[Adopted 6-20-2011 by Ord. No. 4-2011]
A. 
Purpose. The purpose of this article is to establish procedures for the installation, use and maintenance of sewage grinder pumps and any associated force mains or low-pressure laterals. 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 the Township.
B. 
Authority. The Township is authorized by law to enact ordinances or adopt resolutions regarding sewage conveyance, treatment and disposal.
Unless the context specifically and clearly indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this article shall be as follows:
ACT 537 PLAN
The Township's Official Plan as defined in the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act of January 24, 1966, P.L. 1535 (1965), No. 537, as amended, 35 P.S. §§ 750.1-750.20a ("Sewage Facilities Act" or "Act 537").
DEPARTMENT
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
GRINDER PUMP
Any electric-motor-driven, submersible, centrifugal pump capable of macerating all material found in normal domestic sanitary sewage, including reasonable amounts of objects, such as plastics, sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, rubber and the like, to a fine slurry, and pumping this material through a small diameter discharge.
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.
OFFICIAL PLAN REVISION
A change in the Township's Act 537 Plan to provide for additional or newly identified future or existing sewage facilities needs, as defined fully in Section 1 of the Sewage Facilities Act, 35 P.S. § 750.1.
PROPERTY OWNER
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole or partial, of any property located in the Township.
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 or any substance which constitutes pollution under the Clean Stream Law, 35 P.S. §§ 691.1-691.1001, as amended.
TOWNSHIP
Willistown Township and/or its Board of Supervisors.
The connection of existing properties or proposed new land development to an existing or proposed sewerage system through the use of sewage grinder pumps, their associated force mains, or low-pressure laterals shall occur only after an official plan revision to the Township's Act 537 Plan, approved by both the Township and Department, designates that the proposed properties be served by such a connection.
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 affect the purposes herein. The Township is hereby authorized and empowered to take such other actions as are necessary, including, but not limited to, entering into agreements with property owners that ensure proper operation and maintenance of sewage facilities within the Township's borders, including, but not limited to, sewage grinder pumps and any associated force mains or low-pressure laterals.
[Amended 3-11-2024 by Ord. No. 1-2024]
A. 
The Township shall exercise its powers and legal authority set forth herein, and under all applicable statutes, ordinances, and other laws, to affect the purposes of this article.
B. 
The Township shall not be responsible for the installation, use, operation, maintenance, service, repair or replacement of grinder pumps or low-pressure sewer laterals throughout Willistown Township.
C. 
All grinder pumps and low-pressure sewer laterals and the installation, use, operation, maintenance, service, repair and replacement thereof shall comply with the rules and regulations of the Township in effect from time to time.
D. 
All grinder pumps and low-pressure sewer laterals shall be connected to the sewage collection and conveyance system in full compliance with the rules and regulations of the Township in effect from time to time.
E. 
The Township shall require initial inspections of all grinder pumps and low-pressure sewer laterals when a new sewer connection is made.
[Amended 3-11-2024 by Ord. No. 1-2024]
A. 
Each property owner served by a grinder pump shall bear full responsibility for installing, using, operating, maintaining, servicing, repairing and replacing his/her grinder pump and/or its low-pressure sewer lateral, unless otherwise set forth herein.
B. 
Each property owner served by a grinder pump shall close the sewage system and cease operations during any period when the grinder pump and/or low-pressure sewer lateral serving a property is inoperable for more than 90 days.
C. 
Where the grinder pump and/or low-pressure sewer lateral is shared between property owners, they shall submit to the Township a Declaration of Easements, Covenants and Restrictions in recordable form setting forth the agreement of each benefited property owner with respect to the installation, use, operation, maintenance, service, repair and replacement of the grinder pump and/or low-pressure sewer lateral, which agreement shall bind all future property owners. Following the approval of the sewer connection by all applicable agencies, the Township will not issue a permit for its installation until evidence is presented that the agreement has been recorded in the Office for the Recorder of Deeds, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
In addition to any other remedies provided in this ordinance, any violation of §§ 105-113 and 105-114 above shall constitute a nuisance and shall be abated by the Township by either seeking mitigation of the nuisance or appropriate equitable or legal relief from a court of competent jurisdiction.
All such rules and regulations adopted by the Township to effectuate this article 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.