[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)
AUTHORITY
BUILDING DRAIN
BUILDING SEWER
COMBINED SEWER
COMMUNITY SEWAGE SYSTEM
DEPARTMENT
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
HOLDING TANK
(a)
(b)
(c)
HOLDING TANK CLEANER
LOT
PERSON
PUBLIC SEWAGE SYSTEM
SEWAGE
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT
STORM SEWER
SUBDIVISION
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
The Muckinipates Authority or the Darby Creek Joint Authority.
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.
Piping carrying liquid wastes from a building to the treatment
or holding tank or to the public sewer main.
A sewer receiving both surface runoff and sewage.
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 of Environmental Protection of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
A person or agency appointed to perform inspections and issue
permits in connection with individual sewage systems and community
sewage systems.
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:
CHEMICAL TOILETToilet using chemicals that discharge into a holding tank.
RETENTION TANKHolding tank to which sewage is conveyed by a water-carrying system.
PRIVYHolding tank designed to receive sewage where water under pressure is not available.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating
sewage.
Sewer which carries storm and surface waters and drainage,
but excludes sewage and industrial wastes.
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.