[Adopted 7-8-1968 by Ord. No. 542; amended in its entirety 12-10-1990 by Ord. No. 835 (Ch. 18, Part 2, of the 2006 Code of Ordinances)]
[Amended 11-21-2006 by Ord. No. 990]
A. 
Definitions; word usage.
(1) 
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
AUTHORITY
The Muckinipates Authority or the Darby Creek Joint Authority.
BUILDING DRAIN
Part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning five feet outside the inner face of the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER
Piping carrying liquid wastes from a building to the treatment or holding tank or to the public sewer main.
COMBINED SEWER
A sewer receiving both surface runoff and sewage.
COMMUNITY SEWAGE SYSTEM
Any system, whether publicly or privately owned, for the collection and disposal of sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature, or both, including various devices for the treatment of such sewage or industrial wastes serving three or more individual lots.
DEPARTMENT
Department of Environmental Protection of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
A person or agency appointed to perform inspections and issue permits in connection with individual sewage systems and community sewage systems.
HOLDING TANK
Watertight receptacle which receives and retains sewage and is designed and constructed to facilitate ultimate disposal of the sewage at another site. Holding tanks include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) 
CHEMICAL TOILETToilet using chemicals that discharge into a holding tank.
(b) 
RETENTION TANKHolding tank to which sewage is conveyed by a water-carrying system.
(c) 
PRIVYHolding tank designed to receive sewage where water under pressure is not available.
HOLDING TANK CLEANER
Municipal authority or person, including a holding tank owner, who removes the contents of a holding tank for purposes of disposing of the sewage at another site.
LOT
A part of a subdivision or a parcel of land used as a building site or intended to be used for building purposes, whether immediate or future, which would not be further subdivided.
PERSON
Any natural person, partnership, association or corporation. Whenever used in any clause prescribing and imposing a penalty, or imposing a fine or imprisonment, or both, the term "person" shall include the members of an association and the officers of a corporation.
PUBLIC SEWAGE SYSTEM
Sewer system and the treatment facility owned, operated, or maintained by the Muckinipates Authority or the Darby Creek Joint Authority approved by the Department under a permit issued pursuant to the Clean Streams Law, Act of June 22, 1937, P.L. 1987, No. 394, 35 P.S. § 691.1 et seq., as hereafter amended, supplemented, modified or reenacted by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania.
SEWAGE
Any substance that contains any of the waste products or excrementitious or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or animals, and any noxious or deleterious substances 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.
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT
Any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.
STORM SEWER
Sewer which carries storm and surface waters and drainage, but excludes sewage and industrial wastes.
SUBDIVISION
Division of a single tract or other parcel of land or a part thereof, into two or more lots, and including changes in street lines or lot lines.
(2) 
In this article, the singular shall include the plural; the plural shall include the singular; and the masculine shall include the feminine and neuter.
B. 
Penalties. Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this article, upon conviction thereof, 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 30 days. Each day that a violation of this article continues shall constitute a separate offense.
A. 
Requirement to connect to public sewer. All property owners whose property lines are within 150 feet of any public sewer line shall be required to connect thereto.
B. 
Borough of Folcroft may make connections and collect costs. If the owner of any property, after 90 days' notice from the Plumbing Inspector to make connection of such property with the public sewage system, shall fail to make such connection, the Borough of Folcroft may make the connection and collect the costs thereof in the manner provided by law.
C. 
Owners required to connect upon expansion of system. As public sewage services become available to additional properties within the Borough of Folcroft by reason of additions to the public sewage system or improvements on abutting properties, each and every owner of such property shall be required to make the necessary connection to the abutting or adjoining sewer lines, and any septic tanks, cesspools, holding tanks and similar devices connected to an individual sewage system shall be abandoned and filled with new material. No installation of any on-lot sewage disposal system shall be permitted in the Borough of Folcroft.
D. 
Access to premises by agents. The Plumbing Inspector, or his authorized agent, and agents of the Authority shall have access at all reasonable hours of the day to all parts of the premises to which sewage service is supplied to make necessary inspections.
A. 
Permit required to open or disturb sewer. No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connection with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any part of the public sewage system or appurtenance thereto without first obtaining a permit from the Plumbing Inspector.
B. 
Sewer permit fees. Before making a connection with the sewer system, each property owner shall make a written application therefor in the manner prescribed by the Plumbing Inspector and pay a permit fee established pursuant to a resolution of the Borough Council.
C. 
Owner responsible for connection costs. All costs and expenses incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. In addition, for any new construction seeking to connect or tap-in to the Borough's sewer or water system, the owner shall pay the Borough, prior to connection or tap-in, the sum of $500 representing a "tap-in" fee.
D. 
Separate connections required; exception. A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building. Exceptions to this provision shall be made where one building stands to the rear of another on an interior lot and no sewer line is available or can be constructed to the rear building through an adjoining alley, court, yard or driveway, in which case the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building only on approval by the Plumbing Inspector. Such connection of the two buildings to the sewer lines shall be considered as two building sewers.
E. 
Status of old building sewers. Old building sewers may be used in connection with a building only when such connection is approved by the Plumbing Inspector, and they meet the requirements of this article or rules and regulations adopted pursuant hereto.
F. 
Material and specifications for sewer pipes and joints. The building sewer shall be cast-iron soil pipe, ASTM specifications or equal; vitrified clay sewer pipe, ASTM specification or equal; or other suitable material approved by the Plumbing Inspector. Joints shall be tight and waterproof. Any part of the building sewer that is located within 10 feet of a water service pipe shall be constructed of cast-iron soil pipe with leaded joints. Cast-iron pipe with leaded joints may be required by the Plumbing Inspector where the building sewer is exposed to damage by tree roots. If installed in filled or unstable ground, the building sewer shall be of cast-iron soil pipe, except that nonmetallic material may be accepted if laid on a suitable concrete bed or cradle as approved by the Plumbing Inspector.
G. 
Size and slope of building sewer. The size and slope of the building sewer shall be subject to the approval of the Plumbing Inspector, but in no event shall the diameter be less than six inches. The slope of such six-inch pipe shall be not less than 1/8 inch per foot.
H. 
Elevation, grade and depth of building sewer. Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. No building sewer shall be laid parallel to or within three feet of any bearing wall which might thereby be weakened. The depth shall be sufficient to afford protection from frost. The building sewer shall be laid at uniform grade and in straight alignment insofar as possible. Changes in direction shall be made only with properly curved pipe and fittings.
I. 
Discharge by artificial means when gravity flow insufficient. In a building in which the building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such drain shall be lifted by approved artificial means and discharged to the building sewer.
J. 
Excavations for building sewer. All excavations required for the installation of a building sewer shall be open trench work unless otherwise approved by the Plumbing Inspector. Pipe laying and backfill shall be performed in accordance with ASTM specifications, except that no backfill shall be placed until the work has been inspected and approved.
K. 
Joints and connections.
(1) 
All joints and connections shall be made gastight and watertight. Cast-iron pipe joints shall be firmly packed with oakum or hemp and filled with molten lead, according to federal specifications, not less than one inch deep. Lead shall be run in one pouring and caulked tight. No paint, varnish, or other coatings shall be permitted on the jointing material until after the joint has been tested and approved.
(2) 
All joints in vitrified clay pipe or between such pipe and metals shall be made with approved hot-poured jointing materials or cement mortar.
(3) 
Other jointing materials and methods may be used only after approval from the Plumbing Inspector.
L. 
Connection of building sewer to public sewage system. The connection of the building sewer to the public sewerage system shall be made at the "Y" branch if such branch is available at a suitable location. If the public sewer line is 12 inches in diameter or less, and no properly located "Y" branch is available, the owner shall at his expense install a "Y" branch in the public sewer at the location specified by the Plumbing Inspector. Where the public sewer is greater than 12 inches in diameter, and no properly located "Y" branch is available, a neat hole may be cut into the public sewer to receive the building sewer, with entry in the downstream direction at an angle of about 45° may be used to make such connection, with the spigot and cut so as not to extend past the inner surface of the public sewer. The invert of the building sewer at the point of connection shall be at the same or at a higher elevation then the invert of the public sewer. A smooth, neat joint shall be made, and the connection made secure and watertight by encasement in concrete. Special fittings may be used for the connection only when approved by the Plumbing Inspector.
M. 
Notification prior to connection. The permit holder shall notify the Plumbing Inspector when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection with the public sewer, and the connection shall be made under his supervision.
N. 
Safety and warning facilities. All excavations for building sewer installation and connection shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the Borough of Folcroft.