[Adopted 7-2-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-4]
A.
AUTHORITY
COMMUNITY SEWAGE SYSTEM
DEPARTMENT
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
HOLDING TANK
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
LAND DEVELOPMENT
(1)
(a)
(b)
(2)
(3)
(a)
(b)
(c)
LOT
PERSON
PUBLIC SEWAGE SYSTEM
SEWAGE
SEWAGE ENFORCEMENT OFFICE
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT
STORM SEWER
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
The Warwick Township Water and Sewer Authority or any successor
of said Authority.
Any system, whether publicly or privately owned, for the
collection and disposal of sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid
nature, or both, including various devices for the treatment of such
sewage or industrial wastes serving three or more individual lots.
Department of Environmental Protection of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
A person or agency appointed to perform inspections and issue
permits in connection with individual sewage systems and community
sewage systems, in this case the Bucks County Health Department.
A watertight receptacle which receives and retains sewage
and is designed and constructed to facilitate ultimate disposal of
the sewage at another site. Holding tanks include, but are not limited
to, the following:
CHEMICAL TOILETA toilet using chemicals that discharge into a holding tank.
PRIVYA holding tank designed to receive sewage where water under pressure is not available.
RETENTION TANKA holding tank to which sewage is conveyed by a water-carrying system.
HOLDING TANK CLEANERAn entity or person, including a holding tank owner, who removes the contents of a holding tank for purposes of disposing of the sewage at another site.
Any of the following activities:
The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous lots, tracts
or parcels of land for any purpose involving:
A group of two or more residential or nonresidential buildings,
whether proposed initially or cumulatively, or a single nonresidential
building on a lot or lots regardless of the number of occupants or
tenure.
The division or allocation of land or space, whether initially
or cumulatively, between or among two or more existing or prospective
occupants by means of, or for the purpose of, streets, common areas,
leaseholds, condominiums, building groups or other features.
A subdivision of land.
Land development does not include development which involves:
The conversion of an existing single-family detached dwelling
or single-family semidetached dwelling into not more than three residential
units, unless such units are intended to be a condominium.
The addition of an accessory building, including farm building,
on a lot or lots subordinate to an existing principal building.
The addition or conversion of buildings or rides within the
confines of an enterprise which would be considered an amusement park.
For the purposes of this subsection, an "amusement park" is defined
as a tract or area used principally as a location for permanent amusement
structures or rides. This exclusion shall not apply to newly acquired
acreage by an amusement park until initial plans for the expanded
area have been approved by the proper authorities.
A designated parcel, tract, or area of land established by
a plat or otherwise as permitted by law and to be used, developed
or built upon as a unit.
Any natural person, partnership, association, or corporation.
Whenever used in any clause prescribing and imposing a penalty, or
imposing a fine or imprisonment, or both, the term "person" shall
include the members of an association and the officers of a corporation.
The sewer system and the treatment facility owned, operated,
or maintained by the Authority approved by the Department under a
permit issued pursuant to The Clean Streams Law, 35 P.S. § 691.1
et seq., as hereafter amended, supplemented, modified or reenacted
by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania.
Any substance that contains any of the waste products or
excrementitious 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.
The Bucks County Health Department.
Any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating
sewage.
A sewer which carries storm- and surface waters and drainage,
but excludes sewage and industrial wastes.
B.
In this article, the singular shall include the plural; the plural
shall include the singular; and the masculine shall include the feminine
and neuter.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision
of this article, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before
a district justice in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary
offenses wider the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall
be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs and,
in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment
not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation of this article continues
or each section of this article which shall be found to have been
violated shall constitute a separate offense.
All property owners whose property lines are within 150 feet
of any public sewer line shall connect to the public sewer system
upon approval by the Township and subject to the rules and regulations
of the Authority. The Township Board of Supervisors may, as it deems
appropriate, require or exempt other property owners in the Township
from connection to the public sewer system, subject to the following
guidelines:
A.
The Township Board of Supervisors may require property owners whose
property lines are not within 150 feet of any public sewer line to
connect to the public sewer system because of health, safety, and/or
welfare concerns.
B.
The Township Board of Supervisors may, in its sole discretion and
as it deems appropriate, exempt residential property owners whose
property lines are within 150 feet of any public sewer line from connection
to the public sewer system upon proof that the existing system on
the site is functioning to the satisfaction of the Sewage Enforcement
Officer, and further provided that the property must connect to the
public sewer upon a change in ownership of the property. Notice of
the requirement to connect to the sewer line upon change in ownership
of the property shall be recorded with the office of the Recorder
of Deeds of Bucks County in a form deemed satisfactory to the Township
Solicitor.
C.
Connection to the public sewer line shall be mandatory to any new
development that qualifies for mandatory connection under this article.
The Township Board of Supervisors may also require new development
beyond 150 feet and/or not abutting the public sewer system to connect
to the public sewer as part of the subdivision and land development
process if the Township Board of Supervisors deems it appropriate.
If the owner of any property, after 90 days' notice from the
Township or Authority to make connection of such property with the
public sewage system, shall fail to make such connection, the Township
or Authority may make the connection and collect the costs thereof
in the manner provided by law.
From time to time in the future, as public sewage services become available to additional properties within the Township by reason of additions to the public sewage system or improvements on abutting properties, each and every owner of such property shall be required to make the necessary connection to the abutting or adjoining sewer lines, and any septic tanks, cesspools, holding tanks, and similar devices connected to an individual sewage system shall be abandoned and filled with new material unless they are exempt under § 153-29 of this article.
The sewer inspector or his authorized agent, and agents of the
Authority, shall have access at all reasonable hours of the day to
all parts of the premises to which sewage service is supplied to make
necessary inspections.
No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connection with
or opening into, use, alter or disturb any part of the public sewage
system or appurtenance thereto without first obtaining a permit from
the Authority. If work must be done in the right-of-way of a Township
road or street, a Township road opening permit will be required.
Before making a connection with the sewer system, each property
owner shall make a written application therefor to the Authority and
shall pay all connection, tapping, facilities and other fees established
pursuant to a resolution of the Authority.
All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection
of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall
indemnify the Township and Authority from any loss or damage that
may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the
building sewer.
A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided
for every building. Exceptions to this provision shall be made where
one building stands to the rear of another on an interior lot and
no sewer line is available or can be constructed to the rear building
through an adjoining alley, court, yard or driveway, in which case
the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the
rear building only on approval by the Sewage Enforcement Officer.
Such connection of the two buildings to the sewer lines shall be considered
as two building sewers.
Old building sewers may be used in connection with a building
only when such connection is approved by the Authority and Bucks County
Department of Health, and they meet the requirements of this article
or rules and regulations adopted pursuant hereto.
The construction, materials used in the construction, and location
of the sewer and all sewer connections shall comply with specifications
of the Authority and the regulations of the Bucks County Department
of Health.
The permit holder shall notify the Authority when the building
sewer is ready for inspection and connection with the public sewer,
and the connection shall be made under his supervision.
All excavations for building sewer installation and connection
shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect
the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public
property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in
a manner satisfactory to the Township and the Authority.
All owners of property connected or connecting with the sewer
lines and the public sewage system, and all of the owners of property
who may hereafter connect with and use the same, shall pay sewer rentals
or charges in installments as set forth in the fee schedule of the
Authority.
