[Adopted 5-14-2019 by Ord. No. 1597]
The purpose of this article is to establish procedures for the use and maintenance of existing and new retaining tanks designed to receive and retain sewage, whether from residential or commercial uses. It is hereby 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.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings given thereto.
AGENCY
Board of Commissioners of Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
IMPROVED PROPERTY
Any property within the 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 sewage shall or may be discharged.
OWNER
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole or partial, of any property located in the Township.
PERSON
An individual, partnership, public or private association or corporation, firm, trust, estate, municipality, governmental unit, public utility or any other legal entity whatsoever, which is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.
RETAINING TANK
A watertight receptacle which receives and retains sewage and is designed and constructed to facilitate the ultimate disposal of the sewage at another site. The term includes but is not limited to the following.
A. 
CHEMICAL TOILETA permanent or portable nonflushing toilet using chemical treatment in the retaining tank for odor control.
B. 
HOLDING TANKA tank, whether permanent or temporary, to which sewage is conveyed by a water-carrying system.
C. 
PRIVYA tank designed to receive sewage where water under pressure is not available.
D. 
INCINERATING TOILETA device capable of reducing waste materials to ashes.
E. 
COMPOSTING TOILETA device for holding and processing human and organic kitchen waste employing the process of biological degradation through the action of microorganisms to produce a stable, humus-like material.
F. 
RECYCLING TOILETA device in which the flushing medium to a condition suitable for reuse in flushing.
SEWAGE
Any substance that contains any of the waste products or excrement or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or animals and any noxious or deleterious substance being harmful or inimical to the public health, or to animal or aquatic life or to the use of water for domestic water supply or for recreation or any substance which constitutes pollution under the Clean Streams Law (35 P.S. §§ 691.1 through 691.1001).
TOWNSHIP
Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
The Township, through its Sewage Enforcement Office, is hereby authorized and empowered to undertake within the Township the control and methods of retaining tank use, sewage disposal and sewage collection and transportation thereof.
A. 
The Township is hereby authorized and empowered to adopt by resolution such rules and regulations concerning sewage which it may deem necessary from time to time to effect the purposes herein.
B. 
Conformity with applicable law. All such rules and regulations adopted by the Township shall be in conformity with the provisions herein, all other ordinances of the Township and all applicable laws and applicable rules and regulations of administrative agencies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Township shall have the right and power to fix, alter, charge and collect rates, assessments, and other charges in the area served by its facilities at reasonable and uniform rates as authorized by applicable law.
A. 
The collection and transportation of all sewage from any improved property utilizing a retaining tank shall be done solely by an individual, firm or corporation who has experience with retaining tank maintenance and cleaning and the disposal thereof shall be made only at such site or sites as may be approved by the Department of Environmental Protection of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B. 
The Township will receive, review and retain pumping receipts from permitted retaining tanks.
C. 
The Township will retain annual inspection reports for each permitted retaining tank.
The owner of an improved property that utilizes a retaining tank shall:
A. 
Maintain the retaining tank in conformance with this article or any ordinance of the Township, the provisions of any applicable law, and the rules and regulations of the agency and any administrative agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B. 
Be responsible for providing the Township with a valid maintenance and pumping agreement between the property owner and an individual or corporation who has experience with retaining tank maintenance and cleaning, a letter of agreement with the proposed disposal site verifying adequate capacity for disposal exists and the NPDES permit number for the facility.
C. 
Provide an annual written inspection report to the Township within 15 days of the inspection of the retaining tank, to be completed annually by an individual, firm or corporation who has experience with retaining tank maintenance. Such inspection report shall be provided to the Township each calendar year during which a retaining tank is in use and shall be submitted to the Township on or before December 31 of each year. In the event that such report indicates that the particular retaining tank requires maintenance or repairs in order to be in working order and/or to comply with any applicable law(s) or regulation(s), the owner shall undertake and complete all necessary maintenance and repairs to establish working order and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and shall provide the Township with proof of completion of such maintenance and repairs.
D. 
Permit only licensed seepage transporters to collect, transport and dispose of the contents of any retaining tank.
E. 
Be responsible for maintaining the tank and providing for regular pumping. Pumping receipts for retaining tanks shall be held on file at the property and a copy shall be transmitted to Springfield Township on an annual basis accompanying the annual inspection report. The pumping receipt shall include the name and address of the pumper/hauler; name, address, and NPDES number of the disposal facility, date pumped; and volume pumped.
F. 
Provide the Township will all the pumping receipts, inspection reports and maintenance reports.
G. 
Provide the Township with current information about any change in ownership of the property or persons responsible for use and maintenance of the retaining tank.
H. 
Report leaks, spills, overflows, and malfunctions to the Township immediately and take immediate corrective action in accordance with the regulations of the Department of Environmental Protection.
A. 
It shall be a violation of this article to commit or to permit any other person to commit any of the following acts.
(1) 
To install, repair, modify, or alter a retaining tank prior to obtaining a permit or in a manner which violates the terms and condition of any permit.
(2) 
To misuse or fail to maintain a retaining tank.
(3) 
To collect, transport and dispose of the contents of a retaining tank or to permit any person to collect, transport or dispose of the contents of a retaining tank in violation of the conditions of a permit, this article or the regulations of the Department.
(4) 
To fail to abandon the retaining tank consistent with applicable Department standards if public sewer service becomes available.
(5) 
To place false information on or omit relevant information from an application for a permit.
(6) 
To fail to comply with any other provision of this article.
B. 
Any person who shall violate any provision of this article or who permits the violation of any provision of this article shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution, and, in default of payment of such fine and costs, by imprisonment for not more than 30 days.
C. 
Each violation for each separate day and each violation of any provision of this article shall constitute a separate and distinct violation.
D. 
Any person who violates or permits the violation of any provision of this article shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by Springfield Township, pay the fine prescribed by this article, plus all court costs, including reasonable attorney fees, incurred by Springfield Township.
E. 
Enforcement of this article shall be the responsibility of the Township Manager, or Sewage Enforcement Officer, Building Inspector, Plumbing Inspector or Fire Marshal, as appropriate, who shall follow the enforcement procedure set forth in provided in Chapter 1, Article II, § 1-10, entitled "Violations and Penalties," Subsection A(1).