Supervisors enact a septic maintenance ordinance

WEST PIKELAND >> Supervisors enacted a septic maintenance ordinance establishing policy for the maintenance of on-lot septic systems.

Approximately 60 percent of the households in the township have systems on-lot, contrasted with municipal waste treatment facilities. The goal is to assure these systems are properly maintained in order to protect the waters of the commonwealth and assure compliance with the constitutional requirement to protect the environment and assure “pure water” for the people today and into the future.

The ordinance calls for the pumping and inspection of septic systems at a minimum of once every three years beginning in April. This interval is widely adopted throughout the commonwealth as a standard interval, township officials noted, with more frequent pumping effluent generally not required.

Supervisors noted that the target for residents is to complete the pumping and inspection by March 2020. The township will send reminders six months prior to the end of the period based on information within the Ches-

ter County Health Department’s sewage tracking database. A roster of county-licensed waste haulers is located on the web at http://pa-chestercounty.civicplus.com/983/ Sewage-and-Water-Contractors.

Board Chairman Charlie Humphreys noted the ordinance was developed over the past year.

“We appreciate the assistance from the township’s engineering consultant, The ARRO Group, the Chester County Department of Health, a resident’s committee under the leadership of a member of our board,” Humphreys

said.

During the meeting, many facets of the process were discussed with a focus on the qualifications of inspectors, and the township will review the certification of section to assure the residents have access to properly trained and skilled inspectors.

The township will now move forward on the adoption of a plan consistent with Pennsylvania Act 537 to define the overall approach to the management of sewage through the township now and into the future to maintain the environmental quality. This plan presents the current approach and defines the approaches to be taken as issues evolve.