Archive for category: Public Works2

The Department of Public Works is located at 910 West Bristol Road. The Department has 10 full time employees ranging from director, equipment operators and laborers. The Public Works Department handles the care and maintenance of more than 100 miles of roads (paving, potholes, plowing & salting), maintenance of Township buildings and structures. The traffic division maintains and oversees the installation of traffic lights, street lights, street signs and pavement markings. The fleet operations division deals with the maintenance of every department’s vehicles & equipment within the township.

STREET WATCH

See something wrong with a road in Warminster Township? Issues including potholes, street signs, street lights, and traffic signals should be reported online at https://warminstertownship.org/repair-form. Please remember, PennDOT maintains Street Road, York Road, Bristol Road, County Line Road, Jacksonville Road, and Mearns Road. For potholes or any other issues on these roads, please call 215-345-6060 or toll free at 1-800-FIXROAD.

PennDOT has also recently added an online option for reporting road issues with their Customer Care division. Concerns and complaints are assigned a reference number and followed up by PennDOT staff. You can reach PennDOT Customer Care at https://customercare.penndot.gov.

DISCHARGING YOUR SUMP PUMP

Sump pump discharges may flow naturally across the ground to the nearest storm sewer inlet or discharged into the yard for percolation into the ground. Please do not discharge your sump pumps directly onto Township roadways or sidewalks as this can as this can cause ice to form in the winter months and roads to deteriorate at an increased rate. It is also strictly prohibited and illegal to connect your sump pump to the Township storm water or sanitary sewer system. It only takes a few of these illegal
connections to overwhelm the system. Taking the following steps will greatly reduce or eliminate the amount of water that infiltrates your basement:

• Use downspouts to send rainwater away from your foundation.
• Make sure the yard is sloped so rainwater does not flow toward your home.
• Make sure the rain gutters and downspouts around your property are clear.

FALLING LEAVES . . . YARD WASTE ORDINANCE #537

With fall upon us, the Public Works Department asks that residents work with us to keep our storm drains, creeks, and basins free of yard debris. Leaves are the number one cause of storm drain blockages and could cause flooding and property damage. Problems with neighborhood flooding prompted the Board of Supervisors to pass an ordinance to not permit yard waste and debris in the street gutters. To help keep our sewer and storm water management system flowing, please be sure that neither you, nor your lawn care contractor, blow clippings, leaves, etc. into the street or you may be fined. All yard waste should be placed in paper bags at the curb. Reminder…If you back up to a park or open space, leaves should still be bagged and put out at the curb, not piled in the woods or along the creek.

STREET SWEEPING

Debris on the roads can possibly cause a safety hazard to motorists and unwanted materials in the storm water system. There are more than 200 lane miles of road surface to maintain in Warminster Township, and the amount of material from street sweeping can be more than 400 tons annually! Residents can help by using caution when travelling near the sweeper and parking cars in driveways whenever possible. The sweeping will not be scheduled by neighborhood. If residents would like to report a specific area that needs street sweeping, please call the Warminster Municipal Authority at 267-317-1310 or www.warminsterauthority.com

COMMUNITY STORMWATER INFORMATION

Stormwater runoff is responsible for up to 70% of the pollution found in our streams, lakes and rivers. Impervious surfaces (ones that do not allow water to penetrate the ground) such as buildings and parking lots contribute substantial amounts of water to our storm drains. This water often contains many pollutants. REMEMBER: The Warminster Township storm drain system does not provide any treatment for the removal of pollutants; anything that enters the system eventually reaches our waterways.

1. Don’t dump anything into storm drains—dispose of hazardous waste at Bucks County Hazardous Waste drop offs.
2. If you see a suspicious discharge to a water body or storm drain (catch basin, slotted manhole, into the street), contact Warminster Municipal Authority at 267-317-1310 or www.warminsterauthority.com
3. Personal property shall not be connected to the storm drain system (i.e. laundry hookups, sump pumps or septic systems). Such connections are prohibited in Warminster Township.
4. Divert runoff from pavement to grassy, planted, or wooded areas of your property.
5. Pick up litter or pet waste – waste ends up in our streams either directly or through storm drains.
6. Reduce fertilizer and pesticide use or toxicity. When mowing the lawn, mulch lawn clippings to provide a natural fertilizer.
7. When watering your lawn, don’t over-spray. Water that runs off sidewalks and roadways carry contaminants (oil, grease, and metals) into the drain system.
8. When washing your car, use phosphate free, nonpetroleum-based cleaning agents.
9. Sweep up salt and sand on your walkways after snowmelt. Don’t hose down driveways or sidewalks.
10. Inspect your vehicles & equipment for leaking and damaged parts.

WINTER REMINDER

With winter fast approaching, the Township hopes that all residents will assist with keeping streets clear so that plows can move unwanted snow.

• Ordinance #625 states that it is unlawful for residents to park vehicles on any road following accumulation of 3” or more of snow/ice until snow/ice has been completely plowed from the full width of the roadway. Please move cars off the streets when it starts to snow, so that the Township can more effectively and safely remove the snow/ice. Snow Emergencies will be declared when snow is forecasted to reach 3 inches or more, or accumulating ice requires that the streets be cleared. Snow Emergency declarations will be posted in advance on the Township website at www.warminstertownship.org.
• It is unlawful to shovel, push, plow or otherwise cause snow to be placed onto, across, or upon any roads, streets or sidewalks if the snow is allowed to remain on the road, street, sidewalk or right-of-way.
• When the Township plows the roads, the plowing causes the snow to get pushed up to driveways, curbs, and sidewalks. It may be more convenient for home owners to shovel after the Township plows the roads as opposed to prior.
• Please trim back all trees, branches and bushes along your front curb line and at corners to help improve road conditions and allow for emergency vehicle access.
• Remember to keep all trash cans out of the street. Portable basketball nets in the street are considered a traffic obstruction and owners may be cited. Please move them back off the street when not in play. If they are struck during emergency services or snow plowing, the owner is responsible for all damages.
• Warminster Township is not responsible for replacing mailboxes located in the right of way that are damaged during snow plowing. To avoid snow plow damage to your mailbox, any person with a mail box located along the street should be sure that the mailbox is secure in the ground.
• The Township is divided into grids for snowplowing. Some areas have been bid out to local contractors to aid our Public Works Department in plowing snow.
• Please shovel sidewalks & around fire hydrants – the house you save may be your own!

GUIDELINES for SNOW and ICE REMOVAL

Winter months present not only a unique challenge but also an opportunity for the Township and residents to work together in the common goal of safe, timely, and efficient snow removal. The following information will be useful to Township residents regarding best practices and also requirements during a snow or ice event.   Click here.