m Harford Township Defacing Property Ordinance

Settled 1790       Incorporated 1808
P O Box 1
Harford, Pennsylvania 18823
Municipal Phone: (570)434-2401
FAX: (570)434-2139


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Sewer Authority Resolution

HARFORD TOWNSHIP, SUSQUHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

RESOLUTION:

IMPOSING SEWER RENTS AND CHARGES FOR THE USE OF TOWNSHIP’S SEWAGE TREATEMENT FACILITIES; REGULATING THE DISCHARGE OF WASTES OTHER THEN SANITARY SEWAGE INTO SAID FACILITIES; PROVIDING FOR THE COLLECTION OF SAID USER FEES AND CHARGES; IMPOSING PENALTIES AND INTEREST ON UNPAID BILLS; AUTHORIZING THE COLLECTION THEREOF BY ASSUMPSIT; DISTRESS OF THE ENFORCEMENT OF LIENS AS MUNICIPAL CLAIMS, AUTHORIZING RULES AND REGULATIONS; PROVIDING FOR THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RATES, RENTS AND CHARGES ESTABLISHED THEREUNDER; PROVIDING FOR AMENDMENTS HERETO; AND REPEALING INCONSISTENT RESOLUTIONS.

WHEREAS, Harford Township has undertaken to construct a sewage treatment plant, sewer collection system and related facilities (collectively, the “Wastewater Treatment Facilities”) to serve Harford Township in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, the Township is obligated to establish and impose a schedule of user fees or sewer rents applicable to properties or users utilizing the Treatment Facilities; and

WHEREAS, it is necessary to establish certain standards regulating the quality of wastes discharged into the Treatment Facilities;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Harford Township that:

Section 1: As used herein,
  1. “industrial waste” means and solid, liquid or gaseous substance or waterborne waste or form of energy rejected or escaping from any industrial, manufacturing, trade or business process or from the development, recovery or processing of natural resources, as distinguished from sanitary sewage; and

  2. “sanitary sewage” means the normal, water-carried household and toilet wastes resulting from human occupancy of residences and other establishments.
Section 2:
  1. There is hereby imposed upon the owners and upon the users of each property served by (whether by direct connection or through the intervening utilization of other sewer lines and facilities) the Treatment Facilities, for the use thereof, and initial hookup fee and annual user fee or sewer rent, to be computed and payable in accordance with the following subsections of this Section 2.

  2. A hookup fee shall be assessed to all properties served by the sewage collection and treatment facilities. (Whether by direct connection or through the intervening utilization of other sewer lines and facilities). The hookup fee payable during the construction of the wastewater facilities shall be a lump sum amount of $500. Any new properties wishing to obtain use of the sewer collection facilities and treatment plant may be allowed to do so if they first meet all applicable current subdivision and land development and/or zoning regulations within the Township and County, and secondly, obtain a sewer hookup permit from the Harford Township and pay the then current hookup fee.

  3. The sewer rent in respect of all properties shall be computed on a flat rate basis at the rate of $96.00 per quarter-year per equivalent dwelling unit (Note: quarterly rate was increased to $105.00 in March 2008). A single-family residence or dwelling shall be considered one such equivalent dwelling unit. Other types of structures or uses of property shall be equated to equivalent dwelling units in accordance with the table attached as Exhibit “A”.

  4. If two or more dwellings, apartments, stores, offices or industrial units are connected to the public sewerage system through a single lateral, or if two or more families use separate cooking and toilet facilities in a single dwelling, the sewer rent payable under subsection (c), shall be computed as though each such dwelling, apartment, store, office or industrial unit and each family were a separate property or user with a separate connection to the public sewerage system.

  5. Sewer rent for commercial establishments under subsection (c), which is dependent upon the number of bays, washers, chairs or garbage grinders under the foregoing schedule shall be computed on the basis of the average number of such bays, washers, etc., for the calendar quarter preceding the date of the quarterly bill.

  6. Sewer rent for schools payable under sub-section (c) shall be computed on the basis of the average number of pupils enrolled during the school term preceding the date of the quarterly bill. Teachers and employees shall be included with pupils for purposes of such computation.

  7. Sewer rent for retail stores, offices and industrial or manufacturing plants payable under sub-section (c) shall be computed on the basis of the average number of employees for the calendar quarter preceding the date of the quarterly bill.

  8. In the event that the Township is not provided upon request with accurate information, including supporting documents, to determine the number of employees or pupils using any property or such other data as may be necessary to determine a user classification or rate under sub-section (c), the Township’s estimate or determination thereof shall be conclusive.
Section 3:
  1. The annual sewer rents imposed by Section 3 hereof cover the discharge into the Treatment Facilities of sanitary sewage only and all persons are hereby prohibited from discharging into the Treatment Facilities (whether directly or through intervening sewerage facilities) any wastes, substances or matter other than sanitary sewage, except in accordance with this Section 3. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all persons are specifically prohibited from so discharging into the Treatment Facilities, the following:

    1. No person(s) shall discharge or cause to be discharged any unpolluted waters such as stormwater, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, or cooling water to any sewer, except stormwater runoff from limited areas, which stormwater may be polluted at times, may be discharged to the sanitary sewer by permission of the superintendent.

    2. Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers or to a natural outlet approved by the superintendent and other regulatory agencies. Unpolluted cooling water or process waters may be discharged, on approval of the Superintendent, to a storm sewer or natural outlet.

    3. No person(s) shall discharge or cause to be discharges any of the following described waters or wastes to any public sewers:

      1. Any gasoline, benzene, naptha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas.

      2. Any waters containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids, or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or be interaction with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any waste treatment process constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance, or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the wastewater treatment plant.

      3. Any waters or waste having a PH lower than 5.5 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and personnel of wastewater works.

      4. Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the wastewater facilities such as, but not limited to ashes, bones, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar plastics, wood, underground garbage, whole blood, Paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, mild containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.

    4. The following described substances, materials, waters, or waste shall be limited in discharges to municipal systems, to concentrations or quantities which will not harm either the sewers, wastewater treatment process, or equipment, will not have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or will not otherwise endanger lives, limb, public property, or constitute a nuisance.

      The superintendent may set limitations lower than the limitations established in the regulations below if in his opinion such more severe limitations are necessary to meet the above objectives. In forming his opinion such more severe limitations are necessary to meet the above objectives.

      In forming his opinion as to the acceptability, the superintendent will give consideration to such factors as the quantity of subject waste in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, the wastewater treatment process employed, capacity of the wastewater treatment plant, degree of treatability of the waste in the wastewater treatment plant, and other pertinent factors. The limitations or restrictions on materials or characteristics of waste or wastewaters discharge to the sanitary sewer which shall not be violated without approval of the superintendent are as follows:

      1. Wastewater having a temperature higher than 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees cel).

      2. Wastewater containing more than 20 milligrams per liter of petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oils, or product of mineral oil origin.

      3. Wastewater from industrial plants containing floatable oils, fat or grease.

      4. Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. Garbage grinders may be connected to sanitary sewers from homes, hotels, institutions, restaurants, hospitals, catering establishments, or similar places where garbage originates from the preparation of food served by caterers on their premises.

      5. Any water or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc, and similar objectionable or toxic substances to such degree that any such material received in the composite wastewater at the wastewater treatment works exceeds the limits established by the superintendent for such materials.

      6. Any waters or wastes containing odor-producing substances exceeding limits which may be established by the superintendent.

      7. Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the superintendent in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations.

      8. Quantities of flow, concentrations, or both which constitute a “slug” as defined herein. Those wastes not amenable to treatment or reduction by the wastewater treatment processes employed or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the wastewater treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.

      9. Any waters or wastes which, by interaction with other water or wastes in the public sewer system, release obnoxious gases from suspended solids which interfere with the collection system, or create a condition deleterious to structures and treatment processes.

    5. Industrial wastes may be discharged into the Treatment Facilities, but only upon prior written permit issued by the Township. Application for any such permit shall be accompanied by such information, relating to the nature of character of the industrial waste proposed to be discharged or otherwise, including without limitation a detailed engineering report in respect thereof prepared by a registered engineer or engineering firm, as the Township may reasonably require.

      Any permit issued under this sub-section (b) may be conditioned upon compliance with such reasonable restrictions as the Township may impose, including, without limitation, requirements for the establishment of facilities for the pretreatment and prescreening of wastes, the construction of flow equalization facilities to assure a uniform rate of discharge and the construction of suitable control manholes to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of wastes and the discharge thereof. Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided by the applicant when they are required by the Township for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amount, or any flammable wastes, sand or other harmful ingredients.

      All such interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the Township and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. Where any such required facilities or interceptors are constructed, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the applicant at his expense. No permit for the discharge or industrial wastes issued under this sub-section (b) shall be deemed to give any right to the applicant to continue such use and any such permit may be revoked by the Township at any time.

    6. The Township may promulgate prohibitions against specific types or strengths of industrial wastes or other substances (in addition to those set forth in sub-section (a) of this Section 3) which are harmful to the Treatment Facilities. Such prohibitions may be modified from time to time by the Township and any permit issued pursuant to the sub-section (b) of this Section 3 shall, by virtue thereof, be subject to such prohibitions as the same are in existence from time to time. Any person questioning the reasonableness of any such prohibitions as applied to property owned or used by such person shall have the right to a hearing before the Board of the Supervisors within a reasonable time after requesting the same (but such request shall not operate as a stay of such prohibitions).

    7. Upon the issuance of any permit for the discharge of industrial waste in accordance with sub-section (b) of this Section 3, the Township may establish, and thereafter from time to time modify, a sur-charge upon the sewer rent to be paid for the use permitted under such permit if the Township determines the same to be appropriate considering the strength or other characteristics of the wastes.
Section 4:
  1. The flat-rate sewer rent imposed by Section 2 (b) shall be payable quarterly in advance and rent for each calendar quarter shall be billed and payable as of the fifteenth day of each quarter, i.e., on the fifteenth day of January, April, July and October in each year. Rent for the quarter in which a property first becomes liable for rent shall be prorated, and shall be billed in conjunction with the next regular quarterly billing or by special billing as the official responsible for billing may elect.

  2. Bills for sewer rent shall be mailed to the address of the record owner of the property served unless and until a different address is specified by the owner or user of the property to the Township. Failure to receive a bill as a result of incorrect address or otherwise shall not excuse nonpayment of rent or extend the time for payment.
Section 5:

If any quarterly installment of sewer rent is not paid within 30 days after the date of the bill, a 10% penalty shall be added thereto; and if the installment plus penalty is not paid within 60 days after the date of the bill, the aggregate amount thereof shall bear interest from the penalty date at the rate of ½ of 1% per month of fraction thereof. Any unpaid sewer rent (together with penalties and interest thereon to the extent permitted by law) shall be a lien on the property served which may be collected by action in assumpsit, by distress or by a lien filed in the nature of a municipal claim, as and to the extent provided by law.

Section 6:

Supplemental rules and regulations regarding the payment and collection of the sewer rents imposed hereunder and the use of the Treatment Facilities may be promulgated by the Township from time to time.

Section 7:

The rates, user fees, rents and charges established, levied and imposed by this resolution shall take effect on the date on which the Township’s Treatment Facilities are completed.

Section 8:

If any provision of this resolution, or the application of any provision hereof, shall be held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect or impair the remainder of this resolution, it being the intention of the Township that such remainder shall continue in full force and effect.

Section 9:

The Township reserves the right to amend or modify this resolution or any part thereof at any time or from time to time.

Section 10:

Users of the system will be notified at least annually of the user charge rate. The notice shall include a breakdown of the rate showing the costs attributable to operation, maintenance and replacement.

Section 11:

The Township hereby commits to adopt a Sewer Use Ordinance requiring all owners of improved property to connect such improved property to the new public sewer collection system being constructed by the Township.

Section 12:

All prior resolutions or parts thereof in conflict or inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.

RESOLUTION DULY ENACTED this 29th day of Sept 1993, by Harford Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, in lawful session duly assembled.



EXHIBIT “A” PROPOSED DRAFT OF SEWER USE CHARGES FOR HARFORD TOWNSHIP

Table of Contents Dwelling Units Equivalent

Classification of PropertyDwelling Units
Two Family Dwelling2
Trailer1
Apartment House, per rental unit1
Hotel, per 3 rental rooms1
Restaurant, Club, Tavern, per 8 seats or fraction thereof1
Church, Fire Company1
Service Station, Automobile Repair Garage
Barber or Beauty Shop, two chairs or less1
Each additional two chairs or fraction thereof½
Laundromat, per 5 washers
Retail Stores, Office, Business1
Each additional 6 employees or fraction thereof1/24
Public School, Elementary, Secondary,
Each 25 student or fraction thereof
1
Private School, per each 10 resident pupils
Or fraction thereof
1
Plus Each 25 days pupils or fraction thereof1
Any user having a commercial (i.e., ¾ horsepower
Or greater) garbage grinder, per each such grinder,
Additional
1
Convalescent Home, per 4 beds1
Institution other than hospital, per 4 beds1