[Adopted 5-13-1974 by Ord.
No. 79]
Unless the context specifically and clearly indicates otherwise, the
meanings of terms and phrases used in this article shall be as follows:
Franconia Township 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 article 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.
All facilities, as of any particular time, for collecting, transporting,
pumping and disposing of sanitary sewage and/or industrial wastes, owned,
maintained and operated by or in behalf of the Authority.
Any pipe or conduit constituting a part of the sewage collection
system used or usable for sewage collection purposes.
The Township of Franconia, Montgomery 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 located in this township
and accessible to and whose principal building is within 150 feet from the
sewage collection system, shall connect such improved property to the sewage
collection system, in such manner as this township and the Authority 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
or the Authority from time to time.
B.
All sanitary sewage and industrial wastes from any improved property, after connection of such improved property with a sewer shall be required under Subsection A of this section, 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 or the Authority from time to time.
C.
Restrictions on placement or discharge of sanitary sewage
or industrial wastes on private property or into natural outlets.
D.
Privy vaults, cesspools, sinkholes, septic tanks and
similar receptacles.
(1)
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 of this section to be connected to a sewer.
(2)
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 requested 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.
(3)
No privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar
receptacle at any time shall be connected with a sewer.
E.
The notice by this township to make a connection to a sewer, referred to in Subsection A of this section, 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.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, each improved property
shall be connected separately and independently to 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 and the Authority, in writing, shall have been secured.
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.
A.
A building sewer shall be connected to a sewer at the
place designated by the Authority and where the lateral is provided.
B.
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.
If the owner of any improved property located in this township and accessible to and whose principal building is within 150 feet from the sewage collection system, after 60 days' notice from this township, in accordance with § 112-2A, 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.
Where an improved property, at the time connection to a sewer is required,
shall be served by its own sewage disposal system or device, 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.
No building sewer shall be covered until it has been inspected and approve.d
by this township and the Authority. 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.
Every building sewer of any improved property shall be maintained in
a sanitary and safe operating condition by the owner of such improved property.
A.
Every excavation for a building sewer shall be guarded
adequately with barricades and lights to protect all persons from damage and
injury.
B.
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.
If any person shall fail or refuse, upon receipt of a notice of this
township or the Authority in writing, to remedy any unsatisfactory condition
with respect to a building sewer, within 60 days of receipt of such notice,
this township or the Authority may refuse to permit such person to discharge
sanitary sewage and industrial wastes into the sewage collection system until
such unsatisfactory condition shall have been remedied to the satisfaction
of this township and the Authority.
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
to a sewer and the sewage collection system, which additional rules and regulations,
to the extent appropriate, shall be and shall be construed as part of this
article.
[Amended 9-12-1988 by Ord.
No. 147; 6-10-1996 by Ord.
No. 237; 3-8-1999 by Ord. No. 271]
This article shall be enforced by action brought before a District Justice
in the same manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under
the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. Any person who violates or permits
the violation of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding,
be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 per violation or by imprisonment
for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each section of this article that is violated
shall constitute a separate offense.
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.
