Part 4
Sewers, Generally
§18-401 Statement of Intent.
The sanitary sewer system now constructed in the Borough or to be constructed in the future shall be regulated and operated according to the conditions hereof.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §1)
§18-402 Abandonment of Private Systems upon Availability of Public Sewers.
In the drainage districts where sewers are laid, the use of cesspools, septic tanks, wells, privy vaults or other receptacle for sewage purposes shall cease, and their use for the disposal of sewage shall be abandoned within 6 months after a public sewer shall become accessible and connection shall be made to the sanitary sewer system of the Borough.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §2)
§18-403 Notice.
1. It shall be the duty of the Borough Council to cause a printed or written notice of the completion of such sewer, together with a copy of this Part, to be served on the owners of each property abutting on the highway, road, street or walk along which such sewer has been laid.
2. Such notice in each instance shall state that:
A. It is the duty of such owners to cause the buildings erected on their premises requiring sewage drainage to be connected therewith at their own expense and subject to the payment of the connection fee and the annual sewer rental for the use of same.
B. Upon the failure of any such owner to comply with the requirements of such notice and of this Part, the Borough Council will cause such connection to be made at the expense of the owner, who shall thereupon also become subject to a penalty or fine as hereinafter provided.
C. After 45 days from the date such notice shall have been given, no cesspool, septic tank, well, privy vault or other receptacle for sewage purposes shall be pumped out or repaired and the use of any cesspool, septic tank, well, privy vault or other receptacle for sewage purposes requiring pumping out or repairs shall forthwith cease and their use for the disposal of sewage shall forthwith be abandoned.
3. If at any time the Borough Council shall deem it necessary for the public health to require that any building erected on premises abutting on, adjoining or adjacent to any Borough sewer shall be connected with such sewer, wheresoever any such building may be located on such premises, the said Borough Council shall cause to be served upon the owner or owners of any such building a copy of this Part and a printed or written notice directing that the necessary connections be made to the Borough sewer system within 45 days from the date of its service, such notice to be similar in form to that hereinbefore referred to in this Part.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §2)
§18-404 Remedy upon Noncompliance.
If any owner or user shall, after notice as provided herein, refuse or neglect to discontinue the use of cesspools, septic tanks, wells or privy vaults or such other receptacle for sewage purposes and shall refuse or neglect to cause a connection to be made to the sanitary sewer system, the Borough Council shall cause its duly appointed employees to enter upon the premises and shall cause said cesspool, septic tank, well, privy vault or other receptacle to be closed and a sewer connection made to the sanitary sewer system, at the owner’s expense, the costs to be collectible as hereinafter provided.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §2)
§18-405 Connection and Construction Limitations.
1. No connection from cesspools, septic tanks, wells, privy vaults or any other receptacle for sewage purposes, except specially designed sump pits or sewage wells in buildings of lower elevation than the sewer outside, shall be made with any sewer.
2. No cesspool, septic tank, well, privy vault or other receptacle for sewage purposes, except as above noted, shall hereafter be constructed in any part of the Borough where the sanitary sewer system is accessible.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §3)
§18-406 Regulation of Sewer System Connections.
All users of the public sewer system shall comply with the current rules and regulations of the Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority, or its successor. The Borough reserves the right to refuse permission to connect to the sewer system, to compel discontinuance of use of its sewer system, and to compel the pretreatment of any waste by any user in order to prevent discharges which are deemed to be harmful to or will have a deleterious affect on its sewer system or on the said regional sewer system.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-407 Prohibition and Limitations on Wastewater Discharges.
No wastewater shall be discharged into the public sewer system having any of the following characteristics:
A. Having a 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in excess of 200 mg/l as a weekly average value.
B. Having a suspended solids concentration in excess of 225 mg/l as a weekly average value.
C. Having a temperature higher than 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
D. Containing more than 100 PPM by weight of fats, oils, and grease.
E. Containing any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquids, solids, or gases.
F. Containing any garbage, food, foodscraps, grease, oils, fats, dairy products, drippings, food byproducts, peelings, seeds, nuts, fruits, or any other items consumed by humans or animals.
G. Containing any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tars, plastics, wood, whole blood, paunch manure, hair, and fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, or any other solids, or viscous substances capable of causing obstructions or other interference with the proper operation of the Borough’s sewer system or that of the regional sewer system.
H. Having a pH lower than 6.0 or higher than 9.0, or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazards to structures, equipment, or personnel of the regional sewer system.
I. Containing toxic or poisonous substances in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process, or constitute hazards to humans or animals, to create a public nuisance, or to create any hazard in waters which receive treated effluent from the Regional Sewage Treatment Plant. Toxic wastes shall include, but not by the way of limitation, wastes containing cyanide, chromium, copper, and nickel ion.
J. Containing pharmaceutical materials such as liquid or solid medications, pill, capsules, tonics, alcohol, and other drugs used for the treatment of humans or animals.
K. Containing noxious or malodorous gases or substances capable of creating a public nuisance or that will pass through the regional sewage treatment plant and exceed the state or interstate requirements for the receiving stream.
L. Containing solids of such character and quantity that special and/or unusual attention is required for their handling.
M. Containing radioactive isotopes.
N. Containing any cooling water or unpolluted industrial or commercial process water.
O. Containing strong acid iron pickling wastes or concentrated plating solutions, whether neutralized or not.
P. Containing or causing discolorization such as, but not limited to, dye waste and vegetable tanning solutions.
Q. Containing any substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the biochemical wastewater treatment processes employed or are amenable to the treatment only to such a degree that the effluent of the regional sewage treatment plant cannot meet the requirements of agencies having jurisdiction over the discharge to the receiving stream.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-408 Control of Prohibited Wastes.
If any waters or wastes are discharged, or are proposed to be discharged, to the Borough’s public sewer system, which waters or wastes contain the substances or possess the characteristics described in §18-407 above, and which in the judgment of the Borough may have a deleterious effect upon the regional sewer system, the regional sewage treatment plant, or the receiving stream, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the Borough may:
A. Reject such waters or wastes.
B. Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the Borough sewer system.
C. Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge.
D. Require payment to cover the added cost of handling and treating the waters or wastes not covered by existing sewer charges under this Part of the Selinsgrove Borough Code.
E. Close up or disconnect from the public sewer system any lateral or dwelling connection.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-409 Imposition of Surcharges.
The Borough and/or in cooperation with the Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority may periodically sample the discharge from industrial and commercial establishments in order to control the strength of wastewater entering the public sewer system. In the event the Borough or Regional Authority find a BOD concentration in excess of 200 mg/l, a suspended solids concentration in excess of 225 mg/l, or other characteristics in violation of this Part, the owner of such industrial or commercial establishment shall be notified of the findings, shall be required to pay all applicable surcharges, and shall be required to take such other action necessary to correct the violation. The Borough may also employ the corrective actions set forth in §18-408 above.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-410 Wastewater Measurements and Testing.
All measurements, tests, and analyses of the characteristics of wastewater to which reference is made in this Part shall be determined in accordance with the latest edition of “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater,” published by the American Health Association, and shall be determined at the control manhole provided, or upon suitable samples taken at said control manhole. The control manhole shall be the same, as the special manhole required by §18-412 of the Part. In the event that no special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest downstream manhole in the Borough sewer system to the point at which the building sewer is connected or at such other point as may be determined or approved by the Borough. Duration and frequency of the sampling will be determined by the Borough.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-411 Exclusion of Uncontaminated Waters.
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any storm water, surface water, spring water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, building foundation drainage, cellar drainage, drainage from roof leader connections, uncontaminated cooling water, and overflow or drainage from cesspools into the public sewer system.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-412 Industrial Waste Discharge Permit.
1. No person shall discharge or allow to be discharged any industrial waste, dangerous or toxic substances, or other materials incompatible with the public sewer system or with the Regional Sewer System into the public sewer system until there has been first submitted to and approved by the Borough and the Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority an application for an industrial waste permit. Such application shall be submitted not less than 3 months prior to the proposed discharge and shall set forth the following information:
A. Name and address of the proposed discharger.
B. Precise location of the discharging facility or facilities.
C. Type of industry or other use of the property from which the industrial waste is to be discharged.
D. Description of the process or processes which produce or will produce the industrial waste or other material.
E. Description of the types and characteristics of the industrial waste or other material, volume and rates of flow and methods of measuring the same, time of discharge, whether the waste will contain any matter or characteristic prohibited under this Part and of any pretreatment facilities, whether existing or proposed.
F. Such additional information as may be required by the Borough, the Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority, or the Borough Engineer.
2. When directed by the Borough, industrial establishments shall install, pay for, and maintain a special manhole and such other devices as may be required by the Borough or by the Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority to facilitate observation, measurement, and sampling of wastewater discharged into the public sewer system. The manhole shall be safe and accessible at all times.
3. The Borough or Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority may require pretreatment, at the expense of the applicant, of any industrial waste or other material as a condition of any permit requested under this Part and may prohibit the discharge of any industrial waste or other material which violates the provision of this Part or any other rules and regulations of the Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority if the pretreatment requirements are not satisfied for any reason.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-413 Modification of Industrial Discharge.
Any person, firm, or corporation that plans to change operations so as to materially alter the characteristics and volumes of industrial wastes discharged into the public sewer system which is now or will be connected to that sewer system shall file an application for the approval of an industrial waste permit in accordance with §18-412 above.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-414 Pretreatment of Industrial Waste.
1. All industrial establishments shall be required to comply with pretreatment regulations and requirements which may now be in effect or which may be later established the by Federal Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) or the Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”).
2. If the Borough permits the pretreatment or equalization of wastewater flows, the design and installation of the plants and equipment shall be subject to the review and approval of the Borough, and subject to the requirements of all applicable codes, ordinances, regulations and laws.
3. Where preliminary treatment or flow-equalizing facilities are provided for any wastewater, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-415 Installation and Regulation of Grease Traps.
1. All hotels, restaurants, boarding houses, cafeterias, fraternity houses and sororities houses serving food, church and other non-profit entities’ kitchens serving food, clubs or other social organizations serving food, commercial food preparation facilities, and any other establishment where food is prepared and/or served, shall install, at its own expense, a grease trap, of type and size approved by the Borough or a properly authorized agent of the Borough, in their plumbing or piping. Such grease traps shall be cleaned on a regular basis to prevent any grease from entering the public sewer system and the contents of such trap shall be properly disposed of according to the rules and regulations of the EPA and DEP. The owner and/or operator of the grease trap shall keep written records of the date, quantities of grease, and methods of when the grease trap is cleaned.
2. In the event of a malfunction of a grease trap such that any of its contents enter into the public sewer system, the owner of said trap shall immediately notify the Borough in writing of the malfunction, shall take corrective action to cure the malfunction, and, if such malfunction cannot be immediately corrected, shall cease all grease producing activities until the malfunction is corrected and the grease trap is again fully operational. By duly adopted resolution the Borough may from time to time promulgate rules and regulations for the installation and operation of grease traps which shall have the full force and effect as part of this Part.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-416 Admission to Property.
The Borough and/or Eastern Snyder County Regional Authority or their duly authorized representatives shall, at all reasonable times, be permitted to enter upon any and all properties not in compliance with §§18-407 and/or 18-411, or subject to §§18-413, 18-414, and/or 18-415 for the purposes of inspecting, observing, measuring, and sampling wastewater discharged to the public sewer system, and to assure the proper operation of any grease traps and pretreatment facilities, if applicable.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947; as added by Ord. 781, 12/7/2009, §4(a))
§18-417 Permit and Fee Required Prior to Connection.
House connections from the curbline to the building or from the sewer to the building if the sewer is inside the curbline shall be laid by the owner at his, her or their expense, but only after such connections have been authorized by a permit issued by the Borough Secretary, upon payment of the connection fee prescribed by §18-204 of Part 2.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §10)
§18-418 Inspection and Approval Required.
The actual connection to the sewer shall not be made until after inspection and approval of the house connection and all drains and connections thereto by the Borough Superintendent of Sewers or a properly authorized agent of the Borough.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §10)
§18-419 Cleanout Required.
When the length of a house connection is in excess of 100 feet, a cleanout shall be installed adjacent to the connection with the building.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §10)
§18-420 Separate House Sewers Required.
A separate house sewer will be required for each individual building or house, whether constructed as a detached unit or as one of a pair or row, but a single house sewer will be permitted to serve an apartment house or other permanently multiple-unit structure whose individual apartments or units may not be subject to separate ownership.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §10)
§18-421 Permit Required for Repair.
When necessary or advisable to make any alteration or repair to any lateral or house connection already in place, application shall be made to the Borough Secretary for a permit, in the same manner as for new connections.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §10)
§18-422 Specifications for Connection.
All house laterals from the main source to the house shall meet the specifications as shall be adopted from time to time by resolution of the Borough Council.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §11; as amended by Ord. 481, 1/21/1980, §1)
§18-423 Connection by Borough upon Noncompliance.
In the event of failure to make approved connection to the sewer system from any dwelling, commercial or industrial establishment, or other building in which sanitary conveniences or facilities are provided, after the sewer becomes accessible and within the period prescribed in §18-402, and after notice thereof has been given, the Borough Council shall cause its duly appointed employees to enter upon the premises and cause such connection to be made at the owner’s expense, the costs of same to be collected as herein provided.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §12)
§18-424 Construction Subject to Supervision and Inspection.
The construction of lateral or house connections and of house plumbing shall, at all times, be subject to supervision and inspection by the Borough Superintendent of Sewers or a proper authorized agent of the Borough. The lateral or house connection shall not be covered until permitted by the Borough Superintendent of Sewers, or a proper authorized agent of the Borough, and all backfilling of trenches shall be under his supervision and shall be thoroughly compacted by tamping in 6-inch layers, by thorough water jetting, or by other method approved by the Borough Superintendent of Sewers, or a proper authorized agent of the Borough.
The Borough Superintendent of Sewers, or a proper authorized agent of the Borough, shall have the right to close up or disconnect from the sewer system any lateral or house connection used for carrying rain, surface water, ground water or objectionable matter or whenever any of the violations of this Part are committed and to order or require such connection to be made and to carry such sewage as is intended and indicated in this Part.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §13)
§18-425 Connections at Curbline.
All house connections to the sewer shall be made at the end of the lateral at the curbline. Y-branches or T’s have been placed in the sewers as constructed and will be placed in the sewers to be constructed and laterals have been extended to the curb at all improved properties where deemed advisable or will be so placed; but in the event that laterals and connections to the now existing or future sewers are advisable or necessary at locations other than at points where laterals have been placed, such laterals will be constructed by the Borough, upon written application to the Borough Secretary, but only after the connection fee prescribed by §18-204 of Part 2 shall have been paid to the Borough Secretary.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §14)
§18-426 Opening of Obstructed Sewers.
If any lateral or house connection shall become clogged or obstructed, the same may be opened by employees of the Borough under the direction of the Borough Superintendent of Sewers or a properly authorized agent, upon application by the owner to the Borough Secretary. The application shall contain an agreement by the owner to reimburse the Borough for any and all expenses incurred in the opening of such lateral branch or house connection, providing that the clogging or obstruction thereof is found to be due to any cause for which the Borough is not liable, but if otherwise, the expense shall be paid by the Borough. The decision of the Borough Superintendent of Sewers or a properly authorized agent as to the liability for such clogging shall be final and conclusive.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §15; as amended by Ord. 434, 10/4/1976, §115-36)
§18-427 House Connection Requirements.
All house connections from buildings to the lateral sewer in the street shall have permanently tight joints and suitable grade, depth, alignment and protection, as approved by the Borough Superintendent of Sewers or a properly authorized agent, to ensure satisfactory performance and to prevent the admission of groundwater.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §16)
§18-428 Operation of System.
The sewer system, sewage treatment works and sewage pumping station shall be operated and maintained under the direct supervision of the Borough Superintendent of Sewers or a properly authorized agent, and such operators or laborers as may be required to operate and maintain the sewer system, the sewage treatment works and the pumping station shall be engaged as directed by the Borough Council.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §18)
§18-429 Remedy by Borough upon Noncompliance.
Should any person or persons refuse, neglect or fail to comply with any of the terms, provisions and requirements of this Part or with any notice given in conformity with or pursuant to the provisions hereof, then the Borough Council is hereby empowered and directed to engage all labor and furnish all materials necessary or required to comply with said notice; and the cost and expenses thereof, together with 5 percent added thereon as a penalty, and including all delinquent sewer service charges and penalties, as provided in §18-305 of Part 3 shall be certified to the Borough Solicitor, who shall enter the same as a lien against the property in the Court of Common Pleas of Snyder County and shall proceed to collect same in like manner as other municipal claims are by law collectible; or an action of assumpsit may be brought to recover the same from the said owner or owners, in the name of the Borough of Selinsgrove.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §17)
§18-430 Violations and Penalties.
The said owner or owners who shall fail, neglect or refuse to comply with or who shall violate the terms, requirements and conditions of this Part or of any notice as aforesaid, 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, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs and reasonable attorney fees incurred by the Borough in the enforcement proceeding 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 Part continues or each Section of this Part which shall be found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense.
(Ord. 185B, 3/3/1947, §17; as amended by Ord. 825, 10/3/2016, §5(B))