Township of Hatfield, PA Article VIII Prohibitions

§ 242-33 Prohibited discharges.

A. Any drain or conveyance, whether on the surface or subsurface, that allows any nonstormwater discharge, including sewage, process wastewater, and wash water to enter the waters of the commonwealth is prohibited.

B. No person shall allow, or cause to allow, discharges into surface waters of this commonwealth which are not composed entirely of stormwater, except:

(1) As provided in Subsection C below; and

(2) Discharges allowed under a state or federal permit.

C. The following discharges are authorized unless they are determined to be significant contributors to pollution to the waters of the commonwealth:

(1) Discharges from firefighting activities;

(2) Potable water sources including waterline flushing;

(3) Irrigation drainage;

(4) Air-conditioning condensate;

(5) Springs;

(6) Water from crawl space pumps;

(7) Flows from riparian habitats and wetlands;

(8) Uncontaminated water from foundations or from footing drains;

(9) Lawn watering;

(10) Dechlorinated swimming pool discharges [per Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) requirements];

(11) Uncontaminated groundwater;

(12) Water from individual residential car washing; and/or

(13) Routine external building wash down (which does not use detergents or other compounds).

D. In the event that the municipality or PADEP determines that any of the discharges identified in Subsection C significantly contribute to pollution of the waters of this commonwealth, the municipality or PADEP will notify the responsible person(s) to cease the discharge.

§ 242-34 Roof drains.

Roof drains and sump pumps shall discharge to infiltration or vegetative BMPs and to the maximum extent practicable satisfy the criteria for disconnected impervious areas (DIAs). When it is more advantageous to connect directly to storm sewers, such connections may be permitted by the Township. Roof drains shall not discharge directly to streets. Sump pump and roof drain/downspout connections, when determined to be more appropriate for direct connection to storm sewers shall be as follows:

A. Sump pump drainage.

(1) Within all subdivisions and land developments, structures which will have basements or crawl spaces shall be required to have sump pumps installed by the developer, his agent, builder or builders. In addition thereto, the owner of any lot or group of lots erecting and constructing any structure which contains a basement shall be required to install a sump pump in conformity and in compliance with this section.

(2) Sump pump drainage from structures shall be connected via underground storm drainage to the storm drainage system of the lot. The waiving of the requirements of the installation of a sump pump shall only be by the site investigation to determine the conditions of the water table, springs in the substrata within the location of the proposed basements, and the investigation shall be made and determined by the Township Building Inspector or the Township Engineer, and the cost of this investigation shall be entirely borne by the developer, his agent, builder or builders or the owner of a one-lot structure or group of lots involving a basement.

(3) The minimum size discharge line for underground storm facilities shall be a four-inch inside diameter pipe of material sufficient to withstand the type of loading conditions which would occur in the location of the junction. All junctions to underground storm drainage shall be made at the upper 1/3 of the accepting pipe facility.

(4) To collect sump pump drainage from structures which are located on the opposite side of a roadway from main underground storm drainage collection, the developer shall be required to install a secondary piping system, a minimum of 18 inches in diameter to which the minimum four-inch discharge line(s) shall be connected. When conditions prohibit the system to be discharged to daylight, the secondary storm drainage shall be increased in size according to the number of sump pump connection(s) and good design practices regarding stormwater. The secondary storm drainage system shall be connected to the main storm drainage system at an inlet box. The secondary collection for the sump pump discharge(s) is recommended to be installed between the curb and the sidewalk. The pipe material of the secondary drainage collection system for sump pump drainage shall be corrugated plastic pipe, CPE or PVC. Cleanouts shall be provided at one-hundred-foot intervals. The material shall be dependent upon the location of the secondary drainage system and the effect of loading conditions that it could be exposed to during its use. In areas where there is no storm drainage available (i.e., structure not located in a subdivision or land development where drainage is nonexistent or is located beyond the boundary lines of the subdivision tract or land development tract, nor within any public rights-of-way abutting the subdivision or land development tract, or impossible to install secondary collection), alternate means of providing discharge shall be reviewed and approved by Hatfield Township previous to final installation.

(5) Provisions for sump pump drainage shall be incorporated in the construction drawings of all subdivision and land development plans as:

(a) Complete final design of the secondary storm drainage system and junctions based upon the type of proposed houses to be constructed and the soil conditions of the tract and the slopes of the receiving storm sewers;

(b) Acknowledgements on the construction plans that the secondary drainage facilities and pump connections will be installed per the requirements found in the field during construction and those provisions shall be made with respect to other utilities to consider the needs of installation for gravity fall of the secondary collection system.

(6) All conditions, requirements and provisions of this section shall apply to the owner, agent, builder or builders involving the erection and construction of a building on a single lot or lots or group of lots having a basement and shall be fully complied with in all respects in regard thereto.

B. Roof drains/downspouts.

(1) Within all subdivisions, land developments and building construction, downspouts shall be constructed to discharge a minimum of five feet from the building or dwelling unit. Within any multifamily or attached dwelling unit zoning, consideration will be given for all downspouts to be piped to the nearest drainage system; however, all efforts must be made to discharge overall where possible.

(2) No downspouts shall discharge directly onto sidewalks and/or parking lots. Where approved by the Township Engineer, downspouts shall discharge underground into the proposed stormwater management system or existing storm sewer system.

§ 242-35 Alteration of SWM BMPs.

A. No person shall modify, remove, fill, landscape, or alter any stormwater management (SWM) best management practices (BMPs), facilities, areas, or structures unless it is part of an approved maintenance program without the written approval of the Township.

B. No person shall place any structure, fill, landscaping, or vegetation into a stormwater facility or BMP or within a drainage easement which would limit or alter the functioning of the stormwater facility or BMP without the written approval of the Township.