In North Huntingdon, the Sewer Test Can Hold Up a Closing Longer Than the Home Inspection

Under most North Huntingdon front yards runs a pipe the homeowner owns and has probably never seen. It carries everything from the house to the North Huntingdon Township Municipal Authority's main line. Before that house can be sold, an NHTMA crew feeds a camera into the pipe through a cleanout, vent, or site tee, and pours tracing dye into the toilets, sinks, downspouts, and area drains to see where the water goes.

The home inspection gives the buyer something to negotiate over. The sewer test runs on the Authority's own schedule, and if the lateral fails, NHTMA's posted rules say the seller has to repair it before closing. That test can decide whether the closing happens on the date in the contract.

What NHTMA Requires Before a Sale

On properties NHTMA serves, a sale needs two documents from the Authority: a no-lien letter, plus either a Document of Certification or a Temporary Document of Certification. To get the certification, the property has to pass a dye test and a televised lateral inspection. NHTMA's current fee schedule lists $90 for the dye test and $170 for the lateral inspection, which comes to $260 per unit. The property owner pays for the tests. The closing company, attorney, or bank pays a separate $40-per-parcel fee for the no-lien letter.

The fees are small. The rule that matters comes from NHTMA's Sewer Use Rules and Regulations, effective July 1, 2014. It grades laterals from 1 to 5, and any lateral graded 3 or higher counts as "a connection in disrepair and illegal." Section 3.18 then says:

"In the event of a transfer, sale, or other conveyance of a property with a condition grade of 3 or above, the premises owner shall complete the repairs prior to the completion of the closing for the sale, transfer, or other conveyance."

The dye test has a pass-fail point of its own. Downspouts, stairwell drains, and driveway drains may not drain into NHTMA's sanitary sewer. If testing turns up one of those connections, the Authority withholds the regular certification until the connection is removed and the correction is certified.

A lateral can also fail on access alone. NHTMA's request form says that if the vent or cleanout is missing or can't be reached, the inspection fails automatically.

The Calendar Works Backward From Closing

The Authority's deadlines are fixed. Here is how they stack up when a seller waits until a sale agreement is signed to request the test:

1. The request and full payment have to reach NHTMA at least 14 days before the scheduled closing.
2. The inspection takes place within 10 business days after NHTMA receives the completed application and fee.
3. Staff review the results, normally within 2 business days. A failure is reported to the owner by phone, and a copy of the results follows by certified mail.
4. The owner obtains a no-cost re-inspection permit, makes the repairs, and has NHTMA inspect the work before it is covered.

Twelve business days is about two and a half calendar weeks. A request filed right at the 14-day minimum can therefore produce a failed result after the scheduled closing date has passed, before any contractor has given an estimate. The Authority also urges owners to get at least three written estimates and to meet with its System Superintendent or Supervisor to go over the video before any repair work starts. If the owner disagrees with the findings, the appeal goes to the NHTMA Board, and the Authority asks that it be made before repairs begin, while the line is still in its original condition.

That timeline explains the advice in NHTMA's August 2026 information sheet, which tells sellers to schedule the inspection before putting the property on the market.

The Temporary Certificate Is a Narrow Exception

One NHTMA document points the other way. The Authority's request form, revised May 1, 2025, says that if a violation isn't repaired before closing, "a temporary Document of Certification will be issued" and the buyer has one year to make the repairs.

The rules themselves set a much higher bar. Under sections 4.31 through 4.33, a temporary certificate "may be issued at the sole discretion of the Authority" when the repair would take long enough to create a practical hardship. The owner has to ask for it in writing and provide all of the following:

• A signed contract with a registered plumber or approved contractor, naming the Authority as a third-party beneficiary
• Cash security equal to the contract amount, posted with the Authority
• A review of the contract by the Authority's consulting engineer, paid for by the owner
• The buyer's agreement to cover any cost overruns, plus permission for the work to be finished on the property if the contractor defaults

The certificate carries an expiration date. If the work isn't done by then, the security is forfeited and NHTMA can use it to complete the repair. North Huntingdon Township's own code describes the same discretionary, secured process.

The newest Authority document, the information sheet marked "Revised 2026-08," states the rule plainly: "In the case of sales and transfers, defects that are identified in the inspection process must be repaired prior to the closing." The posted rules and the 2026 sheet agree. The 2025 form's language is looser than either. Both documents are still posted on the Authority's site, so the parties should confirm with NHTMA directly which procedure applies to their closing.

A Sale Is Not Treated Like a Refinance

The same test triggers different deadlines depending on why it was ordered. Because of that, a neighbor who refinanced may describe a much easier process than a seller will face.

Grant money doesn't help with a sale either. NHTMA says repair grants, when available, don't apply to a sale, transfer, or refinance.

Why the Authority Holds Sales to a Firmer Line

The program exists to cut down on inflow and infiltration, or I&I: storm and ground water that gets into the sanitary system through cracked laterals and illegal drain connections. NHTMA's information sheet estimates that if 30 percent of its customers contributed just 2 gallons per minute each, the system would carry more than 10.5 million extra gallons a day, more than six times its normal dry-day flow. It also notes that many older homes in the area have terracotta lines that roots can invade and that crack over time. A sale may be the only point when anyone looks inside one of those pipes.

There is regulatory pressure behind this too. NHTMA's FY2027 budget and annual report, dated April 2026, says its Phase II Consent Order and Agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection began in January 2022. The order requires flow monitoring and a source-flow-reduction project, and it was expected to run through December 2026. The report says the Authority is in compliance. The same report describes a $46.1 million upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant, expected to be finished in early 2027.

For homeowners who aren't selling, the monthly bill stayed flat. TribLive reported in April 2026 that the FY2027 budget kept sewage rates the same, while the tap-in fee for new connections went up to $5,765 on July 1. NHTMA's rate page lists the residential charge at $53.80 a month per EDU.

What the Rules Mean for Each Side of the Deal

For a seller, the documents point to doing the work early. Find the cleanout or fresh-air vent before the crew arrives, because the Authority says owners should locate them ahead of the inspection. If the home has a backflow preventer, the lateral may have to be televised from inside the house, and the owner or a representative must be there. A test done before listing leaves time to get estimates and finish repairs without a closing date already on the calendar.

For a buyer, the certificate presented at closing shows the status of the lateral the buyer is taking on. Responsibility for sewage service passes to the purchaser at closing, and the seller or agent must present the no-lien letter and the regular or temporary certificate. If NHTMA approves a temporary certificate, the buyer has agreed to cover cost overruns on someone else's repair contract, so that document deserves as close a reading as the inspection report.

The rules and fees here come from NHTMA's and the township's published documents. This is general information, not legal or financial advice, so confirm the requirements for your own property with NHTMA and your attorney or closing company.

FAQ

How long is a passing test good for? NHTMA says test results are valid for five years from the original test date. The township code says a certification is effective for two years. If a test is more than two years old, ask NHTMA whether it still covers your sale.

Does this apply if my water comes from MAWC? Yes. NHTMA handles sewage conveyance and treatment, MAWC supplies water, and North Huntingdon Township handles storm sewers. The test is NHTMA's requirement for properties it serves, no matter who supplies the water.

Who pays for the tests and for the repairs? The property owner pays the $260 testing charge. The closing company, attorney, or bank pays the $40 no-lien letter fee. The private lateral belongs to the property owner, who is responsible for maintaining it. NHTMA repairs defects within its easements and under roads at no cost to the owner.

If you're planning a North Huntingdon sale and want to fit the NHTMA test into your timeline before you list, Nikaela Connelly can help you build the schedule backward from your closing date so the sewer certificate is ready when you need it. Schedule a free consultation to get started.