Strasburg Borough, the Refton sewer area, and Strasburg Township on-lot properties do not share one wastewater arrangement. Township Ordinance 92 requires covered OLDS to be pumped every three years. A household with no more than two permanent occupants may seek a five-year extension, but the extension requires an application and evidence rather than a verbal promise to the pumper.
Separate borough, sewer-area, and township records
The City of Lancaster treatment plant receives wastewater from Strasburg Borough and portions of Strasburg Township, while the township also administers on-lot permits and Ordinance 92. Identify the parcel municipality and sewer account. A Strasburg mailing address can land on either side of that infrastructure line.
For a public-sewer backup, use a plumber or serving authority. For an on-lot tank, ask the township for the last recorded pumping date, approved pumper requirements, current report, and any extension status.
The limited-occupancy extension is conditional
Strasburg says properties with two or fewer permanent occupants may qualify for a five-year pumping-cycle extension. “May qualify” matters. Submit the municipal form and required documentation, then retain the written approval. Low occupancy without approval does not change the three-year due date.
If occupancy increases, ask whether the extension still applies. A new owner should not inherit the prior owner’s assumptions without checking the township record.
Access across agricultural properties
Township routes can include active farms, horse-drawn traffic, narrow lanes, and tanks behind multiple structures. Describe truck access and schedule around gates, animals, and field conditions. Protect the absorption and replacement areas from truck weight; the shortest hose route is not useful if it compacts treatment soil.
- Provide the Ordinance 92 due date or approved extension.
- Identify every dwelling or business served by the system.
- Mark lids, pump chambers, and safe truck position.
- Tell the scheduler about soft lanes, low wires, and restricted turning space.
Inspection findings may change the next step
Unusual liquid level, damaged baffles, a failed alarm, return flow, or sewage at the surface deserves more than a compliance receipt. Reduce water and ask the township SEO about repair permits. The required pump visit can expose problems, but the pumper does not issue municipal approval.
If conditions are normal, retain the report and set a reminder ahead of the next date. Alternative equipment may need service sooner than the tank cycle.
Record the service date against the township’s accepted date, not only the day the appointment was requested. That small distinction matters when weather or access causes a reschedule near the deadline.
Home sales need two kinds of records
A township pumping record answers compliance timing. A private PSMA/NOF inspection, when the contract requests one, evaluates broader condition under an industry protocol. Pennsylvania does not mandate that inspection statewide. Buyers should request both the municipal file and the agreed field report rather than confusing the two.
Official references used for this page
Rules and contacts can change. These primary sources supported the statements above; check the current municipal record for the property before relying on a deadline or form.