) 
Test each newly laid pressure pipeline, including any valved section thereof, hydrostatically at 1.5 times the working pressure of the pipeline based on the elevation of the lowest point in the pipeline corrected to the elevation of the test gauge. Obtain test pressure from the Borough representative.
(2) 
Slowly fill the section to be tested with water, expelling air from the pipeline at the high points. Install corporation stops at high points if necessary. After all air is expelled, close air vents and corporation stops and raise the pressure to the specified test pressure.
(3) 
Observe joints, fittings and valves under test. Remove and replace all cracked pipes, joints fittings, and valves showing visible leakage. Retest.
(4) 
After visible deficiencies are corrected. Continue testing at the same test pressure for an additional two hours to determine the leakage rate. Maintain pressure within plus or minus 5.0 psi of test pressure. Leakage is defined as the quantity of water supplied to the pipeline necessary to maintain test pressure during the period of the test.
(5) 
Formula for computing leakage.
(a) 
Compute the maximum allowable leakage by the following formula:
Where:
L is the allowable leakage in gallons per hour.
N is the number of joints in the section tested.
D is the nominal diameter of the pipe in inches.
P is the average test pressure in psig.
(b) 
If the line under test contains sections of various diameters, the allowable leakage shall be the sum of the computed leakage for each size. Leakage valves determined by the above formula are found in Table II, Allowable Leakage for Pipe Systems in U.S. Gallons Per Hour.
Table II
Allowable Leakage for Pressure Pipe Systems in U.S. Gallons Per Hour
Allowable Leakage for 1,000 Feet or 50 Joints
Average Pressure in Line (p.s.i.)
Nominal
Pipe Size
50
100
150
200
250
4
.19
.27
.33
.38
.43
6
.29
.41
.50
.57
.64
8
.38
.54
.66
.76
.85
10
.48
.68
.83
.96
1.07
12
.57
.81
.99
1.15
1.28
14
.67
.95
1.16
1.34
1.50
16
.76
1.08
1.32
1.53
1.71
18
.86
1.22
1.49
1.72
1.92
20
.96
1.35
1.66
1.91
2.14
24
1.15
1.62
1.99
2.29
2.56
30
1.43
2.03
2.48
2.87
3.21
36
1.72
2.43
2.98
3.44
3.85
(6) 
If the test of the pipe indicates leakage greater than the allowable, the contractor shall, at his/her own expense, locate the source of the leakage, make corrections and retest until leakage is within allowable limits. All visible leaks shall be corrected regardless of the amount of leakage.
H. 
Deflection testing of plastic sewer pipe.
(1) 
After the PVC pipe has been installed for a period of at least 90 days, the trench backfilled and tamped to original ground, the pipe tested for watertightness, the contractor, at his/her own expense, may be required to perform a field test to demonstrate that all PVC pipe, six-inch diameter or greater, has not deflected beyond 5% of the diameter of the pipe. The test shall be witnessed and approved by the Borough representative.
(2) 
The maximum allowable deflection for installed PVC shall be limited to 5% of the original internal diameter.
(3) 
Perform deflection testing with a deflectometer, calibrated television, or a properly sized go/no-go mandrel. The mandrel(s) shall be constructed at the contractor's expense and subject to the approval of the Borough representative.
(4) 
Pipe exceeding the allowable deflection shall be located, excavated, replaced, and retested at the sole expense of the contractor.
I. 
Testing manholes.
(1) 
General.
(a) 
After the sewers and manholes have been installed and completely backfilled, the manholes shall be tested for leakage.
(b) 
New manhole vacuum test. All lines entering and leaving each manhole shall be plugged and plugs securely braced to prevent the vacuum from pulling the plugs out of the pipe. The vacuum test shall be performed after the frame and cover are installed. Lift holes shall be plugged with a nonshrinking mortar. The contractor shall provide all necessary hardware to perform the vacuum test as manufactured by NPC Systems, Inc., Milford, NH, or equal. With the vacuum-testing equipment in place proceed with the following:
[1] 
Inflate the compression band to effect a seal between the vacuum base and the manhole.
[2] 
Connect the vacuum pump to the outlet port with the valve open.
[3] 
Draw a vacuum of 10 inches of Hg.
[4] 
Close the valve and disconnect vacuum pump.
(2) 
A manhole will be considered acceptable if it takes more than the following time for the vacuum to drop from 10 inches of Hg to nine inches of Hg, regardless of depth, in the presence of the Sewer Department representative or the Borough Engineer or the Plumbing Inspector.
(a) 
Sixty seconds for a forty-eight-inch diameter manhole.
(b) 
Seventy-five seconds for a sixty-inch diameter manhole.
(c) 
Ninety seconds for a seventy-two-inch diameter manhole.
(3) 
Connection to existing manhole shall be tested by hydrostatic test or vacuum test.
(a) 
Vacuum test:
[1] 
Prior to modification of manhole, all lines entering and leaving each manhole shall be plugged and plugs securely braced to prevent the vacuum from pulling any plugs out of the pipe. Provide all the necessary hardware to perform the vacuum test as manufactured by NPC Systems, Inc., Milford, NH, or equal. With the vacuum-testing equipment in place, proceed with the following:
[a] 
Inflate the compression band to effect a seal between the vacuum base and the manhole.
[b] 
Connect the vacuum pump to the outlet port with the valve open.
[c] 
Draw a vacuum of 10 inches of Hg.
[d] 
Close valve and disconnect vacuum pump.
[2] 
Record time in seconds it takes for the vacuum to drop from 10 inches of Hg to nine inches of Hg regardless of depth. The test can be stopped if it takes more than the following time for the vacuum to drop from 10 inches Hg to nine inches Hg, regardless of depth:
[a] 
Sixty seconds for a forty-eight-inch diameter manhole.
[b] 
Seventy-five seconds for a sixty-inch diameter manhole.
[c] 
Ninety seconds for a seventy-two-inch diameter manhole.
[3] 
After modification or connection to the existing manhole has been made, repeat the test outlined in Subsection I(3)(a)[1] and [2]. The test will be considered acceptable if the time recorded on the second vacuum test is the same or more than the result of the first vacuum test.
(b) 
Hydrostatic test.
[1] 
Prior to modification of manhole, all lines entering and leaving each manhole shall be plugged. Those manholes, which are constructed in a high-groundwater-table location will be allowed to remain plugged for a period of not less than four hours, after which the quantity of inward leakage accumulation will be measured by bailing and measuring and/or computation against depth of water and diameter of the manhole. Those manholes constructed above the groundwater table will be filled with water to the top of the cast-iron frame and allowed to stand until the walls are well soaked. The manhole shall be then refilled to the full or overflow point and remain undisturbed for a period of not less than four hours. The loss of water shall be measured by refilling to the top with a premeasured quantity of water and/or computation against depth of water loss and diameter of the manhole.
[2] 
Gain or loss by the respective methods shall not exceed the following:
[a] 
0.02 gallon per hour, per vertical foot of depth in top section.
[b] 
0.03 gallon per hour, per vertical foot of depth in cone section.
[c] 
0.04 gallon per hour, per vertical foot of depth in a four-foot diameter barrel section.
[d] 
0.05 gallon per hour, per vertical foot of depth in a five-foot diameter barrel section.
[e] 
0.06 gallon per hour, per vertical foot of depth in a six-foot diameter barrel section.
[f] 
0.07 gallon per hour, per vertical foot of depth in a seven-foot diameter barrel section.
[g] 
0.08 gallon per hour, per vertical foot of depth in an eight-foot diameter barrel section.
[3] 
After modification or connection to the existing manhole has been made, repeat the test outlined in Subsection I(3)(b)[1] and [2]. The test will be considered acceptable if the gain or loss on the second hydrostatic test is the same or less than the result of the first hydrostatic test.
J. 
Testing laterals.
(1) 
Hydrostatic leakage test.
(a) 
After the lateral has been installed, the lateral shall be tested for leakage.
(b) 
Plug the test tee using an air plug.
(c) 
Fill the lateral with water to the brim of the building clean-out riser next to the building.
(d) 
After one-half hour of stabilization, refill lateral with water to brim of clean-out riser.
(e) 
After one hour, if there is no drop in water, the hydrostatic test passes. If there is a drop in water, the contractor shall find the leak, repair the leak and retest the lateral.
A. 
In order to ensure compliance with specifications, all work related to a tap-in to the sewer system shall be inspected by the Borough Engineer or other designated representative of the Borough.
B. 
Prior to the start of construction, the developer shall schedule a preconstruction meeting to be held at least 72 hours prior to the date of the proposed start of construction. Appointments shall be made for the preconstruction meeting with the Borough Sewage Treatment Plant Operator, Borough Engineer and Borough Manager at least 72 hours prior to the date of the proposed preconstruction meeting and are subject to the Borough Engineer's and Borough STP Operator's schedule.
C. 
Appointments shall be made with the Sewage Treatment Plant Operator at least 72 hours prior to the date of the proposed inspection and are subject to the designated representative's schedule.
D. 
No work shall be backfilled prior to inspection.
E. 
Prior to the commencement of any work, the Borough Engineer shall determine the frequency of inspection and items to be inspected at the preconstruction meeting.
F. 
Prior to the commencement of any work, a written schedule of the proposed construction shall be submitted to and approved by the Borough's designated representative at the preconstruction meeting.
G. 
No changes in the work are to be made without prior approval from the Borough.
A. 
Required information.
(1) 
Completed application.
(2) 
Receipt of an executed permit.
(3) 
Complete sanitary sewer facilities construction work.
(4) 
Ensure the construction of all sanitary sewer facilities were satisfactorily inspected.
(5) 
Ensure all sanitary sewer facilities have passed all pertinent tests.
(6) 
Submission and approval of sanitary sewer facilities as-built drawings.
(7) 
Payment of all fees.
(8) 
Other requirements as necessary.
B. 
In dealing with collection sewer extensions, the Borough shall require the owner to submit a contingency plan for operation and maintenance of the system outlining the procedures dealing with power outages, mechanical breakdowns and other service interruptions. Also, the owner shall post either a maintenance bond or some other financial security acceptable to the Borough to provide for maintenance and repairs of critical components of the system, and in the event the owner or his/her successor fails to correct a public health hazard within 24 hours of notification by the Borough, he/she grants to the Borough permission to enter the property and correct the problem at the owner's expense.