[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Buffalo as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 6-5-2002 by Ord. No. 40]
Unless the context specifically and clearly indicates otherwise, the meaning of the terms and phrases used in the article shall be as follows:
IMPROVED PROPERTY
Any property located within the Township upon which there is erected a structure intended for continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy or use by human beings.
NOTICE
Any written correspondence to a party sent by certified mail, return receipt.
OWNER
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole or partial, of any improved property.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, company, association, society, trust, corporation, joint stock company, unincorporated association, governmental body, political subdivision, Township or other group or entity.
TOWNSHIP
Buffalo Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, acting by or through its Board of Supervisors or, in appropriate cases, acting by and through its authorized representatives.
WATER SUPPLIER
Any company or entity, whether pubic or private, who shall construct and/or operate a water system within the Township with the approval of the Township. There may be more than one water supplier providing service within the Township.
WATER SYSTEM
All facilities, as of any particular time, for providing, transporting and supplying water for human use and consumption, situate in or adjacent to the Township, owned by, leased to or under contract or agreement with the Township for operation and use.
A. 
The owner of any improved property located within the Township whose house, principal building or occupied structure is within 150 feet from a water line which is presently being constructed or which shall be constructed in the future, or any new house, principal building or occupied structure which shall be constructed which is within 150 feet to a water line, shall connect to, at his own expense, and use such water system within 90 days after notice to such owner from the Township to make such connection; shall be subject, however, to such limitations and restrictions as shall be established herein or otherwise shall be established by the Township, or its supplier, from time to time.
B. 
Those industries and farms who have their own supply of water for uses other than human consumption and choose to connect to the water system may continue to utilize their own supply for those nonhuman uses only.
C. 
The notice by the Township to make connection to the water system referred to in Subsection A shall be given by the Township Supervisors, in writing, and shall be served upon the owner either by personal service or by registered mail or by such other methods as shall be permitted by law.
A. 
No persons shall uncover, connect with, make any opening into or use, alter or disturb in any manner, any part of the water system without first obtaining a permit, in writing, from the Township or its designated water supplier.
B. 
Application for a permit required under Subsection A shall be made by the owner of the improved property served or to be served or by a person authorized by the owner of the improved property to make such application to the Township or its designated water supplier.
C. 
All connections to the water system must be done in accordance with the specifications, plans and procedures established by the designated water supplier.
D. 
No person shall make or cause to be made a connection of any improved property with the water system until such person shall have fulfilled each of the following conditions:
(1) 
Such person shall have notified this Township or its designated water supplier of the desire and intention to connect such improved property to the water system.
(2) 
Such person shall have applied for and obtained a permit as required by Subsections A and B.
(3) 
Such person shall have furnished necessary information required by the Township or its designated water supplier on an approved form prior to connection and received any necessary approvals from the water supplier.
(4) 
Such person shall have given the Township or its designated water supplier at least 24 hours' notice of the time when such connection will be made so that the Township or its designated water supplier may supervise and inspect the work of connection and necessary testing. At the time of inspection of the connection, the owner of the improved property shall permit the person conducting the inspection full and complete access to all water facilities in each building and in and about all parts of the property. No water connection line shall be covered, or in any way concealed, until after it has been inspected and approved.
E. 
Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, each structure or principal building shall be connected separately and independently with the water system. Grouping of more than one structure on one connection shall not be permitted except under special circumstances and for good cause shown and then only after special permission of the Township or its designated water supplier, in writing, shall have been secured and subject to such rules, regulations and conditions as may be prescribed by the Township.
F. 
Allow the hydrant tax to be added to those residents who are within 780 feet of a hydrant unless an alternative distance is otherwise established.
[Added 4-6-2016 by Res. No. 05-2016; amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
G. 
Allow for a written appeal process to the hydrant tax for residents to present their appeal to the Board of Supervisors at a public meeting at which time the Board of Supervisors will make a decision regarding that appeal.
[Added 4-6-2016 by Res. No. 06-2016]
A. 
In the event the owner of an improved property shall neglect or refuse to connect with said water system following a period of 90 days after notice to do so as set forth in § 252-2A, and use said water system pursuant to rules and regulations and conditions set forth herein or as may be prescribed by the Township, then the owner will be in violation of the article, and the Township Supervisors, or their agents, may enter upon such property and construct such connection at the cost of the owner.
B. 
In such case, the Township Supervisors shall, upon completion of any work required to bring the owner into compliance, send an itemized bill of the costs of construction to the owner of the property to which connection has been made, which bill shall be payable forthwith.
C. 
In case of neglect or refusal by the owner of such improved property to pay said bill within six months of the date of completion of construction of said connection, the Township Supervisors shall, within said period, file a municipal lien for said construction, which shall be subject in all respects to the general law providing for the filing and recovery of municipal liens.
D. 
Every person who shall violate this article shall be liable, upon summary conviction for a first offense and upon subsequent conviction for each subsequent offense to a civil penalty of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, together with costs of each case. Each day that a violation shall continue shall be deemed and shall be taken to be a separate offense and shall be assessed as such. All fines and penalties shall be paid to the Buffalo Township Board of Supervisors or its designated representative.
A. 
The Township or its designated water supplier shall have the right of access, at reasonable times, to any part of any improved property served by the water system as shall be required for purposes of inspection, measurement, sampling and testing and for performance of other functions relating to service rendered by the Township or its designated water supplier through the water system.
B. 
The Township shall not be liable for a deficiency or failure of service when occasioned by an emergency, required repairs or for any cause beyond its control. The Township reserves the right to restrict the use of the water system whenever the public welfare may require it.
C. 
The owner shall be responsible, at the owner's expense, for seeing that all excavations for water connections shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights to protect the public from hazards and that all streets, sidewalks and public property, disturbed in the course of making a water connection, shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the Township or its designated water supplier for such purpose.
D. 
The owner shall indemnify and save harmless the Township from any loss or damage directly or indirectly caused by or arising out of installation and/or connection of the improved property.
The Township reserves the right to adopt, by resolution, from time to time, additional rules and regulations as it shall deem necessary and proper relating to the water system.
This article shall become effective five days after the date of enactment.
In the event that any provision, section, sentence, clause or part of this article shall be held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not effect or impair any remaining provision, section, sentence, clause or part of this article, it being the intent of the Township that such remainder shall be and shall remain in full force and effect.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith expressly are repealed insofar as they conflict with this article, except Ord. No. 37 which addresses the water line in the McGuffey Project. Ordinance No. 37 is specifically excluded from this article and shall only apply to the McGuffey Project.