Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority

The vast majority of properties in Levittown have some form of an easement located on the property for sewer, water and/or PECO, Verizon, etc. The plot plan received with the original purchase of the home will indicate the size and location of any sanitary sewer easement on your property and was drawn on 8 1/2 x 14 size paper.

Yes. Original Levitt easement restrictions prohibit structures as well as any trees, shrubs, etc. which grow taller than 2-3 feet. Essentially, the easement area is restricted to grass or flower/vegetable gardens. This makes it possible for utility crews to quickly respond to and repair utility lines when there is an emergency as well as perform routine maintenance and improvements to the systems.

The Authority requires a Sanitary Sewer Easement Permit be obtained prior to constructing any structure within the Authority’s sanitary sewer easement to ensure the Authority’s easement requirements are met. Easement Permit requirements are outlined on the permit application. Many structures have been built/placed on an easement without Authority permission. When the Authority discovers these structures the homeowner is notified of the Violation and the corrective actions that are required.

Inspections are conducted for various reasons from the sale of a home to a problem that may have been experienced by our employees when attempting to access the line for maintenance or a problem reported.

Anyone can submit an easement inspection request, however when a home is for sale, notification from either the title company handling the settlement, the real estate agent involved in the selling/buying of the property, attorney handling the sale of the property or the homeowner will be accepted.

There is no charge for the sanitary sewer easement inspection at this time.

The Authority requires a minimum of 30 working days notification for an easement inspection. If you are a Realtor requesting an easement inspection for the sale of a home, please include your contact information, including a fax number and the address of the property or simply fax the Easement Inspection Request form to 215-949-4634. A house does not have to be under agreement or sold to request an easement inspection. The Authority encourages Realtors to request an easement inspection as soon as a listing is obtained to allow the seller more time to correct any issues found. A Pre-Inspection Checklist has been furnished to educate and assist Realtors, Property Owners, etc. in ensuring there are no violations on a property.

In addition to ever increasing regulatory requirements from State and Federal agencies, easement restrictions and related issues have become a primary concern for the Authority. Easements for public utilities are common throughout the Country and typically restrict usage in order to protect, preserve and maintain reliable and safe public utility systems.

Trees on easements are the #1 problem as the roots can penetrate both the Authority and property owner's sewer lines causing damage to the pipes as well as blockages, while the tree itself grows into the electrical lines and transformers causing interruption in service and in some cases, massive outages from damage to poles, lines, etc. When trees are improperly located or allowed to grow out of control, the results can be devastating to property owners. Trees located on easements are typically identified with orange paint to aid the property owner in identifying the specific trees requiring removal. Grinding the stumps of these trees are also required to alleviate regrowth.

The Authority purchased original plot plans for it’s service area of the Levitt homes only. They are available for purchase at our Wastewater Treatment Plant at a cost of $35.00 each. With the current office closures to obtain a plot plan please mail/drop off a check or money order to 7900 Bristol Pike, Levittown, PA. 19057 along with the address of the plot plan you are requesting. If you would like to pick it up, please include your phone # and you will be contacted when it has been placed in the mailbox at the above location. In the absence of a phone #, it will be mailed to address of the plot plan requested unless otherwise noted.

Property lines and easements are clearly noted on these plot plans and are the responsibility of the property owner to locate. The Authority does not survey properties to determine where the property line or easement is located. These plot plans are drawn to scale and should not be altered or resized. An unmarked original copy should always be kept on hand by the property owner.  Click to view a sample plot plan

In all cases, the property owner is responsible for all easement issues located on their property. It is the duty of the property owner to investigate a property before purchasing and familiarize themselves with any easement and associated restrictions. The Authority attempts to assist the property owners by providing an easement inspection as part of the certification at no additional charge. Please note that the easement inspection does not remove or in any way reduce the responsibility of the property owner for strictly adhering to the easement restrictions nor does it in any way place responsibility of any easement issues(s) upon the Authority.

The Authority offers an interest/fee free loan to customers that are required to have trees removed and stumps ground from atop a sanitary sewer and/or water main easement. Please follow these guidelines/steps to obtain the loan:

1. Obtain your desired number of quotes from reputable/reliable/insured tree removal services, as we are unable to make any recommendations.
2. Submit an original invoice to the Authority’s Administration office at: 7811 New Falls Road, Levittown, PA. 19058 Attn: Tree Loan Program
3. The Authority will contact you when the Loan Agreement and Payment Schedule have been drawn up and are ready for the homeowner’s signature. NOTE: ALL property owners are required to sign the agreement and trees are not authorized to be removed until the Loan Agreement has been executed with the Authority.
4. Upon completion of #3, contact the tree removal service and schedule the work to be completed.
5. Once the work is completed to your satisfaction, contact the Authority’s Administration office at 215-945-7400 and inform a representative that you are calling regarding your tree loan and that the work has been completed to your satisfaction. Please make sure to leave your name, address and phone #. The Authority will inspect your property to ensure it meets our requirements and process tree removal service invoice for payment.
6. Begin payments as per your loan schedule. NOTE: Should you default on the loan, it will be forwarded to the Authority Solicitor for further action, including but not limited to a lien.