| Frequently Asked Questions |
Addition to a home: If you are putting an addition on your home, you must submit a plot plan showing the layout of the addition, including any right-of-ways or easements, prior to construction of the addition. You will also need to do a Pennsylvania One Call locate. (Call before you dig 1-800-242-1776 or 811)
Billing Questions: If you have any questions concerning your sewage bills please go to the Rates & Payment Policies page of our website.
Garbage Disposal: For customers who have a "Garbage Disposal" in their kitchen sink, their sewage bill will reflect an additional user charge of $1.94 per month for the year 2012 Using a garbage disposal adds more solids to the system which costs the Authority additional costs of treating sewage with additional organic and solid loadings from the users who use the additional service. The coding on the bill will show "Garbage Dspl".
Any Garbage Disposal that is removed due to malfunction or just the fact that the customer no longer wishes to have one, should be reported to the Authority. The Authority will then send out an inspector to verify the removal and the charges will be removed from the customer's bill.
The Authority occasionally gets calls from customers mistakenly thinking that the "Garbage Dspl" charge is actually for weekly trash pickup. Any questions regarding trash pickup should be directed to Allied Waste at 1-877-788-9400 or your local trash collector.
Inspections: Inspections are required for new construction and also any repairs to an existing lateral. Please call FTMSA to receive a copy of the specifications. Backfill of a lateral and/or underground is not permitted until inspected by FTMSA. Please call ahead to schedule your inspections.
Manhole Cover: If you see a loose or missing manhole cover, please contact FTMSA (724-327-1950) or the Murrysville Police Department (724-327-2111) immediately with the location information.
Odor in Basement: Sewer odors in your home are mainly caused by a malfunctioning trap. We recommend that water be run through all traps in the home. (floor drains, laundry tubs, basement sinks....) If the odor persists, please contact FTMSA and we will arrange for one of our staff to inspect your home.
Plugged Sewers: If you feel your sewer is plugged, please contact FTMSA prior to calling a plumber so we can determine if the problem is the homeowners responsibility or FTMSA's responsibility.
SEWER LATERAL INSPECTIONS FOR HOME SALES/REFINANCING - A smoke and dye test/camera inspection is now required on sewer laterals in the Municipality of Murrysville when selling or refinancing the property. Please call our office with the address and Tax Map No. to verify if the property needs an inspection. If the property does need an inspection, the fee is $350.00 and an application must be filled out in order to schedule the inspection. Also, certain properties in Export Borough require testing. Please call with the address, and we will let you know if your property requires the testing.
Storm Sewers: Storm Sewers are the responsibility of the Municipality of Murrysville. Please contact them at (724) 327-2100 with any questions concerning storm sewers.
Swimming Pools: If you are constructing an above-ground or an in-ground pool, you must submit a plot plan showing the layout of the pool including right-of-ways or easements prior to any construction. For an in-ground pool, you will also need to do a Pennsylvania One Call locate. (Call before you dig 1-800-242-1776 or 811)
If you are filling a swimming pool: Residential properties are billed on a flat rate system, so filling your pool will not affect your sewer bill, but it may affect your water bill. Please call the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (MAWC) and check with them. If filling a pool on a Non-Residential property, you will be billed according to your water consumption provided to us by MAWC.
Vacant Properties: F.T.M.S.A. bills vacant properties. The reason that all properties are billed, whether occupied or vacant, is that the plant is designed for a certain capacity that is based upon the estimated flow of waste products that are anticipated to be received from either a residential or a business on a monthly basis. The plant was required to be built to a certain capacity and as such, the customer is billed for that capacity which has been reserved on the homeowner's behalf on a monthly basis. Said another way, our plant does not bill for usage like a natural gas utility or an electrical utility where a meter is placed at the home and the customer only pays for the energy and services utilized, but rather for the "capacity" that is reserved on a monthly basis for the home.
Again, it is the policy and practice of the Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority to bill all residential and commercial properties on a monthly basis whether they are occupied or unoccupied. This is based upon the capacity that the plant was required to be built to and not by the total volume of material that has been discharged to the plant from the residence.
Water in yard: water laying in your yard can be caused by numerous things such as a leaking water line, a wet weather spring or possibly a leaking sewer line. One of the simplest ways to determine if it is city water is to run a chlorine test. If the test comes out positive, call the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County, and they will further assist your problem. If the test comes out negative, then you need to call FTMSA. If you do not have the ability to run a chlorine test, please call FTMSA and we will assist you.
|
|