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Leaf and Yard Waste Collection

NEW SPRING LEAF COLLECTION SCHEDULE

The State of Pennsylvania adopted Act 101 which requires East Norriton Township to provide leaf collection in the spring of each year in addition to our normal fall collection program.

Therefore, East Norriton Township will be providing leaf collection each year during the spring for two weeks.  Unlike the fall leaf collection program, this is a modified collection schedule and will be bag collection only (bio-degradable bags only).   All bags of leaves must be placed at the curb along your property.  In addition, the spring leaf collection program will be a CALL-IN-SERVICE.  You must call East Norriton Township at (610) 275-2800 ext.111 to schedule a pick-up.  All calls must be received by Wednesday of the second week.

 In 2008, the collection period will be from April 28^th to May 9^th.

 Please note that only raked leaves must be placed in bio-degradable bags.  Any bags containing cut-up/mulched leaves, limbs, brush, grass clippings or other debris will not be collected.

 This is separate from the Yard Waste Recycling Program.  Please refer to the brochure mailed to your home and the Yard Waste Recycling Program article in this newsletter for details about that program.

FALL LEAF COLLECTION SCHEDULE

Leaf collection in East Norriton Township annually begins about the 3rd Monday of October and ends about the 2nd Friday of December. The following is the proposed leaf collection schedule (weather permitting):
   
Mondays ..................................... Coleston and Dekalb Manor
Tuesday and Wednesdays .......... Arch Road to North Wales Road
Thursdays and Fridays ................ North Wales Road to Trooper Road
   
Thursdays will also be bag day (plastic trash bags to be used).
   
The following roads will be bag collection only: Dekalb Pike, Swede Road, Johnson Highway, Old Arch Road, Germantown Pike, Township Line Road, Whitehall Road, Burnside Avenue, Trooper Road, Marion Avenue, Hilltop Road, Sardaro Lane and New Hope Street.
   
Please be reminded that leaf piles should be no larger that 18" high and 18" wide with no trash, tree limbs or other debris mixed with the leaves. All leaves must be placed in the street along the curb or at the edge of the roadway as township employees are not permitted to enter private property to rake leaves. Any delay in the schedule because of inclement weather will be carried out the following work day. Residents are asked not to park on the leaf piles as this hinders the leaf collection process and may cause fires. 


Yard Waste Recycling Program

In January of 2008, East Norriton Township kicked-off a yard waste recycling program.  The new recycling program provides monthly curbside yard waste collection to single family households and select multifamily properties within the Township.  During certain times of the year, the Township will increase the collection frequency to bi-monthly in order to better serve the residents of East Norriton Township.  The new yard waste recycling program will be free to all participants in the inaugural year.

East Norriton Township ordinance requires residents to separate yard waste, such as shrubbery, branches, limbs and other yard trimmings, from other garbage and prohibits trash haulers from collecting yard waste with regular garbage pick-up.  The new yard waste recycling program will collect and recycle yard waste from single family households and multifamily properties with less than 3 units within the Township.   

To participate in the program, residents must contact Environmental Landscaping Services, the Township’s contractor, each month which they wish to receive yard waste collection services. 

East Norriton Township residents can contact Environmental Landscaping Services via phone at (610) 275-2800 or email at csmith@elservicesinc.com to schedule a collection.  Residents must contact the Township’s contractor at least 7 days prior to their monthly collection day.   Yard waste will be collected during the 3^rd week of each month. 

Up to two days prior to the scheduled collection day, residents may set out yard waste using 32 gallon trash cans or bundles.  Since the yard waste will be recycled, residents cannot set out yard waste in plastic bags.  Furthermore, residents cannot set-out dirt, rocks, stumps, weeds, grass or leaves.  Trash cans used to set out yard waste must be clearly marked as yard waste.  For safety of the collectors, each trash can or bundle cannot exceed 40 pounds.  Furthermore, each bundle must be less than 2 feet in diameter and placed at the curb with the cut ends of the yard waste towards the street.   Branches, limbs, or trunks cannot be more than 5 inches in diameter each.  Yard waste properly containerized or bundled should be placed within 5 feet of the curb and in such a manner not to obstruct the road.  Yard waste improperly set-out or commingled with unacceptable materials will not be collected.  Environmental Landscaping Services will collect up to 2 cubic yards of yard waste, approximately ten 32 gallon trash cans or six bundles, per household on each scheduled collection day.  For more information as to the new yard waste recycling program please contact East Norriton Township at (610) 275-2800.    

 


Snow Plowing
Please be reminded of the strict parking restrictions that will go into effect during any winter snowfall. These restrictions were instituted after careful study and the review of complaints from the Police, Fire, Ambulance and snow removal personnel. These restrictions were adopted by the Board of Supervisors under ordinance #375 which prohibits on street parking during any snowfall.
   
Section 168-9C of the ordinance reads "During any snowfall or any snow emergency which has been declared throughout the Township, it shall be unlawful to park any vehicle on any street within the Township until the snow has been completely plowed for the full width of the cartway. Where only on street parking is available, all motor vehicles shall be parked on the even address side of the street on even numbered calendar days, and on odd address side of the street on odd numbered calendar days. Violation of this ordinance constitutes a $30.00 fine.
   
Parking in cul-de-sacs is another problem that has caused serious delays for emergency vehicles. All vehicles parked in cul-de-sacs must be parked with wheels parallel to the curb. Angle parking is not permitted at any time and the prohibition of street parking during snowfall also applies.
   
Residents are also reminded that sidewalks must be cleared within 24 hours after the snow has ceased to fall. Also fire hydrants on a resident’s property are required to be cleared to the street.  
PLEASE HELP US TO HELP YOU HAVE A SAFE AND PLEASANT WINTER SEASON.

Road Work
Each year the Public Works Director presents to the Board of Supervisors of East Norriton Township the proposed Road Improvement Program for consideration. After the proposed  Road Improvement Program is approved by the Board of Supervisors, the Township advises all of the affected properties of the pending work and the anticipated dates which each road will be repaved.
   
Please be advised that during the Overlay Operation the street will be closed to all traffic except for emergency situations. During the paving operation, it will be necessary to park your car on a side street, as no traffic will be allowed in or out on the street during the actual work. This is necessary since the blacktop can not be driven on until it has cooled. Also since the blacktop will be at temperatures over 250 degrees it is highly recommended that you keep your children and pets away from the paved area. Any contact with the hot material will result in serious burns. The Township requests your patience and cooperation during the paving operation. All streets to be overlaid will be posted (NO PARKING) the day before the actual paving operation. This should allow you ample time to adjust your parking schedule accordingly.
   
It is also the responsibility of the individual property owner to remove buildup of any vegetation that may be growing between the curb and street. Further, each property owner should check their mailbox to make sure that it does not protrude past the backside of the curb. Any mailbox protruding past the backside of the curb is considered an illegal one and should be removed and placed in the proper area. This will ensure that the mailbox will not be damaged during the paving operation. You should arrange to have this work done prior to the paving of your street. Any improperly installed mailbox which is damaged during paving will not be replaced by the Township.
   
Finally, all driveway ramps which protrude out into the street beyond the curbing will be removed during the milling process. These ramps will not be replaced by the Township during the paving process and should not be replaced by the property owner after the street has been paved because of the safety hazard which they create. In addition, if your street is milled prior to paving, the road will be repaved back to its original height on the curbing.
   
Each year, the Overlay Project’s schedule is posted in the local newspaper prior to the beginning of the project. In addition, the Township notifies each homeowner with a more definite starting date for each road being paved. If you have any question, please feel free to contact the Public Works Department at (610) 275-2800, Extension 147. Thank you for your time and cooperation in this matter.  

Sanitary Sewer System
East Norriton Township maintains about 60 miles of underground sewer lines and nine (9) sanitary sewer pumping stations located throughout the Township. The township’s sewer facilities transport and pump an average of 1.8 million gallons of effluent per "dry" day to the Authority’s treatment plant located in Plymouth. There the sewage is treated, processed and ultimately discharged into the Schuylkill River at that location.
   
However, during heavy rain storms the system transports far in excess of its capacity and occasionally we experience "overflows" at one or the other pumping stations. The township continues to address this very serious environmental concern, but seeks the assistance of all of the property owners. Unfortunately some property owners continue to discharge "wet basements" into the sewer lines through sump pumps which are illegally connected to the house laterals which empty into the sewer mains located in the streets. It is not uncommon that the system during steady, heavy rains process in excess of 5 million gallons of "water effluent" per day. Since our payments to the Joint Sewer Authority are based on the amount of sewage we deliver to the plant, our sewer rental charges will continue to rise unless we address the serious sewage infiltration problems together.
   
The Township had contacted the property owners in the west end of the Township advising that it is illegal to connect sump pumps to the sanitary sewer system but it did not appear to have helped reduce the flows during rain events. The Township aggressively pursued an I&I study utilizing ARRO Engineers who televised all of the Township's main lines as well as the lateral lines on each property.  Based on the televising performed, it appears that a significant amount of the I&I is generated from leaking sewer lateral lines. 

The Board of Supervisors held a public meeting on August 28, 2006 with the initial affected property owners and reviewed the I&I study process that took place, the results of the I&I study and the necessary repairs to these leaking sewer lateral lines which are the responsibility of the private property owners.  Affected property owners  can contact Elizabeth Cheeseman at ARRO Engineers to discuss your particular repairs.  She can be reached at 717-560-2791 or liz.cheeseman@thearrogroup.com

Click here to download a copy of the August 28, 2006 I&I Public Meeting presentation (PDF)  

Following the public meeting on August 28, 2006, letters with detailed individual repair reports were mailed to "Priority A" properties on September 22, 2006 outlining the repairs which must be made to their sanitary sewer laterals because of the Inflow and Infiltration problems.  These same letters and the individual repair reports will be mailed to "Priority B" and "Priority C" properties in the near future so that the repairs can be spread out over a period of time.  To view the letter titled "Your Lateral and You" that was (or will be) mailed to the affected property owners, please click below.

Click here to download a copy of the letter "Your Lateral and You"


On October 24, 2006, the Board of Supervisors held a public meeting with the “Priority A” property owners where ARRO provided a presentation on how the repair process will work and answered some frequently asked questions.  ARRO explained that the Township has contracted with a private contractor to perform this work if the property owners so desire.  As part of the project, residents have the option to select either the Township contractor or their own contractor to perform the repair work. 

Click here to download a copy of the October 24, 2006 I&I Public Meeting presentation (PDF)

Click here to download a copy of the "Frequently Asked Questions" sheet (PDF)

Click here to download a flow chart outlining the process to repair your lateral (PDF)

Click here to download a letter from DEP to a Township resident regarding the issue of sagging sewer lateral lines (TIF)


As part of the project, residents have the option to select their own contractor to perform the repair work.  To assist those residents and contractors, the following are the various sewer lateral repair technical specifications and details for the west end I&I Repair Project in PDF format which must be followed by all contractors performing this work.  Hard copies can be obtained from Liz Cheeseman at ARRO Engineers or from the Manager's office at East Norriton Township.

Complete Technical Specifications
Total Lateral Replacement Details
Concrete Sidewalk Replacement Details
Paved Driveway/Parking Area Restoration Details
Straight Concrete Curb Replacement Details
Trench Restoration Details
Trench Restoration in Seeded Areas Details
Vent & Cleanout in Paved Areas Details

Short List of Registered Plumbing Contractors in East Norriton Township  



Compost Material/Yard Waste/Commercial Recycling

COMPOST MATERIAL
A group of three (3) municipalities, East Norriton Township, West Norriton Township and Norristown Borough, initiated a joint leaf composting program in 1989 on the grounds of the Norristown Farm Park. The Norristown Farm Park is operated by Montgomery County and owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The two leaf composting sites (one for East Norriton Township and one for the other two municipalities) are leased from Montgomery County. The compost sites are operated by O’Rourke Farms under an agreement with the three municipalities and a lease arrangement with the County.
   
East Norriton Township is 6.2 square miles and has a population of 13,211 as of the 2000 census. As mandated by Act 101, East Norriton Township developed a comprehensive recycling program with a major component of this program being the collection of leaves which are delivered to the leaf composting facility. The East Norriton Township Public Works Department collects on average 6,000 cubic yards of leaves from the middle of October to the middle of December each year and properly advertises this collection schedule each year in a local publication. Leaves must be separated from the municipal waste stream per Township Ordinance. Leaves are collected utilizing leaf vacuums or collection machines on designated routes and bag collection on routes where the equipment can not travel. Only Township vehicles are permitted to place leaves at the composting facility.
   
The leaves are composted using a compost turner and the final product is screened through a rotary trommel. The majority of the final product is used on the farm fields throughout the Norristown Farm Park.
   
In addition, the final mulch product is also available for pick up by the residents of East Norriton Township at the Public Works Garage during normal business hours (7:30 am to 3:30 pm), Monday thru Friday, except holidays. Each resident is responsible to load the mulch themselves.  At this time, mulch is unavailable for residents due to an aged screener that is beyond repair.  The three municipalities will be applying for a grant to purchase a new screener.  This grant application is due June 2008.


YARD WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAM

Beginning January 2008, East Norriton Township will also be providing a new Curbside Yard Waste Collection Program.  The State of Pennsylvania has adopted Act 101 (Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act) requiring residents to recycle yard waste.  To assist residents with recycling yard waste, East Norriton Township has developed and implemented yard waste recycling in compliance with Act 101. 

What is yard waste?
     Shrubbery, branches & limbs (bundled), garden residues, and other yard trimmings.

What is NOT yard waste?
     Rocks, dirt, stumps, weeds, grass, and leaves (leaves will be collected as part of the regular leaf collection program).

How do I schedule a pick-up?
     The program is a call-in service.  If you wish to take advantage of this service, you must contact Environmental Landscaping Services (the Township's contractor) via phone at (610) 278-4904 or e-mail at:  csmith@elservicesinc.com  at least seven (7) days prior to the monthly collection day (currently set at the 3rd week of each month)

Don't forget to recycling your Christmas Trees!!

Click here to view the Curbside Yard Waste Collection Program brochure that was mailed to every resident of East Norriton Township.


COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL & INSTITUTIONAL RECYCLING

East Norriton Township’s
Guide for Mandatory
Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Recycling
required by  State Law and Municipal Ordinance

 Recycling Rules
(for Businesses in East Norriton Township)

You are required by law to provide an annual recycling report to the East Norriton Township recycling coordinator.  Act 101 of 1988 and East Norriton Township Ordinance requires commercial, industrial and institutional establishments located in Pennsylvania municipalities with greater than 5,000 populations to recycle the following:

Commercial, Industrial                          Apartment Complexes
& Institutional Businesses                  & Residential Communities
Aluminum Cans                                   Aluminum Cans            Glass Containers
Office Paper                                         Newspapers                 Office Paper
Corrugated Cardboard                           Junk Mail                     Other Clean Paper
Leaf Waste                                          Number 1 & 2 Plastics
                                                          Steel & Bimetal Cans
                                                          Leaf Waste

 All apartment complexes or residential communities (nursing homes, condominiums, retirement communities, etc.) are required to provide recycling containers or centralized collection containers for their residents.  At a minimum, you must provide one container for co-mingled recyclables including aluminum cans, glass, steel and bimetal cans and number 1 and 2 plastics; and a second container for newspapers, office paper, junk mail, cardboard and other clean paper.  You are required to report on a yearly basis how much recyclables are collected at your property.  Leaf waste must be separated from other waste and the amount removed should also be reported to the Township.

All commercial, industrial and institutional business owners and apartment complexes or residential communities in East Norriton Township are required to report on a yearly basis how much they recycle.  At the beginning of each year all businesses located in East Norriton Township are required to complete a Recycling Data Collection Form and return to the Township’s recycling coordinator by February 28^th of each year.  You will be asked to provide on the form the quantities of recyclables your business collected during the previous year.  The trash hauler that handles your recyclables should provide annual tonnage information to you.

 For further information or to obtain collection forms, please contact:

HOUGH ASSOCIATES
105 Town Center Road, Suite 3
King of Prussia, PA  19406
610-992-9990

Storm Water Permit Program
New federal storm water management regulations required all Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4’s) which includes East Norriton Township to apply for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit in order to discharge storm water from our Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4).

What does this mean? East Norriton Township submitted a NPDES permit application to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on March 10, 2003 and received approval for the permit. Under this permit, East Norriton Township must develop and implement a storm water management program within the five-year permit term. We must also track the progress towards the goals of the permit as well as report our progress to DEP on an annual basis. There are six components of the Storm Water Program: Public Education, Public Involvement, Construction Site Runoff Management, Post-Construction Storm water Management, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, and Good Housekeeping and Pollution Prevention.

As a result of this Storm Water Program some of the expected benefits include enhanced fishing, enhanced opportunities for recreation, reduced flood damage, drinking water benefits, navigational benefits, reduced illness and enhanced aesthetic value. There are many ways in which you the public can get involved with this program which include following the pollution prevention tips being provided by the Township, passing on information about the storm water program to other community residents and reporting any storm water issues to East Norriton Township.

Provided on this web page throughout the five-year permit period, you will find valuable information about storm water issues as well as updates on the Township’s Storm Water Program. The Township has established a committee of staff and consultants which meets on a monthly basis to ensure that the Township is on schedule to meet the annual requirements of the Storm Water Program.  In addition, you can view all of the NPDES Storm Water Permit information on DEP's web site at www.dep.state.pa.us  and type in the Keyword "stormwater"

If you want to learn more about water and what you can do to help keep it clean, you can check out these exciting web sites for more water wisdom:

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection  -  www.dep.state.pa.us
DEP Southeast Regional Office - www.depweb.state.pa.us/southeastro/site/default.asp
U.S. EPA Office of Water: 
     www.epa.gov/ow/
     http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwatermonth.cfm
     http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm
Delaware River Basin Commission  -  www.state.nj.us/drbc/
Center for Watershed Protection  -  www.cwp.org


Reporting a Pollution Incident

Please contact East Norriton Township if you witness a pollution incident that is impacting a storm sewer system or surface waterway or even if it threatens a storm sewer system or waterway (such as if you see an oil spill that could enter the storm sewer if it rains).  We can be reached at:

East Norriton Township
2501 Stanbridge Street
East Norriton, PA  19401
phone: (610) 275-2800
fax:  (610) 277-1879
e-mail: info@eastnorritontwp.org
 

After The Storm

What is stormwater runoff? 
Stormwater runoff occurs when precipitation from rain or snowmelt flows over the ground.  Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets prevent stormwater from naturally soaking into the ground.

Why is stormwater runoff a problem?
Stormwater can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt and other pollutants and flow into a storm sewer system or directly to a lake, stream, river, wetland, or coastal water.  Anything that enters a storm sewer system is discharged untreated into the waterbodies we use for swimming, fishing, and providing drinking water.

 The effects of pollution.
Polluted stormwater runoff can have many adverse effects on plants, fish, animals, and people.

Ø      Sediments can cloud the water and make it difficult or impossible for aquatic plants to grow.  Sediment also can destroy aquatic habitats.

 Ø      Excess nutrients can cause algae blooms.  When algae die, they sink to the bottom and decompose in a process that removes oxygen from the water.  Fish and other aquatic organisms can’t exist in water with low dissolved oxygen levels.

Ø      Bacteria and other pathogens can wash into swimming areas and create health hazards, often making beach closures necessary.

Ø      Debris – plastic bags, six-pack rings, bottles, and cigarette butts – washed into waterbodies can choke, suffocate, or disable aquatic life like ducks, fish, turtles, and birds. 

Ø      Household hazardous waste like insecticides, pesticides, paint, solvents, used motor oil, and other auto fluids can poison aquatic life.  Land animals and people can become sick or die from eating diseased fish and shellfish or ingesting polluted water.

Ø      Polluted stormwater often affects drinking water sources.  This, in turn, can affect human health and increase drinking water treatment costs.

The amount of pollution that you stop may seem small, but all together it all adds up to cleaner water for everyone to enjoy.   

If you should witness a pollution incident that is impacting, or could impact in the future, a storm sewer system or surface waterway of East Norriton Township, please contact the municipal building immediately at 610-275-2800 to report the incident.

East Norriton Township's

Every Day Tips to Reduce
Stormwater Runoff Pollution
 

Ø      Choose water based paints and wash your brushes in the sink with water.  Water from your plumbing goes to a pollution control plant before ultimately going back to the Delaware River.

Ø      Reuse and recycle paint thinner.  Don’t pour it down the sink or drain.  Take it to a local household hazardous waste disposal center.

Ø      Place dog waste in the toilet or a trash can.  Do not leave it on the yard, in the street or dispose of it in a storm drain!  Pet waste introduces disease-causing bacteria into our water supply.

Ø      Keep all litter off the street and place it in receptacles so that it does not get washed or blown down storm drains.

Ø      Recycle product containers made of glass, plastic and aluminum.

Ø      Service your car regularly to prevent gasoline, oil, brake and transmission fluids, and anti-freeze from leaking onto the pavement and washing into our streams.

Ø      Use absorbent materials like kitty litter or toweling to soak up any spills, then sweep up and dispose of these items properly.  Never dilute spills with water.

Ø      Use fertilizers and herbicides only when necessary, and follow the directions carefully.  Use natural, organic fertilizer and avoid applying any fertilizer before heavy rainfalls.

Ø      Set your mower’s height at 3 inches.  Taller grass establishes deeper roots and healthier lawns which absorbs more stormwater.

Ø      Compost leaves and grass clippings, and use it to enhance your garden’s soil next year.  Carefully bag any garden waste that you do not compost to keep it out of the storm drains.

Storm Water Link