Borough of Emsworth, PA Connection to Public Sewer

Any person desiring to make connection with the public sewers of said Borough, or to change or alter the plumbing or connections now made, or to construct or alter any private sewer, shall make application in writing to the Secretary of the Board of Health; and said Secretary shall, upon receiving such application, accompanied by the sum of $4 for the services to be rendered by the Plumbing Inspector and also the charge fixed by ordinance as security for the proper opening and replacing of the streets and pavements, issue an order to the Plumbing Inspector of said Borough to inspect the work, and see that it is properly done as provided Borough ordinance and the regulations of the Board of Health. Said permit fee may hereafter be amended by ordinance or resolution of the Borough Council of the Borough of Emsworth.

§ 186-2 Inspection; issuance of permit.

When notified by the plumber, or the owner of the premises to be inspected, that the work is ready for inspection, it shall be the duty of the Plumbing Inspector within three days from the receipt of said notice to make a thorough examination of the plumbing and sewer connections of the house and property to be connected with said sewers, and if satisfied that the work has been properly done and in accordance with this article and the rules and regulations of the Board of Health, the said Plumbing Inspector shall issue a permit for such connections to be made and used.

§ 186-3 Unauthorized connection; violations and penalties.

Any plumber or other person not authorized by said Inspector so to do, and without having first paid to said Secretary of the Board of Health the sum of $4 as aforesaid, who shall make an opening into any sewer or form any connection with any public or private sewer or break ground for that purpose, shall, upon conviction thereof by any District Justice or other court of competent jurisdiction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $600 for each offense, plus costs of prosecution, and, in default of payment of such fine and costs, to imprisonment not to exceed 30 days.

§ 186-4 Report to Board of Health.

The said Inspector shall report at each meeting of the Board of Health the number of inspections and sewer connections made since the preceding meeting.

§ 186-5 Required maintenance or improvements.

When, in the opinion of the Board of Health, it becomes necessary to inspect the premises of any person, either owner or tenant, within said Borough, whether said premises are connected with the sewer system of said Borough or not, it shall be the duty of the Board of Health to make the proper recommendations as to the necessary work and improvements to be made therein, if any; it shall be the duty of the owner of said premises so inspected to do the work and make the improvements in and about the premises necessary to put them in good sanitary condition, when notified in writing by said Inspector to do so, and no such owner or tenant shall continue to use the plumbing or sewer connection of said premises after such notice has been given until the permit hereinafter mentioned has been issued. When said premises are placed in proper sanitary condition, and when the fee of $4 for such inspection has been paid to the Secretary of the Board of Health, it shall be the duty of the said Inspector to issue a permit for the use of the sewer and plumbing appliances so inspected.

§ 186-6 General standards.

All sewer drains shall be watertight within the limits of the Borough and shall be laid in accordance with the general specifications for laying sewers in said Borough, adopted by Ordinance No. 93.

The sewerage for each building in every street provided with a public sewer shall be conducted into said sewer. No surface or roof water shall be admitted.

The house drain and other pipes for the conveyance of sewerage shall be laid with uniform grade and with a fall of not less than one inch in four feet, except where the Borough Council may permit otherwise.

The joints in the vitrified pipe shall be carefully caulked and cemented, under and around the pipe as provided by the general specifications, and the joints in the cast iron pipe shall be run and caulked with lead.

All changes in direction shall be made with curved pipes. All joints and pipes shall be made watertight. The whole work shall be done by skillful mechanics, in a thorough and workmanlike manner and satisfactory to Borough Council.

All drains now built shall be reconstructed whenever, in the opinion of the Borough Council, it may be necessary.

No connection shall be made with a sewer except at a branch provided for that purpose; if there should be no branch within a reasonable distance a joint of pipe shall be removed and a branch inserted in its place.

In all parts of the Borough where the water rises above the level of the sewer a gate valve shall be placed on the connection inside the cellar and shall be kept closed when the water is above its level. Said gate valve shall be kept clean and in good working order at all times.

All vents to sewers shall be carried above high water.

§ 186-7 Connection required; remedies for noncompliance.

Any person or corporation now owner or that may hereafter own real estate with improvements thereon abutting on any street, avenue or alley along which a public sewer has been or shall be constructed are hereby compelled within three months after personal service of notice in writing on the owner, or his or their agent, of the passage by Council of an ordinance or resolution requiring a connection with said public sewer to construct and connect their private sewer with the said public sewer, and the same shall be constructed wholly at the cost of the property owner, and on failure to make the sewer connection as herein directed after service of said notice, the said private sewer shall be constructed by said Borough at the expense of said owner or owners with 20% of the cost thereof, to be added thereto as a penalty for such neglect, and in default of the payment thereof for a period of 60 days after completion by said Borough of said work, the same shall be collected either by suit at law or a lien against said property shall be filed in the Prothonotary's Office of Allegheny County as is provided by law for the collection of sewerage tax.

§ 186-8 Violations and penalties.

Any person neglecting or refusing to comply with the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof by any District Justice or other court of competent jurisdiction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $600 for each offense, plus costs of prosecution, and, in default of payment of such fine and costs, to imprisonment not to exceed 30 days.