Township of Westtown, PA Article III Sewer Construction and Connection

[Adopted 5-17-1999 by Ord. No. 99-3]

§ 132-26 Permit application.

A. A plumbing permit to tap into the Township sanitary sewer system is required prior to construction. Application forms are available at the Township Municipal Building, 1081 Wilmington Pike, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Applicants are responsible for all inspection costs in excess of the permit fee.

B. The appropriate tapping fee must accompany the permit application. No permit will be issued without payment. Make check payable to "Westtown Township."

C. Plumbing contractors must be registered with Westtown Township.

§ 132-27 General regulations.

A. "Lateral" is defined as a pipe used to convey wastewater from a property or facility to a wastewater main owned by Westtown Township. This definition also applies to privately owned mains which collect wastewater from one or more properties or facilities and connect to wastewater mains owned by Westtown Township.

B. It shall be the responsibility of the plumbing contractor to verify the location and elevation of all existing underground utilities and services before the start of work in accordance with Act 187 of 1996, Pennsylvania One Call.

C. Not more than one lateral per excavation/trench will be permitted.

D. Stormwater or groundwater discharge systems (examples include but are not limited to sump pump systems, floor drains, french drains, downspouts) are not permitted to be connected to the building wastewater service lateral.

E. Abandoned septic tanks/cesspools shall be pumped dry and completely backfilled with properly compacted clean fill. The Township, or its designee, shall inspect the septic tank/cesspool prior to any backfilling so as to verify the height-to-grade and to verify that the septic tank/cesspool is pumped dry. The top and the wall of the abandoned tank shall be demolished to an elevation of at least 24 inches below grade. In all cases, existing septic systems will be abandoned or removed in accordance with applicable Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Chester County Health Department standards and regulations.

F. No pipe fitting exceeding 45° is permitted. If two bends are used, a five-foot length of pipe shall be placed in between the bends.

G. If an existing lateral tie-in, which was previously employed as part of an on-site system, exits the building beneath a patio, deck, addition or other permanent structure, it is the responsibility of the plumbing contractor to determine the integrity of the existing lateral through low-pressure air testing of said lateral. The permittee must submit the results of the low-pressure air test to the Township, or its designee, prior to commencing construction.

H. All gravity laterals shall undergo low-pressure air testing prior to connections to the main. Testing shall follow the procedures in Appendix A-1, Low-Pressure Air Testing of Sewer Laterals.[1] All force main laterals shall undergo hydraulic pressure testing prior to connection to the main. Testing shall follow the procedures in Appendix A-3, Grinder Pump Connections.[2]

[1] Editor's Note: Appendix A-1 is included at the end of this chapter.

[2] Editor's Note: Appendix A-3 is included at the end of this chapter.

I. Laterals constructed in areas in excess of 5% slope shall have clay/soil dams installed in accordance with Appendix B-1, Typical Clay/Soil Dam.[3]

[3] Editor's Note: Appendix B-1 is included at the end of this chapter.

J. Transition from one pipe material to another will be through the use of a Fernco shielded coupling, or equivalent.

K. No lateral will be backfilled prior to the satisfactory completion of all inspections and tests in order to ensure proper pipe bedding, layout and operation. All testing, as per Subsection H of this section, shall occur after backfilling.

L. Disturbed trench area must be restored and stabilized.

M. Disturbed roadway areas must be restored in accordance with Appendix C, Typical Trench Detail.[4]

[4] Editor's Note: Appendix C is included at the end of this chapter.

N. All pipe bedding and backfill shall be performed in accordance with Appendix C, Typical Trench Detail.

O. All work, including backfilling, shall be in accordance with the then-current Westtown Township Plumbing Ordinance[5] and BOCA International Plumbing Code referred to therein.

[5] Editor's Note: See Ch. 122, Plumbing.

P. Minimum acceptable pipe materials are either ASTM D03034 SDR 35 type PSM for PVC pipe, or ASTM A746 for ductile iron pipe. The minimum acceptable pipe diameter for either PVC or ductile iron shall not be less than four inches in diameter for individual residential dwellings. If it is not possible to maintain the minimum slope of 1/4 inch per foot with four-inch diameter pipe, then a one-eighth-inch slope per foot utilizing six-inch diameter pipe may be used if approved in advance by the Township Engineer. Lateral sizes for commercial facilities or multiunit residential buildings shall be six inches unless information is submitted to confirm a four-inch lateral is sufficient to handle peak flows. The Township Engineer shall review and approve such request.

[Amended 6-3-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-4]

Q. All lateral installations will be completed in accordance with the specifications noted on Appendix D, General Piping Details.[6]

[6] Editor's Note: Appendix D is included at the end of this chapter.

R. Connection to mains shall be via one of the following approved methods, as applicable:

(1) New mains. Connect to the pre-molded, in-line wye fitting. The plumbing contractor shall review the land development drawings or main construction drawings to identify location and depth of the existing main. The Township may, at its sole discretion, require videotape verification of proper connections to mains. Punch-in or protruding connections are expressly prohibited.

(2) Existing mains. Connect to main using approved, gasketed, dual-band saddle wye. All holes are to be machine cut. Material from cutting process is to be removed from the main without exception. The Township may, at its sole discretion, require videotape verification of proper connections to mains. Punch-in or protruding connections are expressly prohibited.

(3) Pressure laterals. Connect to main via wye per the method described in either Subsection R(1) or R(2), as appropriate. The Township may, at its sole discretion, require direct connection to a manhole. Reducing fittings off wye shall be used to meet the pressure lateral diameter. Shutoff valve and valve box shall be provided at the right-of-way line. The Township may, at its sole discretion, require videotape verification of proper connections to mains. Punch-in or protruding connections are expressly prohibited.

S. Lateral inspections shall be scheduled at least 48 hours in advance.

T. The property owner is responsible for the lateral up to and including the lateral's connection to the main.

§ 132-28 Violations and penalties.

Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each day or portion thereof that such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this article that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense.