The Borough Council shall have the power to stop and prevent
the discharge of sewage from any premises in the Borough into or upon
any public highway, stream, watercourse or public place, or into any
private drain, cesspool or private sewer, and to order a connection
to be made with the public sewer for the removal of sewage from any
premises whenever, in the opinion of said Borough Council, the public
interest shall demand it, and if any person shall neglect or refuse
to comply with the order of said Borough Council as above stated,
within three months from the service of notice thereof, the said Borough
Council shall have authority to enter upon the said premises with
its tools and workmen and prevent the discharge of sewage as aforesaid
or cause connection to be made with the public sewer, or both, and
the cost thereof shall be collectible by the Borough from the owner
or owners of said premises by a municipal claim or in an action of
assumpsit.
It shall be the duty of the Sewer Committee to stop and prevent
the discharge into the public sewer, through any private drain, of
substances liable to injure the sewers or to obstruct the flow of
the sewage.
[Amended 8-15-1988 by Ord. No. 682]
It shall be unlawful to do or to cause to be done any of the
following acts, except as hereinafter provided, viz:
A. To uncover the public sewer for any purpose, or to make connection
therewith, or to uncover or open any manhole, flush tank, or any other
appendage of the public sewer, except with the written consent of
the Sewer Committee or its duly authorized agent, or to do or cause
to be done any injury of any kind to any part of the public sewer.
B. To make or cause to be made, for the removal of sewage from any premises,
any connection with the public gutters or other stormwater drains
of the Borough or with any stream or watercourse within the limits
of said Borough.
C. To make or cause to be made, either directly or indirectly, any connection
with the public sewer, except by permit of the Sewer Committee or
its authorized agent, which permit shall be issued by the Secretary
of Council under the regulations of this article, in the form adopted
by the Sewer Committee, and, for each such permit, the applicant shall
pay the sum as established from time to time by the Borough Council
at the time of the issuance thereof.
D. To make or cause to be made such connection by any other person than
a mechanic duly licensed to do such work by the Borough Council; or
to make such connection in any other manner than as follows, to wit:
(1) Every pipe connection with the sewer, from a point four feet outside
the foundation walls of the building, must be either of heavy cast
iron or of salt-glazed vitrified earthenware; must be sound and impervious
in all its parts; must be solidly laid on a true grade and as nearly
as possible in a straight line; all changes in direction must be made
with properly curved pipe; must be joined in the best manner and covered
to a depth of at least one foot with well-rammed earth, entirely free
from stone and rubbish. Within 48 hours after the backfilling of the
trench is completed, the paving or ballast must be replaced and the
street left in the best condition to the satisfaction of the Highway
Committee or its agent.
(2) In all cases, gaskets must be used to prevent cement or lead from
running into the pipes.
(3) No drain connected with the public sewer shall be laid with a less
inclination or grade than one in 60, without permission of the Sewer
Committee or its authorized agent.
(4) All drains connected with the public sewer shall be at least four
inches in interior diameter and shall be of vitrified earthenware
pipe with extra-deep and -wide sockets. If in any instance a house
drain must unavoidably be laid on the public street with a covering
of less than two feet, the Sewer Committee, or its authorized agent,
may, at its discretion, require heavy cast-iron pipe to be used in
place of earthenware pipe.
(5) No more than one building shall be connected with the public sewer
through one house connection without a special permit signed by the
Sewer Committee or its authorized agent.
(6) In opening trenches on any street or public way, the paving or ballast
must be removed with care; the sides of the trench must be sheeted
or braced when directed and in the manner directed by the Sewer Committee
or its authorized agent. The earth thrown from the trench must be
placed so as not to obstruct the gutter and so as to cause the least
obstruction to public travel. Gas and water pipes must be protected
from injury and the trench enclosed and lighted at night and every
precaution taken to prevent injury to person or property during the
progress of the work.
(7) Any settlement over a drain or any street or public way occurring
within 90 days shall be repaired at the expense of the owner of the
property from which such drain has been laid.
(8) Notice must be given to the Sewer Committee or its authorized agent
24 hours prior to the beginning of any work upon a house connection,
and no material shall be used or work covered until inspected and
approved by the Sewer Committee or its authorized agent.
(9) Permits to make connections with the public sewer will be issued
only when the plumbing in the house or building to be connected is
in accordance with the rules for plumbing prescribed by this article
or other regulations of the Borough not inconsistent herewith.
(10)
All outside sewer vents shall be protected by a safety vent
cover satisfactory to the Sewer Committee or its authorized agent.
(11)
All soil pipes and house connections with the public sewer must
be fully four inches in internal diameter at every point.
(12)
No trap nor any manner of obstructions to the free flow of air
through the whole course of the drain and soil pipe will be allowed
without written permission of the Sewer Committee or its authorized
agent.
(13)
The work of constructing house drain connections with the public
sewer shall not be covered up until the same shall have been inspected
and approved by the Sewer Committee or its authorized agent, and the
actual connection with the sewer and the construction of the drain
for a distance of four feet from the sewer shall not be made or done
except in the presence and with the approval of the Sewer Committee
or its authorized agent.
(14)
Under no circumstances can any mechanic doing the work of plumbing
or house drainage or any employee of such mechanic occupy the position
of a sanitary inspector for the Borough.
(15)
Every plumber or mechanic, whether person, firm or corporation,
who shall make connections with the public sewer shall first take
out such a license as may be prescribed by the Borough Council and
at the same time shall file a bond to be approved by the Borough Council
in the sum of $500, conditioned for the proper performance of their
work and to indemnify the Borough of Clifton Heights against all damage
arising from any neglect in such performance.
E. It shall be unlawful to allow any surface water or rainwater from
the ground or roofs of houses or buildings to enter any pipe or drain
or any vessel or slop stone connected with any pipe or drain connected
with the public sewer, or to admit any drainage water from any cellar
into such pipe or drain without obtaining permission from the Borough
Council.
F. It shall be unlawful to throw or deposit or cause to be thrown or
deposited in any vessel or receptacle connected with the public sewer
anything whatsoever, except feces, urine, the necessary water closet
paper and liquid house slops, or to allow any house drain to be connected
with any privy vault or cesspool, or underground drain or with any
other channel conveying water or filth, except the soil pipes and
plumbing work of the house or building as hereinbefore provided.
[Amended 8-3-1922 by Ord. No. 202; 8-15-1988 by Ord. No. 682; 9-19-1988 by Ord. No. 681]
A. Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of
this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a
fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs, and, in default of payment
of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 30
days. Every day that a violation of this article continues shall constitute
a separate offense.
B. Any such person, firm or corporation shall be liable for and pay
to the Borough of Clifton Heights the damages caused by such violation,
and also any firm, person, or corporation to whom a plumber's
license shall have been issued, as provided by this article, who shall
violate any of the provisions hereof, shall ipso factor forfeit his
license and shall not engage in any plumbing work regulated by this
article until he shall have again obtained a license from the Borough
Council, which may refuse such license for a period of one year after
such violation.
The Sewer Committee shall have authority to order removed any work done contrary to the provisions of this article. Refusal to comply with the orders of the Sewer Committee shall subject the owner or owners to the penalties prescribed in §
265-4.