[Adopted 9-19-1974 by Ord. No. 5-74]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AUTHORITY
The Washington Township Sewer and Water Authority,[1] as originally organized and as presently or hereafter constituted, which has been created by the Township Council of Washington Township and to which has been referred by the Township Council of Washington Township the specific project of sewers.
OCCUPIED BUILDING
Each single dwelling unit, household unit, flat or apartment unit, store, shop, office, business or industrial unit or family unit contained within any structure erected within 150 feet from the sewer system and intended for continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy or use by human beings or animals, and from which structure sanitary sewage is or may be discharged.
PERSON
An individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation or group.
PROPERTY ACCESSIBLE TO THE SEWER SYSTEM
Improved property which adjoins, abuts on or is adjacent to the sewer system.
SANITARY SEWAGE
The normal water-carried household and toilet wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions and industrial establishments.
SEWER SYSTEM
The public sanitary sewer collection system, together with appurtenant facilities about to be acquired and constructed for a portion of the township, and any improvements, additions or extensions that hereafter may be made thereto by the Authority or the township or to any part or parts of any or all thereof.
TOWNSHIP
Washington Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania, or the duly constituted and elected municipal officials therefor.
[1]
Editor's Note: The Water Authority was dissolved 5-21-2014 by Ord. No. 4-14.
A. 
All persons owning any occupied building now erected upon property in the township accessible to the sewer system shall, at their own expense, connect such building with the sewer system within 60 days after written notice to such persons from the township.
B. 
All persons owning any property in the township accessible to the sewer system upon which an occupied building is hereafter erected shall, at the time of the erection of such building and at their own expense, connect the same with the sewer system.
C. 
All persons owning any occupied building upon property in the township which hereafter becomes accessible to the sewer system shall, at their own expense, connect such building with the sewer system within 60 days after notice to do so from the township.
D. 
Where more than one occupied building, as hereinbefore defined, is contained in a separate structure, a single common connection to the lateral of the sewer system may be permitted for accommodating all units contained in such structure, except that separate connections shall be required for each semidetached or row-type house or structure.
It shall be unlawful for any person owning any property in the township accessible to the sewer system to erect, construct or use or maintain or cause to be erected, constructed, used or maintained any privy, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or other receptacle on such premises for receiving sanitary sewage after the expiration of the particular period specified in § 105-2 hereof, or otherwise at any time to erect, construct, use or maintain any pipe, conduit, drain or other facility for the discharge of sanitary sewage into the gutters of the township, the storm sewers of the township or upon public or private property or otherwise, except into the sewer system.
Any person who erects, constructs, uses or maintains a privy, cesspool, sinkhole or septic tank on any property accessible to the sewer system, or otherwise erects, constructs, uses or maintains any pipe, conduit, drain or other facility for the discharge of sanitary sewage in violation of this article, shall be deemed and shall be declared to be erecting, constructing and maintaining a nuisance, which nuisance the township is hereby authorized and directed to abate in the manner provided by law.
No connection shall be made to the sewer system except in compliance with the ordinances and resolutions, as well as such rules and regulations as may from time to time be enacted, adopted, approved or promulgated by the township or the Authority.
After the expiration of the particular periods specified in § 105-2 of this article, if any owner of an occupied building on property in the township accessible to the sewer system shall have failed to connect such property with the sewer system as required by said § 105-2, the township shall cause to be served on the owner of such property so failing to connect to said sewer system, and also upon the occupants of the building in question, a copy of this article and a written or printed notice requiring such connection to be made, and such notice shall further state that its requirements shall be complied with within 30 days from the date thereof.
[Amended 9-7-1976; 12-3-1996 by Ord. No. 7-96; 7-1-1997 by Ord. No. 3-97]
A. 
Enforcement proceedings for violations of this article shall be as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article III, Criminal Enforcement.
B. 
The provisions of this article are declared to be for the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the township, and persons violating any provisions of this article, upon conviction before any District Justice of Erie County, shall be required to pay a criminal fine in the amount of $100 per violation and shall be imprisoned to the extent allowed by law for the punishment of summary offenses. Each ninety-day period during which such violation of such provisions shall continue shall be deemed to be a separate offense. Each occupied building, as hereinbefore defined, whether or not the owners thereof shall be permitted to connect two or more occupied buildings or units by a single common connection to a lateral of the sewer system or shall be required to make separate connections for each occupied building or unit, shall constitute a separate and distinct unit under the provisions of this article, and the persons owning occupied buildings, consisting of multiple units contained in the same structure, who violate any of the provisions of this article shall be subject to the aforesaid which are in violation of the provisions of this article.
[Added 9-7-1976]
After the installation of the sewer hookup, the abandoned septic tank shall be pumped and filled with sand, and the only cost to the property owners is the cost of the sand.