The Borough reserves the right to determine the size, kind, and depth of the service line. The service line shall be furnished, installed, maintained, and/or replaced, when necessary, by and at the sole expense of the owner.
The service line shall not be laid in the same trench with water line, the facilities of any other public utility or of any municipality or municipal authority that provides a public utility service, or within three feet of any open excavation or walk, unless a written exception is granted by the Borough.
Every service line of any improved property shall be maintained in a sanitary and safe operating condition by the owner of such improved property.
The Borough may refuse to connect with any building sewer or provide sewer service through a building sewer already connected if such building sewer is not properly installed or maintained.
Where an improved property, at the time connection to a sewer is required, is served by its own sewage disposal system or sewage disposal devise, the existing service line shall be broken on the structure side of such sewage disposal system or sewage disposal devise and attachment shall be made, with proper fittings, to extend such house sewer line as a service line to the public sewer system, provided the existing service line meets all other requirements of this Part 3 and the associated rules and regulations. Valves, jumping weirs or other means of temporarily diverting flows to a discharge or sewage disposal system or device other than an emergency holding tank with no outlet shall be prohibited.
If a person shall fail or shall refuse, upon receipt of a written notice of the Borough, to remedy any unsatisfactory condition with respect to a building sewer or service line within 90 days of receipt of such notice or one year in the case of a full service line replacement order, shall be in violation of this Part 3; further, the Borough may refuse to permit such person to discharge sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes into the sewer system until such unsatisfactory condition shall have been remedied to the satisfaction of the Borough.
The materials and methods used in constructing the service line shall be subject to approval or rejection by the Borough, in accordance with any rules/regulations which the Borough may adopt.
Every excavation for a service line shall be guarded adequately with barricades and lights to protect all persons from damage and injury. Any street, sidewalk and other public property disturbed in the course of installation of a service line shall be restored at the cost and expense of the owner of the improved property being connected in a manner satisfactory to the Borough.
If an improved property is unable to obtain sewer service by gravity flow, the Borough may allow, upon review and approval by the Borough Engineer, a residential or commercial grinder pump to lift sanitary sewage to the sewer; however, such grinder pump will be the sole responsibility of the owner of the improved property. The owner of any improved property served by residential grinder pumps shall, at his/her own cost, maintain a spare pump on the premises at all times.
A.
The Borough shall have the right to inspect an improved property to determine compliance with this Part 3 and any rules and/or regulations adopted by the Borough.
B.
Upon notification to the owner of an improved property that an inspection is required, the owner shall contact the Borough or its designated agent within five days to schedule an appointment for inspection. Failure to contact the Borough within five days shall result in a scheduling fee being assessed against the owner of the improved property. Said fee shall be determined, from time to time, by resolution of Borough Council and consistent with any rules/regulations promulgated hereunder. Borough shall notify owner by United States mail, first class, postage prepaid, or by posting a notice on the door of the improved property.
C.
Should the owner of an improved property refuse to allow an inspection or refuse to respond to an official notice delivered via United States mail or otherwise posted on the door of the improved property requiring owner to contact the Borough to schedule an inspection, the Borough may obtain an administrative search warrant to accomplish the inspection. In such case, the property owner shall be assessed a fee, determined from time to time by resolution of Borough Council and consistent with any rules/regulations promulgated hereunder.
D.
No newly installed, replaced or repaired service line shall be covered until it has been inspected and approved by the Borough. If any part of a service line is covered before so being inspected and approved, it shall be uncovered for inspection at the cost and expense of the owner of the improved property to be connected to the sewer.
E.
To assure compliance with § 425-50 of the Avis Borough Code of Ordinances, an application must be received by the Borough no later than 14 days before any transaction involving real estate for which sanitary sewage service is provided, or at such times as Borough Council may, from time to time, designate via resolution, with inspection to occur before such real estate transaction takes place.
[Amended 11-5-2018 by Ord. No. 296]
F.
Upon request of owner of an improved property, an inspection may be scheduled during the evening hours or on weekend days. Such inspection, however, shall be subject to a nonregular hours inspection fee, which shall be paid in advance by owner. The fee shall be determined, from time to time, by resolution of Borough Council, consistent with any rules/regulations promulgated hereunder.
A.
Avis Borough shall be responsible for construction of any laterals from the sewer main to the curbline and through any public right-of-way to which the Borough and/or Authority have legal access, up to a maximum of 50 feet.
B.
The cost and responsibility for construction of new service lines from the house to the curbline, as aforementioned, shall be the responsibility of the owner. The Borough reserves the right to determine the size, kind, and depth of any service line to be installed or replaced. The service line shall be furnished, installed, maintained, tested, repaired and/or replaced when necessary by and at the sole expense of owner.
C.
The Borough shall be solely responsible for installation, repairs and maintenance of those portions of any laterals from the sewer main to the curbline through any public right-of-way to which the Borough has legal access, up to the curbline of the street along which the sewer main runs; however, costs for installation, repairs and maintenance, including the cost of Borough employees' time and equipment usage, at a billing rate as established by resolution from time to time and the actual cost of materials used, or billing by outside contractors to accomplish said installation of new lines shall be the responsibility of the owner and shall be billed to the owner by the Borough upon completion of the work. The cost for maintenance and replacement of an existing sewer lateral may be billed to the owner of the improved property in accordance with the written policy of the Borough contained within the rules and regulations, which may be amended from time to time.
D.
All payments of costs/fees shall be provided within 30 days of date of billing. Late payments shall be assessed a penalty of 10% of the amount due for such costs/fees.
E.
Repairs and maintenance of the building sewer, service line or house connection from the curbline, right-of-way, or edge of street abutting the property affected shall be the responsibility of owner.
A.
The discharge of any unpolluted water, as further listed in § 425-73A, to sanitary sewers is prohibited.
(1)
Exceptions.
(a)
Residential dehumidification units located in spaces or basements in which the floor of the space is more than 24 inches below grade level may be connected to the public sewer system, provided the connection is constructed in such a manner as to prevent any other prohibited flows from entering the Borough sewer system.
(b)
Water softener backwash discharges may be connected to the public sewage system.
C.
Connection to the sanitary sewer system will be delayed if building sewer shows presence of stormwater, surface water, groundwater or other unpolluted water.
D.
Owners of improved properties already connected to the system where presence of storm, ground or other water source listed in § 425-69A of this Part 3 is detected shall be notified by the Borough, to correct the condition. Property owners shall have 90 days to perform repairs designed to exclude § 425-69A prohibited flows, or one year where such repairs require the total replacement of a service line. Failure to correct within the specified time shall result in the Borough taking such corrective action as deemed necessary by Borough at the cost and expense of the owner of the improved property, together with a penalty of 10% of the cost of all legal expenses, labor, equipment, materials or outside contractor charges, which sum shall be collected from said owner or owners of the improved property for the use of the Borough, allowed by law, equity or otherwise. The cost of Borough labor and equipment shall be calculated as according to the rate structure for said labor and equipment as established and amended by resolution from time to time. Owners of improved properties failing to comply with the provisions of this Part 3 may also be subject to fines and/or imprisonment consistent with other terms of this Part 3 and/or other applicable law.
E.
All sump pumps shall have discharge permanently piped to exterior of building using metal or plastic pipe. Sump pumps shall not discharge stormwater, surface water, groundwater, or other water prohibited herein into the sanitary sewer system either directly or indirectly. Where practical, sump pump discharges shall be directed to storm drain systems. All direct connections to the public storm sewer system shall be approved by the Borough and will be made as according to the construction requirements of the Borough of Avis.
A.
The Borough, or it duly authorized agent(s), shall systematically inspect and televise all sewer mains, laterals, service lines, and building sewers within the Borough, at its discretion. The Borough may, at its discretion, also establish, pursuant to rules/regulations, a schedule of inspections.
B.
Should the inspection called for in Subsection A, above, show the presence of either Orangeburg pipe, steel pipe, infiltration, inflow or the presence of roots, said service line/building sewer shall be further evaluated by the owner, at the request of the Borough, in accordance with the evaluation process in § 425-71 of this Part 3, infra. In lieu of further investigation as in accordance with § 425-71, the owner may elect to replace the service line and/or building sewer without first testing the existing line(s).
C.
In addition to any systematic inspection which results in identification of the need for further evaluation and/or repair/replacement, the Borough may require an owner of any lateral, service line, or building sewer which is found through the normal course of work of the employees of the Borough to be constructed of Orangeburg pipe, steel pipe, or showing evidence of infiltration, the presence of roots in the pipe or any other indication of defects, to further evaluate the service line, and/or building sewer. The service line and/or building sewer shall be evaluated according to § 425-71, infra, and shall be repaired/replaced as necessary to comply with § 425-71, infra. In lieu of further investigation as in accordance with § 425-71, the owner may elect to replace the service line and/or building sewer without first testing the existing line(s).
D.
An owner of improved property may dispute the findings of the Borough's inspection and may request a reinspection; however, prior to any reinspection, the owner of an improved property shall provide a deposit to the Borough in an amount determined from time to time by resolution and consistent with any rules/regulations promulgated hereunder.
E.
Upon payment to the Borough of the fees required in Subsection D, above, a reinspection shall be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time with advance notification of at least 48 hours, but no more than 14 days after receipt of payment of said reinspection fee. The Borough reserves the right to cancel and reschedule any reinspection dependent upon groundwater conditions. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to provide a suitable cleanout or access port through which to insert a sewer inspection camera into the service line and/or building sewer.
F.
Should a reinspection occur and should the findings show the original finding to be in error and the line shows no flaws as described in Subsection B or C, no charges shall be assessed to owner and deposit returned. Any notifications requiring corrective action shall be cancelled by the Borough. Should the reinspection confirm the original findings, any actual charges above the deposit paid shall be the responsibility of owner and may be assessed as part of the owner's monthly bill. All payments due shall be received within 30 days of date of inspection. Late payments shall be assessed a 10% penalty as according to § 425-87.
A.
Owner of any improved property which, under § 425-70B or C, is required to conduct further evaluation of their service line or building sewer shall air test the entire system which is buried below ground or buried beneath the structure. Any service line or building sewer which does not meet the minimum standards of the air test shall be deemed defective and in violation of this Part 3.
B.
All service lines repaired or replaced shall have a cleanout installed at the curbline by the owner, the cost of which shall be the responsibility of the property owner.
C.
All repaired service lines and building sewers, along with all collection pipes beneath the structure or below grade, shall be air tested. A repaired service line or building sewer which fails to meet the minimum standards of the post-repair air test shall continue to be deemed defective and in violation of this Part 3.
D.
Any air tests shall be conducted in accordance with all requirements contained in this Part 3 and any implementing rules/regulations as adopted by Borough Council.
E.
Any air test must be conducted in the presence of a representative of the Borough. Air tests shall be scheduled with the Borough at least 24 hours in advance of said air test.
F.
Upon completion of any air test, the contractor conducting such test shall certify the results to the Borough on the form provided by the Borough.
G.
The certified results of any air test shall be submitted to the Borough by the owner (or owner's contractor) within 10 days of the date of the test. All service lines, building sewers, or plumbing beneath the structure which do not meet the minimum standards of the air test shall be deemed substandard and in violation of this Part 3.
H.
All costs for air tests shall be at the expense of the owner. Should an owner fail/refuse to provide for an air test at the request of the Borough, the Borough reserves the right to discontinue sewer services to such premises or have water service to such premises discontinued until such time as testing is completed in compliance with the requirements of this Part 3. All costs for discontinuing water or sewer service shall be the responsibility of the owner of the improved property, and shall be paid in full prior to service being reinstated.
I.
The owner of an improved property may elect to forgo air testing of a line showing signs of defects and replace the line in its entirety.
A.
Any lateral, service line and/or building sewer which is found to be in substandard condition as described in §§ 425-70 and 425-71, in violation of this Part 3 or in violation of any of the standards contained in this Part 3, shall be corrected/repaired/rehabilitated within 90 days of notice to owner of said condition, or one year in the case of the need for a total service line replacement.
B.
Any condition which presents, in the opinion of the Borough Engineer, an imminent health hazard to the general public shall be corrected immediately. Any condition presenting an imminent health hazard as determined by the Borough Engineer which is not corrected by the owner of the improved property in a timely manner may be corrected by the Borough, the costs for which shall be assessed against owner.
C.
Notice shall be placed in writing to the last known address of owner of the improved property and forwarded by United States mail, first class, postage prepaid. The Borough reserves the right to also post a notice on the premises indicating a problem with condition or a violation of standards contained in this Part 3 or any implementing rules/regulations, which shall constitute notice under this Part 3.
D.
The material and workmanship specifications for construction of new mains, laterals, service lines and/or building sewers as specified in § 425-74, infra, shall apply to repairs to existing mains, laterals, service lines and/or building sewers.
E.
Upon completion of any new installation or replacement of a service line or building sewer, upon Borough discretion, the owner of the improved property may be required to air test the line in accordance with § 425-71, supra, to assure compliance with the standards contained in this Part 3 and any other rule/regulation/laws incorporated herein by reference.
F.
Upon completion of any repair of a service line or building sewer, the owner of the improved property shall be required to air test the line in accordance with § 425-71, supra, to assure compliance with the standards contained in this Part 3 and any other rule/regulation/laws incorporated herein by reference.
G.
Prior to backfilling in repair/rehabilitation or replacement of a lateral, service line or building sewer, inspection by a representative of the Borough shall occur. At a minimum, the Borough must be notified at least 24 hours in advance to schedule such inspection. Backfilling may commence only after the Boroughs inspector has approved the work and materials.
A.
The following shall not be connected to any portion of the Borough's sewer system, any lateral, service line or building sewer or any other line connected to the public sewer system:
(1)
Septic tanks;
(2)
Cesspools;
(3)
Stormwater or groundwater drains;
(4)
French drains;
(5)
Rain gutters;
(6)
Roof drains;
(7)
Floor drains;
(8)
Swimming pool drains;
(9)
Perimeter drains;
(10)
Sump pumps;
(11)
Downspouts;
(12)
Residential cellar or floor drains;
(13)
Cistern;
(14)
Any connection which would facilitate the entry of stormwater, surface water or groundwater into the Borough sewer system.
(15)
Residential dehumidification units located in spaces of structures or basements in which the floor is less than 24 inches below grade level.
B.
The following sources of discharge, among others, are explicitly permitted to be connect to the public sewer system.
(1)
Residential dehumidification units located in spaces or basements in which the floor of the space is more than 24 inches below grade level may be connected to the public sewer system, provided the connection is constructed in such a manner as to prevent any other prohibited flows from entering the Borough sewer system.
(2)
Water softener backwash discharges may be connected to the public sewage system.
A.
The following standards apply to any repairs/rehabilitation or replacement of laterals, service lines or building sewers:
(1)
All laterals, service lines and/or building sewers must be buried to a depth to prevent freezing (recommended minimum depth is four feet).
(2)
Unless special permission is granted by the Borough based upon extenuating circumstances, all building lines shall be at a minimum depth of three feet below the elevation of the ditch line of the public street where the service line meets the sewer lateral at the right-of-way line.
(3)
All laterals, service lines and/or building sewers must be in good condition, watertight, and capable of meeting the standards of an air test as specified by any rules/regulations enacted pursuant to this Part 3.
(4)
All laterals, service lines and/or building sewers shall have a minimum of one cleanout at the curbline or within 10 feet of the sewer main where the sewer main does not fall within a public right-of-way. A second cleanout is recommended at the building line. All cleanouts shall be constructed on double sweep tees.
(5)
All cleanouts shall have watertight caps constructed so as to locate the cap approximately two inches to three inches below ground surface. Cleanout riser shall be protected with a twenty-four-inch long length of six-inch or seven-inch pipe (casing pipe) extending from near the top of the cleanout, to a point approximately 27 inches below grade and having no fill or stone between the casing pipe and the riser pipe. A cast iron cleanout frame and cover assembly shall then be placed over the cleanout riser and casing pipe with the top of the frame and cover assembly flush with the surrounding ground surface.
(6)
No bend greater than 45° shall be used in a lateral, service line or building sewer, other than a vertical drop entrance, in which case a tee shall be installed and a cleanout riser constructed as described in Subsection A(5) above shall be brought to the surface.
(7)
All pipes and fittings shall meet or exceed the following specifications:
(a)
Service lines.
[1]
PVC (plastic) — SDR 35 or SDR 26, ASTM 3034 with push on rubber gasketed joints only. Glued or cemented joints are prohibited.
[2]
DIP (ductile iron pipe) CL50, CL51 double cement line (ANSI A.21.51, A.21.10).
[3]
SDR-17 high-density polyethylene pipe, with butt welded or electrofusion welded joints.
(8)
New or replaced sewer laterals, service lines or building sewers may serve no more than one structure unless otherwise provided in this Part 3.
(9)
Building sewers beneath the slab and service lines shall be bedded in 1B stone. Geotextile shall be placed in the bottom of the trench beneath the bedding where wet or soft ground conditions exist at time of construction. Bedding shall provide a minimum thickness of two inches below the pipe, six inches to each side and 12 inches above the pipe.
(10)
All transition fittings shall be completed using flexible rubber clamp-style fittings as manufactured by Fernco, or equal. All couplings shall be furnished with a stainless steel outside sleeve (strong back).
B.
Multiple dwelling units contained within a single structure and located on a single lot or tax parcel may be served by a single lateral, service line or building sewer, provided all tees or branches in the lateral, service line, or building sewer are within the structure or have accessible cleanouts.
C.
All pipes shall have the following minimum size:
Single-family dwelling | 4 inches | |
Duplex residence or group home | 4 inches | |
Multiple-dwelling unit (2 or more units) | 6 inches | |
Professional office space or retail | ||
Up to 20 employees | 4 inches | |
More than 20 employees | 6 inches | |
Garage or light industrial | ||
Up to 20 employees | 4 inches | |
More than 20 employees | 6 inches | |
Restaurant | 6 inches | |
Hotel or elderly care home | 6 inches | |
** | The above-stated sizes are minimum sizes only. It shall be the responsibility of the developer or owner of the property to be improved to determine if the above stated minimum size is appropriate for their application, or if a larger size is required. |
D.
Should particular applications require laterals, service lines or building sewers in sizes greater than otherwise provided in this Part 3, owner shall be responsible for determination of a larger diameter lateral, service line or building sewer and shall make application to the Borough for approval of same, which approval shall be in the sole discretion of the Borough.
E.
The following shall be minimum pipe slope:
Pipe Size (inches) | Minimum Slope (feet per 100 feet) |
|---|---|
4 | 2.08* |
6 | 1.04 |
8 | 0.48 |
10 | 0.34 |
12 | 0.27 |
14 | 0.22 |
16 | 0.19 |
18 | 0.18 |
21 | 0.15 |
* | In cases where sufficient fall does not exist to maintain 2.08 feet per 100 feet (1/4 inch per foot), the minimum grade for four-inch pipe may be decreased to 1.04 feet per 100 feet (1/8 inch per foot) with written authorization from the Borough. |
F.
When required by the Borough, any owner discharging or desiring to discharge nondomestic wastewater to the sanitary sewer system shall install a suitable controlled manhole or manholes on each connecting lateral, service lines or building sewers (or each lateral connection) to facilitate observation, sampling, and measurement of the flow of nondomestic wastewater. At the discretion of the Borough, the owner shall plumb owner's building so as to separate domestic and nondomestic wastewater. All control manholes referred to in this subsection shall be accessible and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by Borough. All manholes and any required measuring/metering equipment shall be installed and maintained by the owner, but only after approval of such plans by Borough, which shall also inspect to assure compliance with the approved plans.
G.
Upon completion of any new installation or replacement of a service line or building sewer, owner, upon request of the Borough, shall air test the line in accordance with § 425-71, supra, to assure compliance with the standards contained in this Part 3 and any other rules/regulations adopted, from time to time, by the Borough pursuant to this Part 3 or any other applicable law.
H.
Upon completion of any repair of a service line or building sewer, the owner of the improved property shall be required to air test the line in accordance with § 425-71, supra, to assure compliance with the standards contained in this Part 3 and any other rule/regulation/laws incorporated herein by reference.
I.
Upon completion of any air test, the contractor conducting such test shall certify the results to the Borough, on a form to be provided by the Borough.
J.
The certified results of any air test shall be submitted to the Borough by the owner (or owner's contractor) within 10 days of the date of the test.
L.
All costs for air tests shall be at the expense of the owner. Should an owner fail/refuse to provide for an air test at the request of the Borough, the Borough reserves the right to discontinue sewer services to such premises and/or have water service to such premises discontinued until such time as testing is completed in compliance with the requirements of this Part 3. All costs for discontinuing water or sewer service shall be the responsibility of the owner of the improved property, and shall be paid in full prior to service being reinstated.
M.
At the request of Borough, the owner shall conduct an air test in accordance with this Part 3 and/or any implementing rules/regulations. The results of the air test shall be certified to the Borough on the form provided by the Borough.
N.
Newly constructed or replaced laterals, service lines, or building sewers shall be certified, by the contractor constructing same, as meeting the Boroughs sanitary sewer minimum standards for new construction, on the form provided by the Borough.
O.
All laterals, service lines, and building sewers must be inspected by a representative of the Borough, prior to backfilling and, at a minimum, the Borough must be notified 48 hours in advance to schedule such inspection.
P.
Backfilling of excavated trenches, holes or covering of any work shall commence only after the Borough's inspector has approved the work and materials.
Q.
Any construction requiring DEP permits shall not be initiated until such time as copies of said permits are presented to the Borough.
R.
All regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as those regulations pertain to the construction, operation or maintenance of sanitary sewer laterals, service lines and building sewers are incorporated herein as if those rules and regulations are fully set forth in writing. Any approval granted by the Borough shall not imply or suggest compliance with any or all DEP regulations. The Borough of Avis shall not be held liable for a failure on the part of an owner to fully comply with any or all regulations of DEP.
S.
Any construction requiring Pennsylvania Department of Transportation permits shall not be initiated until such time as copies of said permits are presented to the Borough.
T.
All regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as those regulations pertain to the construction, operation or maintenance of sanitary sewer laterals, service lines and building sewers within Pennsylvania Department of Transportation right-of-way are incorporated herein as if those rules and regulations are fully set forth in writing. Any approval granted by the Borough shall not imply or suggest compliance with any or all DEP regulations. The Borough of Avis shall not be held liable for a failure on the part of an owner to fully comply with any or all regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.