[Adopted 6-18-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-1]
Every owner of an occupied structure, for residential, commercial,
or industrial purposes, shall, where the structure is located within
150 feet of a public waterline of the Aleppo Township Authority ("Authority")
abutting or adjoining the property, be required to connect, at his
own cost, the house, building or other structure to the public water
system of the Township of Aleppo ("Township"), in accordance with
the rules and regulations of the Aleppo Township Authority.
No person, firm or corporation which is now within the Aleppo
Township Authority's water service system or within the service
area for its proposed extension, and upon which an existing residential
structure, built or acquired prior to the enactment of this article,
is within 150 feet of the public water system, shall be required to
connect such structure to the public water system under the terms
and provisions of this article, until such time as ownership of the
property upon which the structure is located is transferred. This
exemption, which applies only to current owners, will terminate at
the time of transfer and shall not be assignable or transferable to
any future owner. For those persons, firms, or corporations whose
property is not currently within 150 feet of the public water system,
and for whom access to the system is not yet available, nothing contained
in this section shall be construed or interpreted as requiring them
to connect to the public system until such time as their property
is within 150 feet of said water system. However, no exemption acquired
hereunder by a current owner of such a property shall extend to any
future owner or that owner's heirs, successors or assigns.
It shall be the duty of the authorized representative of the
Authority to notify the owner, lessee or occupier of each structure
covered hereunder, in writing, either by personal service, certified
mail or registered mail, to connect the same to said public water
system, as herein provided, within 90 days after receipt of such notice.
If service is by certified mail or regular mail, a copy of the notice
shall also be mailed by regular mail, postage prepaid, with proof
of mailing. Any owner, lessee or occupier of a structure who cannot,
due to causes beyond the applicant's control, comply with provisions
of this section as to connection within the ninety-day period stipulated
above shall apply to the Authority within said ninety-day period for
a time extension of up to six months' duration. Said application shall
be made on a form to be furnished by the Authority and shall contain
a voluntary agreement on the part of the applicant under which the
applicant shall agree to commence paying the regular monthly water
bill immediately even though actual connection to the public water
system will not be accomplished until some later date within said
six-month extension period. In its discretion, the Authority may grant
an extension of time for such connection if the applicant proves to
the Authority's satisfaction that the then-current water supply
is safe for human consumption and if the applicant otherwise complies
with the Authority's rules and regulations.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation connected
to the public water system to connect with or permit the connection
of any other property by any other person, firm or corporation, or
to interconnect any other source of water supply for human consumption
with the property and public water system hereinbefore mentioned.
No owner of real property not presently connected to the public
water system shall make or cause to be made any connection with the
public water system until all of the following conditions have been
fulfilled:
A. The owner has made application to the Authority as the Township's
agent, upon a form to be formulated and supplied by the Authority,
for permission to connect to the aforementioned public water system.
Connections shall be made according to the rules and regulations of
the Authority.
B. The owner shall pay the required tap connection fee as required by
the Authority at the time of making application for permission to
make the connection.
C. No work shall commence before the payment of the aforesaid tap connection
fee and issuance of the aforementioned connection permit.
D. The owner shall give the designated inspector of the Authority or
its consulting engineer at least 24 hours' notice of the time
when such connection shall be made in order that said inspector or
consulting engineer can be present to inspect and approve the work
of connection. The inspector or consulting engineer shall signify
his/her approval of the connection by endorsing his/her name and the
date of approval on the connection permit in the presence of the permittees.
E. At the time of inspection of the connection, the owner or owners
of the property shall permit the inspector or consulting engineer
full and complete access to all water system facilities in each building
and in and about all parts of the property. No water connection line
shall be covered over or in any way concealed until after it has been
inspected by said inspector.
The construction of all connections between the building and
the public water system shall be done in accordance with the specifications,
plans and procedures established by the Authority in its rules and
regulations, as the same may be from time to time published and amended,
copies of which will, upon adoption by the Authority, be maintained
on file with the Township Secretary.
If the owner or owners of any houses, buildings or structures in the Township shall neglect or refuse to comply with the provisions of this article or the written notice as prescribed in §
392-4 hereof, the Township or the Authority as an agent of said Township may perform or cause to be performed such work and labor and furnish or cause to be furnished such material as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of this article at the cost and expense of such owner or owners, together with 10% additional thereof on all charges and expenses incidental thereto, which sum shall be collected from said owner or owners for the use of the Township or the Authority, or the Township or the Authority may, by its proper officers, file a municipal claim or lien therefor against said premises as provided by law.
In addition to any penalty hereinabove prescribed, any person, firm or corporation failing to make the proper connection within the time specified, after receipt of proper notice as provided in §
392-4 hereof, shall, upon conviction thereof before a Magisterial District Judge, pay a fine or penalty of $350 for each day in violation hereof and, for violating any of the other provisions of this article, shall pay a fine or penalty of not less than $350 and, upon default of payment of either thereof, shall be sentenced to undergo imprisonment of not less than five days nor more than 30 days in the county jail.