Ch. 18 Part 2

Part 2
Mandatory Sewer Connection

§18-201 Definitions.

As used in this Part, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

Church–a building actually used as a meeting place for religious worship.

Commercial establishment–any building using sewer service and not included in the terms “single occupancy dwelling,” “multiple family dwelling,” “church,” “school” or “industrial establishment,” specifically including in this definition any building used both as a residence and for commercial purposes.

Customer–the owner or owners of any real property or premises which receives its supply of water through a meter or is a user of water or is on the flat-rate schedule under the Borough Water Ordinance [Chapter 26]. All bills for sewer service shall be issued in the name of and shall be the responsibility of the owner or owners of the real property or premises and shall not be issued in the name of or be the responsibility of any tenant or other occupant of the real property or premises or any improvements thereon. Any multi-family dwelling or two-family dwelling which is in one ownership at the date of adoption of this amendment and which has separate meters for some or all dwelling units within the structure may not be converted to single-customer status by the removal of water meters from the dwelling units within the structure. [Ord. 595]

Fixture–any receptacle intended to receive and discharge any water or water-carried wastes into a draining system with which they are connected.

Industrial establishment–any business enterprise employing 20 or more persons on or about the premises.

Multiple-family dwelling–a building used exclusively as dwellings by two or more family units, specifically including apartment houses.

Premises–the real property, buildings, improvements or other site to which water service is furnished, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) A building under one roof, owned or leased by one person and occupied as one residence or business.

(2) Each side of a double house or each housing or dwelling unit.

(3) Each individual apartment, condominium, townhouse, office or suite of offices located in a building having several such individual apartments, condominiums, townhouses, offices or suite of offices which use in common one or more means of entrance.

(4) Such other situations as the Borough shall deem proper and advisable from time to time hereafter by resolution of the Borough Council.

[Ord. 595]

Restaurant and hotel–any establishment providing lodging facilities or serving meals or serving beverages to the general public. [Ord. 825]

School–public or private institution of learning.

Sewer system–the present sewer system of the Borough about to be conveyed and transferred to the Authority, together with the additional sewers, pumping station, trunk line sewer and sewage disposal plant as and when constructed by the Authority, and all other additions, extensions and improvements from time to time acquired or constructed.

Single-occupancy dwelling–a building used exclusively as a dwelling by one family unit.

(Ord. 182, 8/5/1946, §1; as amended by Ord. 489, 6/16/1980, §1; by Ord. 580, 6/6/1988, §I; by Ord. 595, 8/7/1989, §I; and by Ord. 825, 10/3/2016, §5(B))

§18-202 Connection Required.

All owners of improved property in the Borough of Selinsgrove, abutting upon but not presently connected with the existing sewer system, are hereby required to connect their premises therewith without delay. All such owners of improved property which shall abut upon the additional sewers when constructed shall thereupon connect therewith. All such owners of unimproved property which shall be improved in the future shall connect promptly with any such sewer then or subsequently abutting thereon.

(Ord. 182, 8/5/1946, §2)

§18-203 Procedure Prior to Connection.

1. Before making such connection to said sewer system, the owner or owners of the premises to be served shall:

A. Make written application therefore, agreeing to pay all lawful charges for sewer service to said premises so long as the applicant remains the owner thereof and thereafter until said applicant shall give written notice to the Borough of a change of ownership and the name and address of the new owner.

B. Install at the applicant’s expense the applicant’s own sewer running from the building to be served to the curbline or alley of the street or alley in which the Borough’s sewer is laid, which installation shall be subject to inspection and approval of the Borough, and the size of which private sewer line shall be no less than 6 inches in diameter, unless a smaller diameter is approved in writing by the Borough Manager. [Ord. 481]

C. Obtain a connection permit and pay the connection fee therefore, in accordance with the rates herein specified.

2. The Borough will make all connections to its mains, extend main sewer lines and furnish and install all service lines from the main curb. Existing regulations covering fees for service line connections shall not conflict with the provisions of this subsection. When the customer, for his own convenience, desires a change in the location of an existing service line and when such change involves extension, relocation or abandonment of a main sewer line, the actual cost of the work, including cutting off the old service line at the main, shall be borne by the customer. Each house or other dwelling place must be serviced through an individual connection. Buildings containing apartments or commercial establishments, where otherwise not feasible, shall be serviced by one service pipe to the main. [Ord. 288]

(Ord. 182, 8/5/1946, §3; as amended by Ord. 288, 6/3/1963, §2; and by Ord. 481, 1/21/1980, §1)

§18-204 Connection Fees.

1. Any owner of a property who connects that property to the sewer system, changes the type of use of the property previously connected to the sewer system or connects one or more new uses of the types referred to below in this Section through an existing connection, regardless of whether such property is connected separately through one or more existing or new lateral sewers or sewer connections or collection mains installed by the Borough of Selinsgrove or by any person other than the Borough of Selinsgrove, shall pay the following charges and fees:

Fee Component	Fee
Connection Fee	The actual cost of installing the sewer connection between the sewer main and the curb shall be paid by the property owner.
Customer facilities fee	The Borough shall charge the property owner or developer for any and all expenses it may incur in connection with the property owner or developer’s installation of a sewer lateral or laterals from the curb to the dwelling or other structure, including, but not limited to, review of plans, drawings, specifications and permit applications; construction inspection and testing; Borough administrative expenses, legal and engineering services; and other expenses related to the connection.
Tapping fee
Capacity part [Ord. 708]	$700 per equivalent dwelling unit of capacity required for connection
Collection part [Ord. 708]	$800 per equivalent dwelling unit of capacity required for connection
Special purpose part	No fee at present
Other charges related to sewer extensions	The Borough shall charge the property owner or developer for any and all expenses it may incur in connection with the property owner’s or developer’s installation of a sewer extension, including, but not limited to, review of plans, drawings, specifications and permit applications; construction inspection and testing; Borough administrative expenses, legal and engineering services; and other expenses related to the extension.

2. Determination of Capacity Allocations. Capacity allocations for the purpose of determining the tapping fee shall be determined on the basis of a total wastewater flow (including water use and a reasonable infiltration/inflow allowance) of 275 gallons per day per equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) and the following schedule of EDU values:

Property to Be Connected	EDU Value
Each private dwelling unit or living unit (including each home, townhouse, condominium or apartment unit)	1 EDU per unit
Each fire house or municipal building	1 EDU per connection
Each church	1 EDU per connection
Each retail store	1 EDU per 3,500 square feet
Each enclosed shopping mall, in lieu of separate calculations for retail stores and restaurants	1 EDU per 2,200 square feet
Each office, office building or portion of a building used for business and/or professional offices	1 EDU per 3,500 square feet
Each warehouse, in addition to office space	1 EDU per 25,000 square feet
Each industrial establishment, excluding process waste	1 EDU per 3,500 square feet
Industrial process waste or any wastewater discharge other than normal domestic waste	1 EDU per 200 gallons per day of water consumption
Each doctor or chiropractor’s office	1 EDU per 2 exam rooms
Each dentist’s office	1 EDU per 3 dental chairs
Each retail gas station without car washing facilities	2 EDU per connection
Each retail gas station with car washing facilities	3 EDU per connection
Each hotel or motel, in addition to restaurant or bar:
Each living unit without kitchen and/or laundry facilities in unit	1 EDU per 2.5 suites
Each living unit with kitchen and/or laundry facilities in unit	1 EDU per 1.75 suites
Each living unit with kitchen and/or laundry facilities in unit and more than 1 bedroom	1 EDU per suite
Each restaurant (other than meal caterers), bar room or other commercial establishment (not otherwise classified herein) which regularly dispenses food and/or beverages	1 EDU per 10 seats
Meal caterers:
Where all meals are served on the premises	1 EDU per 30 seats (seating capacity)
Where all meals are served off the premises	1 EDU per 2,500 square feet
Nonprofit general hospital	1 EDU per 1.5 beds
Rest homes, nursing homes	1 EDU per 2.5 beds
Funeral homes	1 EDU per 2 viewing rooms
Each public or private day school	1 EDU per 20 teachers, employees and pupils (in accordance with rated capacity)
Each boarding school	1 EDU per 3 pupils
Each day-care school	1 EDU per 20 teachers, employees and pupils (in accordance with rated capacity)
Self-service Laundromat	1 EDU per 2 machines
Theaters	1 EDU per 100 seats
Bowling alleys, in addition to restaurant facilities	1 EDU per 5 alleys
Car wash	1 EDU per 2 bays
Any other uses not classified above	To be determined by Borough on the basis of estimated total wastewater flow with 275 gallons per day of wastewater being 1 EDU or on estimated water use with 200 gallons per day of water used being 1 EDU, whichever results in the higher EDU value
The minimum EDU value for each connection to the sewer system shall be one.

3. Where two or more buildings are connected to the sewer system through a single service connection or where two or more uses are made of the same improved property (i.e., motel with restaurant, retail store with restaurant, home with a professional office, etc.), the tapping fee determination shall be computed as though such building and each type of use were separate improved properties or uses with separate sewer connections.

4. For the purposes of this Section, the term “meal caterers” is defined as any business which prepares and serves food only for prearranged social gatherings and does not maintain regular meal serving hours and does not serve meals to the general public. For meal caterers that serve both on and off the premises, the higher of the two EDU values computed in subsection .2, meal caterers, above shall be the EDU value used to compute the tapping fee.

5. Where any building connected to the sewer system shall be converted, enlarged or remodeled or additional buildings shall be constructed on a property and connected indirectly to the sewer system through an existing lateral or connected directly through a new lateral so as to create or establish more extensive use or additional uses as classified in subsection .2 above, the owner of the property so improved shall pay an additional tapping fee as provided above for each such additional use.

6. Where square footage is used to determine tapping fee EDU values, the gross floor area of the building shall be used.

7. The tapping fees set forth in subsection .1 above are based on a total wastewater flow (including a water use of 200 gallons and a reasonable infiltration/inflow allowance of 75 gallons) of 275 gallons per day per EDU. Should the volume of water used during any quarterly period exceed an average of 200 gallons per day per EDU, the property owner shall pay an additional tapping fee for the additional use at the rates specified in this Section. Upon payment of the additional tapping fee, the Borough shall adjust the tapping fee EDU value of the property on its records. Once a tapping fee has been paid, it will not be decreased and no refunds will be made for wastewater discharges less than the allowable. This subsection does not apply to private dwellings or living units, firehouses, municipal buildings or churches.

8. The fees imposed hereunder with respect to property connected shall be in addition to any rental or other charges fixed, charged or imposed by the Borough by reason of the use or availability for use of the sewer system by such property.

(Ord. 182, 8/5/1946, §4; as amended by Ord. 228, 4/2/1956; by Ord. 390, 11/6/1972; by Ord. 401, 10/1/1973; by Ord. 481, 2/20/1995, §1; by Ord. 643, 3/6/1995, §3(a); by Ord. 645, 3/6/1995, §3(a); and by Ord. 708, 12/2/2002, §3(b))

§18-205 Separate Connections; Private Sewers.

Every building must have its own entrance or connection to the main sewer in the street or alley in which said sewer is laid, except that an industrial establishment having two or more buildings may construct its own trunk sewer to serve said buildings by connecting each building thereto separately and connecting its trunk to the main sewer; provided, that such private sewer system has been inspected and approved by the Borough and that a plan thereof suitable for permanent record has been furnished the Borough. All private sewers shall be maintained and repaired at the expense of the owner of the premises served thereby, subject, however, to the direction, inspection and approval of the Borough.