The purpose of this article is to establish and reestablish
procedures for the use and maintenance of existing and new privies
designed to receive and retain sewage whether from residential or
commercial uses and it is hereby declared that the enactment of this
article is necessary for the protection, benefit and preservation
of the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants of this municipality.
Unless the context specifically and clearly indicates otherwise,
the meaning of terms used in this article shall be as follows:
HOLDING TANK
A watertight receptacle, whether permanent or temporary,
which receives and retains sewage conveyed by a water carrying system
and is designed and constructed to facilitate the ultimate disposal
of the sewage at another site.
IMPROVED PROPERTY
Any property within the Township upon which there is erected
a structure intended for continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy
or use by human beings or animals and from which structure sewage
shall or may be discharged.
MUNICIPALITY
Township of Derry, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.
OWNER
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole
or partial, of any property located in the Township.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, company, association, corporation,
or other group or entity.
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 substance 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.
The Township is hereby authorized and empowered to undertake
within the Township the control and methods of holding tank use, sewage
disposal and sewage collection and transportation thereof.
The Township is hereby authorized and empowered to adopt such
rules and regulations concerning sewage which it may deem necessary
from time to time to effect the purposes herein.
All such rules and regulations adopted by the Township shall
be in conformity with the provisions herein, all other ordinances
of the Township, and all applicable laws, and applicable rules and
regulations of administrative agencies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Township shall have the right and power to fix, alter, charge
and collect rates, assessments, and other charges in the area served
by its facilities at reasonable and uniform rates as authorized by
applicable law.
The owner of an improved property that utilizes a holding tank
shall:
A. Maintain the holding tank in conformance with this or any ordinance
of the Township, the provisions of any applicable law, and the rules
and regulations of the agency and any administrative agency of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B. Permit only the Township or its agent to inspect holding tanks on
an annual basis.
C. Permit only the Township or its agent to collect, transport, and
dispose of the contents therein.
Any person who violates any provisions of §
172-48 of this article shall, upon conviction thereof as a summary offense, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000, together with the costs of prosecution, and in default of payment of said fine and costs, shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days; provided that each day's neglect to comply with an order or each day any violation of any requirement or provision of this article is committed or continued, shall be considered a new offense and subject in all respects to the same penalty as is herein provided.
In addition to any other remedies provided in this chapter, any violation of §
172-48 above shall constitute a nuisance and shall be abated by the municipality or the Township by either seeking mitigation of the nuisance or appropriate equitable or legal relief from a court of competent jurisdiction.