[Adopted 4-12-1967 by Ord. No. 1967-3]
As used herein, the following terms shall have the meanings stated:
BUILDING CODE OFFICIAL
The duly appointed Building Code Official (BCO) for the City of Pittston in accordance with § 7-2B of the Pittston City Code.
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
OCCUPIED BUILDING
Each structure for continuous or periodic human occupancy from which sanitary sewage is or may be discharged and includes, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, dwellings, flats, apartments, stores, shops, offices and business or industrial establishments.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, company, association, society, partnership or corporation.
PLUMBING CODE
The current plumbing code prescribed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code in accordance with Pittston City Code Chapter 191.
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
PROPERTY ACCESSIBLE TO A PUBLIC SEWER
Property which adjoins, abuts on, or is adjacent to a public sewer or a street or highway in which a public sewer is located, but shall not include any property on which the principal occupied building is located more than 150 feet from a public sewer.
PUBLIC SEWER
Facilities (including any part of, but not necessarily the entirety of a system of, such facilities) operated by a sewer authority for the collection of sanitary sewage within this municipality. Such term includes lateral lines from a main street to the curb or right-of-way line where such lateral lines are constructed by a sewer authority.
PUBLIC SEWER/SEWER MAIN
A conveyance pipe owned by the municipality or sewer authority located in a public right of way or easement for the purpose of collecting and conveying sewage received from sewer laterals.
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
SANITARY SEWAGE
The normal, water-carried household and toilet wastes resulting from human occupancy.
SEWAGE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
The duly appointed Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO) for the City of Pittston in accordance with § 7-2L of the Pittston City Code.
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
SEWER AUTHORITY
Any sewer committee or department of the municipality or any other agency operating public sewers for or at the request of the governing body of the municipality.
SEWER LATERAL
A pipe from the point of connection to a City sewer main to a structure for the purpose of conveying sanitary sewage from the structure to the public sewer/sewer main, which is the responsibility of the structure owner to install and maintain. The structure owner is responsible to ensure all discharges into their sewer lateral are in compliance with Pittston City Code Chapter 464, Wastewater Collection and Treatment, and Chapter 419, Stormwater Management.
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
Upon the completion of any public sewer, the sewer authority charged with the operation thereof shall cause notice of that fact to be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality, such notice to state that owners of property accessible to such sewer and upon which there is an occupied building are compelled to make connection therewith pursuant to this article. A copy of such notice, together with a copy of this article and any ordinance then in effect imposing sewer connection fees and sewer rents, shall be mailed to each person known to the sewer authority to own property accessible to such sewer, but failure to mail such copies or defect in the mailed copies or defect in the mailing thereof shall not affect the validity of the notice.
A. 
Any person owning property accessible to a public sewer on which there is an occupied building shall, at his own expense, install sanitary facilities in such building and connect the same to the public sewer within 60 days after publication of the notice of completion of the sewer specified in § 386-4.
B. 
Any person owning property accessible to a public sewer on which an occupied building is hereafter erected shall, at the time of erection and at his expense, install sanitary facilities in such building and connect the same to the public sewer.
C. 
Persons owning properties accessible to a public sewer on which there are occupied buildings more than 150 feet from such sewer and persons owning properties not accessible to a public sewer who are nevertheless able to arrange for connections thereto through intermediate properties shall be permitted to make such connections.
D. 
The Building Code Official and or Sewage Enforcement Officer shall give written notice to the owner of any sewer lateral that is damaged, collapsed or blocked, to repair the same in accordance with applicable provisions of Pittston City Code Chapter 370, Property Maintenance, including information on permits required to be obtained for the said work.
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
E. 
No zoning or building permit for a new commercial or residential structure shall be issued by the City until a permit for adequate sewage conveyance as required under this chapter shall be issued. New industrial "significant users" shall demonstrate compliance with § 386-14B(1) of this chapter before the permit is issued.
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person owning or occupying a property on which there is a building required to be connected to a public sewer under the provisions of § 386-5 hereof to construct or use on such property any privy, privy vault, cesspool, septic tank or other device for the disposal of sanitary sewage, and any such prohibited devices shall be cleaned and filled in with clean bankrun gravel or dirt within 30 days following the date on which the aforesaid connection is required to be made. Any such privy, privy vault, cesspool, septic tank or other device constructed or used in violation hereof is hereby declared to be a nuisance, which shall be abated as provided by law.
B. 
The owner of any existing privy, privy vault, cesspool or septic tank shall be required to maintain the same in accordance with all applicable provisions of Pittston City Code Chapter 370, Property Maintenance, and Chapter 191, Uniform Construction Code.
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
C. 
For situations not provided for in Pittston City Code Chapter 370 and Chapter 191, the City hereby adopts the 2021 International Private Sewage Disposal Code published by the International Codes Council as the standards that will be used by the City and enforced by the Building Code Official and Sewage Enforcement Officer for the management of existing privies, cesspools, and or septic tanks.
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
D. 
Any existing privy, cesspool, or septic tank that is accessible within 150 feet of a public sewer main as specified in this chapter shall not be replaced in the event of damage or failure and the owner of the structure shall be required to connect to the municipal sewer main as provided in this chapter.
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
E. 
For lots lacking access to a public sewer as defined in this chapter, a permit may be issued for private on-lot sewage systems subject to the following conditions:
[Added 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
(1) 
Minimum lot size of one acre or as required by applicable state law or the 2021 International Private Sewage Disposal Code;
(2) 
A satisfactory sanitary septic sewer perc test approved by the City Sewage Enforcement Officer;
(3) 
Compliance with all City zoning, land development, building code and property maintenance ordinances, codes and regulations as well as all applicable laws and regulations of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania;
(4) 
Any additional requirements imposed by the City Sewage Enforcement Officer at the time of the issuance of the permit.
(5) 
The strictest provisions of applicable state law and City building codes shall be applied to on-lot sewerage systems and proposed such systems.
[Amended 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
A. 
Sewer laterals. No installation of connection or connection to a City sewer main of a new sewer lateral or replacement of an existing sewer lateral shall be installed or connected to a City sewer main without the property owner first obtaining a sewer tap permit from the City Building Code Official who may consult the City Sewage Enforcement Officer to ensure compliance with all applicable ordinances, laws and regulations. The fee for said permit shall be set by resolution of the City Council.
B. 
Private on-lot sewage system. No property owner shall install or cause to be installed a private on-lot sewage system without obtaining a permit from the City Building Code Official who may consult the City Sewage Enforcement Officer to ensure compliance with all applicable ordinances, laws and regulations. The fee for said permit shall be set by resolution of the City Council.
C. 
Other permits required. In addition to the sewer tap or on-lot permit, the Building Code Official may determine additional permits are required pursuant to Chapter 191, Uniform Construction Code, and Chapter 424, Streets and Sidewalks.
If any person required to make a connection to a public sewer by § 386-5 hereof fails to do so after reasonable notice and opportunity, the sewer authority shall report such failure to the governing body of the municipality, who may proceed as permitted by law to enter upon the property, make such connection and collect the cost thereof by municipal lien or otherwise.
No unauthorized person shall maliciously, willfully, or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the sewage works. Any person violating this provision shall be subject to immediate arrest under charge of disorderly conduct.
[Amended 9-20-2023 by Ord. No. 5-2023]
A. 
Notice of violation. In the event of a violation under any provision of this article, the Building Code Official or Sewage Enforcement Officer shall issue a written notice of violation to the owner of the property stating the nature of the violation and providing a reasonable time for correction given the severity of the violation, and information on the means of appeal.
B. 
Penalty. In the event the violation is not corrected, the Code Enforcement Officer shall issue a nontraffic citation to the owner of the property. Upon conviction before the District Magisterial Court, a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $1,000 and all City-incurred legal court costs shall be imposed. Each day the offense continues shall be deemed a separate offense.
C. 
Means of appeal. Any property owner issued a notice of violation or a denied permit under this article may file an appeal with the City of Pittston Joint Code Appeals Board (Pittston City Code Chapter 7, Article II) in accordance with the procedures set forth by that Board.