[Adopted 10-14-2019 by Ord. No. 3178]
A. 
In accordance with municipal codes, the Clean Streams Law and the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, it is the power and duty of the Township to provide for adequate sewage treatment facilities and for the protection of public health by preventing the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated sewage. The official sewage facilities plan for the Township indicates that it is necessary to formulate and implement a sewage management program to effectively prevent and abate water pollution and hazards to the public health caused by improper treatment and disposal of sewage.
B. 
The purpose of this article is to provide for the regulation, inspection, maintenance and rehabilitation of on-lot sewage disposal systems; to further permit intervention and to establish appeal procedures as necessary for the proper administration of a sewage management program.
For the purposes of this article, any term not defined herein shall have that meaning found in the Sewage Facilities Act, the Municipal Planning Code and regulations promulgated thereto, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
AUTHORIZED AGENT
A sewage enforcement officer, or professional engineer, or code enforcement officer who is authorized to function as an agent of the Township to administer or enforce the provisions of this article.
BOARD
The Board of Commissioners of Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
COMMUNITY SEWAGE SYSTEM
Any system, whether publicly or privately owned, for the collection of sewage from two or more lots, and the treatment and/or disposal of the sewage on one or more lots or at any other site.
DEPARTMENT
The Department of Environmental Protection of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (DEP).
INDIVIDUAL SEWAGE SYSTEM
Any system of piping, tanks or other facilities serving a single lot and collecting and disposing of sewage in whole or in part into the soil or into any waters of the commonwealth.
MALFUNCTION
The condition which occurs when an on-lot sewage disposal system discharges untreated or inadequately treated sewage onto the surface of the ground, into the groundwaters of this commonwealth, into surface waters of this commonwealth, backs up into a building connected to the system or in any manner causes a nuisance or hazard to the public health or pollution of ground- or surface water or contamination of public or private drinking water wells. The system shall be malfunctioning if any condition noted above occurs for any length of time during any period of the year.
MUNICIPALITY
Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
OFFICIAL SEWAGE FACILITIES PLAN
A comprehensive plan for the provision of an adequate sewage disposal system, adopted by the Board and approved by the DEP, pursuant to the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act.
ON-LOT SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM
Any system for disposal of domestic sewage involving pretreatment and subsequent disposal of the clarified sewage into a subsurface soil absorption area or retaining tank; this term includes both individual sewage systems and community sewage systems.
PERSON
Any individual, association, public or private corporation for profit or not for profit, partnership, firm, trust, estate, department, board, bureau or agency of the commonwealth, political subdivision, municipality, district, authority, or any other legal entity whatsoever which is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties. Whenever used in any clause prescribing and imposing a penalty or imposing a fine or imprisonment, the term "person" shall include the members of an association, partnership or firm and the officers of any local or municipal, public or private corporation for profit or not for profit.
PUMPER/HAULER
Any person, company, partnership or corporation which engages in cleaning community or individual sewage systems and transports the septage cleaned from these systems, and who has registered with the Township and is a current member in good standing of the Pennsylvania Septage Management Association.
REHABILITATION
The work done to modify, alter, repair, enlarge or replace an existing on-lot sewage disposal system.
REPLACEMENT AREA
A portion of a lot or a developed property, sized to allow the installation of an on-lot sewage disposal system, which is reserved to allow that installation in the event of the malfunction of the presently installed on-lot sewage disposal system.
SEPTAGE
The sewage, residual scum and sludge pumped from on-lot sewage disposal systems.
SEWAGE
Any substance that contains any of the waste products or excrement or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or animals, and any noxious or deleterious substances being harmful or inimical to the public health, or to animal or aquatic life, or to the use of water for domestic water supply or for recreation or which constitutes pollution under the Act of June 22, 1937, known as the "Clean Streams Law," as amended.
SEWAGE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER (SEO)
A person certified by DEP who is appointed by the Township. Such person is authorized to conduct investigations and inspections, review permit applications, issue or deny permits and do all other activities as may be provided for such person in the Sewage Facilities Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and this or any other ordinance adopted by the Township.
SEWAGE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
A comprehensive set of legal and administrative requirements encompassing the requirements of this article, the Sewage Facilities Act, the Clean Streams Law, the regulations promulgated thereunder and such other requirements adopted by the Board to effectively enforce and administer this article.
SEWAGE PERMIT
A document issued for the local agency by the SEO when proper application, fee, test results, field investigations, a suitable system design and other requested information by the Township have all been provided to the SEO in accordance with PA Code Title 25 Chapter 72, and Administration of Sewage Facilities Permitting Program.
SUBDIVISION
The division of a lot, tract or parcel of land into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other divisions of land, including changes in existing lot lines. The enumerating of lots shall include as a lot that portion of the original tract or tracts remaining after other lots have been subdivided therefrom. For this article this term shall also mean land development.
TOWNSHIP
Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
From the effective date of this article, its provisions shall apply in any portion of the Township identified in the Official Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan as a Sewage Management District. Within such area or areas, the provisions of this article shall apply to all persons owning any property serviced by an on-lot sewage disposal system and to all persons installing or rehabilitating on-lot sewage disposal systems.
A. 
No person shall install, construct or request bid proposals for construction or alter an individual sewage system or community sewage system or construct or request bid proposals for construction or install or occupy any building or structure for which an individual sewage system or community sewage system is to be installed without first obtaining a permit from the Sewage Enforcement Officer; which permit shall indicate that the site and the plans and specifications of such system are in compliance with the provisions of the Clean Streams Law and the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, and the regulations adopted pursuant to those Acts.
B. 
No system or structure designed to provide individual or community sewage disposal shall be covered from view until approval to cover the same has been given by a Sewage Enforcement Officer.
C. 
The Sewage Enforcement Officer will require notification of the schedule for construction of the permitted on-lot sewage disposal system so that inspections in addition to the final inspection required by the Sewage Facilities Act may be scheduled and performed by a Sewage Enforcement Officer.
D. 
No building or occupancy permit shall be issued for a new building which will contain sewage-generating facilities until a valid sewage permit has been obtained from the Sewage Enforcement Officer.
E. 
No building permit or occupancy permit shall be issued and no work shall begin on any alteration or conversion of any existing structure, if said alteration or conversion will result in the increase or potential increase in sewage flows, that will require an alteration or replacement of the existing sewage disposal system, until either the property owner receives a permit for the alteration or replacement of the existing sewage disposal system or until the appropriate officials of the Township receive written notification from the Sewage Enforcement Officer that such a permit will not be required. The Sewage Enforcement Officer shall determine whether the proposed alteration or conversion of the structure will result in increased sewage flows.
F. 
Sewage permits may be issued only by a Sewage Enforcement officer appointed by the Township. DEP shall be notified as to the identity of each Sewage Enforcement Officer appointed by the Township.
G. 
Replacement areas for each lot or developed property or subdivisions or land developments existing or proposed within the Sewage Management District shall provide for the testing, identification and reservation of a replacement area of each lot suitable for the installation of a replacement on-lot sewage disposal system. This requirement is in addition to the testing, identification and reservation of an area for the primary on-lot sewage disposal system.
H. 
No sewage permit shall be issued for any proposed-on lot sewage disposal system on any newly created or subdivided property in any Sewage Management District unless and until a replacement area is tested, approved and reserved. All subdivision plans must show the location of two approved on lot disposal sewage sites on each lot.
Only normal domestic waste shall be discharged into any on-lot sewage disposal system. The following shall not be discharged into the system:
A. 
Industrial waste.
B. 
Automobile oil and other nondomestic oil.
C. 
Toxic or hazardous substances or chemicals, including but not limited to pesticides, disinfectants (excluding household cleaners), acids, paints, paint thinners, herbicides, gasoline and other solvents.
D. 
Clean surface water or groundwater, including water from roof or cellar drains, springs, basement sump pumps and French drains.
A. 
No person shall operate or maintain an on-lot sewage disposal system in such a manner that it malfunctions. All liquid wastes, including kitchen and laundry waste, softener backwash, shall be discharged to a treatment tank. No sewage system shall discharge untreated sewage to the surface of the ground or into the waters of the commonwealth unless a permit for such discharge has been obtained from DEP.
B. 
A written notice of violation shall be issued to any person who is the owner of any property which is found to be served by malfunctioning on lot sewage disposal system or which is discharging sewage without a permit.
C. 
Within seven days of notification by the Township that a malfunction has been identified, the property owner shall make application to the Sewage Enforcement Officer for a permit to repair or replace the malfunctioning system. Within 30 days of initial notification by the Township, construction of the permitted repair or replacement shall commence. Within 60 days of the original notification by the Township, the construction shall be completed unless seasonal or unique conditions mandate a longer period, in which case the Township SEO shall set an extended completion date.
D. 
A SEO shall have the authority to require the repair of any malfunction by the following methods: cleaning, repair, or replacement of components of the existing system, adding capacity or otherwise altering the existing disposal area, replacing a gravity distribution system with a pressurized system, replacing the system with a holding tank, or any other alternative appropriate for the specific site.
E. 
Should none of the remedies described above prove totally effective in satisfactorily eliminating the malfunction of an existing on-lot sewage disposal system, the property owner is not absolved of responsibility for that malfunction. The Township may require whatever action is necessary to lessen or mitigate the malfunction. This may include a connection to a public system regardless of the distance or availability of such a system or the vacating of the structure.
A. 
All septage originating within the Sewage Management District shall be disposed of in accordance with the requirement of the Solid Waste Management Act (Act 97 of 1980, 35 ss60.18.101 et seq), latest revision and all other applicable laws and at sites or facilities approved by DEP. The pumper/hauler shall provide a list of approved disposal sites that they have contracted with to dispose of the septage.
B. 
The pumper/hauler of septage, shall operate in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Act (Act 97 of 1980, 35 P.S. §§ 6018.101 through 6018.1003), latest revision and all other applicable laws.
A. 
The Township SEO shall issue a written notice of violation to any person who is the property owner, if the Township has not received from the property owner, a pumper/hauler on-lot sewage system certification form proving that their septic tank, cesspool, or drywell or tank has been cleaned and pumped within the time limits as specified by this article.
B. 
Within 30 days of the notice of violation by the SEO, the property owner shall have said septic tank, cesspool, or drywell or tank cleaned and pumped. Failure to comply with the notice of violation shall be considered a violation of this article.
C. 
Any person or property owner interfering with the pumper/hauler's responsibility to notify the Township under this article shall be in violation and susceptible to all penalties noted herein. As set forth in this article, the property owner of the building shall ensure that the pumper/hauler supplies the Township with the certification form of pumping the on-lot disposal system.
A. 
The Township shall fully utilize those powers it possesses through enabling statutes and ordinances to effect the purposes of this article. The Township shall employ a qualified SEO and/or Code Enforcement Officer and such other persons as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this article. The Township may also contract with private qualified persons or firms as necessary to carry out the provisions of this article.
B. 
Any permits, records, reports, files and other written materials pertaining to the installation, operation and maintenance and malfunction of on-lot sewage disposal systems shall become the property of the Township, and shall be maintained by the SEO and kept at the Township. Records shall be available for inspection by representatives of DEP as may be necessary.
C. 
All fees associated with enforcing this article shall be as set forth in the Township Fee Schedule, including administrative fees for the imposition and maintenance of liens.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. A29, Fees.
A. 
In addition to remedies available under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, as it relates to nuisances, violation of the Act or interference with any officer, agent or the Township itself, the Township may assess civil penalties after providing notice of such penalties or assessments.
B. 
The Township may assess the cost of damages caused by violation of this article or the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, applicable fines and penalties, the cost of correcting such violation(s) as well as legal fees, costs of enforcement and fees incurred to hold hearings.
C. 
The Township or SEO shall provide notice of violations of this article or the Sewage Facilities Act and the proposed assessment of penalty.