[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Nockamixon 5-11-1999 by Ord. No. 96. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Water — See Ch. 222.
Zoning — See Ch. 234.
A. 
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as "The Individual Residential Spray Irrigation System Management Ordinance for Nockamixon Township."
B. 
As mandated by the Clean Streams Law (35 P.S. § 691.1) and the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act (Act of January 24, 1966, P.L. as amended, 35 P.S. § 750.1 et seq., known as "Act 537"), municipalities have the power and the duty to provide for adequate sewage treatment facilities and for the protection of the public health by preventing the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated sewage.
C. 
The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the maintenance, inspection and repair of all present and future IRSIS, as hereafter described; and to establish responsibilities for the proper administration of a sewage management program.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BCDH
Bucks County Department of Health.
CERTIFIED SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTOR
An individual qualified to perform septic system inspections as evidenced by a Sewage Enforcement Officer License issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or successful completion of inspection training through the Pennsylvania Septage Management Association.
INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTIAL SPRAY IRRIGATION SYSTEM (IRSIS)
An individual sewage system which serves a single dwelling and which treats and disposes of sewage using a system of piping, treatment tanks and soil renovation through spray irrigation.
LICENSED SEWAGE HAULER
A sewage hauler licensed by the Bucks County Department of Health.
PERSON
An individual, association, public or private corporation for profit or not-for-profit, partnership, firm, trust, estate, department, board, bureau or agency of the United States, commonwealth, political subdivision, municipality, district, authority or other legal entity which is recognized by the law as the subject of rights and duties. The term includes members of an association, partnership or firm and the officers of a local agency or municipal, public or private corporation for profit or not-for-profit.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Nockamixon.
TREATMENT TANK
A tank that provides for aerobic or anaerobic decomposition of sewage to take place prior to discharge to an absorption area. This term shall also include cesspools.
A. 
Every person who applies for a building permit to construct a new residence or other building which is to be serviced by an IRSIS for which a Board of Health permit is issued after the effective date of this chapter, shall comply with the provisions of this section as hereafter set forth.
B. 
Every person who obtains a permit from the BCDH to construct an IRSIS to replace a failing system shall comply with the provisions of this section as hereafter set forth.
C. 
Prior to the issuance of a building permit for any lot whose sewage needs are proposed to be served by an IRSIS, the property owner shall execute an Operation and Maintenance Agreement for the IRSIS in a form which can be recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Bucks County.
D. 
Prior to the issuance of a building permit for any residential dwelling for which an IRSIS is proposed, the property owner shall deposit with the Township, in escrow, the sum of $1,500 to secure the cost of future operation and maintenance of the IRSIS in compliance with the terms and provisions of this chapter.
E. 
Any person who obtains a permit from BCDH to construct an IRSIS as a replacement system for a failed on-site system shall execute an Operation and Maintenance Agreement for the IRSIS in a form which can be recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Bucks County and deposit with the Township, in escrow, the sum of $1,500 to secure the cost of further operation and maintenance of the IRSIS in compliance with the terms and provisions of this chapter.
F. 
The IRSIS shall be approved by BCDH, as to its design, construction and installation. The consultant for the property owner shall certify to the Township and the BCDH that the design, construction and installation of the facility and its start-up have been completed for each lot in accordance with permits granted by the BCDH.
G. 
Simultaneously with submission of an IRSIS application to the BCDH, property owner shall submit to Township, for review, an Operation and Maintenance Manual for the IRSIS, together with a pamphlet or other document in form satisfactory to the Township, summarizing the operation and maintenance requirements of the IRSIS and including the estimated annual cost of operating and maintaining same. A set of design plans for the IRSIS shall be submitted with the Operation and Maintenance Manual.
H. 
Prior to commencement of operation of the IRSIS, the property owner shall submit a copy of the contract with his consultant or other qualified contractor (contractor) evidencing that the operation and maintenance obligations set forth herein will be performed by the contractor for a period of one year from the date of its start-up. Thereafter, the property owner, or any subsequent owner thereof, shall submit to the Township, on an annual basis, a copy of a contract entered into with a qualified contractor provided that the operation and maintenance obligations set forth herein will be performed by the contractor.
I. 
Prior to the execution of an Agreement of Sale for any property or lot whose sewage disposal needs are to be met by an IRSIS (including re-sales of such lots), Seller shall provide Buyer with a copy of the pamphlet approved by the Township summarizing the operation and maintenance requirements of the IRSIS and provide in the Agreement of Sale Buyer's acknowledgment of the receipt of same. The Operation and Maintenance Manual shall be provided to the Buyers at the time of settlement.
J. 
The Operation and Maintenance Manual shall describe in reasonable detail the method of operation and required periodic inspection and maintenance of the components of the IRSIS, including but not limited to, as applicable, spray nozzle heads, treatment tank, dosing tank, intermittent sand filters, chlorine contact tank, storage tank, chlorinator and all electrical and mechanical control mechanisms.
K. 
The Operation and Maintenance Manual shall include formatted charts for the purpose of keeping a record as to the dates of all required inspections, maintenance, repair and/or replacements of components of the IRSIS together with a check mark system indicating the performance of the specific inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement task, an indication of the type of service, repair or replacement performed and the name of the person(s) who performed the inspection, maintenance, repair or replacement. The forms of the inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement charts shall be included in the Operation and Maintenance Manual.
L. 
The owner of any property whose sewage disposal needs are met by an IRSIS shall maintain an up-to-date record of all service calls, inspections, maintenance, repairs and replacements performed on the IRSIS which records shall be available for inspection by the Township or other designee of the Township without prior notice. Property owners shall forward quarterly copies of above records to Township or its designee.
M. 
The IRSIS shall have external controls placed in a weatherproof locked box accessible to the contractor or, as necessary, Township or its designee. The contractor, Township or its designee shall be provided with keys to the locked box. Property owners shall consent to the Township, or its designee, entering upon the property, not less than once a year, without prior notice, to inspect all components of the IRSIS as identified in Section 73.167 of the Pennsylvania Code, and to perform twice yearly a water analysis of the discharged effluent to confirm that said discharge meets or exceeds the required levels of treatment required of such systems by BCDH. Testing shall occur at the nozzle heads and shall include testing for residual chlorine, fecal coliform, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids (SS) as well as for any other substances for which testing is required by BCDH.
N. 
In the event that it is determined upon any inspection by contractor, Township, or its designee, that any repair and/or replacement of any component is required to bring the spray irrigation system into compliance with BCDH or DEP regulations, Township or its designee shall issue a Correction Order designating the system repair required and the date by which such correction and/or replacement shall be accomplished. The Correction Order may require that effluent from the IRSIS be pumped by a qualified hauler until such system repair and/or replacement is accomplished. Upon completion of the repair and/or replacement, the Township or its designee shall reinspect the system to determine compliance with the correction order and issue a certificate of correction or a further correction order, if deemed necessary. Additionally, the Township or its designee, at the time of its inspection, shall also inspect the records maintained by the lot owner to determine whether the system is being properly maintained. The Township or its designee shall have the authority to issue a Maintenance Order directing that any required maintenance be performed, at what intervals, as well as directing the proper record keeping with reference to the maintenance and repair of the system.
O. 
In the event a property owner fails or refuses to permit Township or its designee on the property to perform the inspections required or to perform any work required by the correction order or maintenance order, the Township, or its designee, shall have the right (but no obligation) to enter upon the premises, conduct said inspections and to perform any repairs or replacements with respect to the IRSIS, all of which shall be made at the cost and expense of the property owner. Prior to entering upon the premises and performing any repairs or replacements of an IRSIS or its component parts, the Township, or its designee, shall provide property owner five business days' advance written notice of its intention to enter upon the premises for these purposes. The property owner shall have the right to comply with the terms of this agreement within that five-day period. Any notice required by the terms of this agreement shall be sufficient if sent to property owner's last known address by regular mail.
P. 
During the period of time when an IRSIS is inoperable and/or incapable of treating the discharged effluent so as to meet and/or exceed those standards of the BCDH or DEP as aforesaid, property owner shall make the necessary arrangements to remove said effluent and arrange for the appropriate disposition of same at a properly certified and licensed sewage disposal facility. In the event the property owner shall fail to make the necessary arrangements for the removal of said effluent, the Township, or its designee, shall have the right, upon 48 hours' written notice to property owner, to enter upon the premises and cause said effluents to be removed. Where the property owner causes the effluents to be removed, he, she or they, upon request of the Township, or its designee, shall provide an agreement with a hauler providing for the removal and an agreement with the receiving facility. The terms of removal provided in such agreement shall be determined at such time as the IRSIS is in operation and its loading rate determined and the recommendations of the DEP and/or Bucks County Department of Health as to said requirements shall be binding on the parties. The property owner agrees to continue hauling effluent until such time as the IRSIS has been properly certified as being operable by the BCDH and the Township or its designee.
Q. 
The Township shall, by resolution duly adopted, establish the amount of an annual fee for the inspections described herein and administrative costs associated therewith. The resolution of the Township shall establish the date upon which such annual fee shall be paid.
R. 
Any costs incurred by the Township, or its designee, for inspections, repairs and/or replacement of the IRSIS or its component parts or in the removal of effluents in accordance with the terms of this chapter shall be recoverable by the Township from the property owner. In the event the property owner (or their heirs or assigns) fails to pay the Township for such costs or expense, then the Township shall have the right to:
(1) 
Withdraw the amount of such costs from the Escrow established pursuant to Subsection C hereof;
(2) 
Sue the said property owner in assumpsit for reimbursement of its costs; and/or
(3) 
Cause a lien to be placed on the property in the amount of said expense, or both.
S. 
Nothing contained herein shall be construed to waive, affect or alter any requirements of the Zoning, Land Development and Subdivision or other ordinances of Nockamixon Township and nothing contained herein empowers any Township officer or employee to waive any requirements of such ordinances.
T. 
Prior to the operation of an IRSIS and prior to the issuance of an occupancy permit for any residence to be served by an IRSIS, property owner shall provide a set of as-built plans sealed by an Engineer along with a copy of the Operation and Maintenance Manual. The as-built set of plans and Manual shall also be sent to BCDH. A letter from property owner's consultant shall also accompany plans indicating the IRSIS is built according to its design.
U. 
The escrow provided for in Subsection C hereof shall be held by the Township, in escrow, in accordance with the terms hereof, including but not limited to the provisions of Subsection C and the following:
(1) 
The escrow shall be deposited by Township in an interest bearing escrow account and the interest thereon shall be paid to the Township to offset the costs of administering the Operation and Maintenance Agreement.
(2) 
The Township shall have the right to apply the escrow principal, together with any interest accruing thereon, to pay inspection, engineering or consulting fees or any costs of repair to the IRSIS or the cost of hauling any waste, incurred by the Township in the case of default by the property owner of any of the provisions of the Operation and Maintenance Agreement.
(3) 
The escrow funds shall be maintained with the Township for the life of each of the IRSIS.
(4) 
At such time as an IRSIS no longer services the property on which it is located, and the system has been shut down in accordance with regulations of BCDH or DEP then in effect, the balance of escrow funds then held on deposit shall be returned to the then-owner of the property for which escrow has been deposited. However, if the IRSIS is shut down because the property it services is being connected to a public sewer system, the principal balance in the escrow account shall be applied to the connection fees for connecting the lot to the public sewer system with any balance thereafter returned to the property owner. Interest accruing on the escrow fund shall be paid to the Township in recognition of the administrative expenses incurred in connection with this chapter.
V. 
The Operation and Maintenance Agreement or a Memorandum thereof shall be recorded in the office for the Recorder of Deeds in and for the County of Bucks, and this agreement shall be binding upon property owner, his, her or their heirs, administrators, executors, successors and assigns.
Upon the sale of any dwelling which is served by an IRSIS, the owner must provide documentation of compliance with this chapter as a prerequisite to the issuance of a use and occupancy permit.
The Board of Supervisors of Nockamixon Township, or any officer of the Township designated thereby for this purpose, is hereby, authorized to give notice, by personal service or by United States Mail, to the person who owns a property on which an IRSIS is located, requiring such owner to pump, inspect or repair the on-lot sewage system and provide the Township with a receipt and other specified information documenting the date on which the on-lot sewage system was pumped, inspected or repaired.
Costs for the administration of this chapter shall be assessed to property owners in an amount set by Township resolution. It shall be each individual property owner's responsibility to contract with a licensed sewage hauler and certified on-lot sewage system inspector for the pumping and inspection of the IRSIS.
A. 
Any person, partnership or corporation who or which has violated the provisions of this chapter shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by Nockamixon Township, pay a judgment of not more than $1,000, plus all court costs, including reasonable attorney fees incurred by Nockamixon Township as a result thereof. No judgment shall commence or be imposed, levied or payable until the date of the determination of a violation by the District Justice. If the defendant neither pays nor timely appeals the judgment, Nockamixon Township may enforce the judgment pursuant to the applicable rules of civil procedure. Each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation, unless the District Justice determining that there has been a violation further determines that there was a good faith basis for the person, partnership or corporation violating this chapter to have believed that there was no such violation, in which event there shall be deemed to have been only one such violation until the fifth day following the date of the determination of a violation by the District Justice and thereafter each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation.
B. 
The Court of Common Pleas, upon petition, may grant an order of stay, upon cause shown, tolling the per diem judgment pending a final adjudication of the violation and judgment
C. 
District Justices shall have initial jurisdiction in proceedings brought under this section. However, nothing contained herein shall be construed or interpreted to prevent the Township from bringing any other action, including an injunction action to enforce the provisions hereof.