PRINTER'S NO. 586
No. 527 Session of 1985
INTRODUCED BY GEIST, D. R. WRIGHT, HAYES, BOWSER, FARGO,
STEWART, HERMAN, MERRY, PETRARCA, G. M. SNYDER, McVERRY,
SEMMEL, REINARD, LLOYD, DORR, RYBAK, LASHINGER, AFFLERBACH,
ROBBINS, OLASZ AND DAWIDA, FEBRUARY 27, 1985
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON URBAN AFFAIRS, FEBRUARY 27, 1985
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 7, 1901 (P.L.20, No.14), entitled "An
2 act for the government of cities of the second class," making
3 provision for public water service recipients to tap into
4 public water service for the purpose of providing a
5 sufficient water supply for the operation of residential
6 groundwater heat pumps.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 3 of Article XIX of the act of March 7,
10 1901 (P.L.20, No.14), referred to as the Second Class City Law,
11 is amended by adding a clause to read:
12 ARTICLE XIX
13 Corporate Powers
14 * * *
15 Section 3. Every city of the second class, in its corporate
16 capacity, is authorized and empowered to enact ordinances for
17 the following purposes, in addition to the other powers granted
18 by this act:
19 * * *
1 XLVI. (i) To permit, at its option, the tapping of a water
2 pipeline by persons, partnerships and corporations for the
3 purpose of providing a sufficient water supply for the operation
4 of residential groundwater heat pumps utilizing a closed loop
5 system. The city shall charge a one-time tapping fee, not to
6 exceed the normal tap fee for the cost of water service,
7 whenever the owner of any such groundwater heat pump connects
8 such heat pump with a water pipeline. The one-time tapping fee
9 shall constitute the extent of the charges and fees and there
10 shall be no other extraordinary charges and fees. Accordingly,
11 the city shall not fix, charge or collect any rates or other
12 charges for the supply of water to the groundwater heat pump
13 system. The contractor or supplier of water shall have the
14 unconditional right, at any reasonable time, to inspect the
15 groundwater heat pump connections to the water system to insure
16 the exclusive use of the public water for supply to the
17 groundwater heat pump system.
18 (ii) The following terms whenever used or referred to in
19 this clause shall have the following meanings, except in those
20 instances where the context clearly indicates otherwise:
21 "Groundwater." Water from aquifers, lakes, wells and any
22 other occurrences of water in and under the ground, whether
23 percolating or otherwise, located on the residential property
24 and water from privately distributed or municipally distributed
25 water systems.
26 "Residential groundwater heat pump." A mechanical system
27 designed to utilize the natural heat of the earth by extracting
28 the heat energy in groundwater to provide residential heating,
29 and by extracting the heat from the air and dissipating it into
30 the groundwater to provide residential cooling including, but
19850H0527B0586 - 2 -
1 not limited to such components as, water-to-refrigerant heat
2 exchanger, refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger, refrigerant-to-
3 water heat exchanger and refrigerant compressor.
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
K14L11WMB/19850H0527B0586 - 3 -