Each
individual property shall be provided written notice of the installation
of the public sanitary sewer system of the Authority which will service
their property. Each individual property, in accordance with the Allegheny
County Plumbing Code requirements and the requirements of the Township
of Collier and the Authority, shall have 90 days from the date of
notice to disconnect from the on-lot system and connect into the Authority
system and are required to file the property tap-in application, as
well as arrange for the installation of the lateral connection in
accordance with Authority rules and regulations and the Allegheny
County Plumbing Code.
Any property
owner that is not able to make the connection within the required
90 days shall provide the Authority with a request for an extension
of an additional 90 days within which to make the connection and the
Authority shall automatically grant the additional ninety-day extension
by a written reply to the applicant.
At the
expiration of the initial ninety-day period and the period of the
granting of an extension, the Authority shall notify the property
owner that their property shall be considered as connected property
for the purposes of sanitary sewer usage charges and the said property
shall be incorporated into the sanitary sewer billing system. The
nonconnected property owner shall be responsible for paying sanitary
sewer charges at the established and approved sewage rate charges
of the Authority effective on the next billing system after notification.
The nonconnected
property shall be invoiced and shall be responsible for the sanitary
sewer charges on a monthly basis and, upon failure of the property
owner to maintain the account current, the property shall be liened
for nonpayment of the sanitary sewer bills. The sewage charges shall
be based on the actual water usage of the metered property, as metered
by the Pennsylvania American Water Company, or as determined by ALCOSAN,
should the property be connected to a well account.
The sanitary
sewer monthly charges shall be in addition to any Board of Viewers
assessment for the construction of the sanitary sewer line and shall
be in addition to the tap-in fee charges established by the Authority.
As of
the date of notice of the initial ninety-day connection period, or
any extended period, any portion of the tap-in fee not paid to the
Authority shall be liened against the property and shall remain a
lien against the property until satisfied.
In the
event of a written request by the property owners of a hardship, the
Authority shall not require the prepayment of the tap-in charges as
a condition to the property being connected to the sanitary sewer
system, but shall continue the municipal lien against the property
for the amount of the unpaid tap connection fee.
The purpose
of the deferring of the payment of tap-in lien is to assist the property
owner in connecting to the sanitary sewer system and allowing for
the elimination of the on-lot system, which can be detrimental to
the health and welfare of the area.