[Adopted 7-11-1962 by Ord. No. 29]
As used in this article the following words and terms shall be construed as follows:
AGREEMENT
The Service Agreement dated as of July 11, 1962, between the Canonsburg-Houston Joint Authority, the Borough of Canonsburg and the Borough of Houston, and Chartiers Township.
AUTHORITY
The Canonsburg-Houston Joint Authority, as presently or hereafter constituted.
PERSON
Includes natural persons, partnerships, organizations and corporations.
REGULATIONS
Such rules and regulations as the Boroughs or the Township may from time to time adopt and promulgate with respect to any matter affecting the maintenance and operation of the sewerage system and with respect to the collection of sewer rentals imposed by this article.
SEWER
All sanitary sewers, including all lateral sewer service connections and all main collecting sewers and trunk lines comprising the sewerage system.
SEWERAGE SYSTEM
The existing sewerage facilities, and the sewerage facilities presently under construction within the service area of the Authority, together with all renewals, replacements, additions, extensions and enlargements from time to time made with respect thereto, but does not include stormwater sewers.
USER
Any person owning or occupying property having connections to the sewerage system or discharging sewage into said system, either directly or indirectly.
WATER COMPANY
The Citizens Water Company of Washington, Pennsylvania, and any successor thereto.
All persons owning improved property within the Township which abuts on or adjoins any street or right-of-way in which there now is or shall hereafter be a sewer, and whose principal building is within 150 feet from such sewer, or who discharges, either directly or indirectly, sewage into a sewer, shall, at their own expense, within 60 days after the effective date of this article, or within 60 days after the construction of any new sewer, make connection with such sewer in the manner prescribed by this article or in accordance with the regulations for the purpose of discharge into such sewer of such drainage or waste matter as is specified in this article or as may from time to time be specified by the regulations.
A. 
Improved property is classified as residential property and nonresidential property.
[Added 3-28-1973 by Ord. No. 73]
B. 
Residential property and nonresidential property includes, but is not limited to, the following:
[Added 3-28-1973 by Ord. No. 73]
(1) 
Residential property:
(a) 
A residence under one roof and occupied by one family.
(b) 
A combination of buildings in one common enclosure occupied by one family.
(c) 
Each side of a double house or each unit of a group of row houses occupied by separate families.
(d) 
Each apartment in a building having a number of apartments.
(e) 
Each side or part of a house occupied by one family even though the closet and/or other fixtures be used in common.
(2) 
Nonresidential properties include but are not limited to the following:
(a) 
Stores.
(b) 
Garages.
(c) 
Gas stations.
(d) 
Barbershops.
(e) 
Beauty shops.
(f) 
Clubs.
(g) 
Restaurants.
(h) 
Theaters.
(i) 
Business offices.
(j) 
Professional offices.
(k) 
Banks.
(l) 
Hotels and motels.
(m) 
Hospitals.
(n) 
Schools.
(o) 
Public buildings.
(p) 
Institutional homes.
(q) 
Pool rooms.
(r) 
Bowling alleys.
(s) 
Fraternal organizations.
(t) 
Churches.
(u) 
Factories.
(v) 
Junkyards.
(w) 
Repair shops.
(x) 
Laundries.
(y) 
Assembly plants.
(z) 
Slaughterhouses.
(aa) 
Dairies.
(bb) 
Bottling works.
From and after the effective date of this article, it shall be unlawful for any person to discharge or to permit to be discharged into any sewer any roof or surface water, or the flow from any groundwater collection system, or any matter determined by the regulations to be dangerous or harmful to or the discharge of which into a sewer would adversely affect the sewerage system or the functioning thereof, or the process of sewage treatment and disposal, or to discharge or to permit to be discharged into any sewer any industrial or process waste which is not preliminarily treated in the manner from time to time prescribed by the regulations in order to make it reasonably harmless to the sewerage system and to the processes of sewage treatment and disposal.
On and after July 16, 1962, all users shall pay to the Township annual sewer rentals for the sewerage service furnished by the Boroughs or the Township based on the following schedule of rates and in accordance with the classifications and with the regulations:
A. 
Basis for determination of amount of sewerage service. Except as otherwise hereinafter provided, the amount of sewerage service furnished to each user shall be deemed to be equal to the amount of water supplied to such user by the Water Company, and the consumption of sewerage service, expressed in terms of gallons per month, shall, except as otherwise hereinafter provided, be equal to the consumption of water as metered by the Water Company.
B. 
Sewer rates.
(1) 
Minimum charge.
Meter Size
(inches)
Rate per Quarter
5/8
$4.43
3/4
$5.31
1
$7.97
1 1/2
$15.94
2
$26.57
3
$67.90
4
$100.37
6
$221.40
8
$398.52
(2) 
Output charge.
Gallons per Quarter
Charge per 1,000 Gallons
First 15,000
$0.8856
Next 45,000
$0.6191
Next 240,000
$0.4100
All over 300,000
$0.2255
(3) 
Sewer rentals shall be due at the quarterly rates set forth above from all users who discharge sewage containing no process or industrial waste or other matter more concentrated than domestic sewage, as determined in accordance with the regulations.
(4) 
Customers shall be billed monthly or quarterly at the option of the Township or Boroughs in conformity with the billing practice of the Water Company. Where billed monthly, the minimum charge shall be 1/3 of the quarterly minimum; and the output charge shall be computed on the basis of 1/3 of the quantity blocks provided per quarter.
(5) 
All of the foregoing rates are net rates and are payable within 10 days from the date of mailing of the bill and thereafter subject to a penalty of 10%.
C. 
Adjustment of sewer rental for wastes stronger than sanitary sewage. For users discharging wastes having a higher concentration of settleable solids and organic matter than domestic sewage, as determined by the regulations, the rates set forth in Subsection B shall be adjusted for concentration in accordance with the regulations.
D. 
Users using private water supplies. For users using water, all or part of which is from a source other than the Water Company, there shall be a sewer rental, separate from and/or in addition to any sewer rental based upon the consumption of water from the Water Company. Such separate and/or additional sewer rental shall be measured by the quantity of water from the private sources which is discharged into the sewerage system and shall be at the same rate as is set forth in Subsection B, as the case may be. Each such user shall, at his own expense, install a meter or meters to measure the quantity of water received from sources other than the Water Company which is discharged into the sewerage system. No meter shall be installed or used for such purpose without approval of the Township. If such user fails to install an approved meter or measuring device, the Township shall estimate the amount of the waste discharged to the sewerage system and shall impose charges based upon such estimate.
E. 
Water not discharged into the sewerage system. Whenever a user uses water from the Water Company for an industrial or commercial purpose, but such water is not discharged into the sewerage system, the quantity of such water shall be excluded in determining the sewer rental payable by such user. The quantity of such water shall be measured by a device or devices approved by the Township and installed by the user and without cost to the Township; provided, however, that where in the Township's opinion it is impractical to install a measuring device continuously to determine the quantity of such water, the Township may determine said quantity in such manner as it may prescribe.
F. 
Observation facilities. Where required by the Township, any user other than a domestic user shall install a suitable manhole to facilitate observation, sampling and measuring of wastes. Such manhole, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Township. The manhole shall be installed by the user at his expense and shall be maintained by him in a safe condition at all times.
G. 
Inspection. The Township or its authorized agent shall be permitted to enter upon all properties for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurements, sampling and testing in accordance with the regulations.
H. 
Notice of change in character of waste. Any user who discharges industrial or process wastes into any sewer and who shall change his methods of operation so as to alter the type of waste previously discharged shall notify the Township 10 days previous to such change, in order that the Township may have the opportunity to sample the wastes and determine whether or not such wastes will be injurious to the sewerage system.
The owners of properties served by the sewerage system and the users of water in or on said properties shall be jointly and severally liable for the payment of the sewer rentals and penalties hereby imposed.
The Township is hereby authorized, empowered and appointed to collect the sewer rentals and penalties hereby imposed, either from the owners of the properties receiving sewerage service or from the users of water upon said properties, or from both the owners and the water users, and to enforce the payment of such sewer rentals and penalties in any manner now or hereafter authorized by law.
The sewer rentals and penalties hereby imposed shall be a lien on the property served, and all delinquent bills therefor shall be entered as a lien against such property, and such lien shall be filed in the Office of the Prothonotary of Washington County, Pennsylvania, and collected in the manner provided by law for the filing and collection of municipal claims.
Any person violating any provision of this article shall, upon conviction before any Magisterial District Judge of the Township, be fined not to exceed $25 and, in default of the payment of said fine, shall be imprisoned for not to exceed 25 days. Each day's violation of such provision shall be deemed to be a separate offense.
[Added 3-28-1973 by Ord. No. 73]
A connection charge shall be paid prior to commencing any part of the physical procedure required to connect into the sewer system. Connection charges shall be for each residential property and each nonresidential property as set forth by rules and regulations of the Township Supervisors. The connection charge for each nonresidential property shall be calculated using the ratio of the estimated water consumption of the nonresidential property to the water consumption annually of the average residential property as determined by the Township.