[Adopted 12-26-1978 by Ord. No. 12-78 (Ch.
18, Part 2, of the 1988 Code)]
Unless the context specifically and clearly
indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms and phrases used in this
article shall be as follows:
Bethlehem Township Municipal Authority, a Pennsylvania municipal
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/or industrial wastes shall be or may be discharged.
Any solid, liquid, or gaseous substance or form of energy
ejected or escaping in the course of any industrial, manufacturing,
trade or business process or in the course of the development, recovery
or processing of natural resources, as distinct from sanitary sewage.
That part of the sewer system extending from a sewer to the
curbline or, if there shall be no curbline, to the property line 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.
Any pipe or conduit constituting a part of the sewer system,
used or usable for sewage collection purposes.
All facilities, as of any particular time, for collecting,
pumping, transporting, treating and/or disposing of sanitary sewage
and/or industrial wastes, situate in this Township, to be owned by
the Authority and to be leased to this Township for operation and
use.
Any highway, street, road, lane, alley, court or public square.
The Township of Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania,
a political subdivision, acting by and through its Board of Township
Commissioners or, in appropriate cases, by and through its authorized
representatives.
A.
The owner of any improved property abutting on or
adjoining any street or highway in which a sewer is located shall
connect such improved property therewith, in such manner as this Township
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 by this
Township, 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, shall be conducted into a sewer, subject to such limitations and restrictions as shall be established herein or as otherwise shall be established by this Township, from time to time.
C.
No person shall place or deposit or permit to be placed or deposited upon public or private property within this Township any sanitary sewage or industrial wastes in violation of Subsection A. No person shall discharge or permit to be discharged to any natural outlet within this Township any sanitary sewage or industrial waste in violation of Subsection A, except where suitable treatment has been provided which is satisfactory to this Township.
D.
No privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or similar receptacle shall be used or maintained at any time upon any improved property which has been connected to a sewer or which shall be required under Subsection A to be connected to a sewer. 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 at the expense of the owner of such improved property and 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 required 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.
E.
No privy vault, cesspool, sinkhole, septic tank or
similar receptacle at any time shall be connected with a sewer.
F.
The notice by this Township to make a connection to a sewer, referred to in Subsection A, shall consist of a copy of this article, including any amendments at the time in effect, or a brief summary of each section thereof, and a written or printed document requiring such connection in accordance with the provisions of this article and specifying that such connection shall be made within 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.
A.
No person shall uncover, connect with, make any opening
into or use, alter or disturb, in any manner, any sewer or the sewer
system without first making application for and securing a permit,
in writing, from this Township.
B.
Application for permit required under Subsection A shall be made by the owner of the improved property to be served or his duly authorized agent.
C.
No person shall make or cause to be made a connection
of any improved property with a sewer until such person shall have
fulfilled each of the following conditions:
(1)
Such person shall have notified the Secretary of this
Township of the desire and intention to connect such improved property
to a sewer.
(3)
Such person shall have given the Secretary of this
Township at least 24 hours' notice of the time when such connection
will be made so that this Township may supervise and inspect the work
of connection and necessary testing.
(4)
Such person shall have furnished satisfactory evidence
to the Secretary of this Township that any tapping fee charged and
imposed by the Authority against the owner of each improved property
who connects such improved property to a sewer has been paid.
D.
Except as otherwise provided in this Subsection D, each improved property shall be connected separately and independently with 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, in writing, shall have been secured and subject to such rules, regulations and conditions as may be prescribed by this Township.
E.
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.
F.
A building sewer shall be connected to a sewer at
the place designated by this Township or the Authority and where the
lateral is provided.
G.
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.
A.
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.
B.
No building sewer shall be covered until it has been
inspected and approved by this Township. 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.
C.
Every building sewer of any improved property shall
be maintained in a sanitary and safe operating condition by the owner
of such improved property.
D.
Every excavation for a building sewer shall be guarded
adequately with barricades and lights to protect all persons from
damage and injury. Streets, sidewalks and all 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.
E.
If any person shall fail or refuse, upon receipt of
a notice from this Township or the Authority, in writing, to remedy
any unsatisfactory conditions with respect to a building sewer, within
60 days of receipt of such notice, this Township may refuse to permit
such person to discharge sanitary sewage and industrial wastes into
the sewer system until such unsatisfactory conditions shall have been
remedied to the satisfaction of this Township.
F.
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 with a sewer and the sewer system,
which additional rules and regulations, to the extent appropriate,
shall be, and shall be construed as, a part of this article.
A.
Any person who shall violate this article shall be
liable, upon summary conviction for a first offense and upon summary
conviction for each subsequent offense, to a fine of not less than
$25 nor more than $300, together with costs of prosecution in each
case. Each day that a violation shall continue shall be deemed and
shall be taken to be a separate offense and shall be punishable as
such.
B.
Fines and costs imposed under provisions of this article
shall be enforceable and recoverable in the manner at the time provided
by applicable law.
It is declared that the enactment of this article
is necessary for the protection, benefit and preservation of the health,
safety and welfare of the inhabitants of this Township.
