§ 12938 — Preparation of streets for paving or repairing

(a) General rule.--Council may provide, by ordinance, for the laying, renewing and repairing of all gas, water, steam or other pipes or conduits in any street before the paving, repaving or repairing of the street and for making the necessary connections with the pipes.

(b) Sewer improvement.--Council may provide for the necessary connections and branches leading into main or lateral sewers.

(c) Private utility companies.--With regard to connections requiring extensions from sewers or from gas, water, steam or other pipes or conduits, council may not require private utility companies to make extensions beyond the inner line of the curbstone of the street unless it determines that it is necessary to do so as a sanitary measure.

(d) Recoupment of cost.--If, after notice to all persons and owners affected of the necessity for the laying, renewing and repairing of gas, water, steam or other pipes or conduits in a street and the necessity of making necessary connections prior to the proposed paving, repaving or repairing of the street, there is a failure to comply, council may perform work and may collect the cost of paving, repaving or repairing of the pipes or conduits, with interest, from the persons and owners affected.

(e) Liens.--The cost of the sewer connections shall be a first lien against the land for whose benefit the connections are made. A separate lien may be filed for the cost, or the sewer connection cost may be included in any lien filed for the cost of the street improvement, and the lien and the proceedings on the lien shall be as in the case of other municipal liens.