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Township of Franconia, PA
Montgomery County
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[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Franconia 7-12-1999 by Ord. No. 274. (This ordinance repealed former Ch. 104, Plumbing, adopted 7-8-1996 by Ord. No. 239.) Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building construction — See Ch. 47.
Electrical standards — See Ch. 68.
Sewers and sewage disposal — See Ch. 112.
Subdivision and land development — See Ch. 122.
There is hereby adopted by the Township of Franconia for the purpose of prescribing regulations governing the design and installation of plumbing systems, including sanitary and storm drainage, sanitary facilities, water supplies, stormwater and sewage disposal in buildings, certain documents marked and designated as the International Plumbing Code, 1997, as published by the International Code Council and the whole thereof, save and except such portions as are hereinafter deleted, modified or amended by § 104-2 of this chapter, of which codes not less than three copies have been and now are filed in the office of the Township of Franconia, and the same are hereby adopted and incorporated as fully as if set out at length herein, and from the date on which this chapter shall take effect, the provisions thereof shall be controlling within the limits of the Township of Franconia.
The International Plumbing Code shall be amended by, as may apply, the addition, deletion or amendment of the following sections or subsections:
A. 
101.1: Insert "Franconia Township."
B. 
103.5: Insert "The appointed code official" in the first paragraph and "any appointed code official" in the second paragraph.
C. 
106.5.2: Insert "Fee Schedule."
D. 
106.5.3: Fee refunds:
(1) 
In Subdivision 2, insert "10%."
(2) 
In Subdivision 3, insert "10%."
E. 
Subsection 108.4 shall be amended to read as follows:
108.4 Penalties: Any person who shall violate a provision of this code or who shall fail to comply with any of the requirements thereof or who shall erect, install, alter or repair plumbing work in violation of the approved construction documents or directive of the code official or of a permit or certificate issued under the provisions of this code shall be guilty of a summary offense, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day that a violation continues after due notice has been served shall be deemed a separate offense.
F. 
Delete 108.5 and substitute:
108.5 Unlawful continuance: Any person who shall continue any plumbing work in or about the structure after having been served with a stop-work order, except such work as that person is directed to perform to remove a violation or unsafe conditions, shall be liable to a fine of not less than $100 or more than $2,000 or by imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.
G. 
Delete Section 109 in its entirety and substitute:
Section 109.0 MEANS OF APPEAL
109.0 Appeal: An appeal from any decision of the code official may be taken to the Board of Supervisors. Such appeal shall be made, in writing, verified by an affidavit, within 10 days after the decision was made by the code official by filing such appeal with the Township Secretary. The appellant or representative shall have the right to appear and be heard by the Board. The Board shall render a prompt decision on such appeal. In making the decision, the Board may vary or modify any provision of this code in order to allow for practical difficulties in meeting a strict interpretation of the requirements of this code or to permit the use of innovative procedures or materials, provided that the spirit of this code shall be observed and the public health and safety secured.
Every action of the Board in granting a modification shall be by resolution, a copy of which shall be certified to the code official. The decision of the Board shall in all cases be final.
H. 
The following shall be added to Article 2, Definitions, of Plumbing Terms, Section 202.0:
(1) 
Wherever the word "municipality" is used in the Plumbing Code, it shall be held to mean the Township of Franconia.
(2) 
Wherever the words "code official" are used, they shall be held to mean "building inspector or his assistants."
I. 
Subsection 301.7 shall be added to include the following:
301.7 Public systems available: A public water main or public sewer system shall be considered available to a building when the building is located within 150 feet of the public water main or sewer.
J. 
Subsection 306.2 shall be amended to read as follows:
306.2 Trenching and bedding: Where trenches are excavated to grade, the bottom of the trench shall be bedded with stone, type 2A or 2B, to form the bed for the pipe as a solid and continuous bearing.
306.2.3 Soft loadbearing: If soft materials of poor bearing qualities are found at the bottom of the trench, stabilization shall be achieved by overexcavating a minimum of two pipe diameters and bringing up to grade with fine gravel or crushed stone (2A or 2B type) or a concrete foundation. Such a concrete foundation shall be bedded with sand tamped in place so as to provide a uniform bearing for the pipe between joints.
K. 
Subsection 306.3 shall be amended to read as follows:
306.3 Backfill: Where trenches are excavated below grade, the bottom of the trench shall be bedded with stone, type 2A or 2B, to form the bed for the pipe, and the trench shall be backfilled to provide a minimum of 12" coverage with sand, fine gravel or 2A or 2B stone placed in layers of six inches (152 millimeters) maximum depth and compacted after each placement. Where rock is encountered in trenching, it shall be removed to a minimum of three inches (76 millimeters) below the grade line of the trench, and the trench shall be backfilled to grade with sand, fine gravel or 2A or 2B stone tamped in place so as to provide a uniform bearing for the pipe between joints. The pipe shall not rest on rock at any point including the joints. At the point of where the pipe exits the foundation to a point that reaches solid soil, this section of piping shall be backfilled from trench bottom to 1/2 the thickness of pipe with 2A or 2B stone.
L. 
Subsection 306.5 shall be amended to read as follows:
306.5 Freezing: Water service piping shall be installed below recorded frost penetration, but no less than three feet zero inches below grade. In climates with freezing temperatures, plumbing piping in exterior building walls or area subject to freezing temperature shall be protected against freezing by insulation or heat or both.
M. 
Subsection 306.5.1 shall be amended to read as follows:
306.5.1 Sewer depth: Building sewers that connect to private sewage disposal systems shall be a minimum of 36 inches below finished grade at the point of septic tank connection. Building sewers shall be a minimum of 36 inches below grade.
N. 
Section 424.4: Delete entire exception.
O. 
The following sections and subsections shall be deleted from Article 6:
(1) 
Table 605.4: Delete "Polybutylene (PB) plastic pipe and tubing."
(2) 
Table 605.5: Delete "Polybutylene (PB) plastic pipe and tubing."
(3) 
Delete Subsection 605.18 Polybutylene plastic.
(4) 
Delete Subsections 605.18.1, 605.18.2 and 605.18.3.
P. 
Table 608.17.1:
(1) 
Subsurface pits: Delete "50" and insert "100."
(2) 
Subsurface disposal fields: Delete "50" and insert "100."
(3) 
Seepage pits: Delete "50" and insert "100."
(4) 
Farm silo: Delete "25" and insert "50."
(5) 
Pumphouses: Delete "2" and insert "50."
Q. 
Subsection 701.9 shall be inserted to read as follows:
701.9 General: Groundwater and stormwater shall not be drained into the sanitary sewers. No sump pump or foundation drain shall discharge either directly or indirectly into the sanitary sewer. All discharges of sump pumps shall be contained or directed so as to prevent such discharge from being pumped onto the property of other persons or from flowing onto the property of other persons except as a part of natural drainage of the land. No discharge of water from a sump pump shall be made directly or indirectly onto a street or sidewalk. All roofs, paved areas, yards, courts and courtyards shall drain into a separate storm sewer system or to an approved place of disposal.
R. 
The following shall be deleted from the tables in Article 7 Materials:
(1) 
702.3 Building Sewer Pipe: Delete "Vitrified Clay Pipe. Astm C4;, Astm C700."
S. 
Subsection 901.5 shall be deleted.
T. 
Subsection 904.1: Delete "6 inches (152 min)." and insert "12 inches (305 min)."
U. 
Table 1102.4: Delete "Vitrified clay pipe."
V. 
Table 1102.5: Delete "Vitrified clay pipe."