[Adopted 1-14-2013 by Ord. No. 13-1]
Drywells shall be required for stormwater management of any residential lot and shall be installed as required by Chapter 425, Subdivision and Land Development, when applicable, or the approved plot plan required by Subsection F below and in accordance with the following standards, whichever is more restrictive.
A. 
Drywell depth of absorption area shall be determined by the Township Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO) based on soil type or field observation of a soil profile for each drywell considering depth of water table or perched water table. The maximum depth of a drywell shall be above a limiting zone as defined by PADEP, except for bedrock or open fractured rock as determined by the soil profile. Probes may be required for each planned lot of a development prior to plan approval. A minimum of one drywell shall be provided for the driveway and one for the dwelling or each building proposed on the development plan.
B. 
A rainfall depth of 2.5 inches shall be used to determine the volume of storage required for each drywell.
C. 
The following isolation distances from the edge of a drywell to the following items shall be maintained:
(1) 
Property line: 20 feet.
(2) 
Building foundation: 20 feet.
(3) 
Well: 50 feet.
(4) 
Sewage disposal components and absorption area test sites: 20 feet.
(5) 
Ultimate right-of-way: 10 feet.
D. 
Drywells shall not be permitted within any drainage and utility easement. Drywells shall not be permitted on slopes in excess of 15%.
E. 
Capture and conveyance of stormwater to a drywell shall be as follows:
(1) 
From buildings: gutters, downspouts, four-inch minimum diameter PVC pipe. (Schedule 40 PVC under driveway or equal.)
(2) 
From driveways: trench grate (PolyDrain®) or a yard catch basin may be utilized to capture driveway runoff and four-inch diameter PVC conveyance pipe. (Schedule 40 PVC under driveway or equal.) Both trench grates and yard inlets must be located beyond the ultimate right-of-way.
(3) 
Underground conveyance pipe shall have a minimum pitch of 1/4 inch per foot.
F. 
A plot plan drawn to scale shall be provided to the Township for review of each building lot required to utilize drywells for stormwater management. The drywell plot plan can be incorporated into the septic system design plot plan and, if applicable, included within the building permit application.
(1) 
The plot plan shall show the following proposed features: building(s), drywell(s), sewage disposal system, alternate sewage disposal system test site, well, driveway, accessory buildings, etc., as well as an example of the drywell volume to requirement calculation.
(2) 
The plot plan shall also contain: lot lines with dimensions, North arrow, street(s) with name(s), waterways, springs, creeks, and ponds.
G. 
Construction of a drywell:
(1) 
The Township-appointed inspector shall be notified 48 hours prior to the excavation of a drywell so the inspector can schedule an on-site visit to verify the size of the excavation in accordance with the plan and calculations.
(2) 
Excavation of the drywell shall be to the size and depth as shown on the above-mentioned plot plan. The excavation shall be filled with AASHTO No. 3 stone (equivalent to 40% voids volume).
(3) 
The area between the precast seepage ring and the excavated sidewalls shall be backfilled with AASHTO No. 3 stone.
(4) 
The top of the stone in the drywells shall be covered with an adequate geotextile fabric to support a minimum one-foot of backfill material, topsoil, seed, and mulch.
(5) 
A reference shall be made to the construction standards for drywells. Attached as Exhibit "A" is a sample form.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit "A" is included as Attachment 1 to this chapter.
(6) 
No rain gutters or downspouts shall be installed on the building prior to seepage pit installation.
H. 
Inspection.
(1) 
The Township-appointed inspector, as directed by the Weisenberg Township Board of Supervisors, shall perform the first inspection of the drywell excavation for size, depth and location requirements. The final inspection shall occur when the downspouts are installed and the seepage pit is installed and before the closing of the system. The owner or contractor shall request an inspection in sufficient time to allow such inspection.
(2) 
The Township may require inspection of any other part of the drywell collection system deemed necessary.
I. 
Fees.
(1) 
The fee for drywell design review and inspection shall be established from time to time by the Township by resolution for each drywell required.
(2) 
The fees are required to be paid prior to the issuance of a building permit for any lot which is required to provide a drywell as a stormwater management device as required by the record plan of a development.
J. 
A certificate of occupancy for a new building on a lot which requires a drywell for stormwater management shall not be issued until the Township-appointed inspector determines the drywell system has been adequately installed and the Zoning Officer has received the certification of completion.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this Part 1 shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by the Township before a Magisterial District Judge, pay a fine of not more than $600, plus all court costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the Township in the enforcement of this Part 1. If the defendant neither pays nor timely appeals the judgment, the Township may enforce the judgment pursuant to the applicable Rules of Civil Procedure. Each day a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense. Further, the appropriate officers or agents of the Township are hereby authorized to seek equitable relief, including injunction, to enforce compliance herewith.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances conflicting or inconsistent with the provisions of this Part 1 hereby adopted are hereby repealed.
The provisions of this Part 1 shall be severable, and if any provision hereof shall be declared unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of any of the remaining provisions of this Part 1. It is hereby declared as a legislative intent of the Township that this Part 1 would have been amended as if such unconstitutional, illegal or invalid provision or provisions had not been included herein.