[Adopted 1-24-1969 by Ord. No. 83]
Unless the context specifically and clearly indicates otherwise,
the meaning of terms used in this article shall be as follows:
Forks Township Municipal Sewer Authority, a Pennsylvania
Municipality Authority.
The extension from the sewage drainage system of any structure
to the lateral of a sewer.
Any property located within this Township upon which there
is erected a structure intended for continuous or periodic habitation,
occupancy or use by human beings or animals and from which structure
sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes shall be or may be discharged.
Any improved property located in this Township used wholly
or in part for the manufacturing, processing, cleaning, laundering
or assembly of any product, commodity or articles, or any other improved
property located in this Township from which wastes, in addition to
or other than sanitary sewage, are discharged.
Any and all wastes discharged from an industrial establishment,
other than sanitary sewage.
That part of the sewer system extending from a sewer to the
curbline or, if no such lateral shall be provided, then "lateral"
shall mean that portion of, or place in, a sewer which is provided
for connection of any building sewer.
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole
or partial, of any improved property.
Any individual, partnership, company, association, society,
corporation or other group or entity.
Normal water-carried household and toilet wastes from any
improved property.
Any pipe or conduit constituting a part of the sewer system
used or usable for sewage collection purposes.
All facilities, as of any particular time, for collecting,
pumping or disposing of sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes,
to be owned by the Authority and to be leased to this Township for
operation and use.
The Township of Forks, Northampton County, Pennsylvania,
acting by and through its Board of Supervisors or, in appropriate
cases, by and through its authorized representatives.
A.
The owner of any improved property accessible to and whose principal
building is within 150 feet from the sewer system shall connect such
improved property therewith, in such manner as this Township may require,
within 60 days after notice to such owner from this Township to make
such connection, for the purpose of discharge of all sanitary sewage
and industrial wastes from such improved property, subject to such
limitations and restrictions as shall be established herein or otherwise
shall be established by this Township, from time to time.
B.
All sanitary sewage and industrial wastes from any improved property, after connection of such improved property with a sewer as shall be required under Subsection A, shall be conducted into a sewer, subject to such limitations and restrictions as shall be established herein or otherwise shall be established by this Township, from time to time.
C.
No person shall place or deposit or permit to be placed or deposited upon public or private property within this Township any sanitary sewage or industrial wastes in violation of Subsection A. No person shall discharge or permit to be discharged to any natural outlet within this Township any sanitary sewage or industrial wastes in violation of Subsection A, except where suitable treatment has been provided which is satisfactory to this Township.
D.
No privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle shall be used and maintained at any time upon any improved property which has been connected to a sewer or which shall be required under Subsection A to be connected to a sewer. Every such privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle in existence shall be abandoned and, at the discretion of this Township, shall be cleansed and filled under the direction and supervision of this Township; and any such privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle not so abandoned and, if required by this Township, cleansed and filled, shall constitute a nuisance and such nuisance may be abated as provided by law, at the expense of the owner of such improved property.
E.
No privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle
at any time shall be connected with a sewer.
F.
The notice by this Township to make a connection to a sewer, referred to in Subsection A, shall consist of a written or printed document requiring such connection in accordance with the provisions of this article and specifying that such connection shall be made 60 days from the date such notice is given. Such notice may be given at any time after a sewer is in place which can receive and convey sanitary sewage and industrial wastes for treatment and disposal from the particular improved property. Such notice shall be served upon the owner either by personal service or by registered mail or by such other method as at the time may be provided by law.
A.
No person shall uncover, connect with, make any opening into or use,
alter or disturb, in any manner, any sewer or the sewer system without
first making application for and securing a permit, in writing, from
this Township.
B.
Application for a permit required under Subsection A shall be made by the owner of the improved property to be served or his duly authorized agent.
C.
No person shall make or cause to be made a connection of any improved
property with a sewer until such person shall have fulfilled each
of the following conditions:
(1)
Such person shall have notified the Secretary of this Township of
the desire and intention to connect such improved property to a sewer.
(3)
Such person shall have given the Secretary of this Township at least
24 hours' notice of the time when such connection will be made so
that this Township may supervise and inspect the work of connection
and necessary testing.
(4)
Such person shall have furnished satisfactory evidence to the Secretary
of this Township that any tapping fee charged and imposed by the Authority
against the owner of each improved property who connects such improved
property to a sewer has been paid.
D.
Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, each improved property
shall be connected separately and independently with a sewer through
a building sewer. Grouping of more than one improved property on one
building sewer shall not be permitted, except under special circumstances
and for good sanitary reasons or other good cause shown, and then
only after special permission of this Township, in writing, shall
have been secured and subject to such rules, regulations and conditions
as may be prescribed by this Township.
E.
All costs and expenses of construction of a building sewer and all
costs and expenses of connection of a building sewer to a sewer shall
be borne by the owner of the improved property to be connected; and
such owner shall indemnify and save harmless this Township and the
Authority from all loss or damage that may be occasioned, directly
or indirectly, as a result of construction of a building sewer or
of connection of a building sewer to a sewer.
F.
A building sewer shall be connected to a sewer at the place designated
by this Township or the Authority and where the lateral is provided.
The invert of a building sewer at the point of connection shall be
at the same or a higher elevation than the invert of the sewer. A
smooth, neat joint shall be made and the connection of a building
sewer to the lateral shall be made secure and watertight.
G.
If the owner of any improved property located in this Township accessible to, and whose principal building is within 150 feet from, the sewer system after 60 days' notice from this Township, in accordance with § 150-13A, shall fail to connect such improved property, as required, this Township may make such connection and may collect from such owner the costs and expenses thereof. In such case, this Township shall forthwith, upon completion of the work, send an itemized bill of the cost of the construction of such connection to the owner of the improved property to which connection has been so made, which bill shall be payable forthwith. In case of neglect or refusal by the owner of such improved property to pay said bill, this Township shall file a municipal lien for said construction within six months of the date of the completion of the construction of said connection, the same to be subject in all respects to the general law providing for the filing and recovery of municipal liens.
A.
Where an improved property, at the time connection to a sewer is
required, shall be served by its own sewage disposal system or devise,
the existing house sewer line shall be broken on the structure side
of such sewage disposal system or device and attachment shall be made,
with proper fittings, to continue such house sewer line as a building
sewer.
B.
No building sewer shall be covered until it has been inspected and
approved by this Township. If any part of a building sewer is covered
before so being inspected and approved, it shall be uncovered for
inspection at the cost and expense of the owner of the improved property
to be connected to a sewer.
C.
Every building sewer of any improved property shall be maintained
in a sanitary and safe operating condition by the owner of such improved
property.
D.
Every excavation for a building sewer shall be guarded adequately
with barricades and lights to protect all persons from damage and
injury. Streets, sidewalks and other public property disturbed in
the course of installation of a building sewer shall be restored,
at the cost and expense of the owner of the improved property being
connected, in a manner satisfactory to this Township.
E.
If any person shall fail or refuse, upon receipt of a notice of this
Township, in writing, to remedy any unsatisfactory condition with
respect to a building sewer within 60 days of receipt of such notice,
this Township, may refuse to permit such person to discharge sanitary
sewage and industrial wastes into the sewer system until such unsatisfactory
condition shall have been remedied to the satisfaction of this Township.
F.
This Township reserves the right to adopt, from time to time, additional
rules and regulations as it shall deem necessary and proper relating
to connections with a sewer and the sewer system, which additional
rules and regulations, to the extent appropriate, shall be and shall
be construed as part of this article.
[Amended 3-4-1999 by Ord. No. 250]
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article,
upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding,
shall pay a fine of not less than $400 and not more than $600, plus
all court costs, including reasonable attorney's fees, incurred by
the Township in the enforcement of this article. No judgment shall
be imposed until the date of the determination of the violation by
the District Justice and/or Court. 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.
It is declared that enactment of this article is necessary for
the protection, benefit and preservation of the health, safety and
welfare of inhabitants of this Township.
