The purpose of this article is to establish procedures for the
use and maintenance of existing and new holding tanks designed to
receive and retain sewage whether from residential or commercial uses
and it is hereby declared that the enactment of this article is necessary
for the protection, benefit and preservation of the health, safety
and welfare of the inhabitants of this Township.
Unless the context specifically and clearly indicates otherwise,
the meaning of terms used in this article shall be as follows:
AUTHORITY
The Supervisors of Cecil Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.
HOLDING TANK
A watertight receptacle, whether permanent or temporary,
which receives and retains sewage conveyed by a water-carrying system
and is designed and constructed to facilitate the ultimate disposal
of the sewage at another site.
IMPROVED PROPERTY
Any property within the Township upon which there is erected
a structure intended for continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy
or use by human beings or animals and from which structure sewage
shall or may be discharged.
MUNICIPALITY
Cecil Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.
OWNER
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole
or partial, of any property located in the Township.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, company, association, corporation
or other group or entity.
SEWAGE
Any substance that contains any of the waste products or
excrement or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or animals
and any noxious or deleterious substance 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 Authority is hereby authorized and empowered to undertake
within the Township the control and methods of holding tank use, sewage
disposal and sewage collection and transportation thereof.
The Authority is hereby authorized and empowered to adopt such
rules and regulations concerning sewage which it may deem necessary
from time to time to effect the purposes herein.
All such rules and regulations adopted by the Authority shall
be in conformity with the provisions herein, all other ordinances
of the Township, and all applicable laws, and applicable rules and
regulations of administrative agencies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Authority shall have the right and power to fix, alter,
charge and collect rates, assessments and other charges in the area
served by its facilities at reasonable and uniform rates as authorized
by applicable law.
The owner of an improved property that utilizes a holding tank
shall:
A. Maintain the holding tank in conformance with this article or any
ordinance of this Township, the provisions of any applicable law,
and the rules and regulations of the Authority and any administrative
agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B. Permit only the Authority or its agent to inspect holding tanks on
an annual basis.
C. Permit only the Authority or its agent to collect, transport and
dispose of the contents therein.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision
of this article shall, upon conviction thereof in an action brought
before a Magisterial District Judge in the manner provided for the
enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal
Procedures, 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.