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Resolution 1984-8
Tri Community 
Rules and Regulations for Sewage System


Tri-Community Water & Sewer Authority, approving Rules and Regulations Concerning Connection to and use of the Sanitary Sewer System of the Tri-Community Water and Sewer Authority.

Be It Resolved, by the Board of Tri-Community Water and Sewer Authority, (the Authority) as follows:

Section 1. Definitions.

1.1 Authority- Tri-Community Water and Sewer Authority

1.2 Authority Engineer. An engineer retained or employed by the Authority, including any authorized member of the staff of such engineer.

1.3 Building Sewer. Shall mean that part of the main building or house drain or sewer line inside the walls of the building and extending through the walls to a point five feet (5') outside the wall connecting to the service line or house connection.

1.4 Celler Drain. Shall mean a floor drain for the purpose of carrying of spout water from the basement of a dwelling factory, laboratory, workshop, or other building.

1.5 Connection. The jointure, or the process of making the jointure, of the Service Line or House connection with the Lateral Sewer owned by the Authority.

1.6 Improved Property. Any property upon which there is erected any structure intended for continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy, or use by human beings or animals and from which structure Sanitary Sewage and / or Industrial Wastes shall be or may be discharged.

1.7 Industrial Waste. Any solid, liquid or gaseous substance or water borne wastes or form of energy ejected or escaping from any industrial, manufacturing, trade or business process or from the development, recovering or processing of natural resources.

1.8 Infiltration. A volume of ground water entering sewers, building sewers and lateral sewers from the soil, through defective joints, broken or cracked pipe, improper connections, manhole walls, etc.

1.9 Inflow. The volume of any kinds of water discharged into sewers, building sewers and lateral sewers from such sources as roof leaders, cellar and yard area drains, foundation drains, drains from springs and wet areas, and any surface or runoff water discharging directly into an opening in the sewer system, building sewers or lateral sewers. 

1.10 Lateral Sewer or Service Connection. That part of the sewer system extending from a sewer to the curb line or, if there shall be no curb line, to the edge of the Street abutting the property affected or, if no such lateral shall be provided, then "Lateral Sewer" or "Service Connection" shall mean that portion of, or place, in a sanitary sewer which is provided for the connection of any service line.

1.11 Natural outlet. Any outlet into a water course, ditch, pond, lake or other body of surface or ground water.

1.12 Owner. Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole or partial of any property situated in the service area of the authority.

1.13 Person. any individual, partnership, company, association, society, corporation or other group.

1.14 Plumbing Fixture. Means any receptacle intended to receive and discharge any liquid, water, or water carried waste into a service line or house connection.

1.15 Sanitary Facilities. Toilets, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures and related piping intended to receive and discharge sanitary sewage into a service line or house connection.

1.16 Sanitary Sewage. The normal water-carried household and toilet waste from any improved property, excluding, however, the effluent from septic tanks, or cesspools, rain, storm and ground water, as well as roof or surface water, drainage or percolating or seeping waters, or accumulation thereof, whether underground or in cellars or basements.

1.17 Sanitary Sewer. A sewer is part of the sewer system and which carries Sanitary Sewage and / or industrial waste permitted to be discharged into the sewer system/.

1.18 Service Line or House Connection. That part of the main house drain or sewer line extending from a point five feet (5') outside the outer building wall or foundation wall to its connection with the lateral sewer or service connection.

1.19 Sewage Treatment Plant. Devices and / or structure or facilities owned by the authority for the treatment and disposal of Sanitary Sewage and Industrial Waste.

1.20 Sewer. Any pipe or conduit constitution a part of the sewer system and used or usable for sewage collection or transportation purposes.

1.21 Sewer system. Sewer mains, lateral sewers from a sewer main to service line or house connection, sewage pumping stations, sewer force mains, and all appurtenant facilities operated by the Tri-Community Water and Sewer authority in furnishing sewage service. 

1.22 Soil pipe or waste pipe. Shall mean any pipe receiving the discharge of one or more plumbing fixtures.

1.23 Shall. Is mandatory: May is permissive

1.24 Storm Sewer or Storm Drain. A pipe or conduit which carries storm, surface water, drainage and certain industrial water discharges, such as cooling and air-conditioning waters.

1.25 Street. A public way including any highway, street, road, lane, court, public square, alley, or other passageway.

1.26 Vent Pipe. shall mean any pipe extended vertically from a sewer Soil Pipe or Waste Pipe to provide ventilation for the system of piping and to prevent siphonage and back pressure.

Section 2. Condition of Service.

2.1 No connection shall be made, either directly or indirectly, to the sewer system until all requirements of the rules and regulations have been met.

Section 3. Application for Service, Issuance of Permit and Connection

3.1 No person shall uncover, connect with, make any opening into or use, alter or disturb in any manner any sewer without first making application for and obtaining a permit, in writing, from the Authority. Application to the authority for a permit required hereunder shall be made by the owner of the improved property to be served, in such form as may be prescribed by the authority. The application shall be accompanied by the required tapping or connection fee required by the authority.

3.2 No connation shall be made except under the supervision, control and approval of the authority or its authorized representatives. The application and its acceptance by the authority shall constitute, from the date of acceptance by the authority, a contract obligating the applicant to pay rates as established from time to time and to comply with the rules and Regulations as established from time to time.

Sewer Service shall be furnished only after:

1. The owner of the improved property to be served shall have installed, at his own cost and expense, the service line in accordance with the rules and regulations, and

2. the authority has inspected said service line and approved such facilities as complying with the rules and regulations.

Section 4. Individual Service Lines and Connections.

4.1 Each property must have its own individual service line. Each unit of a double house or townhouse having a solid vertical partition wall shall be considered a separate property requiring individual sewer connections.

4.2 Where commercial or industrial premises in single ownership consist of more than one building, the authority reserves the right to determine under the circumstances of each case, whether each separate building must have its individual sewer connection or whether all buildings together may use a single connection.

Section 5. Maintenance and repair of service lines.

5.1 All service lines or house connections shall be maintained and repaired by the owner at the cost of the owner of the improved property. Such repairs shall be subject to the direction, approval, and inspection of the authority.

Section 6. Inspection of Premises

6.1 The authority, by its agents and employees, in order to enforce compliance with these Rules and Regulations, shall have the right at all reasonable times, to enter any premises connected with or about to be connected with sewer system, to inspect building sewers, sanitary facilities, service lines or house connections, soil or waste pipes, cellar drains, vent pipes, plumbing fixtures and any all sources and nature of sewage, fixtures and facilities from which sanitary sewage or industrial waste may be discharged into th4 sewer system.

Section 7. Existing Service Lines

7.1 Existing service lines may be utilized providing they are uncovered at the expense of the owner and inspected by the authority and found to be reasonably true to grade and alignment, in good condition for the purpose of conveying sanitary sewage, and have tight joints of approved materials. If the existing lines do not confirm to this requirements, a new line must be laid in accordance with the specifications contained herein.

Section 8. Extension by Developers.

8.1 Where an individual, builder, or developer desires to extend sewage service to a house or to a group of houses within a development, he may do so after having made proper written application and meeting all the conditions of these Rules and Regulations. all extensions so constructed shall include, inter alia, all sewer mains, lateral sewers and connections and shall be constructed by and at the expense of the individual, builder, or developer. All construction shall be under the supervision and inspection by the authority. Detailed plans and specifications of the sewers conforming to the regulations of the authority and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental resources, shall be submitted to the authority for approval prior to construction.

8.2 Sewer plans may be provided by either of the following two methods.

1. The individual, builder, or developer may request the authority to provide the plans of the sewer extension and to secure all necessary approvals from state agencies. The cost of the preparation of the plans and specifications and all other fees, including legal, administrative and inspection or permit fees shall be paid by the individual, builder, or developer and shall be deposited with the authority before the plans will be prepared.

2. As an alternate to the above, the individual, builder or developer may secure the services of a professional engineer to prepare the necessary plans. Any revisions in the design considered necessary, in the opinion of the authority engineer, shall be made and approved prior to the construction of the sewer extension. The individual, builder or developer shall secure in the name of the authority all necessary approvals from the State or other agencies having control over the sewer system and the proposed sewer extension. an amount equal to the estimated cost of any necessary legal fees, inspection or permit fees shall be deposited with the authority by the sewer extender.

8.3 A final inspection will be made by the authority, and if the extensions are found to confirm with the Rules and Regulations and with any other requirements of the Authority with respect to such extensions, the individual, builder, or developer shall convey the sewer extension, free of encumbrances, to the authority to operate and maintain as part of the sewer system.

Section 9. Pipe and Installation.

9.1 Service Lines, building sewers and house connections shall be constructed of the following types of pipe.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) (SDR-35) at least 4 inches in internal diameter, conforming to ASTM Designation D-3034.

9.2 Jointing materials for the pipe shall be as follows:

Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe shall have joints of 0-ring gaskets and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

9.3 All service lines and house connections shall be installed with a minimum grade of 1.00% the best possible alignment, and shall have adequate cover to protect the line from crushing or frost action. All bends shall be 45 degrees or less. All service lines and house connections shall be constructed in accordance with the specifications for construction of sanitary sewers currently in effect by the authority.

9.4 No trench shall be backfilled until the service line or house connection has been inspected and approved by the authority.

9.5 Each building sewer shall be provided with a main trap, vent pipe, and cleanout. the trap shall be located wherever possible within 5 feet of the building and shall consist of a trap, tee/wye with a riser pipe terminating above ground with a suitable vent pipe, and a tee/wye with a riser pipe terminating above ground and capped. The vent and cleanout shall be located to prevent surface water from entering the sewer.

9.6 Cellar drains are prohibited from the sewer system and shall not be connected to the building sewer or service line.

9.7 All service lines shall include a vertical riser pipe extended to grade from a tee in the pipe. The riser pipe shall be of the same diameter and material as the service line and shall be located within 5 feet of the point of connection to the sewer system. The pipe shall extend at least to finished grade and furnished with a screw-on cap to circumvent inflow and / vandalism.

9.8 Infiltration and inflow associated with the building sewer, and / or service line shall not exceed 100 gallons per inch of pipe diameter per mile per day. It at any time the authority determines that infiltration and inflow exceeds this figure or if prohibited wastes or waters are connected to the sewer system, the property owner, at his own expense, shall be required to correct the deficiency.

9.9 The authority will not be responsible for any damage that may result from basements flooded by the stoppage of sewers.

Section 10. Cleanouts

10.1 Unless otherwise authorized by the authority or its representative, cleanouts shall be provided in each house connection and at intervals to permit complete rodding with a 100 feet (100') long auger or tape. Cleanouts shall be constructed using a wye fitting in the run of the pipe with a 45 degree bend and riser to the ground surface. The riser pipe shall be provided with a standard 4" screw type ferrule.

Section 11. Special Conditions.

11.1 Wherever in the opinion of the authority or its representative, the trenching conditions are nonstandard, the authority may require the following revisions to be made in order to protect the owner:

a. Where the trench is over ten feet (10') deep, extra strength pipe shall be used as directed by the authority. 

b. Where the trench is less than four feet (4') deep under a drive or other roadway, bedding consisting of crushed stone or concrete cradle shall be used or extra strength pipe shall be used as directed by the authority.

11.2 Where foundation conditions are poor due to ground water or inferior subsurface materials, a base cradle of crushed stone at least six inches (6") in depth shall be used.

11.3 Where rock is encountered , it shall be excavated to a depth of four inches (4"0 inches below the bottom of the pipe and the trench refilled to grade with clean earth or crushed stone.

11.4 All hotels, restaurants, boarding houses, and public eating places shall install grease traps on the service lines. All service stations, garages, factory buildings, or commercial establishments handling oils, petroleum products, washing cars, trucks, or other machinery shall install grease traps and sand traps of a size and type approved by the authority.

Section 12. Connections to Lateral Sewers.

12.1 Connections to the lateral sewer shall be made with an approved adaptor, coupling, reducing fitting or combination thereof. All fittings, couplings and adaptors shall be installed and jointed in accordance with the pipe manufacturer's recommendations.

12.2 Projecting the smaller pipe into the larger and sealing will not be permitted.

12.3 all connections to sewers shall be made at curb line unless specifically authorized by the authority. Where no sewer connection has previously been constructed, the connection to the sewer main and the construction of the lateral sewer from the sewer main to the curb line shall be made by the authority unless other specific authorization is given.

Section 13. Street opening permits and restoration of surface.

13.1 Unless otherwise determined by the authority and except as herein provided with respect to extensions by developers, wherever the surface of any public street, sidewalk, or cart way is disturbed by construction of the sewer lines, it will be the responsibility of the authority to secure and maintain street opening permits from the municipality in which the work is being done, or highway occupancy permits from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Unless otherwise required, all surfacing material will be restored in kind by the authority and no charge, other than the applicable tapping or connection fee, will be made by the authority in respect of the construction by the authority of a lateral sewer and the attendant connection.

Section 14. Standard of Quality 

14.1 All construction, reconstruction, and alterations of sewer connections and appurtenances shall be performed in competent workmanlike manner in accordance with recognized standards of the plumbing trade and the specifications currently on file with the authority. The authority shall stop or require construction of any work not conforming to these standards or specifications.

Section 15. Supervision and Inspection

15.1 The construction of service lines and house connections shall at all times by subject to the supervision and inspection of the authority or its duly authorized representative and shall conform to the authority's specifications. The lateral sewers or service connections shall not be covered until inspected and permitted by the authority.

Section 16. Restrictions on the Use of Sewer System.

16.1 No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the sewer system any (1) storm water, surface drainage, ground drainage, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, cooling water, drainage from title fields or unpolluted process waters, or (2) any industrial wastes, chemical or other matter which does not meet the requirements established by the Tri-Community Water and Sewer Authority.

17. This authority reserves the right, from time to time, to adopt modifications of, supplements to, or amendments of this resolution.

Section 18.

This Resolution shall become effective immediately.

Section 19. In the event any provision, section, sentence, clause or part of this Resolution shall be held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect or impair any remaining provision, section, sentence, clause or part of this resolution, it being the intent of this authority that such remainder shall be an shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 20.

All resolutions or parts of resolutions inconsistent herewith expressly are repealed.

Duly adopted this 28th day of February 1984 by the board of Tri-community Water and Sewer authority, in lawful session duly assembled.

Tri Community Water and Sewer authority

By, Edward J. Speidel

Vice Chairman

Attest:

Charles J. Burkett

Assistant Secretary

A copy on file in vault

Certificate

I, the undersigned, Secretary of the Tri-Community Water and Sewer Authority (the Authority) certify that: the foregoing is a true and correct copy of a Resolution which duly was enacted by affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Board of the Authority at a meeting of said Board of the authority, and said Resolution remains in full force and effect, unaltered and unamended, as of the date of this Certificate.

I further certify that the Board of the authority met the advance notice and posting requirements of Act No 175 of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, approved July19, 1974.

In Witness Whereof, I set my hand and affix the official seal of the Authority, this March 27 day of 1984.

Charles J. Burkett

Secretary