Chartiers Township affirms the delegation to the Washington
County Sewage Council to administer the requirements of Act 537 and
Chartiers Township's ordinances governing all aspects of on-lot sewage
collection, treatment and discharge.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
ACT 537
The Act of January 24, 1966, P.L. 1535, as amended, 35 P.S.
§ 750.1 et seq., known as the "Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities
Act."
ALTERNATE ON-LOT SYSTEMS
Any on-lot sewage system so designated as an alternate type
by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
AUTHORIZED AGENT
A certified sewage enforcement officer, professional engineer,
plumbing inspector, municipal secretary, or any other qualified or
licensed person who is delegated by Chartiers Township to function
within the specified limits as the agent of Chartiers Township to
carry out the provisions of this article as adopted by Chartiers Township.
BOARD
The Board of Supervisors of Chartiers Township, Washington
County, Pennsylvania.
COMMUNITY SEWAGE SYSTEM
Any system, whether publicly or privately owned, for 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 Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
INDIVIDUAL SEWAGE SYSTEM
A 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 of Pennsylvania.
MALFUNCTION
The condition which occurs when an on-lot sewage disposal
system discharges into groundwaters of the commonwealth, into surface
waters of the commonwealth, backs up into the building connected to
the system, or otherwise causes a nuisance hazard to the public health
or pollution of groundwater or surface water or contamination of public
or private drinking wells. Systems shall be considered malfunctioning
if any of the conditions noted above occur for any length of time
during any period of the year.
MARGINAL SOIL CONDITIONS
Any time a municipality's certified sewage enforcement officer
determines a parcel or lot as having marginal soils after properly
testing said parcel or lot.
MUNICIPALITY
Chartiers Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.
OFFICIAL SEWAGE FACILITIES PLAN
A comprehensive plan for the provision of adequate sewage
disposal systems, adopted by Chartiers Township and approved by the
Department of Environmental Protection, as described in and required
by the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act.
ON-LOT DISPOSAL SYSTEM
Any system for disposal of sewage involving pretreatment
and subsequent disposal of the clarified sewage into the soil for
final treatment and disposal; including both individual sewage systems
and community sewage systems, including, but not limited to, drip
irrigation systems, AB out systems, small stream discharge systems,
community on-lot systems and any other currently DEP-approved and
sewage disposal systems which may be approved by DEP in the future,
it being the intent of this article to address all such 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 shall include the members of an association,
partnership or firm and the officers of any local agency or municipal,
public or private corporation for profit or not for profit.
REHABILITATION
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
installation of a subsurface sewer disposal area, which is reserved
to allow that installation in the event of the malfunction of the
originally installed on-lot sewer disposal system.
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 domestic water supply or for
recreation or which constitutes pollution under the Act of June 22,
1937 (P.L. 1987, No. 394), known as "the Clean Streams Law," as amended.
SEWAGE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER (SEO)
The designated official of Chartiers Township who issues
and reviews permit applications and conducts such investigations and
inspections as are necessary to implement Act 537 and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder which includes the WCSC/Council.
SEWAGE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
Any area or areas of Chartiers Township for which a sewage
management program is recommended by Chartiers Township's adopted
Act 537 Official Sewage Facilities Plan. A sewage management district
may, or may not, encompass the entire municipality.
SEWAGE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
A comprehensive set of legal and administrative requirements
encompassing the requirements of this article and other administrative
requirements adopted by Chartiers Township to effectively enforce
and administer this article.
From the effective date of this article, its provisions shall
apply to the portions of Chartiers Township identified in Chartiers
Township's Act 537 Official Sewage Facilities Plan as a sewage management
district. Within such areas, the provisions of this article shall
apply to all persons owning any property serviced by a new on-lot
sewage disposal system and to all persons installing or rehabilitating
or repairing on-lot sewage systems with new alternate-type systems.
If necessary, an entire municipality may be identified as a sewage
management district.
This section applies only when Chartiers Township revises its
Official Sewage Facilities Plan and is only applicable to the area
or areas affected by such revision.
A. Any on-lot sewage disposal system may be inspected by Chartiers Township's
authorized agent at any reasonable time after the effective date of
this article.
B. The inspection may include a physical tour of the property, the taking
of any samples from surface water, wells, other groundwater sources,
the sampling of the contents of the sewage disposal system itself
and/or the introduction of a traceable substance into the interior
plumbing of the structure served to ascertain the path and ultimate
destination of wastewater generated in the structure.
C. Chartiers Township's authorized agent shall have the right to enter
upon land for the purposes of inspection described above.
D. An initial inspection shall be conducted by Chartiers Township's
authorized agent within one year of the effective date of this article
for the purpose of determining the type and functional status of each
on-lot sewage disposal system in the sewage management district. A
written report shall be furnished to the owner of each property inspected
as evidence of said inspection, and a copy of said report shall be
maintained in Chartiers Township records.
E. A schedule of routine inspections may be established by Chartiers
Township, if necessary, to assure the proper function of the on-lot
sewage disposal systems in the sewage management district.
F. Chartiers Township and its authorized agents shall inspect systems
known to be, or alleged to be, malfunctioning. Should said inspections
reveal that the system is indeed malfunctioning, Chartiers Township
and its authorized agent shall take action to require the correction
of the malfunction. If total correction is not technically or financially
feasible in the opinion of the authorized agent and a representative
of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, then action
by the property owner to mitigate the malfunction shall be required.
G. There may arise geographic areas within Chartiers Township where
numerous on-lot sewage disposal systems are malfunctioning. A resolution
of these areawide problems may necessitate detailed planning and a
Chartiers Township sponsored revision to the area's Act 537 Official
Sewage Facilities Plan. When a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection authorized Official Sewage Facilities Plan Revision has
been undertaken by Chartiers Township, mandatory repair or replacement
of individual sewage disposal systems within the study area may be
delayed, at the discretion of Chartiers Township, pending the outcome
of the plan revision process. However, Chartiers Township may compel
immediate corrective action whenever a malfunction, as determined
by Chartiers Township officials and the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection, represents a serious public health or environmental
threat.
Only normal domestic wastes shall be discharged into any on-lot
sewage disposal system. The following shall not be discharged into
the system:
B. Automobile oil and other nondomestic oil;
C. Toxic or hazardous substances or chemicals, including, but not limited
to, pesticides, disinfectants, acids, paints, paint thinners, herbicides,
gasoline and other solvents; or
D. Clean surface water or groundwater, including water from roof or
cellar drains, springs, basement sump pumps and french drains.