Hamilton Township may permit the owner of any
property that cannot otherwise be served by the sewer system of Hamilton
Township to use a grinder pump to force sewage from his property into
the sewer system.
[Amended 9-13-2004 by Ord. No. 108]
A grinder pump may be used only if there is
no other feasible method of connecting the property to any Hamilton
Township sewer system and only if the following requirements are met:
A. No person shall use a grinder pump without a permit
first being obtained from Hamilton Township.
B. Application for a grinder pump permit shall be made
to the Hamilton Township Zoning Officer or Sewage Enforcement Officer.
A nonrefundable application fee as may be established from time to
time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors of Hamilton Township
shall be paid at the time of application for a grinder pump permit.
C. The application shall set forth the type, make and
model of the pump to be installed and such other information as may
be required by the Township Engineer.
D. The Township Engineer shall review the application
and shall recommend to the Township that the type, make and model
of the pump proposed to be used and design of the system is adequate
to meet the anticipated need to protect the public health and welfare.
E. The Township Engineer may, if he deems it necessary
due to the nature of the installation and the local availability of
repair parts for the pump proposed to be used, require the applicant
to purchase and maintain a backup pump for emergency use.
F. The Township Engineer may impose any condition that
he deems necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the
property owner or any other person and to ensure the integrity and
proper functioning of the Township sewer system.
The Township Engineer or Zoning Officer or Sewage
Enforcement Officer is hereby authorized to inspect any privately
owned grinder pump unit or pressure line at reasonable hours to insure
that it is in proper working order and that any required backup pump
is available. If the pump unit or pressure line in not functioning
properly, the Township Engineer or Zoning Officer or Sewage Enforcement
Officer may declare the same to be public nuisance.
Should the Township Engineer or Zoning Officer
or Sewage Enforcement Officer declare any grinder pump or pressure
line to be a nuisance, the owner shall immediately abate the nuisance
or the permit to use a grinder pump shall be revoked and appropriate
legal proceedings may be initiated by Hamilton Township to abate the
nuisance. If the owner fails to abate the nuisance, Hamilton Township
shall have the right to make the necessary repairs and assess the
cost of doing so against the property involved as a municipal lien
according to the procedures established by law for the filing and
collection of municipal claims and liens.
All grinder pumps and sewer lines shall be owned
and maintained by Hamilton Township except where the pumps and lines
are located outside the Township right-of-way and are on private property
where Hamilton Township shall control the type of pumps and conditions
of use pursuant to the provisions of this article. Hamilton Township
hereby accepts responsibility for abating any nuisance or public health
hazard that may occur in any privately owned pressure lines or grinder
pump units should the owner fail to do so.
[Amended 12-3-1996 by Ord. No. 75; 5-6-1997 by Ord. No.
76]
Any person who violates or permits a violation
of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought
before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal
Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable
by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default
of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment
for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each day or portion thereof that
such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute
a separate offense, and each section of this article that is violated
shall also constitute a separate offense. Hamilton Township police
officers, or other appropriate officer(s) of Hamilton Township, shall
have the power to enforce the provisions of this article.