FAQ

Non-metered customers are billed according to the Flat Rate. Non-metered customers have the option of purchasing and installing a water meter so they can be billed on a metered basis. Please call the Authority to inquire about water meters.

CHALFONT · NEW BRITAIN TOWNSHIP JOINT SEWAGE AUTHORITY

WATER CONSUMPTION METER POLICY – RESIDENTIAL REVISED 2024

WATER CONSUMPTION METERS

1. In order to simplify Authority administration and also provide customers with instant data access, all current/existing meters in use will have the register heads replaced with an updated digital remote-read system. In some circumstances, the Authority may also replace the meter base. Authority personnel will conduct this changeout. There will be no cost to the customer for this procedure.
2. Following this installation and completion of a signed agreement, the Authority will assume all responsibility for maintenance of the meter, including its future replacement when necessary.
3. Beginning with the first quarterly billing after this installation, each customer with a meter will be charged a quarterly service fee of $15.00 to cover meter service and meter program administration. Any customer with both a Consumption Meter and a Deduct Meter will be offered a reduced quarterly service fee of $25.00. The service fee may be revised from time to time at the discretion of the Authority.
4. Flat Rate customers desiring to obtain a new Consumption Meter must purchase a meter set from the Authority. The purchase price will be based on the Authority’s cost plus a reasonable administrative charge, as determined by the Authority. The current 2024 purchase price will be $450.00. The meter must be installed by a plumber of the owner’s choosing, and then inspected by the Authority. Once a meter is purchased and installed, it may not be returned to the Authority for credit. (Uninstalled meters may be returned for credit within 30 days.)
5. Customers with Consumption Meters may opt out of the program. A written request must be provided to the Authority. The property will then be billed according to the Authority’s current Flat Rate, and quarterly meter service fees will cease. Customers may only change their billing type (meter vs flat rate) no more than once per year. A $150.00 service charge will be assessed for each re-initiation of meter usage.
6. This Consumption Meter policy applies only to properties without public water service and utilizing a private on-site well water supply. Any customer connected to a public water supply will be billed according to consumption readings supplied to the Authority by that water utility.

CHALFONT · NEW BRITAIN TOWNSHIP JOINT SEWAGE AUTHORITY

 DEDUCT METER POLICY – RESIDENTIAL REVISED 2024

DEDUCT METERS

1. In order to simplify Authority administration and also provide customers with instant data access, all current/existing meters in use will have the register heads replaced with an updated digital remote-read system. In some circumstances, the Authority may also replace the meter base. Authority personnel will conduct this changeout. There will be no cost to the customer for this procedure.
2. Following installation and completion of a signed agreement, the Authority will assume all responsibility for maintenance of the meter, including its future replacement when necessary.
3. Beginning with the first quarterly billing after this installation, each customer with a meter will be charged a quarterly service fee of $15.00 to cover meter service and meter program administration. Any customer with both a Consumption Meter and a Deduct Meter will be offered a reduced quarterly service fee of $25.00. This charge may be revised from time to time at the discretion of the Authority.
4. Customers desiring to obtain a new Deduct Meter must purchase a meter set from the Authority. The purchase price will be based on the Authority’s cost plus a reasonable administrative charge, as determined by the Authority. The current 2024 purchase price will be $450.00. The meter must be installed by a plumber of the customer’s choosing, and then inspected by the Authority. Once a meter is purchased and installed, it may not be returned to the Authority for credit. (Uninstalled meters may be returned for credit within 30 days.)
5. Customers with Deduct Meters may opt out of the program. A written request must be provided to the Authority. The property will then be billed based on consumption only, according to the Authority’s rate structure, and quarterly meter service fees will cease. Customers may opt in or out of the deduct meter program no more than once per year. A $150.00 service charge will be assessed for each re-initiation of meter usage.
6. Use of a Deduct Meter applies only to customers using a Consumption Meter, as provided by a public water service, or as purchased from the Authority.

For your convenience, here is the Billing/Payment schedule for your Sanitary Sewer account.

 Aqua America customers  & Flat Rate customers (no water provider)

 North Wales Water Authority customers

 North Penn Water Authority customers   

Please feel free to contact the Sewer Authority at any time should you have questions.

215-345-1225

THANK YOU!

Building Sewer vs. Lateral vs. Sewer Main

The building sewer (sometimes called the service pipe) is the pipe that extends from your building through your yard and connects to a sewer “lateral” near the curb line or edge of an easement.  The owner of the property is responsible for maintaining and cleaning the building sewer within the building, as well as the line in the property up to the connection point to the lateral.  A cleanout is typically installed near the connection point and is considered part of the building sewer.  A sewer main is a larger pipeline, usually in the street or through an easement, that transports the sewage from many homes and buildings to the wastewater treatment plant.  A sewer lateral is the short pipeline that extends from the sewer main to the curb line or property line, or where the building sewer connects.  The Authority is responsible for mthe aintenance of the sewer lateral and sewer main only.

Typical sewer connection:

Preventing backups in your Building Sewer, Lateral, and the Main Line Sewer: 

The property owner can do many things to prevent the sewers from backing up.  If everyone were careful about how they dispose of certain products, our systems would be a great deal more efficient, experience far fewer backups, cost us all less money, and prevent a lot of misery. More often than not, the cause of a backup in the lateral or building sewer is from items that the line is not meant to handle, such as kids’ toys, underwear, candles, towels, diapers, paper products (other than toilet paper), keys, and even false teeth.  To avoid flushing these items, remember to close the toilet lid.  What you flush down the toilet may not only affect you, but it might also cause problems for your neighbors!  Another possible cause of problems could be roots in your building's sewer.  It’s best not to plant trees or bushes above your building sewer.  The building sewer is the responsibility of the owner of the property from the house to the connection point of the lateral.  You will need to call a plumber or sewer/drain cleaning service.  It may be in your best interest to obtain several estimates. The Sewer Authority cannot make a recommendation.  

Typical Sewer Problems:

• Grease: Cooking oil should be poured into a heat-resistant container and disposed of, after it cools off, in the garbage, not the drain.  Some people assume that washing grease down the drain with hot water is satisfactory.  This grease goes down the drain, cools off, and solidifies either in the drain, the property owners’ line, or in the main sewer.  When this happens, the line constricts and eventually clogs.
• Paper Products: Paper towels, disposable and cloth diapers, and feminine products cause a great deal of problems in the property owner’s lateral as well as in the sewer main.  These products do not deteriorate quickly.  They become lodged in portions of the lateral/main, causing a sewer backup.  These products should also be disposed of in the garbage.
• Roots:  Shrubs and trees, seeking moisture, will make their way into small cracks in a sewer pipe.  These roots can cause extensive damage.  As the tree or shrub continues to grow, so does the root, and in time will create a blockage in the pipe.  Old clay or iron pipe may be more susceptible to root penetration, but it could happen to new plastic pipe.  Avoid planting trees near your building sewer.  If you have continuing problems with tree roots in your building sewer, you may have to have them cut or treated periodically.  If you have a plumber cut out roots in your building sewer, please call us, so that we can also inspect the sewer main.
• Sewer Odors: Another concern that property owners have is that they smell sewer odors inside their home or building. These odors may be coming from little-used or unused drains in your building. Under each drain in your plumbing system, there is a “P-trap”.  If there is water in this fitting, odor or gases from the sewer cannot enter through the drain from either the property owner’s lateral or the sewer main.  Without regular use, the water in the trap will evaporate. Periodically flush some water down unused drains, sinks, etc, in order to keep the P-trap full.  Another way to prevent sewer odor is to ensure that the vents, which are located on your roof, are free from bird nests, leaves, etc.  Proper venting is necessary for your system to drain properly.
• Illegal Plumbing Connections: DO NOT connect French drains, sump pumps, rain gutters, and other rainwater control systems to your sanitary sewer.  It is illegal, and debris and silt will clog your line. That extra stormwater in a sewer pipe could cause the pipe to overfill and back up.  Consult a plumber to correct any illegal connections.
• Needles: Unfortunately, some people dispose of hypodermic needles in the sewer system.  The presence of these needles in the wastewater collection system presents special and possible deadly problems for wastewater collection and wastewater treatment employees.  PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH NEEDLES.  The proper method of disposal is to re-cap the needle and put it into a “sharps container”.  (This could be any rigid plastic container, such as a bleach bottle…no milk bottles please.)  When it is full, tape the container securely, and call your local pharmacy for advice on proper disposal methods.  PLEASE DO NOT FLUSH THEM OR THROW THEM INTO THE GARBAGE!

Sewer Backups:

A sewer backup in your home can create a stressful and emotional situation for the homeowner or tenant.  In some cases, it may cause health and safety concerns as well as significant property loss.  A proper response to a sewer backup can greatly minimize property damage and diminish the threat of illness. If you are experiencing a sewer backup, please call the Sewer Authority immediately. If it is after office hours, call the office number, and you will be directed to the emergency voice mailbox. Leave a detailed voice message, and someone will respond as soon as possible. Authority personnel will determine the nature and location of the problem. You may also call your own plumber if necessary. Backed-up sewer lines, line breaks, sewage odors, and overflowing manholes are considered an emergency.  Call us first before calling a plumber if you think you may have a problem.  We will check the sewer main and lateral, and then inform you of our findings. If the problem is not in the main line sewer or lateral, you will be advised to contact a plumber or sewer/drain cleaning service. There is no cost to you for the Authority to check.  Calling during normal work hours is preferred to save all of us the expense of overtime. The Sewer Authority makes every effort to be responsive to residents’ needs and concerns when a sewer backup occurs.  The Authority has a crew whose main duty is to inspect, clean, and maintain sewers.  Unfortunately, backups in the sewer system may still occur. Backups may occur anywhere in the system, in your building sewer, or in the sewer main, and can be the result of a variety of causes- including clogs from debris, roots, and grease, or the system being overwhelmed by excessive ground water from heavy rain. While the Sewer Authority has adopted rules prohibiting the discharge of any substance likely to cause a sewer obstruction, and we try to educate the public about the problems they cause, there is really no way we can absolutely prevent this from happening.  Many factors can cause backups, and they are beyond the scope of normal maintenance.  Many homeowners’ insurance policies exclude damage resulting from sewer backups.  However, some insurance companies do provide sewer backup coverage.  If you are concerned about the possibility of a sewer backup and want to ensure that you are covered, we urge you to check with your home insurer regarding the availability of sewer backup insurance, and include cleanup costs as well as repairs and replacement.  Courts have determined that local government entities are liable only if there is negligent operation of a system.  A local government cannot guarantee that a public system will not backup.

Contact Information:

If you experience a sewer problem, please call the Sewer Authority office at 215-345-1225 during normal working hours (Mon-Fri, 8-4). After office hours, call the office number 215-345-1225, and you will be directed to the emergency voice mailbox. Leave a detailed voice message, and someone will respond as soon as possible. You may also call 911 and state that you are reporting a sewer emergency.

Attention Swimming Pool Owners:  PLEASE NOTE: The Authority does not offer credit for filling swimming pools. Due to PA DEP regulations, as outlined below, we must assume that the pool owner will someday discharge the same volume of water to our sanitary sewer system.

When you need to drain your pool for any reason, the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law prohibits discharging chlorinated water or polluted water (including swimming pool water) to storm sewers, or streams, or to any place that may drain to a stream, including your lawn. Questions regarding the handling of pool wastewater may be directed to the Water Management Program in DEP’s regional office at (484) 250-5970.

According to PA DEP recommendations, the best place to drain your pool is to a sanitary sewer system, if available. If you need to drain your pool to the CNBTJSA sanitary sewer, please call us to request permission.

Click on DEP Fact Sheet for the swimming pool water discharge guidelines.

When customers sell their home or business and a settlement date has been determined, either a realtor or title company should contact this office to request a final bill. There is a fee for this service, which is added to the current sanitary sewer charges.

All water companies will, as a courtesy, provide our office with the latest water consumption meter “read” for the settlement date so that our billing department may calculate the final sewer bill. The seller will only pay the sanitary sewer bill up to the last day they own the home or business. Frequently, the settlement date falls within a quarterly billing cycle, so the final bill is usually lower than the regular bill.

General Information

For most homes or businesses, wastewater flows by gravity (without pumping) from the building sewer line to the public sewer main, where it travels to the wastewater treatment facility.  However, because of elevation, groundwater conditions, or significant rock formations, conventional gravity flow systems may not work. In these cases, a grinder pump system is necessary. A grinder pump works like a household garbage disposal, but on a larger scale.  It grinds up wastewater produced in your home (i.e., toilet use, shower, washing machine, etc.) and pumps it into the public sewer system.

The grinder pump is placed in a tank that is buried in a convenient outdoor location on a homeowner’s property.  The access cover to the grinder pump will be visible in your yard. Always keep this area clear, as this hatch is necessary for repairs and maintenance. The tank provides wastewater holding storage capacity.  When water is used in the house, wastewater flows into the tank.  When the wastewater in the tank reaches a pre-set level, the grinder pump automatically turns on, grinds the wast,e and pumps it out of the tank via the homeowner’s building sewer line and into the public sewer system.  A grinder pump will normally run for one or two minutes and automatically turn off when the tank is emptied.  The pump is powered by electricity and is connected to a control panel. A drawing of a typical grinder pump installation is shown below.

Ownership & Maintenance

It is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain and keep the grinder pump in good working order.   If you are not sure if your property is serviced by a grinder pump, please contact the Sewer Authority for assistance.

Should your pump stop working, contact the company that provided the pump for service – the phone number will be located on the control panel.

Remember that your grinder pump is powered by electricity.  In the event of a power outage, your pump will not work, unless it is powered by a generator. You should limit water usage in the house to the bare minimum during a power outage.

Preventive Maintenance

A properly maintained grinder pump should be able to handle wastewater from the kitchen, bathroom, laundry, etc. Some chemicals and substances can adversely impact a grinder pump and may cause safety hazards.  Refer to the labels on all chemicals before using and disposing.

Never pour or flush the following items down the drains or toilets:

• Grease – a byproduct of cooking that comes from meat fats, oils, shortening, butter, food scraps, sauces, and dairy products.
• Fuels or flammable material
• Lubricating oil, paint thinner, or antifreeze
• Hard materials such as plastics, kitty litter, aquarium gravel,and  seafood shells
• Strong chemicals or toxic, caustic, or poisonous chemicals
• Degreasing solvents
• Diapers, Q-Tips, feminine products, or cloth of any kind
• Wipes of any kind; cleaning wipes, baby wipes, etc…

These items should ALL be disposed of in your garbage and trash containers.  These items can damage the grinder pump and its controls, cause blockages and backups, and may create unsafe conditions in your lines and tank.

Also, never connect a sump pump to sanitary sewer lines.  A sump pump connected to a grinder system will increase your electric costs and shorten the life of your grinder pump, and could also overload the pumping capability of the grinder pump, causing a backup.  Doing so is also a violation of local regulations and increases wastewater treatment costs.

What is the large white Sewer Authority truck that is working in the street used for?

That white truck is the Chalfont-New Britain Township Joint Sewage Authority sewer televising truck performing a vital service to the municipalities and their residents.  The Authority has almost 70 miles of sewer pipe underground, ranging from 8” in diameter to 36” in diameter.  The truck is equipped with camera equipment for the specific purpose of televising the sewer system for troubleshooting and routine inspections.

An operator inside the truck controls the camera unit from a computerized workstation.   The image from the camera is projected onto a TV monitor at his workstation, where conditions inside the pipe can be viewed and recorded.  Additional personnel are also needed outside the truck to help with the process.

Our personnel can see many problems with the camera that cannot be seen from up on the street, such as broken pipes, roots, clogs, or pipe corrosion, to name a few. A significant problem for the Authority is groundwater infiltrating into the sewer lines, which may come in through cracks in the pipes, leaky pipe joints, or illegal customer connections such as sump pumps, all of which can also be located by the camera. Large amounts of groundwater infiltration into the sewer during wet weather periods can overload both the sewer pipes and the Authority’s treatment facility. Once observed by the televising crew, these leaks can often be repaired right away from inside the pipe with special equipment onboard the truck. This method of repair is much less costly and disruptive than making a repair by digging up the street.

Chalfont New Britain Township Joint Sewage Authority participates in the Pennsylvania One Call System. If a contractor, utility company, homeowner, or business wishes to install or remove anything underground, they need to contact the Pennsylvania One Call System so that they may notify utility companies in the vicinity in order to mark their lines to avoid disturbing or damaging any utility lines. It is a legal requirement of all utilities to mark their lines when requested.

Chalfont New Britain Township Joint Sewage Authority marks our sanitary sewer lines in green spray paint.

The marking of sewer lines by Sewer Authority does NOT mean that we will be digging or doing any work.

It does mean that another utility or contractor intends to dig.

Safe digging is no accident! You may learn more about the Pennsylvania One Call System by visiting this Link