[Adopted 10-8-1996 by Ord. No. 57 (Ch. 18, Part 2, of the
1997 Code of Ordinances)]
Every owner of property in the Township of Connoquenessing adjoining
or adjacent to or whose principal building is within 150 feet from
any public sanitary sewer presently in existence, or which may be
hereafter constructed, shall connect directly or indirectly to the
sewer system, at their own cost, the house, building or other structure
located on the property with said public sanitary sewers for the purpose
of disposing of all acceptable sanitary sewage emanating from said
property.
It shall be unlawful for any owner, lessee or occupier of any property in the Township required to connect to a public sanitary sewer pursuant to § 205-8 to employ any means, either by septic tank, cesspool, privy vault, mine hole or otherwise, for the disposal of acceptable sanitary sewage other than into and through said public sanitary sewers.
It is hereby declared unlawful to dispose of sewage in any privy
vault, cesspool, septic tank, mine hole or similar receptacle for
human excrement and no such on-lot disposal system shall be connected
with any public sanitary sewer.
Where any house, building or structure in the Township is required to connect to a public sanitary sewer as set forth in § 205-8, it shall be unlawful to use any method of disposal of acceptable sanitary sewage other than through said public sanitary sewers. It shall be the duty of the Township or any operating authority within said Township to notify the owner, lessee or occupier of the structure, in writing or by personal service, certified or registered mail, to disconnect the same and make proper connection for the discharge and disposal of all acceptable sanitary sewage into the public system as hereinafter provided within 60 days after receipt of such notice. Any owner or lessee or occupier who cannot comply with the provisions of this section as to connection within the sixty-day period due to causes beyond his control (but not monetary causes) shall apply within the sixty-day period for a time extension not to exceed six months in duration from the date of notice upon the following conditions. The application shall be on a form to be furnished which contains an agreement on the part of the applicant that he shall commence and agree to pay the regular monthly charges made to those using the public sewer in the Township, even though actual connection to the public sanitary sewer will not be accomplished until some stated later date within said extension period.
If the owner or occupier or any house, building or structure in the Township shall neglect or refuse to comply with the provisions of this article after written notice as prescribed in § 205-11, the Township or the operating authority may perform or cause to be performed such work and labor and furnish or cause to be furnished such material as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of this article at the cost and expense of such owner or occupier, together with a 10% addition thereto and all charges and expenses incidental thereto, which sums shall be collected from said owner or occupier as debts by law are collected or the Township or the operating authority may file a municipal claim and lien therefor against the property as provided by law.
It shall be illegal for any person, firm or corporation to cause
to be made any connection with any public sanitary sewer until he
has fulfilled all the following conditions:
A.
He shall make application to the Township or the operating authority
for a permit to connect to the sanitary sewer and provide the information
required by the application furnished and, among other things, shall
state the character and use of such structures located upon the property.
B.
He shall pay to the operating authority a connection fee and tapping
fee, surcharges and service charges in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the operating authority in effect at the time the charge
is incurred, which charges will be uniform throughout the Township.
C.
No work shall be commenced before the payment of the connection fee
and tapping fee as provided by the rules and regulations of the operating
authority.
D.
Notice shall be given to the designated inspector of the Township
or operating authority at least 24 hours before the connection shall
be made so that all work may be approved as to material and manner
of connecting to the public sewer, which approval will be endorsed
by the inspector on the date approved, on the permit in the possession
of the permittee.
E.
At the time of inspection of the connection, the owner or contractor
shall permit the inspector full and complete access to all sanitary
and drainage areas and facilities in each building and in and about
all parts of the property. No building sewer lines shall be covered
over or in any manner concealed until after it is inspected and approved
by the inspector and, after inspection, it shall be unlawful for the
owner or contractor to make any changes thereon.
The construction, number and size of all building sewer lines
or house service sewers shall be done in accordance with the specifications,
plans and procedures of the operating authority set forth in its rules
and regulations.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation connected
to any aforementioned public sanitary sewers to connect any surface
or underlying stream of water, roof drain, foundation drain, spring
water or any unacceptable sewage or industrial waste or any water
drainage from any property other than that for which the permit is
issued.
"Unacceptable sanitary sewage" and other terms used herein for
the purpose of this article shall have the same meanings as when used
in the rules and regulations of the Butler Area Sewer Authority and
said rules and regulations of the Butler Area Sewer Authority are
to be applicable to all users of the aforementioned sanitary sewers.
[Amended 9-9-1997 by Ord. No. 59]
In addition to any penalty herein prescribed, any person, firm
or corporation failing to make a proper connection within the time
specified after receipt of proper notice as provided herein shall,
upon conviction thereof in an action brought before a Magisterial
District Judge in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary
offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be sentenced
to pay a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000 plus costs
and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment
not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation of this article continues
or each section of this article which shall be found to have been
violated shall constitute a separate offense. Any and all fines are
hereby made a charge against the property and a lien thereon which
may be collected under the Municipal Claim Law of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 7101 et seq.
[Added 8-8-2001 by Ord. No. 63]
The Butler Area Sewer Authority (Authority), its officers, employees,
successors and assigns, are hereby designated as the Agent for the
Township of Connoquenessing for the enforcement of this article. The
Authority is empowered and authorized to take any and all lawful,
necessary actions in the name of the Township to enforce the obligations
and prohibitions of this article.
