Township of Springfield, PA Article III Connection to Public Sewage Systems

[Adopted 3-7-1994 by Ord. No. 3-1994[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This article was amended 4-3-2006 by Ord. No. 1-2006 to state that the statutory authority for this article is Act 2003-57 (53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5607), as amended.

§ 317-22 Definitions; word usage.

A. As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:

AUTHORITY

The Pine-Harrisville Authority.

BUILDING DRAIN

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 waste from a building to the treatment or holding tank or to the public sewer main.

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.

EQUIVALENT DWELLING UNIT (EDU)

A single-family residential dwelling or that part of a multiple-family dwelling or commercial or industrial establishment with flows equal to 400 gallons per day.

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:

(1) CHEMICAL TOILET Toilet using chemicals that discharge into a holding tank.

(2) RETENTION TANK Holding tank to which sewage is conveyed by a water-carrying system.

(3) PRIVY Holding 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.

LAND DEVELOPMENT

(1) Any of the following activities:

(a) The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous lots, tracts or parcels of land for any purpose involving:

[1] A group of two or more residential or nonresidential buildings, whether proposed initially or cumulatively, or a single nonresidential building on a lot or lots regardless of the number of occupants or tenure; or

[2] The division or allocation of land or space, whether initially or cumulatively, between or among two or more existing or prospective occupants by means of or for the purpose of streets, common areas, leaseholds, condominiums, building groups or other features.

(b) A subdivision of land.

(2) "Land development" does not include development which involves:

(a) The conversion of an existing single-family detached dwelling or single-family semidetached dwelling into not more than three residential units, unless such units are intended to be a condominium;

(b) The addition of an accessory building, including farm building, on a lot or lots subordinate to an existing principal building; or

(c) The addition or conversion of buildings or rides within the confines of an enterprise which would be considered an amusement park. For the purposes of this subsection, an "amusement park" is defined as a tract or area used principally as a location for permanent amusement structures or rides. This exclusion shall not apply to newly acquired acreage by an amusement park until initial plans for the expanded area have been approved by the proper authorities.

LOT

A designated parcel, tract or area of land established by a plat or otherwise as permitted by law and to be used, developed or built upon as a unit.

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

Collection sewer system owned, including but not limited to sewage lines, operated, or maintained by Springfield Township or the Pine-Harrisville 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. (1982) as hereafter amended, supplemented, modified or reenacted by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania.

[Amended 4-20-2020 by Ord. No. 3-2020]

SEWAGE

Any substance that contains any of the waste products or excrementitious or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or domesticated 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, i.e., the separation of waste products from their water suspension in order to cleanse and reclaim the same.

STORM SEWER

Sewer which carries storm surface waters and drainage, but excludes sewage and industrial wastes.

TOWNSHIP

Springfield Township.

B. In this article, the singular shall include the plural, the plural shall include the singular, and the masculine shall include the feminine and neuter.

§ 317-23 Violations and penalties.

Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 and, in default of payment, to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 30 days. Every day that a violation of this article continues shall constitute a separate offense.

§ 317-24 Severability.

If any sentence, clause, section, or part of this article is for any reason found to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such unconstitutionality, illegality, or invalidity shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions, sentences, clauses, sections, or parts of this article. It is hereby declared as the intent of the Board of Supervisors of Springfield Township that this article would have been adopted had such unconstitutional, illegal or invalid sentence, clause, section or part thereof not been included herein.

§ 317-25 Required connections to public sewage system.

A. Requirement to connect to public sewer. All persons owning any occupied or occupiable building now or hereafter erected upon premises accessible to a public sewage system shall make connection with the public sanitary sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article, provided that said building is located within 150 feet of the boundary line of the street or right-of-way wherein there is located a public sanitary sewer and provided the connection is approved by Grove City Borough in accordance with the terms of an agreement between the Township and Grove City Borough dated April 1, 1994.

B. Permissive connection to public sewer. All persons owning any occupied or occupiable building now or hereafter erected upon premises accessible to a public sanitary sewer and where said building is located a distance of 150 feet or more from the boundary line of the abutting street or right-of-way wherein there is located a public sanitary sewer may make connection with the public sanitary sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article and provided the request for connection is approved by the Grove City Borough and the Township in accordance with terms of the Grove City Borough/Township agreement dated April 1, 1994.

C. Unlawful use of other means of sewage disposal. It shall be unlawful for any person owning an occupied or occupiable building on premises accessible to a public sanitary sewer where said building is located within 150 feet of the boundary line of the street or right-of-way wherein there is located a public sanitary sewer to erect, construct, use or maintain, or cause to be erected, constructed, used or maintained, any privy, cesspool, sink hole, septic tank, chemical toilet or other similar receptacle on such premises for receiving sewage and use of all such existing facilities shall be disconnected.

D. Springfield Township may make connections and collect costs. If the owner of any property after 90 days' notice from the Enforcement Officer of Springfield Township to make connection of such property with the public sewage system shall fail to make such connection, Springfield Township, or its designee, may make the connection and collect the costs thereof in a manner provided by law.

E. Owners required to connect upon expansion of system. From time to time in the future, as public sewage services become available to additional properties within Springfield Township by reason of additions to the public sewage system or improvements on abutting properties, each and every property owner shall be required to make the necessary connection to the abutting or adjoining sewer lines, and any septic tanks, cesspools, holding tanks or similar devices connected to an individual sewage system shall be abandoned and filled with new material.

F. Access to premises by agents.

(1) The Enforcement Officer or his authorized agent shall be permitted to have reasonable access at all reasonable hours of the day to that portion of the premises to which sewage service is supplied for purposes of making necessary inspections to determine compliance with the provisions of this article.

(2) The Enforcement Officer and/or any agents or representatives or authorized personnel of Springfield Township and the Pine-Harrisville Authority are authorized to enter onto the owner's property wherever sewage lines are located and/or sewage apparatus are located for the purpose of an inspection of any sewer line or apparatus located thereon. In the event after five days' written notice of any deficiencies in the sewage lines or apparatus the owner fails to replace or to rectify the problem to the satisfaction of the Township or Authority, the Township or Authority is authorized to make all necessary repairs, including but not limited to providing labor and materials. The cost incurred in repairs and/or remedial action shall be billed to the owner, and if not paid within 30 days of billing, then the Township or Authority has the right to file a municipal lien as authorized by law in Mercer County and/or file any appropriate civil action for collection. Additionally, if there is an emergency regarding the sewage line or sewage apparatus on the owner's property, the Township or Authority and/or its designees have the right to temporarily halt sewage service in order to remedy the problem and/or make necessary emergency repairs without prior notice to the owner. In such emergency cases, the Township and Authority shall have the right to bill and/or file liens or lawsuits against the owner as is provided in this subsection consistent with law.

[Added 4-20-2020 by Ord. No. 3-2020]

§ 317-26 Private sewage disposal.

A. Where a public sanitary sewer is not available, sanitary sewage from occupied buildings will be disposed of through on-site private disposal systems.

B. Private, on-site sewer systems in instances where public sanitary sewers are not available shall be constructed, operated and/or maintained in strict accordance with local and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection laws and regulations as now existing or hereafter adopted.

§ 317-27 Building sewers and connections.

A. When required by § 317-25 of this article, all persons shall construct a building sewer and make connection with the service line provided in the public sanitary sewer within 90 days from the date on which notice to make connection is served by the Township or its duly authorized agent by either personal service or registered mail on persons owning property accessible to a public sanitary sewer.

B. No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or openings into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenances thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the Township. All persons, contractors, firms, corporations or agencies proposing to engage in building sewer construction work shall document to the satisfaction of the Township that they are reputable agencies actively and presently engaged in sanitary sewer construction work. No person, contractor, firm, corporation or agency shall undertake building sewer construction work on behalf of a public or private agency until he has applied for and received written approval of the Township to engage in sewer work in areas under jurisdiction of the Township and has satisfied the Township that he carries and maintains adequate liability insurance to indemnify all parties against damages resulting from his construction activities.

C. When a person responsible for making a connection to a public sanitary sewer shall be notified to connect or desires to connect to a public sanitary sewer as provided by this article, such person shall file with the Township or its authorized representative an application for a permit to connect to the public sanitary sewer, with such application to include full payment of the connection fee as may be fixed by this article or by subsequent resolution of the Township.

D. When a person responsible for making connection to a public sanitary sewer shall be notified and required to connect or shall desire to connect to a public sanitary sewer and no service tap shall exist to serve the accessible premises, the Township shall, within 60 days of the date of application for connection, install the necessary service tap. Under this section, a person shall be required to construct a building sewer and make connection to the public sanitary sewer within 60 days of receipt of notice by the Township either by personal service or registered mail that the service tap is available. In the event such person fails to make such connection, the Township may make such connection at the cost of such person as set forth in § 317-27O of this article.

E. All costs and expenses incident to the installation, construction, inspection and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner of the premises served. The owner shall indemnify and save harmless the Township from any loss, liability or damage that the Township may incur or sustain by the installation of the building sewer.

F. Sewer connection fees. Before making a connection with the sewer system, and at the time the property owner shall file a written application pursuant to § 317-27C of this article, the owner shall pay such fees as are set forth and established by resolution of the Township. The fees which the Township is authorized to charge and collect are as follows:

(1) Connection fee. A fee which shall not exceed an amount based upon the actual cost of the connection of the property extending from the main to the property line or curb stop of the property so connected. The Township may also base such fee upon an average cost of previously installed connections of similar type and size.

(2) Customer facilities fee. A fee which shall not exceed an amount based upon the actual cost of facilities serving the connected property from the property line or curb stop to the proposed dwellings or buildings to be served. This fee shall be chargeable only in the event the Township and not the property owner or owners install the customer facilities. In lieu of payment of the customer facilities fee, the Township may require the construction of those facilities by the property owner or owners requesting customer facilities.

(3) Tapping fee. A fee which shall not exceed an amount based upon some or all of the following fee components, which shall be separately set forth in the appropriate resolution of the Township establishing the fee. In lieu of the payment of the fee, the Township may require the construction dedication of only such capacity, distribution-collection or special purposes facilities necessary to supply a service to the property owner or owners. The components for the tapping fee are as follows:

(a) Capacity part. A fee for capacity-related facilities which may not exceed an amount that is based upon the cost of such facilities, including, but not limited to, source of supply, treatment, pumping, transmission, trunk, interceptor and outfall mains, storage, sludge treatment or disposal, interconnection or other general system facilities. The fee shall not include outstanding debt, grants, or capital contributions, or facilities contributed to the Township by any person, government or agency.

(b) Distribution of collection part. A fee which may not exceed an amount based upon the cost of distribution or collection facilities required to provide service, such as mains, hydrants and pumping stations. The fee shall not include facilities contributed to the Authority by any person, government or agency and outstanding debt, grants or capital contributions.

(c) Special purpose part. Fees for special purpose facilities applicable only to a particular group of customers, or serving a particular purpose, or serving a particular area based upon cost.

(d) Reimbursement component. An amount necessary to recapture the allocable portion of facilities to reimburse the property owner or owners at whose expense such facilities were constructed, not to exceed the actual cost of such facilities.

G. 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 Enforcement Officer. Such connection of the two buildings to the sewer lines shall be considered as two building sewers.

H. Status of old building sewers. Old building sewers may be used in connection with a building only when such connection is approved by the Enforcement Officer and they meet the requirements of this article or rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

I. Size and slope of building sewer, material and specifications for sewer pipes and joints. The size, slope, alignment and materials of construction of a building sewer and the method to be used in excavating, placing of the pipe, jointing, testing and backfilling the trench, shall all conform to the requirements for materials and installations procedures as set forth in appropriate specifications of ASTM and WPCF Manual Practice No. 9 with the following mandatory specification requirements hereby established:

(1) Size of building sewer shall be not less than four inches in diameter.

(2) Slope of the building sewer shall be not less than 12 inches per 100 feet for four-inch building sewer, nor less than nine inches per 100 feet for a six-inch building sewer. Minimum gradients for other pipe sizes shall be as set by the Township Engineer.

(3) Building sewer piping materials shall be PVC, no grade less than SDR35 or Schedule 40 or the equivalent.

J. Elevation, grade and depth of building sewer. Where the grade of the public sanitary sewer permits, the building sewer shall be brought to the occupied building at an elevation to serve all gravity plumbing within the structure. Where available elevation of the public sanitary sewer does not provide sufficient fall to serve all gravity plumbing, including all basement sanitary facilities and home laundry units, the owner or owners of the premises served shall install approved type sump pumps to lift all waste from the occupied building and discharge the same to the building sewer. 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 proper fittings.

K. Notification of Township. All persons having been issued a sewer connection permit are required to notify the Township or its authorized representative when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sanitary sewer. In no instance shall any backfill be placed until inspection of the building sewer has been completed by the Township. The connection of the building sewer to the service tap shall be made under the direct supervision of the Township or its authorized representative during normal working hours; provided, however, that the Township shall be given twenty-four-hour advance notice of intent to connect.

L. Excavations for building sewer. All excavations for building sewer installations shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Any and all facilities within the public right-of-way including streets, sidewalks, parkways, and/or other public property disturbed in the course of the work in constructing the building sewers shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the Township by the property owner or his contractor.

M. Downspouts, surface runoff and groundwater. No person shall make connection of roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, interior foundation drains, areaway drains, or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a building sewer which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer.

N. Abandonment of sewage facilities. Concurrently with the making of connections to the public sanitary sewer, the owner or owners of premises served shall immediately abandon all privies, cesspools, sink holes, septic tanks, and other receptacles on the premises for receiving sewage. Abandonment of such facilities shall include, wherever possible, the removal or filling of such facilities in such manner as to assure that such facilities do not become nuisances or hazards to the public interest.

O. Failure to connect. Should any person or persons neglect or refuse to connect or properly connect with the public sanitary sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article, the Township or its authorized representative or agent may enter upon such property and construct or reconstruct such required connection and building sewer. Upon construction or reconstruction of the required building sewer by the Township, its authorized representatives or agents, the Township shall deliver an itemized bill of costs of construction or reconstruction of such building sewer to the owner or owners of properties which are required to connect with the public sewer, which bill shall be payable forthwith. In such instances of noncompliance, the Township bill will include as one of the costs of construction or reconstruction the applicable and currently effective connection fee charge hereinbefore set forth. In case the owner or owners neglect or refuse to pay such bill of costs, the Township is authorized to file a municipal lien for the costs of such construction or reconstruction within the time provided by law after the completion of the construction or reconstruction of such building sewer connection as provided by law, or the Township may, pursuant to any other legal or equitable remedy available to it, collect the amount of such bill of costs.

§ 317-28 Use of public sewers.

A. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, uncontaminated cooling water, or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer.

B. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to any public sewers:

(1) Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, oil, including fuel oil or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas.

(2) Any waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant, including but not limited to cyanides in excess of two mg/l as CN in the wastes as discharged to the public sewer.

(3) Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the sewage works.

(4) Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the sewage works, such as, but not limited to, ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.

C. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, materials, waters, or wastes if it appears likely, in the opinion of the Township with the advice of its engineer, or Grove City Borough, with the advice of its engineers, that such wastes can harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process, or equipment, have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or can otherwise endanger life, limb, public property, or constitute a nuisance. In forming their opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the Township, the Borough of Grove City and their engineers will give consideration to such factors as the quantities of subject wastes in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, nature of the sewage treatment process, capacity of the sewage treatment plant, degree of treatability of wastes in the sewage treatment plant and other pertinent factors. The substances prohibited are:

(1) Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150° F. or 65° C.

(2) Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease, or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of 100 mg/l or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32° F. and 150° F. (0° C. and 65° C.).

(3) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded.

(4) Any waters or wastes containing strong-acid iron-pickling wastes, or concentrated plating solutions whether neutralized or not.

(5) Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc, and similar objectionable or toxic substances; or wastes exerting an excessive chlorine requirement to such degree that any such material received in the composite sewage at the sewage treatment works exceeds the limits established by the Township and Borough of Grove City with the advice of their engineers for such materials.

(6) Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste- or odor-producing substances, in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the Township and Borough of Grove City with the advice of their engineers as necessary, after treatment of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of state, federal or other public agencies of jurisdiction for such discharge to the receiving waters.

(7) Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Township and Borough of Grove City and their engineers in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations.

(8) Any waters or wastes having a pH in excess of 9.5.

(9) Materials which exert or cause:

(a) Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but not limited to, Fullers earth, lime slurries, and lime residues) or of dissolved solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate).

(b) Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions).

(c) Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand, or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment works.

(d) Unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes constituting slugs, as defined herein.

(10) Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters. The ultimate right to accept or refuse applications for industrial or commercial waste discharges to Township sewers is reserved exclusively to Grove City Borough in accordance with the terms of the Borough/Township agreement dated April 1, 1994, and subsequent revisions thereto.

D. Pretreatment or equalization of waste flows.

(1) If any waters or wastes are discharged or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in this article, and which in the judgment of the Township or Grove City Borough may have a deleterious effect upon the sewage works, processes, equipment, or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the Township may on recommendation by Grove City Borough:

(a) Reject the wastes;

(b) Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers;

(c) Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge; and

(d) If received after pretreatment or under controlled rate of discharge, to require payment of sewer use charges as fixed by the Township with the advice of its engineer after consideration of waste volume and strength characteristics, the special service rendered to the industrial establishment in light of similar charges to domestic users, and the charges imposed by Grove City Borough for treatment services.

(2) If the Township on recommendation of Grove City Borough permits the pretreatment or equalization of waste flows, the design and installation of the plants and equipment shall be subject to the basic jurisdiction and all regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and all applicable local ordinances, laws, and wastewater plans.

E. Grease, oil, and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Borough and Springfield Township, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable wastes, sand, or other harmful ingredients, except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the Township Engineer and shall be located so as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection.

F. Where preliminary treatment or flow-equalizing facilities are authorized for any industrial or commercial wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.

G. The owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable control building or chamber together with sampling equipment, meters and other appurtenances in the building sewer as required by Grove City Borough and the Township to facilitate observation, sampling, and measurement of the wastes. Such metering and monitoring facilities shall be accessibly and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Borough of Grove City and Township Engineers. Such facilities shall be installed by the owner at his expense and shall be maintained by him so as to be safe and accessible at all times.

H. All measurements, tests, and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in this article shall be determined in accordance with the latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, published by the American Public Health Association, and shall be determined at the control manhole provided, or upon suitable samples taken at said control manhole. In the event that no special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer to the point at which the building sewer is connected. Sampling shall be carried out by customarily accepted methods to reflect the effect of constituents upon the sewage works and to determine the existence of hazards to life, limb, and property. The particular analyses involved will determine whether a twenty-four-hour composite of all outfalls of a premises is appropriate or whether a grab sample or samples should be taken. Normally, but not always, BOD and suspended solids analyses are obtained from twenty-four-hour composites of all outfalls whereas pH and certain other analyses are determined from periodic grab samples.

I. No statement contained in this article shall be construed as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the Township and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the Township for treatment, subject to payment therefor by the industrial concern of rates as solely established by the Township to compensate for the special service rendered, and provided that:

(1) No industrial wastes shall be discharged without prior approval of Grove City Borough, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

§ 317-29 Service charges for sewer use.

A. There is hereby imposed on the owners of any occupied building or buildings of premises accessible to a public sanitary sewer and others desiring to connect with a public sanitary sewer as provided by this article, as amended, a monthly service charge. The Township sewer service charge shall be sufficient to defray the Township cost of system administration, maintenance, operation, the treatment service charges billed by Grove City Borough to the Township under any existing agreements between those parties, the Township's share of the capital cost of debt service on capital costs for system improvements, plus a coverage amount consistent with sound municipal utility management.

[Amended 11-16-2009 by Ord. No. 2-2009]

(1) Effective and beginning with service provided on or after November 16, 2009, the monthly sewer service charges shall be established by resolution enacted by the Springfield Township Board of Supervisors.

(2) The monthly sewer service charges imposed in this section are per equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) and utilize an average customer sewage discharge, including infiltration/inflow equivalent to 400 gallons per day (GPD). The calculation of EDUs shall be based upon actual water consumption if metered or, in the alternative, if not metered, shall be calculated in accordance with the sewage flow tables contained in 25 Pa. Code 73.17.

(3) The rates established and set forth in Subsection A(1) of this section are the minimum sewer service charges imposed by the Township, and in no event shall any customer be charged less than the minimum sewer service charge set forth herein.

(4) The Board of Supervisors of Springfield Township shall bill each customer monthly. All billings shall be paid within 15 days of the date of billing. All bills not paid within 15 days of the date of billing shall be subject to a penalty of 5%.

(5) Service charges for sewer use may be changed from time to time by resolution of the Springfield Township Board of Supervisors, which said resolution shall be enacted at a public meeting of said Board of Supervisors.

B. Annual sewer rental charges shall be a lien on the properties charged with payment thereof, from the effective date of this article, and if not paid after 30 days' notice, may be collected in any manner provided by law. In the case where the Township has agreed to provide sewer service to a residential dwelling unit in which the owner does not reside, the Township shall notify the owner and the tenant within 30 days after the tenant's bill for that service first becomes overdue. Such notification shall be provided by first-class mail to the address of the owner provided to the Township by the owner and to the billing address of the tenant, respectively.

C. No provision contained herein shall be construed as to prevent any special agreement or arrangement between the Township and any user of the public sewage system whereby a special service charge shall be imposed upon such user based upon special or extraordinary circumstances, provided that the special agreement or arrangement and the special sewer charge shall be set forth and established by resolution of the Township.

D. The Township may further adopt such regulations as will assure equitable billing for sewer use, establish an official person or agency as sewer service charge collector, fix billing due dates, prescribe prompt payment discounts, set penalties and remedies for nonpayment of sewer service charges, including procedures for collecting delinquent accounts, including the filing of municipal liens and other regulations deemed essential to setting, billing and collection of sewer service charges.

§ 317-30 Protection from damage.

No person shall maliciously, willfully or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the sewage works.

§ 317-31 Powers and authority of personnel.

A. Designated agents, employees, inspectors and engineers of the Township and Grove City Borough bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all properties for the purposes of inspections, observation, measurement, sampling and testing in accordance with the provisions of this article. Neither the Township nor the Borough of Grove City or their representatives shall have authority to inquire into any processes including metallurgical, chemical, oil, refining, ceramic, paper or other industries beyond that point having a direct bearing on the kind and source of discharge to the sewers or waterways or facilities for waste conveyance and treatment.

B. The Township, Grove City Borough, and Pine-Harrisville Authority and their duly authorized agents, employees, inspectors or engineers bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted reasonable access to private property through which the Township or the Authority holds an easement for purposes of, but not limited to, inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, or repair and maintenance of any portion of the sewage system lying within said easement. All entry and subsequent work, if any, on said easement shall be done in full accordance with the terms of the easement pertaining to the private property involved.

§ 317-32 Sewer extensions.

Extensions of sewers to provide sewer service to outlying areas may be considered by the Township based on demonstrated need or on official request by more than 50% of the property owners in proposed areas of new service. Upon official consideration by the Township of any sewer extension, the Township must file a request for sewer extension with Grove City Borough in accordance with the provisions of the agreement dated April 1, 1994. If the proposed sewer extension is determined by the Township to be economically feasible and technically practical, and if the request for sewer extension is approved by Grove City Borough, the Township may proceed to acquire the sewer extension subject to availability of financing and the issuance of appropriate permit by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. No sewer extension shall be made in the Township without prior approval of Grove City Borough, provided said extension is to be connected and shall run to Grove City Borough treatment plant.