This article shall be known as the Township of Union "Holding
Tank and Privy Ordinance."
Use of holding tanks for sewage disposal purposes shall be allowed
within the Township for the following uses, under and subject to the
requirements and regulations set forth in this article and other applicable
laws and regulations:
A. Institutional, recreational or commercial use where the sewage flow
does not exceed 400 gallons per day.
B. As necessary to abate a public nuisance or public health hazard.
C. As otherwise allowed under the applicable Department of Environmental
Protection regulations and approved by the Department of Environmental
Protection.
Use of privies for sewage disposal purposes shall be allowed
within the Township where there is no water under pressure to or for,
and no piped wastewater from, the premises for which the privy is
utilized, under and subject to the requirements and regulations set
forth in this article and other applicable laws and regulations.
No holding tank or privy may be used within the Township to
receive and retain sewage without a permit issued by the Township
or its designee. No privy permits will be issued for any new residences
after the effective date of this article if land does not pass a pit
and perc test. Unless the above conditions are complied with, no sewage
or building permits will be issued.
An application for a holding tank or privy permit shall be submitted
to the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer and shall include the following
information:
A. Name, address and phone number of applicant, who should be the person
responsible for use and maintenance of the holding tank or privy.
B. Location and description of property on which holding tank or privy
is to be used and facilities on property to be served by holding tank
or privy (diagram may be attached).
C. Owner(s) of property if different from applicant.
D. Description of existing and proposed uses of property.
E. Size and description of holding tank and privy, including information
necessary to determine whether it meets DEP standards.
F. For holding tanks, a description of disposal arrangements, including
name and address of person(s) collection, transporting and disposing
of sewage contents, contracts for disposal services, and disposal
site(s).
G. For holding tanks, an estimate of gallons per day usage and description
of means of calculating estimate.
H. For privies, a certification that there is not water under pressure
in or to the premises for which the privy will be used and no piped
wastewater from the premises, and that, in the event either water
under pressure or piped wastewater is provided, the applicant will
discontinue use of the privy and construct and install an approved
on-lot sewage disposal system in accordance with the applicable laws
and regulations.
No holding tank or privy for which a permit has been issued
under this article shall be maintained or used except in conformity
with the regulations set forth in this article and as may be required
by other applicable laws or regulations. No holding tank or privy
installed for use on the effective date of this article shall be altered
or modified, or reused (if use has been abandoned for more than one
year), without complying with the regulations set forth in this article
and any other applicable laws and regulations.
The use, maintenance and disposal of contents of all holding
tanks shall conform to the following requirements:
A. The holding tank shall be maintained and used in accordance with
conditions set forth in the permit of all applicable regulations.
B. Holding tanks shall be equipped with a float alarm set to cause an
alarm at a three-fourths-full level.
C. The contents of the holding tank shall be pumped and collected regularly
and as necessary to maintain a proper working sewage system and shall
be properly transported to a permitted disposal site in accordance
with applicable regulations. All holding tanks shall, however, be
required to be pumped at least once in every two-year period, and
the owner shall be required to provide written verification to the
Township Code Enforcement Office and/or designee of compliance with
this requirement.
D. Pumping receipts shall be remitted to the Township at least monthly.
E. Information concerning person(s) collecting, transporting and disposing
of sewage contents, contracts for disposal services, and disposal
site(s) shall be provided to the Township. Only those persons authorized
by the Township shall be permitted to collect, transport and dispose
of sewage contents.
F. Any changes or modifications to the holding tank or the use served
shall be reported to the Township.
G. Inspection of holding tanks by the Sewage Enforcement Officer shall
be permitted as necessary and at least once per year at the expense
of persons responsible for use and maintenance.
H. The Township must be provided with current information about any
change in ownership of the property or persons responsible for use
and maintenance of the holding tank.
I. With the exception of holding tanks being used for residential purposes
at the time of this article is enacted, in the event the use of the
property served by the holding tank changes to or includes a residential
use, then installation of an approved sewage disposal system which
meets applicable standards and regulations shall be required, and
the use of the holding tank shall cease.
The owner of the property on which a holding tank or privy is
being used and maintained shall be responsible, along with the person
in possession or in control of the operation and maintenance of the
holding tank or privy, for compliance with the regulations relating
to holding tank and privy use, maintenance and contents for disposal.
The Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO) shall:
A. Review holding tank and privy applications and issue permits as appropriate.
B. Impose conditions on permits as necessary and appropriate.
C. Inspect holding tanks and privies as appropriate and otherwise required
to determine compliance with applicable regulations.
D. Provide the Township with written reports regarding inspections.
The Township Secretary or such other person as the Board of
Supervisors may designate shall:
A. Maintain records regarding the holding tanks and privies permitted,
their location, persons owning the property on which they are located,
persons otherwise designated as persons responsible for their use
and maintenance, and the use for which permitted.
B. Maintain records regarding the persons collecting, transporting and
disposing for each permitted holding tank and disposal site used.
C. Review and maintain the pumping receipts from each permitted holding
tank.
D. Maintain SEO investigation reports for each permitted holding tank
and privy.
E. Maintain records of complaints and report the same to the SEO for
inspection.
F. Maintain a current list of persons permitted to collect, transport
and dispose of sewage from holding tanks and privies.
This article shall not apply to potable water that is collected
in any type of container, vessel, etc.; cisterns, runoff reservoirs;
propane and septage.
Any person denied a permit or whose permit has been revoked
may take an appeal in accordance with the applicable provisions of
the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, as amended, and regulations
promulgated thereunder.