53 Pa. Stat. § 12675
Any such city shall have the power to pave, repair, and clean the streets, collect ashes, waste, rubbish, and garbage within the limits of such city, and to dispose of street sweepings and of ashes, waste, rubbish, and garbage. Any such city shall have the power to lease, acquire, construct, or cause to be constructed, a plant or plants to be used for, or in connection with, any of the purposes mentioned in this section, and to lease the same to any person, association, or corporation which shall contract to perform such work for the said city. The council of such city shall have the power to authorize any existing department or bureau of such city to perform the work which such city is authorized to do, and to lease, purchase, construct, make, or cause to be constructed or made, such plants and equipment, supplies, and materials, as shall be necessary and appropriate therefor, or to create such new bureau or new division in any bureau as shall be deemed necessary, and to confer upon such new bureau or division like authority.
After the thirty-first day of December, one thousand nine hundred and twenty, the repair and cleaning of the streets, the collection of ashes, waste, rubbish, and garbage within the limits of such city, and the disposal of street sweepings, ashes, waste, rubbish, and garbage, shall be done directly by the city: Provided, That any such work may be done by contract when authorized by the council by a vote of a majority of all the members elected thereto, with the approval of the mayor. For the purpose of determining whether it is to the best interests of the city to authorize the performance of any such work by contract, the mayor or the council may, prior to the first day of August of any year, invite bids for such work. Advertisement for such bids shall be made during a period ending not later than the first day of October next ensuing, and a summary of the bids shall be included by the mayor in the budget: Provided further, That if it is determined in accordance with the provisions of this section to have any such work performed by contract, a reasonable time, not exceeding six months, shall be allowed the contractor or contractors thereunder to secure the necessary equipment to perform such contracts and to begin the performance thereof.
53 P.S. § 12675