USC considers requiring lateral sewage pipeline inspections during real estate sales
Plans to amend Upper St. Clair’s township code to require televised sewer lateral inspections are moving forward.
Adam Benigni, the township’s director of planning and community development, presented the proposed amendment during the commissioners’ Aug. 7 regular meeting.
The proposed change would require sewer lateral inspections at the time of sale or conveyance of a property, or for improvements to an existing home that require a building permit and a plumbing permit. Video results from the televised inspection, which is estimated to cost approximately $200, would be reviewed by the township.
Using National Association of Sewer Service Companies standards, or NASSCO, repairs would be required for certain defects founds, which could include deterioration or moderate damage. If defects are found, repairs must be made prior to closing on the property. In order not to hold up property closings, Benigni said there will also be a provision for temporary evidence of compliance until repairs are completed.
The township currently requires dye testing at the time of sale or conveyance of a property. The purpose for the new amendment is to help reduce or eliminate stormwater and groundwater infiltration and inflow into the sanitary sewer collection system.
Township engineer Ruthann Omer said that while the township has been working on the public portion of the sanitary sewer system, private laterals are almost equal to the public portion. Omer said the township could use the new ordinance as a demonstration project for the DEP and monitor the effect on stormwater reduction as people sell their homes and corrective action is implemented.
Jason Daugherty of 2293 Country Club Drive urged township officials to provide a list of reputable plumbers to residents, and encourage residents to get multiple estimates. Daugherty owns a plumbing company and told the board that root intrusion is the biggest problem they see. He told the board to be prepared for complaints, as replacing a lateral could be a huge financial cost for residents.
A copy of the proposed amendment will be available for public review at the Upper St. Clair Township Library.
Also during the meeting, the board unanimously approved unified conditional use and preliminary land development for a new Bank of America building to be located at 1801 Washington Road. Commissioners Mark Christie and Russell Del Re were absent.
The application filed by VP Partners, LLC includes the demolition of the existing building, which currently houses a CVS store, and the construction of a 4,003-square foot one-story Bank of America building and related site improvements.
At the same meeting, Finance Director Mark Romito reviewed the township’s five-year capital improvement program for 2018-22. Romito stressed that his presentation was a planning tool to identify and prioritize necessary and desirable capital items and that it was not a funding commitment.
The total estimate for capital spending over the next five years was $76.431 million, with most of the spending forecasted for 2019, 2020, and 2021 for sanitary sewer projects.
The 2018-22 capital improvement program is available for review on the township’s website and at the library.
In other business, the board honored several USC High School athletes for their achievements. Liam Gibbons and Kevin Kwok were recognized for their 2017 WPIAL Class AAA Doubles Tennis Championship, Savannah Shaw was recognized for her 2017 WPIAL Class AAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship, and Harvey Kane was recognized for his 2017 PIAA Class AAA Outdoor Track and Field State Title Championship.