[Adopted 4-13-1964 by Ord. No. 401]
A. 
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BOROUGH
The Borough of Westmont of the County of Cambria, Pennsylvania.
BUILDING
Any structure, occupied or vacant, erected and maintained for continuous or periodic occupation, occupancy or use by a human being or animals, or from which structure sanitary sewage or industrial wastes, or both thereof, is or may be discharged; but the term "building" shall not include such a structure which is abandoned for use or occupancy.
BUILDING DRAIN or HOUSE DRAIN
The part of the lowest lateral piping of the building drainage system which receives the sewage or discharge of solid wastes or other drainage pipes inside the walls of a building and conveys it to the sewer system.
GARBAGE
Solid wastes from the preparation and disposing of food and from the handling and storage or sale of produce.
INSPECTOR
The person appointed by the Borough to inspect sewage works, including public and semiprivate sewers and including also the inspection of building sewers and other connections between occupied homes and other buildings and the public sewers.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, copartnership, firm, company, corporation, association, joint-stock company, trust, estate, governmental entity or any other legal entity or their legal representatives, agents or assigns. The masculine gender shall include the feminine; the singular shall include the plural where indicated by the context.
[Amended 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 698]
PREMISES ACCESSIBLE TO THE SEWER SYSTEM
Any real estate which adjoins, abuts or is adjacent to the sewer system, or any real estate which might be connected to that system by construction of a building sewer of not more than 150 feet in length.
PUBLIC SANITARY SEWER
A sanitary sewer which has been constructed or is owned by the Borough or has been constructed by private parties and has been accepted by the Borough as a sanitary sewer.
REGULATIONS OF THE BOROUGH
Such rules and regulations as the Borough may from time to time adopt or promulgate with respect to any matter affecting the maintenance and operation of the sewer system.
SEWAGE
A combination of water-carried wastes from all residences, public and commercial buildings, apartments, institutions and industrial establishments.
SEWER
All sanitary sewers, all lateral sewer service connections, connecting sewers and trunk lines included in the sewer system or sewage disposal system.
SEWER SYSTEM
The existing sanitary sewer facilities within the service area of the Borough with all renewals, replacements, additions, extensions and enlargements from time to time made with respect thereto.
STORM SEWER or STORM DRAIN
A sewer which carries storm- or surface water and drainage; but excludes sewage and polluted industrial wastes.
B. 
The term "shall" is mandatory; and the term "may" is permissive.
All persons owning improved property within the Borough of Westmont, which abuts on or adjoins any street or right-of-way in which there is now or shall hereafter be a public sewer shall, at their own expense, within one month after the effective date of this article or within one month after the construction of a new public sewer, make connection with said sewer in the manner prescribed by this article or in accordance with the regulations of the Borough for the purpose of discharging into such sewer such drainage or waste as is specified in this article or may from time to time be specified by the rules and regulations of the Borough.
From and after the effective date of this article, it shall be unlawful for any person to discharge or to permit to be discharged into any sewer any roof or surface water or the flow from any groundwater collection system or any matter determined by the regulations of the Borough to be dangerous or harmful to, or the discharge of which, into a sewer, would adversely affect the sewer system or the functioning thereof or the process of sewage treatment and disposal; or to discharge or permit the discharge into any sewer of any industrial or process wastes which are not preliminarily treated in the manner from time to time prescribed by the regulation of the Borough in order to make them reasonably harmless to the sewer system and to the process of sewage treatment and disposal.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation to discharge or to permit the discharge or infiltration into any sewer which is connected directly or indirectly with the Borough's sewer system of any of the following substances:
A. 
Mineral acids, waste acid, pickling or plating liquors from the pickling of or plating of iron, steel, brass, copper or chromium or any other dissolved or solid substances which will endanger health or safety, interfere with the flow in sewers, attack or corrode sewers or sewage structures or equipment or otherwise interfere with the operation of the sewers or other facilities of the Borough.
B. 
Cyanides or cyanogen compounds capable of liberating hydrocyanic gas on acidification.
C. 
Fats, entrails, hair, blood, paunch manure and the like from meat processing plants, rendering plants and similar industries and establishments.
D. 
Gas, tar, phenols, residues from petroleum storage, refining or processing, fuel or lubricating oil, gasoline, naphtha, benzene or explosive or inflammable liquids, solids or gases.
E. 
Ashes, cinders, sand, mud, lime or acetylene sludges, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rugs, feathers, tar, wood, plastics, sawdust, paunch manure, hair hides, dead animals, spent mash and grain, pulp wood from food processing, water or wastes containing grease in excess of 100 parts per million or any other solids or viscous substances capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or other interference with the proper operation of the Borough's facilities.
F. 
Sludges or other materials from septic tanks or similar facilities or from sewage or industrial waste treatment plants; provided, however, that until September 1, 1962, but not thereafter, the discharge of such sludges and other materials may be permitted subject to existing legal restrictions and subject also to regulations and orders of the Borough.
G. 
Garbage, whether ground or not, except properly shredded garbage in a private dwelling, apartment, building, hotel, commercial restaurant or retail food store, resulting from the proper use of a garbage grinder or disposer of a type approved by the Borough and maintained in good operating condition; provided, however, that no retail food store shall operate more than one grinder or disposer, and said grinder or disposer shall not be greater than three horsepower in size and, when so required by the Borough, shall be equipped with an approved water meter and limited in use to the consumption of an average of not more than 1,500 gallons of water per day; and provided, further, that the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to any existing installation in a retail food store of a garbage grinder or disposer larger than three horsepower in size, until such time as the equipment now in use can no longer be kept in good operating condition by ordinary maintenance and repair, at which time such larger-than-three-horsepower grinder or disposer shall be abandoned and shall not be renewed or replaced.
H. 
Water or wastes having a pH lower than 5.0 or higher than 9.0 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment or personnel of the Borough.
A. 
No person, firm, association or corporation shall make or cause to be made any connection of his property with any public sanitary sewer until he has fulfilled all of the following conditions:
(1) 
He shall notify the Borough Council or its agents of his desire and intention to make such connection.
(2) 
He shall secure a permit and pay the necessary tappage or connection fee as may be prescribed by the Borough of Westmont by ordinance, resolution or by rules or regulations of the Borough.
(3) 
He shall apply for and obtain a permit to excavate in the street, in accordance with the Borough ordinance regulating the same.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 193, Streets and Sidewalks, Art. II.
(4) 
He shall give the Borough Public Works Director at least 24 hours notice of the time when such connection shall be made, in order that the Borough Public Works Director, or his authorized agent, can be present to supervise the work of connection.
[Amended 4-9-2002 by Ord. No. 765]
B. 
All work of making connections to any of the Borough sewers shall be done under the direct supervision and inspection of the Borough Public Works Director or his authorized agent, and shall conform to the following requirements:
[Amended 2-10-1976 by Ord. No. 527; 10-14-1980 by Ord. No. 576; 4-9-2002 by Ord. No. 765; 7-9-2002 by Ord. No. 768]
(1) 
All sewer connections shall be made at the place where the Y in the Borough sewer is provided, but if no Y is provided in the Borough sewer, then the property owner making such connection shall, at his expense, put in the Y in making such connection.
(2) 
This subsection establishes a minimum four-inch SDR 35 pipe or four-inch Schedule 40 pipe, or approved equivalent materials acceptable to the Public Works Director, laid on a minimum grade of 1/4 inch per foot and having permanently sealed joint or fittings. Pipe shall be laid on a bed of No. 1-B stone a minimum of four inches thick, measured at the bell, or joint, and the pipe shall be covered with a minimum of four inches of No. 1-B stone. (Slag is not permitted.) Pipe shall be laid on the best possible alignment and grade and with sufficient cover to protect from crushing and frost action. Material and installation shall be inspected by the Borough Public Works Director, or his authorized agent, and pressure-tested by either air pressure or water pressure as required by a consent order entered into by the Borough of Westmont with the Department of Environmental Protection Clean Waters Section on December 9, 2014, and modified in accordance with the requirements of the consent order on March 10, 2015. This subsection also enacts full compliance with the Rules and Regulations contained in the consent order of December 9, 2014, and any amendments which may be necessary to comply fully with the Johnstown Regional Sewage Authority's requirements and any other requirements mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, as authorized by the consent order of December 9, 2014.[2]
[Amended 1-6-2014 by Ord. No. 821; 3-10-2015 by Ord. No. 825[3]]
[2]
Editor's Note: The Rules and Regulations Governing Sanitary Sewer Service, including Schedules A through E and related documents, forms and agreements for the operation and maintenance of the Borough’s sanitary sewer collection system, adopted 3-24-2015 by Res. No. 2-2015, as well as any subsequent amendments thereto, are on file and available in the Borough offices.
[3]
Editor's Note: This ordinance stated that its enforcement would be delayed until 4-30-2015.
(3) 
All work pertaining to the connection with the Borough sewers shall be, financially and otherwise, the responsibility of the owner of the property with which connection is made, subject to the right of supervision hereby reserved by the Borough.
(4) 
All new house laterals will require installation of a minimum of a four-inch pipe riser of the same material as the lateral with removable watertight cap to be installed at the property line.
[Amended 1-6-2014 by Ord. No. 821; 3-10-2015 by Ord. No. 825[4]]
[4]
Editor's Note: This ordinance stated that its enforcement would be delayed until 4-30-2015.
[Amended 2-10-1976 by Ord. No. 527]
When connection has been made with the public sanitary sewer, the owner of such property shall forthwith abandon and fill in with earth material all privy vaults, cesspools and septic tanks existing on said premises and shall use them no longer. Any and all connections between the cesspool or septic tank and the building which has been served shall be destroyed in such manner that sanitary sewage would not enter therein, and it shall be unlawful to connect any privy vault, cesspool, septic tank or any other type of disposal, receptacle or structure to any public sanitary sewer of the Borough.
A. 
The following seepage of water shall be and is hereby prohibited:
(1) 
Basement seepage and groundwater seepage or any other uncontaminated seepage of water discharged into the sewer system.
(2) 
Downspout and roof drainage, foundation drainage, surface or areaway drainage discharged into the sewer system.
B. 
Each property owner whose property is presently connected to the sewer system shall immediately remove any connection of the aforesaid type of basement seepage, groundwater drainage, downspout and roof drainage and drainage from a surface or areaway and shall adequately and properly plug his house sewer system to prevent any further entrance of such drainage.
C. 
No cross-connection shall be made between the sewer system and the potable water system, whereby vacuums or back siphonage could permit sanitary wastes to enter the potable water system. No cross-connection shall be made between the sewer system and storm drains or storm sewers.
D. 
In general, any industrial wastes will be considered harmful to the sewer system which may cause any of the following damaging effects:
(1) 
Chemical reaction, either directly or indirectly, with the materials of construction of the sewer system in such a manner as to impair the strength of durability of said sewage structure.
(2) 
Mechanical action that will destroy said sewage structures.
(3) 
Destruction of the hydraulic capacity of said sewage structures.
(4) 
Impairment of the normal methods of inspection of said sewage structures.
(5) 
Damage to public health and safety.
(6) 
Obnoxious conditions inimical to the public interest.
E. 
No statement contained in this section shall be construed as prohibiting any special agreement or arrangement between the Borough and any person, whereby any industrial wastes or garbage may be admitted to the sewer system, either before or after pretreatment by the producer of such industrial wastes.
If the owner or owners of any building or buildings shall neglect or refuse to comply with the provisions of this article, the Borough shall serve a written notice upon the owner or owners, or upon the tenants of the property in possession of the premises if said owner or owners cannot be found on said premises, requiring the owners to comply with the provisions of this article in every respect within 90 days after the service of such notice; and if said owner or owners shall neglect or refuse to comply with said notice, the Borough may perform or cause to be performed such work and labor and furnish or cause to be furnished such materials as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of this article, at the cost or expense of such owner or owners, together with 10% additional thereof, and all service and expenses incidental thereto, which sum shall be collected from said owner or owners for the use of the Borough as debts are by law collectable. Or, in its discretion, the Borough may have its proper officers file a municipal lien or claim against said premises as provided by the Act of Assembly in such cases made and provided.
[Amended 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 698]
Any person, firm, association or corporation violating any of the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine not to exceed $600 for each offense, recoverable with costs and, in default of payment of the fine and costs, shall be subject to imprisonment in the county jail or workhouse for a period not exceeding 30 days; each day that a violation is continued shall constitute a separate offense. In the case of firms or associations, the penalties may be imposed upon partners or members thereof, and in the case of corporations, upon the officers thereof.