Chapter VII · Public Utilities

Article 3. Sewer Discharge Regulation

Sections 7-301 to 7-312 · 12 sections

7-301 Prohibited discharge.

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged to any sanitary sewer any of the following:

(a)Any storm water, surface water, ground water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, uncontaminated cooling water, or unpolluted industrial process waters

(b)Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid, or gas

(c)Any waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids, or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance, or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the wastewater treatment plant

(d)Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.0 or higher than 10.0, or having any other property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and personnel of the treatment works

(e)Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstructions to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the treatment works such as, but not limited to, ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.

(Ord. 3069; Ord. 3163)

7-302 Regulated discharge.

The discharge of the following substances, materials, waters, or wastes may be regulated, restricted, or prohibited if it appears likely in the opinion of the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative that such wastes can harm either the sewers, wastewater treatment process, or equipment, have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or can otherwise endanger life, limb, public property, or constitute a nuisance. In forming his opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative will give consideration to such factors as the quantities of subject wastes in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, nature of the wastewater treatment process, capacity of the wastewater treatment treatability of wastes in the wastewater treatment plant, and other pertinent factors.

(a)Any liquid or vapor which has a temperature higher than one hundred twenty degrees (120o F) (49o C).

(b)Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease, or oils whether emulsified or not, in excess of one hundred (100) milligrams per liter or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between thirty-two (32) and one hundred twenty degrees (120o F and 49o C).

(c)Any garbage that has not been properly shredded.

(d)Any waters or wastes containing strong acid pickling wastes, or concentrated plating solutions whether neutralized or not.

(e)Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc, and similar objectionable or toxic substances, or wastes exerting an excessive chlorine requirement, to such degree that any such material received in the composite wastewater at the wastewater treatment works exceeds the limits established by the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative for such materials, or pretreatment requirements established by state, federal or other public agencies of jurisdiction for such discharge.

(f)Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste-producing or odor- producing substances, in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative as necessary, after treatment of the composite wastewater to meet the requirements of the state, federal, or other public agencies of jurisdiction for such discharge.

(g)Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations.

(h)Materials which exert or cause:

(1)Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids such as, but not limited to, Fullers earth, lime slurries, and lime residues or of dissolved solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate)

(2)Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions)

(3)Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand, or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the wastewater treatment works

(4)Unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes constituting “slugs” as defined herein.

(i)Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the wastewater treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the wastewater treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters

(j)Any waters or wastes (1) having a five-day BOD greater than 200 milligrams per liter, or (2) containing more than 275 milligrams per liter of suspended solids, or (3) having an average daily flow greater than two percent of the average wastewater flow of the city, shall be subject to the review of the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative. Where necessary, in the opinion of the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative, the owner shall provide, at his expense, such preliminary treatment as may be necessary to (1) reduce the BOD to 200 milligrams per liter, or (2) reduce the suspended solids to 275 milligrams per liter, (3) control the quantities and rates of discharge of such waters or wastes. Plans, specifications, and any other pertinent information relating to proposed preliminary treatment facilities shall be submitted for the approval of the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative and no construction of such facilities shall be commenced until said approvals are obtained in writing.

(Ord. 3069)

7-303 Permitted actions.

If any waters or wastes are discharged, or are proposed to be discharged to the public wastewater collection system, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in section 7-302, and which in the judgment of the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative may have a deleterious effect upon the treatment works, processes, equipment, or receiving waters, or would otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative may:

(a)Reject the wastes

(b)Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public wastewater collection system

(c)Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge

(d)Require payment to cover the added cost of handling and treating the wastes not covered by existing taxes or user charges

If the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative permits the pretreatment or equalization of waste flows, the design and installation of the plants and equipment shall be subject to the review and approval of the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative, and subject to the requirements of all applicable codes, ordinances, and laws.

(Ord. 3069)

7-304 Interceptors.

Grease, oil, and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative, such are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable wastes, sand, or other harmful ingredients; except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection.

(Ord. 3069)

7-305 Maintenance.

Preliminary treatment or flow-equalizing facilities which are provided for any water wastes shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner, at the owner’s expense.

(Ord. 3069)

7-306 Access.

When required by the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative, the owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable control manhole together with such necessary meters and other appurtenances in the building sewer, to facilitate observation, sampling, and measurement of the wastes. Such manhole, when required shall be accessibly and safely located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative. The manhole shall be installed by the owner at the owner’s expense, and shall be maintained so as to be safe and accessible at all times.

(Ord. 3069)

7-307 Testing.

All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in this article shall be performed by a laboratory approved by the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative and shall be determined in accordance with the latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, published by the American Public Health Association, and shall be determined at the control manhole provided, or upon suitable samples taken at said control manhole. In the event that no special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer to the point at which the building sewer is connected. The physical requirements of sampling and the costs associated with samplers and sampling shall be the responsibility of the user. Test results for all sampling and analyses shall be submitted to the City no less than once per month, or as otherwise stipulated by the City. The timing and frequency of reporting user=s test results shall be as directed by the City. The specific types of and analytical testing for the wastewater constituents contained in the user=s wastewater shall be as directed by the City, and are dependent on the type of operation(s) resulting in the production of the user=s wastewater. Sampling shall be carried out by customarily accepted methods to reflect the effect of the constituents upon the treatment works and to determine the existence of hazards to life, limb, and property. (The particular analyses involved will determine whether a twenty-four (24) hour composite of all building sewers of a premise is appropriate or whether a grab sample or samples should be taken.)

(Ord. 3069)

7-308 Pretreatment standards.

Any pretreatment standards as established by state, federal, or other public agencies of jurisdiction for such discharge will be used as the minimum requirements by the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative as applied to this article.

(Ord. 3069)

7-309 Inspection.

The Director of Public Works or an authorized representative of the city bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all properties for the purposes of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, and testing in accordance with the provisions of this article. The Director of Public Works or an authorized representative shall have no authority to inquire into any processes including metallurgical, chemical, oil, refining, ceramic, paper, or other industries beyond that point having bearing on the kind and source of discharge to the sewers or waterways or facilities for waste purposes of administrating this article shall remain confidential to the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative, except that such report, record, or information may be disclosed to other officials, employees, or authorized representatives of the city and except for such effluent information as may be required by federal and state regulations.

(Ord. 3069)

7-310 Liability.

While performing the necessary work on private properties pursuant to this article, the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative shall observe all safety rules applicable to the premises established by the company and the company shall be held harmless for injury or death to the city employees, and the city shall indemnify the company against loss or damage to its property by city employees and against liability claims and demands for personal injury or property damage asserted against the company and growing out of the gauging and sampling operation, except as such may be caused by negligence or failure of the company to maintain safe conditions as required by this article.

(Ord. 3069)

7-311 Right of entry.

The Director of Public Works or an authorized representative bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all private properties through which the city holds a duly negotiated easement for the purposes of, but not limited to, inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, repair, and maintenance of any portion of the wastewater collection system lying within said easement. All entry and subsequent work, if any, on said easement shall be done in full accordance with the terms of the duly negotiated easement pertaining to the private property involved.

(Ord. 3069)

7-312 Storm water.

Storm water and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers as approved by the Director of Public Works or an authorized representative, to a storm sewer or natural outlet. Such flows are also subject to state and federal regulations.

(Ord. 3069)