Construction standards for all building sewers, laterals, collection sewers, service laterals, public and private sewer systems including mechanical and electrical equipment will be as per this chapter, or if more stringent, regulations of the PaDEP enacted after the Borough/Authority formally adopted this Sewage Procedures Manual.
All gravity sewer mains shall be PVC gravity sewer pipe conforming to ASTM D-3034, SDR35. The minimum depth of a gravity sewer main shall be four feet measured from finished grade to the top of the pipe. Extensions to existing gravity sewer that has less than four feet of cover will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
A. 
Pipes for sewer lines under pressure shall be as follows:
(1) 
Sewer pipes less than three inches in diameter shall be SCH 40 pipe. Fittings shall be rated equal to the pipe.
(2) 
Sewer pipes three inches in diameter or greater shall be PVC Class 150 pressure pipe conforming to AWWA Specification C-900.
B. 
The minimum depth of all force mains shall be four feet measured from finished grade to the top of the pipe.
A. 
All building sewers and underground pipes leading into the building sewer shall be either:
(1) 
PVC sewer pipe, Schedule 40 pipe and fittings conforming to ASTM D2665, four-inch diameter; or
(2) 
PVC SDR35 at a minimum for six-inch and larger diameter.
B. 
All building sewers shall be four inches internal diameter or greater. The slope or grade of a building sewer shall be no less than 1/4 inch per foot of length of sloping downward in the direction the waste material is to flow. The minimum depth of a building sewer measured from finished grade to the top of the pipe shall be 36 inches. Building sewers serving a single-family residential dwelling requires a clean-out every 50 feet for four- and six-inch pipes. For other than single-family residential dwellings, the owner shall furnish the Borough with the calculations verifying the proposed sewer line is properly sized based on slope, volume, velocity, and pipe material.
All sewer mains and laterals on slopes of 20% or greater shall be anchored securely with concrete anchors or approved equal. It will be the responsibility of the design engineer to prepare a detailed anchor design. The anchor design shall be spaced as follows:
A. 
Not over 36 feet center to center on grades of 20% and up to 35%.
B. 
Not over 24 feet center to center on grades of 35% and up to 50%.
C. 
Not over 16 feet center to center on grades of 50% and over.
All fittings shall be designed for use with the pipe used in construction, and shall have a service rating equal to that of the pipe. Any fitting or tap-in which has an enlargement, chamber, or recess with a ledge, shoulder or reduction of pipe area, that offers an obstructed flow through the pipe, is prohibited. Ninety-degree elbows and doughnuts are prohibited. Connections between different types of pipe materials shall be made by adapter fittings or by means of an acceptable prefabricated sealing ring or sleeve specifically approved by the Borough Plumbing Inspector or Engineer. No concrete mortar joints shall be permitted.
A. 
All sewer mains and laterals shall be laid at least 10 feet, horizontally, from any existing or proposed water mains. Should local conditions prevent a separation of 10 feet, a sewer may be laid closer than 10 feet to a water main if:
(1) 
It is laid in a separate trench: or if
(2) 
It is laid in the same trench, with the water main located at one side of a bench of undisturbed earth; and if
(3) 
In either case, the elevation of the top of the sewer is at least 18 inches below the bottom of the water main.
B. 
Whenever the sewer main or lateral must cross under water mains, the sewer shall be laid at such an elevation that the top of the sewer is at least 18 inches below the bottom of the water main. When the elevation of the sewer cannot be varied to meet the above requirements, the water main shall be relocated to provide this separation, for a distance of 10 feet extending on each side of the sewer. If possible, one full length of water main shall be centered over the sewer so that both joints will be as far from the sewer as possible. The water main should be constructed of slip-on or mechanical-joint cast-iron pipe, PVC pipe, or prestressed concrete cylinder pipe and the sewer constructed of mechanical joint cast-iron pipe for any portion within 10 feet of the water main. Both services shall be pressure tested to assure watertightness prior to backfilling. Where less than an eighteen-inch vertical separation exists between the water and sewer line, the sewer line shall be wrapped in a polyethylene plastic sheet a minimum of six ml and concrete encased 10 feet on either side of the water main.
C. 
If possible, sewer crossing water mains shall be constructed so that the sewer joints will be equidistant and as far as possible from the water main joints. Where a water main crosses under a sewer main, or lateral, adequate structural support shall be provided for the sewer to prevent damage to the water main.
A. 
Manholes shall be constructed at all locations where changes in pipe size, grade or alignment occur. Manholes shall consist of pre-cast concrete round riser sections and eccentric cone top sections on a pre-cast concrete base, complete with cast-iron frames and covers, and aluminum manhole steps, and shall be located in the road or street, unless otherwise approved.
B. 
All manholes shall have watertight manhole inserts as manufactured by Methods Engineering Corp. of Wilmington, Delaware, or an approved equivalent.
C. 
All manholes shall be coated with a bituminous waterproof coating to a minimum dry film thickness of 14 to 16 mils on the exterior of the manhole prior to backfilling.
D. 
Manhole sections shall be joined using a preformed sealing compound. The sealing compound shall be supplied in extruded rope form of suitable cross section. The size of the sealing compound shall be in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation and sufficient to obtain squeeze-out of the material around the entire interior and exterior circumference when the joint is completed. The sealing compound contained within the joint shall be the sole element utilized in sealing the joint from internal and external hydrostatic pressure. Joint surfaces shall be primed, sealing compound applied and joint made in strict conformance with the written specifications of the sealing compound manufacturer. In addition, all the joints shall be mortared with cement.
E. 
All pre-cast concrete bases shall be installed on a minimum depth of six inches of crushed stone. The crushed stone shall conform to AASHTO No. 57 crushed stone (previously called "PennDOT No. 1B-Type C crushed stone aggregate"). All manhole bases shall have pre-cast concrete channels. Inverts shall be formed directly in the concrete channel of the manhole base and shall be smooth and accurately shaped to a semicircular bottom conforming to the inside of the adjacent sewer sections. Changes in size and grade shall be made gradually. Changes in the direction of the sewer and entering branches shall have a true curve of as large a radius as the size of the manhole will permit. The manhole benches shall slope to the invert channels at a rate of one inch per foot.
Manhole frames and covers must be heavy-duty, have a minimum clear opening of 26 inches, weigh not less than 450 pounds, and shall have the words "P.A.M.A. Sanitary Sewer" cast thereon in letters two inches high. Castings shall receive one coat of black asphaltic varnish at the factory. Manhole frame shall be secured to the cone of the manhole using preformed sealing compound and cement. Sealing compound shall be supplied in extruded rope form of suitable cross section sufficient to obtain squeeze-out of the material. All manhole frames, covers, and adjusting rings located within any road shall be designed for PHL 93 Live Load.
Tap-in of sewer piping to pre-cast concrete manholes shall be made using a rubber-gasket type seal such as A-Lok Manhole Pipe Seal, as manufactured by A-Lock Products Corp., Trenton, New Jersey; Res-Seal as manufactured by Scales Manufacturing Corp., Newburgh, New York; Press-Wedge II as manufactured by Press Seal Gasket Corp., Fort Wayne, Indiana; Lock Joint Flexible Manhole Sleeve as manufactured by Interpace Corp., New Brunswick, New Jersey; or Concrete Manhole Adapter as manufactured by Fernco, Inc., Davision, Michigan, or an approved equivalent.
Lamp holes shall not be used.
All piping shall be installed on a suitable bedding material, minimum six-inch depth, consisting of AASHTO No. 57 crushed stone (previously called "PennDOT type No. 1B crushed stone"), or other material approved by the Borough Engineer. The pipe bedding shall be placed on undisturbed earth or compacted material suitable for the loads imposed.
Select backfill shall be placed around the pipe and above the pipe to a height of one foot above the pipe. The select backfill shall consist of AASHTO No. 57 crushed stone (previously called "PennDOT No. 1B crushed stone") or other material approved by the Borough Engineer. Select backfill shall contain no stone or rock exceeding one inch in any dimension.
Any other backfill shall not contain any rock larger than six inches in any dimension. Any work within a Borough, municipal or state road shall meet their respective backfill requirements.
All backfill shall be compacted as follows:
A. 
Bedding and select backfill shall be compacted in lifts not to exceed four inches using approved compaction equipment to 95% of maximum density.
B. 
All backfill above the select backfill zone shall be compacted in lifts not to exceed eight inches using approved compaction equipment to 90% of maximum density in nontraffic locations and to 95% of maximum density in traffic areas.
Each building shall be equipped with a test tee to be located at the point where the building sewer connects to the service lateral.
Building sewer traps are required. The building sewer shall be provided with a cleanout known as a "building test cleanout" as close as possible to the building.
A. 
Where the Borough determines that a grease trap is necessary, precast concrete grease traps shall be installed so as to intercept greasy wastes prior to entering the sewer system. It is recommended that traps be so located so as to trap waste from the source of the greasy wastes and not to handle other sanitary waste of the building. The traps should be located as close as possible to the source of waste generation so as to minimize blockage of the line.
B. 
The grease trap shall be maintained by the owner of the facility at his/her expense in a manner to provide satisfactory and effective removal of grease, fats and oils. If a problem arises in any Borough facility from nonmaintenance of the grease trap, the owner of the facility shall be held responsible for any costs to correct the problems.
C. 
Grease traps shall be sized in accordance with the following schedule:
(1) 
Restaurants:
(D)x(GL)x(1.7)x(HR/2)x(LF)=Size of grease trap in gallons
Where:
D
=
Number of seats in dining area.
GL
=
Gallons of sewage per meal, normally 5 gallons.
HR
=
Number of hours open.
LF
=
Loading factor.
1.25
interstate freeways.
1.0
other freeways.
1.0
recreational areas.
0.8
main highways.
0.5
other highways.
(2) 
Hospitals, nursing homes, other type of commercial kitchens with varied seating capacity:
(M)x(GL)x(1.7)x(2.5)x(LF)=Size of grease trap
Where:
M
=
Meals per day.
GL
=
Gallons of wastewater per meal, normal 4.5.
LF
=
Loading factor.
1.25
garbage disposal and dishwashing.
1.0
without garbage disposal.
0.75
without dishwashing.
0.5
without dishwashing and garbage disposal.
(3) 
Construction. Grease traps shall be constructed in accordance with the International Plumbing Code. Alternative design for grease traps will be considered by the Borough upon submission and review.
A. 
General. This section for individual household sewage pump (capable of passing two-inch solids) or grinder pump installations in no way supersedes the requirements called out within these procedures.
B. 
Plans.
(1) 
A plan and profile shall be submitted showing existing and proposed improvements, including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) 
Existing gravity or pressure sewer main.
(b) 
Detail showing connection to existing lateral stub or sewer main.
(c) 
Force main lateral size and material type (including fittings).
(d) 
Water lateral location (if applicable).
(e) 
Gravity building sewer from dwelling to grinder pump assembly.
(f) 
Right-of-way and property lines.
(g) 
Street names.
(h) 
North arrow.
(i) 
Minimum horizontal scale of one inch equals 50 feet; minimum vertical scale of one inch equals five feet.
(j) 
Trench reconstruction details for paved areas.
(k) 
Trench reconstruction details for grass areas.
(l) 
Clean-out detail.
(m) 
Details of the grinder pump or sewage pump unit installation, including dimensions, float mechanism, check valve, tank vent, electrical junction box, circuit breakers or disconnect switches, control panel with visual and audible alarms, bedding material, concrete anchor, etc.
(n) 
Site address.
(2) 
The contractor shall furnish the Borough/Authority with three copies of as-built plans which accurately show locations and elevations of the building sewer, pressure lateral, clean-outs, valves, traps, control panel, grinder pump or sewer pump unit, etc.
C. 
Individual household force main lateral - grinder pump.
(1) 
The individual household force main lateral shall be either 1 1/4 inch or 1 1/2 inch diameter depending on the individual design requirements. The pipe material shall have, at a minimum, a pressure rating of 150 psi at 70° F. Design calculations shall be provided with the plan and profile.
(2) 
All fittings, valves, and adapters shall be of similar material and manufacturer so as to make a complete pipeline suitable for working pressures of 150 psi.
(3) 
All individual household pressure laterals shall be connected to the sewer main with a Borough-approved pressure-rated tapping saddle. A shut-off valve with a curb box and an extended operator shall be installed at the property line.
(4) 
The shut-off valve referred to in Subsection C(3) above shall be a Ford ball valve curb stop or a Borough-approved equal with pack joints installed with the proper pipe bedding.
D. 
Individual household force main lateral - sewage pump.
(1) 
The individual household sewage pump shall be capable of passing two-inch solids.
(2) 
The pipe material shall, at a minimum, be Schedule 40 PVC pipe or equal with a minimum pressure rating of 150 psi at 70° F. Design calculations shall be provided with the plan and profile.
(3) 
All fittings, valves, and adapters shall be of similar material and manufacturer so as to make a complete pipeline suitable for working pressures of 150 psi.
(4) 
All individual household pressure laterals shall be connected to the sewer main with a Borough-approved pressure-rated tapping saddle. A shut-off valve with a curb box and an extended operator shall be installed at the property line.
(5) 
The shut-off valve referred to in Subsection D(4) shall be a Ford ball valve curb stop or a Borough-approved equal with pack joints installed with the proper pipe bedding.
E. 
Testing and inspection.
(1) 
No part of the installation shall be covered until it has been visually inspected and approved and pressure-tested and approved, whichever is applicable, by a Borough representative.
(2) 
The building sewer shall be tested in accordance with these procedures.
(3) 
The force main lateral installation from the gravity or pressure sewer main to the shut-off valve located at the property line shall be visually inspected by a Borough representative.
(4) 
The remaining portion of the force main lateral installation between the shut-off valve and the grinder pump unit shall be hydrostatically tested to a pressure of 50 psi. No leakage shall be permitted for this portion of the installation.
F. 
Grinder pump unit.
(1) 
The grinder pump unit shall be a simplex unit containing one grinder pump and all necessary parts and equipment and installed in a tank made for that purpose. The simplex unit shall include the tank, tank cover, grinder pump and motor, quick disconnect system, check valve, junction box, start-stop lever controls, motor high-temperature shut-off, alarms, etc.
(2) 
It shall be the property owner's responsibility to maintain all the components on his/her property.
(3) 
The installation shall be made in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications, the International Plumbing Code or PaDEP regulations, whichever are more restrictive.
(4) 
The pump station may be installed outside or inside the dwelling.
G. 
Sewage pump unit.
(1) 
The sewage pump unit shall be a simplex unit containing one sewage pump and all necessary parts and equipment, and installed in a tank made for that purpose. The simplex unit shall include the tank, tank cover, sewage pump and motor, quick disconnect system, check valve, junction box, start-stop level controls, motor high-temperature shut-off, alarms, etc.
(2) 
It shall be the property owner's responsibility to maintain all the components on his/her property.
(3) 
The installation shall be made in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications, the International Plumbing Code or PaDEP regulations, whichever are more restrictive.
(4) 
The pump station may be installed outside or inside the dwelling.
A. 
Chamber.
(1) 
The chamber shall be constructed of precast concrete with minimum wall and floor thickness of five inches. All exterior areas of the chamber below grade shall be bitumastic coated and any interior areas below the normal operating level shall be coated as well. The chamber is to be placed on a crushed stone base of six inches minimum thickness.
(2) 
All pipe inlet and outlet tap-ins shall be of rubber gasket type and provide a water tight seal. Any precast chamber extension sections or manway extension sections shall be grooved and have a layer of mastic sealer between sections to provide a watertight seal. The diameter of the chamber shall be sized to provide proper dosing cycles of the pumps. Access steps or an aluminum ladder shall be provided within the chamber and if an access manway shall be used, it shall have a minimum diameter of 30 inches.
(3) 
Light fixtures to provide adequate lighting must be provided and mechanical ventilation shall be provided where the pump pit is below ground level. Doors to the pumping station are to be aluminum and have a watertight seal. All doors are to be securely fastened to the pumping station and have a means of easy opening and closing with locking devices.
B. 
Pumps.
(1) 
At least two pumps of the same size shall be provided and each shall be capable of handling flows in excess of the expected maximum flow. Inability to pump sewage would cause significant damage and unsanitary conditions. Therefore, to expedite repairs in the event of a pumping failure, replacement parts shall be readily available locally either through normal local distribution channels or by selecting products of a local manufacturer. Pumps and parts from distant manufacturers without local inventories shall be prohibited.
(2) 
Pumps shall be installed such that the pumps automatically alternate pumping cycles. The pumps shall be easily disconnectible from the force main, such that the pumps are removed (if submerged in a wet well) from the wet well without a person entering it.
C. 
Electric and power.
(1) 
All electric used to power the pumping station shall conform to the National Electrical Code.
(2) 
Sewage pump stations shall remain fully operational and accessible during the twenty-five-year flood. The pump stations shall be readily accessible by maintenance vehicles during all weather conditions. The facility should be located off the traffic way of streets and alleys. Should the pump station be located within a traffic area, sufficiently rigid covers to withstand traffic loadings shall be provided. All pump stations not located in traffic areas shall be surrounded by fencing with a minimum height of 72 inches and a lockable entrance gate.
(3) 
The entire pump station shall conform to OSHA standards with proper warning signs informing that no admittance shall be permitted without proper authorization and proper equipment. Additional warning signs shall be posted on the pump control panel informing personnel, the pits may contain toxic gases and entry shall only be made after checking with appropriate testing equipment and after proper ventilation.
(4) 
Any electric failure which causes the pump station to be inoperable could result in significant damage and unsanitary conditions. Therefore, all fixtures, adapters, electric equipment, etc. installed in the pump station shall be from the same manufacturer, and replacement parts shall be readily available in the local area. Equipment from distant manufacturers without local distribution shall be prohibited.
(5) 
Any electric conduit or wiring entering the chamber shall have a watertight seal.
(6) 
All control panels and alarms shall be located outside the wet well. All electric fixtures within to the pump station shall be of an explosion-proof type.
(7) 
Emergency power shall be provided to the pump station and shall be capable of easy hook-up to operate the station in the event of a power failure. The emergency power source may be any type, provided it is capable of generating sufficient power to properly operate the station without assistance from any other power source. The pump control panel shall be furnished with a compatible connector to allow the generator tap-in a proper connection. A manual transfer switch shall be provided on the pump control panel to facilitate a smooth transition to the auxiliary mode for generator use.
D. 
Controls.
(1) 
Control systems shall be an air-bubbler type, float type, sonic-detector type or flow-measuring type. If float type controls are installed to operate the system, the floats and chains shall be installed in such a manner that the floats can be cleaned from outside the wet well.
(2) 
In addition to the controls to operate the station under normal conditions (on-off controlling devices), an alarm control shall be installed that will activate an alarm should the pump station reach levels above the normal range due to pump malfunctioning. The alarm controls shall be set to activate the alarm before the full capacity of the wet well is reached. All alarm signals shall be located outside the pump station. Alarms shall be visual and audible.
E. 
Valves.
(1) 
Shutoff valves shall be placed on the suction line of each pump, except on submersible and vacuum primed pumps.
(2) 
Shutoff and check valves shall be placed on the discharge line of each pump. A check valve suited for sanitary sewage shall be located between the shutoff valve and the pump. Check valves shall not be placed on the vertical portion of the discharge piping. Valves shall be capable of withstanding normal pressure and water hammer.
(3) 
All valves shall be located in a separate valve pit and not in the wet well. Accumulated water shall be drained to the wet well or the soil. Should the valve pit drain to the wet well, an effective method shall be provided to prevent sewage from entering the pit during surcharged wet well conditions.
F. 
Site. Sewage pump station structures, electrical and mechanical equipment shall be protected from any physical damage by the one-hundred-year flood.