Township of Lower Providence, PA Part 2 Building Sewers

[Adopted 7-12-1965 by Ord. No. 65]

Article VII Rules and Regulations for Installation of Building Sewers

§ 117-27 License required for sewer installer.

From and after the passage of this article, it shall be unlawful for any persons to install a building sewer to connect to the public sewer in the Township of Lower Providence without having first obtained from the Board of Supervisors a certificate of license to engage in such work.

§ 117-28 Application for license and registration.

A. Every applicant, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a license, shall:

(1) Furnish evidence to the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Lower Providence that such applicant has had three or more years of practical experience in the construction, care and alteration of plumbing and drainage systems.

(2) Execute an application, in writing, on a form to be prescribed by the Township Secretary and provided by the Township Secretary, and set forth on such form the name of the applicant, the names of the members of the firm if a partnership, or the officers of the corporation if incorporated, and the location or locations where business of the applicant is to be conducted, together with any other information the Board of Examiners may require.

(3) Submit to an examination by a Board of Examiners; provided, however, that any person, firm or corporation holding a license granted by any city, borough, incorporated town or township of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to engage in or work at the business of plumbing or drainage work, desiring to engage in the business of installing building sewers to public sewers within Lower Providence Township, shall, without examination, be registered before entering upon such work upon payment of the required registration fee.

[Amended 6-16-2005 by Ord. No. 526]

B. If, after proper examination, the applicant shall be found by the Board of Examiners to be competent, this fact shall be certified to the Township Secretary, who shall thereupon issue a license to him.

C. The license shall entitle the applicant to engage in the business of installing building sewers to the public sewer in the Township of Lower Providence for the period of one calendar year or fractional part thereof following the date of such examination, unless revoked by the Board of Examiners.

D. The registration of any one member of a partnership, or officer, superintendent or foreman of a corporation shall be deemed sufficient for the issuance of a license to such partnership or corporation.

E. The Board of Supervisors of the Township of Lower Providence is hereby authorized to appoint a Board of Examiners, to consist of one member of the Board of Supervisors, one member recommended by the Lower Providence Township Sewer Authority and one competent plumber in no way connected with the township government, who shall examine all applicants for license under the provisions of this article. The said Board shall make all reasonable rules, regulations and examinations, which shall be approved by the Board of Supervisors. An examination of any one member of a firm or corporation therefor shall be deemed sufficient. Said person or persons, firm or corporation engaged or engaging in the business of installing building sewers to the public sewer shall pay, for each examination, the sum of $10, and each journeyman or apprentice engaged in the work shall pay the sum of $1, which sum shall be paid into the township treasury.

§ 117-29 Renewal of license and registration.

A. At the expiration of each calendar year, said license shall be null and void. A registered plumber desiring to continue in the business of installing building sewers to the public sewer in the Township of Lower Providence for the ensuing year shall, between December 1 and December 24 of each and every year, beginning with the month of December, surrender the said certificate of license for the current year to the Board of Examiners and register his name and business address as hereinabove provided.

B. A reexamination will not be necessary for registration unless the licensed master, journeyman or apprentice plumber shall have failed to make an application for reregistration within the specified time. The fee for registration shall be as established by Township resolution. A register of all such applicants and the licenses issued shall be kept by the Board of Supervisors, which said register shall be open to the inspection of all persons interested therein.

[Amended 6-16-2005 by Ord. No. 526]

§ 117-30 Rules for installation of building sewers.

For the purpose of these regulations, that portion of a building (or house) drainage system extending from a point three feet outside of the building wall to the public sewerage system is considered to be a building sewer. All sewers falling within this category shall henceforth be installed in accordance with the following rules, regulations and requirements:

A. Materials.

(1) Building sewers shall be constructed of any one of the following materials, except as noted below:

(a) Cast-iron soil service, weight conforming to ASTM Designation A74-42, installed with cast lead.[1]

[Amended 6-11-1984 by Ord. No. 306]

[1] Editor's Note: Former Subsections A(2) and A(3) which immediately followed this subsection, relative to clay sewer pipe and asbestos cement nonpressure sewer pipe, were deleted 5-19-1980 by Ord. No. 254.

(b) PVC plastic sewer pipe. All plastic pipe and fittings shall conform to ASTM Designation D3034, Schedule 80, installed with push-on-type gasket joints conforming to ASTM Specification D3212 or solvent cement joints complying with ASTM Specification D2855. Gaskets for push-on joints shall conform to ASTM Specification F477.

[Added 6-11-1984 by Ord. No. 306]

(2) All materials shall be clearly marked and identified, and conformance with the specification requirements shall be certified by the manufacturer. With the exception of adapters, the entire building sewer shall be constructed of the same type of material. Whenever sewer pipe is laid under driveways or parking areas, extra-heavy cast-iron pipe shall be used.

(3) Lower Providence Township and/or the Lower Providence Township Sewer Authority may require the use of cast-iron pipe for building sewers where conditions are not suitable for plastic pipe.

[Added 6-11-1984 by Ord. No. 306]

B. Size and slope. Building sewers shall have a minimum inside diameter of four inches and, in general, shall be installed on a slope of at least 1/4 inch per foot. Where the available fall is limited, however, the slope may be reduced to a minimum of 1/8 inch per foot.

C. All building sewers shall be installed in separate trenches and in no case shall they be installed in the same trench with a water service line. The width of the trench shall not exceed 24 inches at a point four inches above the top of the sewer. All trenches shall be of sufficient depth to provide a minimum cover of 30 inches over the pipe. In the event that it is impossible to provide a minimum cover of 30 inches over the pipe, then a cover of a lesser depth shall be permitted upon the joint approval of the Engineer for the Lower Providence Township Sewer Authority and the Engineer for Lower Providence Township. Trench bottoms shall be carefully prepared and holes shall be dug for the pipe bells or couplings in such a manner that the pipe will bear on undisturbed earth for the entire length of the barrel. Where rock is encountered, it shall be removed for a depth of four inches below the outside of the pipe barrel and replaced with clean earth or approved fill to provide a proper pipe bedding.

[Amended 3-6-1967 by Ord. No. 87]

(1) When plastic pipe is used, it must be bedded in a minimum of four inches of 1B or AASHTO-8 stone.

[Added 6-11-1984 by Ord. No. 306]

D. Backfilling.

(1) After the pipe has been installed, tested and inspected, the trench may be backfilled. To a point one foot above the top of the pipe, the backfilling shall be done in four-inch layers, each layer to be thoroughly tamped and compacted.

(2) Where the building sewer is connected to the public sewerage system, the entire depth of backfill shall be thoroughly tamped in four-inch layers in such a manner as to avoid settlement at the curbline or edge of pavement. Such tamping shall be done from the curb or road paving edge for a horizontal distance of twice the depth of the pipe.

(3) When plastic pipe is used, it shall be backfilled to a minimum depth of six inches with 1B or AASHTO-8 stone above the top of the pipe. From a point six inches above the crown of the plastic pipe, the backfill material shall be clean earth free from rocks larger than six inches in diameter.

[Added 6-11-1984 by Ord. No. 306]

E. Cleanouts. A cleanout fitting shall be installed outside of the building where the sewer is connected to the building drain. The cleanout fitting shall be brought to grade to provide maximum accessibility for sewer cleaning.

F. Fittings and adapters. Changes in direction at any one point shall be effected with a forty-five-degree angle or a long sweep bend not exceeding a ninety-degree angle and shall be made with appropriate fittings at least equal in quality to the straight pipe. Connections to the public sewerage system shall be made by means of a special adapter of a type approved by the Authority.

G. Grease traps. Grease traps shall be installed wherever a connection is made to a restaurant or a building subsequently used as a restaurant.

H. Tests. Before acceptance, each building sewer shall be plugged and subjected to an internal water pressure equivalent to a head of four feet. This test shall be performed in the presence of the Authority's authorized inspector. Evidence of excessive leakage shall be sufficient cause for rejection of the sewer installation.

§ 117-31 Installation procedures.

A. Excavation and backfill. The excavation and backfill for the building sewer may be made by the building owner, a contractor who normally engages in such work or a plumber or plumbing firm holding a registered plumber's license issued by the Township of Lower Providence.

B. Installation of building sewers. Only a plumber or a plumbing firm holding a registered plumber's license issued by the Township of Lower Providence will be permitted to install the building sewer and connect it to the public sewer.

§ 117-32 Inspection and test.

When the building sewer has been installed but before connection to the public sewer has been made, a licensed plumber or plumbing firm shall make arrangements with the Township of Lower Providence Sewer Authority's authorized inspector to inspect the installation and witness the hereinbefore described test. If the excavation is of the proper width and depth, the sewer materials comply with the requirements of this regulation, the sewer is laid to the proper grade upon an adequate foundation and the joints are properly made and tight, the Authority's authorized inspector will indicate his approval, after which the connection to the public sewer may be made. When the latter connection has been completed to the satisfaction of the Authority's authorized inspector and the excavation properly backfilled, he will issue a certificate of approval of the installation.

§ 117-33 Lateral permit for new construction.

In the case of new sewer construction to be connected with the sanitary sewer system, a lateral permit shall be obtained from the Sewer Authority before any part of the work shall be commenced.

§ 117-34 Revocation of registration.

The certificate of registration granted under this article may be suspended or revoked by the Board of Examiners when any firm or corporation or a registered representative thereof shall violate any of these rules and regulations and shall refuse or neglect to make the necessary corrections to work not approved by the Authority's authorized inspector, within a reasonable time after notification thereof, or shall permit the use of his, their or its name by a person or persons for the purpose of obtaining a permit or permits for installing building sewers to the public sewer in Lower Providence Township. No person, firm or corporation carrying on the business of installing building sewers to the public sewer of Lower Providence Township shall allow his or their name to be used by any person, directly or indirectly, either to obtain a permit or permits or to do any work under his or their license.

§ 117-35 Additional rules and regulations authorized.

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 part of this article.

§ 117-36 Violations and penalties.

[Amended 3-14-1983 by Ord. No. 295]

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 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.

§ 117-37 Purpose.

It is declared that enactment of this article is necessary for the protection, benefit and preservation of the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants of this township.