Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words and phrases
shall be construed throughout this chapter to have the meanings indicated
in this section:
INDUSTRIAL WASTE
The liquid waste from industrial processes as distinct from
domestic sewage.
LATERAL
A part of the sewer system extending from a public main or
street to curbline, or property line if there is no curb, including
the "Y" connection from the main sewer line.
NOTICE
A written or printed notice, which shall be served upon the
owner if he be found within the Township, or if he cannot be found
within the Township, said notice may be served by any of the following
methods: (1) by registered or certified U.S. mail addressed to the
last known address of the owner; or (2) by leaving the same with the
owner's agent or the party in possession; or (3) by posting the
same on the most public part of the premises concerning which the
notice is directed.
OCCUPIED BUILDING
Any structure erected and intended for continuous or periodic
habitation, occupancy or use by human beings or animals and from which
structure sewage and industrial waste, or either thereof, is or may
be discharged.
ORDINANCES
Ordinances of the Township of Warrington herein, or heretofore,
or hereafter adopted concerning the collection and disposal of sewage.
PERSON
Includes individuals, associations, partnerships, limited
partnerships, joint stock companies and corporations.
PROPERTY, ACCESSIBLE
Each lot or piece of land adjoining, abutting on, or which
is adjacent to the sewer system.
SEWAGE
The normal water-carried household and toilet wastes from
residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments.
SEWER DISTRICT
Such area as shall hereafter be defined or designated, from
time to time, by the Supervisors of Warrington Township for the drainage
and disposal of sewage.
SEWER SYSTEM
The sanitary sewer collection system and sewage treatment
plant or plants, together with the appurtenant facilities currently
owned or hereinafter constructed and any improvements, additions,
or extensions that hereafter may be made thereto by the Township or
an authority of the Township, or to any part or parts of any or all
thereof.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Warrington, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
A system of sewers and drainage is hereby established and ordained
to be constructed for said Township for the purpose of disposing of
domestic drainage and sewage by disposal plant, or any other form,
method or disposal that the Board of Supervisors may hereafter set
forth.
The location of sewers or any extension thereof shall be designated
by ordinance, and said ordinance shall incorporate by reference thereto
the general provisions of this article and any amendments hereto.
The system of sewers and drainage hereinbefore or hereinafter
established, and designated on the maps and plans, which are made
part of this article and any ordinance adopted, shall be laid, as
far as practicable, along and within the lines of the public roads
and highways of the Township, as on said plans or maps designated;
and where such system diverges from said public roads or highways,
as shown on the plan and maps, and passes through private property,
the consent of the owner of such private property shall be first obtained,
if possible; and if not, such sewerage system shall be constructed
through such private property upon providing for compensation in accordance
with the Act of Assembly in such a case made and provided.
In all cases where it becomes necessary to extend the Township
sewers into an adjoining borough or township for the purpose of disposing
of said sewage, the Supervisors of Warrington Township shall approve
an agreement with such borough or township, or any of their authorized
agencies, regarding rights-of-way through private property, ownership,
maintenance and joint use of such line.
The extension of the system of sewers and drainage hereby established
so as to cover additional portions of the Township shall be hereafter,
from time to time, adopted and approved by the Board of Supervisors;
and when such extension and additions have been thus approved and
ordained, the same shall become part of the system of sewers and drainage
hereby established.
[Amended 2-21-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3; 8-12-2003 by Ord. No. 03-14]
A. All persons owning an occupied building now erected upon property
accessible to the sanitary sewers shall, at their own expense, connect
such building with the sanitary sewer system within 60 days after
notice to do so from the Township or notice to do so from the Warrington
Township Board of Supervisors.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
B. All persons owning a property accessible to the sanitary sewer upon
which a building is later erected shall, upon the time of such erection
and at their own expense, connect such building with the sewer system.
C. All persons owning any occupied building upon property which hereafter
becomes accessible to the sanitary sewer shall, at their own expense,
connect such building to the sewer system within 60 days after receipt
of notice to do so.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
D. Upon connection to the sanitary sewer system, the property owner
shall properly disconnect and close any private septic system in accordance
with the rules and regulations of the water and sewer department in
effect at that time.
It shall be unlawful for any person owning any property accessible to the sanitary sewer system to erect, construct or use or maintain, or cause to be erected, constructed, used or maintained, any privy, cesspool, septic tank or any other receptacle on such premises for receiving sewage after the expiration of the periods specified in §
257-7 hereof, or otherwise at any time to erect, construct, use or maintain any pipe, conduit, drain or other facilities for the discharge of sewage except into the sewer system.
[Amended 2-21-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]
Any person who erects, constructs or maintains a privy, cesspool,
sinkhole or septic tank on any property accessible to the sewer system,
and which shall be required to connect thereto, or who otherwise erects,
constructs, uses or maintains any privy, cesspool, sinkhole, septic
tank or other receptacle on such premises for receiving sewage in
violation of this article shall be deemed and shall be declared to
be erecting, constructing and maintaining a nuisance, which nuisance
the Township or the Warrington Township Board of Supervisors is hereby
authorized and directed to abate in the manner approved by law.
[Amended 2-21-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]
All connections with said sewer system shall be made only upon
application and permit in prescribed form and shall be made in accordance
with such rules and regulations and upon such terms and conditions
as the Warrington Township Board of Supervisors shall from time to
time adopt and prescribe. Said rules and regulations, when adopted,
shall have the same force and effect as if set at length in this article.
[Amended 2-21-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]
A. After the expiration of the periods specified in §
257-7 of this article, if any owner of an occupied building on property accessible to the sewer system shall have failed to connect such property with the sewer system as required by said §
257-7, the Warrington Township Board of Supervisors may cause to be served on the owner of such property so failing to connect to said sewer system, and also upon the occupants of the building in question, a copy of this article and a written or printed notice requiring such connection to be made, and such notice shall further state that its requirements shall be complied with within 60 days from the date thereof.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
B. Upon failure of any such owner, who has been duly notified as hereinabove
provided, to comply with the requirements of any such notice or with
the provisions of this article, the Warrington Township Board of Supervisors
shall cause the necessary connection to be made and, upon completion
of the work for the same, shall render a bill covering the cost of
said work to the owner of such premises.
[Amended 2-21-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3]
In the event that any property owner shall fail to pay the assessment
as hereinabove provided, it will be the duty of the Warrington Township
Board of Supervisors' Treasurer to refer to the Warrington Township
Board of Supervisors' Solicitor all such bills remaining unpaid, and
the Warrington Township Board of Supervisors' Solicitor shall thereupon
take the necessary action to effect the collection of such unpaid
bills in the manner provided by law.
It shall be unlawful to discharge into the sewer system any
industrial waste or other matter whatsoever injurious to the sewage
structure, or to the process of treating sewage, or any drainage resulting
from rain, sump pumps, water, surface water, springs, wells, streams
or other groundwater, or any sewage or drainage containing matter
of any sort liable to form a deposit in the sewer or drain pipes or
to create obstruction therein.
[Amended 2-21-1995 by Ord. No. 95-3; 2-10-1998 by Ord. No. 98-2; at time of adoption
of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
The provisions of this article are declared to be for the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Township; and any person who shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the sewer system any matter of any sort liable to form a deposit or create an obstruction or obstructions therein, or who shall break into or otherwise make connections therewith without having first procured the permit required by this article; or who shall fail to comply with any of the requirements of any permit or of this article; or who shall fail to comply with any rule or regulation of the Board of Supervisors or any rule or regulation of the Warrington Township Board of Supervisors concerning the manner of making connections with the sewer system or the use of the same; or who shall violate any provision of this article, 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 Procedure, shall 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. This article may be enforced initially by violation ticket (citation); see Chapter
38, Ordinance Enforcement Procedures, Article
II, Tickets for Certain Offenses.