[Adopted 10-1-2012 by Ord. No. 9-2012]
No lateral sewer line is permitted to be connected to any Borough sanitary sewer line or system from any structure or source, including but not limited to residential, commercial or industrial sites, until the premises, its lateral lines, components and proposed connection have been inspected and approved by an inspector of Vandergrift Borough, as more fully set forth herein.
This requirement shall apply to new residential, commercial or industrial sites and existing residential, commercial or industrial sites upon the transfer of title to the property.
The lateral sewer line for said structure or structures is to be inspected to review its condition, the components (inspection port, vent, pee trap) to determine the integrity of the lateral sewer line before entering the Borough sewer line in order to obtain Borough approval in the form of issuance of a municipal lien certificate as more fully set forth herein.
No roof water or other surface or subsurface water is permitted to be connected, channeled or otherwise introduced, or allowed to permeate, infiltrate or flow, into the Borough's sanitary sewer lines or system.
No municipal lien certificate (no lien letter) will be issued on any property connected to the Borough's sanitary sewer system until the lateral sewer line inspection is completed, at the expense of the transferor of the property, and a certificate is provided to Vandergrift Borough in a form to be approved by the Borough to determine whether or not the sewer lateral line for said property and structures thereon complies with the enacted Borough requirements.
The general requirements set forth above will be administered and enforced as follows:
A. 
Inspections and connections with new construction:
(1) 
All lateral lines, components and connections must be inspected by an inspector of Vandergrift Borough before any backfilling of any trench and before the connection of any inside plumbing to the lateral sewer line.
(2) 
Without limiting the foregoing, the Borough may require inspection of any other line or lines, drain, connection or components it deems necessary to determine whether the new construction is in compliance with the provisions of this article.
(3) 
Before any occupancy permit is issued for the premises, the property owner must correct any violations, defects or deficiencies identified by the Borough's inspection.
(4) 
The fee for the inspection by the Borough Inspector shall be set by resolution, said amount to be paid to the Borough upon request for inspection. Said inspection shall not occur until the fees for the same have been paid in advance. Upon approval by the Borough Inspector of the new construction lateral, the Borough Inspector shall issue an approval to the homeowner, with a copy to the municipality, evidencing compliance for said property.
B. 
Inspections regarding existing connections:
(1) 
All lateral lines connecting any residential, commercial, industrial or other structures within Vandergrift Borough to the sanitary sewer of Vandergrift Borough, which were either in use on the date of adoption of this article or previously inspected pursuant to Subsection A above, will be inspected at the time any request is made for a municipal lien certificate (no lien letter) or for a change in the party responsible for the payment of the sewage account, whether such request is made in connection with a proposed property sale or transfer, refinancing by an owner or for any other reason. Properties which have been inspected and approved by the Borough pursuant to this article, and for which no other construction has occurred on the lot, piece or parcel of land upon which the structure in question is situate, shall be exempt from further inspection for a period of five years from the date of any such request.
(2) 
The inspection shall be the responsibility of the transferor of the property, which said individual shall be responsible to obtain a camera inspection of the lateral sewer line and shall provide a statement, in a form approved by the Borough Inspector, to evidence that the lateral sewer line servicing said property services only the structure in question and that there is only one existing structure connected to any single lateral line which pipes or flows sewage into the Borough sanitary sewer system.
(3) 
Before any municipal lien certificate is issued or any change of account is approved, an inspection stack must be in place or installed near the street right-of-way or sewer line right-of-way. The lateral line should have a working pee trap.
[Amended 1-7-2013 by Ord. No. 1-2013]
(4) 
In conducting the inspections pursuant to this article, the Borough shall require a certificate to be provided to the Borough Inspector or a plumbing professional, indicating that the lateral sewer line in question serves only one single structure, is in good condition, free from root buildup, with tight joints, free of connections from roof leaders, French drains and driveway drains, regardless of whether they be residential, commercial and industrial, and said methods for such testing may include, but not be limited to, low-pressure air testing, smoke testing, dye testing, dye flooding, and TV video inspection of both inside plumbing and the building lateral line to the Borough's main line. In addition, the Borough is authorized to use any other inspection testing procedure, protocol or modality which, in the opinion of its Engineer is technologically appropriate to the situation and to accomplish the purposes set forth herein.
(5) 
Notwithstanding the above, whether it is a new construction or an existing connection, the Borough shall have the right to periodically or routinely inspect any structure connected to the Borough's sanitary sewer line or system, whether or not part of an overall or area line replacement or improvement program or plan, to determine whether or not said property is in compliance with the provisions of this article.
(6) 
It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to repair and/or replace any building lateral sewer line or component thereof which has been determined by the Borough, following the review of the inspection report, to allow stormwater, surface water or subsurface water to infiltrate into the Borough sewer system.
(7) 
Upon notice by the Borough, the property owner must immediately disconnect any lateral line which the Borough determines is improperly directing stormwater or groundwater into the sanitary sewer system line by spreading the water out onto lawn areas where available, or where sufficient lawn areas are not available or are too steep by diverting the water to the nearest storm sewer; to a properly designed stormwater retention, detention or infiltration system; or to the nearest street or alley. At all times stormwater runoff and groundwater discharges shall be directed away from and not adversely affecting neighboring properties and structures.
[Amended 1-5-2015 by Ord. No. 1-2015]
(8) 
There are situations where multiple structures or dwellings are connected to one lateral sewer flowing into the Borough sewer line (community sewer line). In a case-by-case basis the Borough may require that the property owners provide necessary rights-of-way and install required components (manholes, lamp holes, etc.), as per recommendation by the Borough Engineer, to bring these sewer lines into compliance with this article.
(9) 
The fee for inspection by the Borough Inspector shall be set by resolution, said amount to be paid to the Borough upon request for inspection. Said inspection shall not occur until the fees for the same have been paid in advance. Upon approval by the Borough Inspector of the existing lateral, the Borough Inspector shall issue an approval to the homeowner, with a copy to the municipality, evidencing compliance for said property.
(10) 
The Borough Council is hereby authorized to set and establish and to change and amend from time to time by resolution a schedule of fees which is deemed appropriate and necessary to permit the Borough to issue an occupancy permit or lien certificate in connection with the inspection done pursuant to this article. The schedule of fees shall include the costs of the municipal lien certificate (no lien letter), where applicable, as the same applies only to the certification of the lateral sewer line for said property.
(11) 
The Borough Council is also hereby authorized to set and establish and to amend from time to time as may be necessary, by resolution, such policies and procedures as it deems necessary to carry out the administrative functions of this article. Borough Council may perform any inspection using its own staff or may delegate any function to the Borough Engineer.
(12) 
Any person, partnership, corporation, organization or any other entity who violates any provision of this article shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $300, plus any actual damages that are proved to have been incurred by the Borough as a result of the violation, plus the costs of prosecution. Each day's violation shall constitute a separate offense.
(13) 
In addition to the imposition of the fines and penalties as set forth above, the Borough shall have the right to enter upon any property and to disconnect, remove or close any connection between any lateral sewer lines into the Borough's sanitary sewer systems which violates the provisions of this article. The expense of such disconnection, removal or closing and the expense of reconnecting and restoring sewer service following the connection by the property owner shall be paid or assessed against the property owner in question. The Borough may enter all such assessments or costs as a lien on the property served, which said lien may be entered, assessed and collected in the same manner as provided by law for the filing and collection of municipal claims. In addition, any expenses, costs, fines or penalties due the Borough under this article may be collected by any other means provided by law.