53 P.S. § 57415 Acquisition of Sewers, Culverts, Inlets and Appliances, Or of Community Sewage Collection Or Disposal Systems; Enlargement and Operation of Systems

• Library: Pennsylvania Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.A. Acts 2023-21
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 53 P.S. § 57415

(a) Any township in which any person, firm, or corporation, or other township or municipal corporation, is maintaining sewers and culverts with the necessary inlet and appliances for surface and under surface and sewage drainage, or in which any person or persons are maintaining a community sewage collection or disposal system as herein defined, may become the owner of such sewers, culverts, inlet, and appliances, or the owner of such community sewage collection or disposal system, by paying therefor not more than the actual value of the same at the time of the taking by the township, or by gift from the owner or owners thereof.

(b) In case the commissioners of the township cannot agree with the owners of such sewers or sewage collection or disposal system as to the price to be paid therefor, the commissioners may enter upon and take possession of such sewers, culverts, inlets and appliances or of such sewage collection or disposal system. For all damage done or suffered, or which accrues to the owner or owners of the sewer or sewage collection or disposal system by reason of the taking of the same, the funds of the township, raised by taxation, shall be pledged and deemed as security, such damages to be determined by viewers in the manner provided by this act for eminent domain proceedings. If any sewer, sewer system or sewage collection or disposal system is acquired by purchase under the provisions of this section, the cost of such acquisition may be distributed or assessed in the same manner as provided by this act in cases where a sewer or drainage system is constructed by the township.

(c) For the purposes of this section, a community sewage collection or disposal system is all or part of a device or devices, installed on any privately or publicly owned parcel of land, intended to treat or dispose of the sewage or equivalent volume of domestic sewage from two or more residence buildings or occupied parcels of land, or any system of piping used in collection and conveyance of sewage on private or public property.

(d) After a community sewage collection or disposal system has been acquired under the provisions of this section by the township, the commissioners shall have the power to enlarge such system, if they deem it advisable. In such cases, the cost and expenses of such enlargement may be distributed or assessed in the same manner as if the enlargement was a regular sewer constructed by the township under other provisions of this act.