Loading...
§ 53.04 USE OF THE PUBLIC SEWERS.
   (A)   It is unlawful for any person to discharge, or cause to be discharged, any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, uncontaminated cooling water or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer. Any person, firm or corporation having a roof, sump pump, drain tile, swimming pool discharge, cistern overflow pipe or surface drain now connected and/or discharging into the sanitary sewer system shall disconnect and/or remove the same prior to December 1, 1999. Any disconnects or openings in the sanitary sewer shall be closed or repaired in an effective, workmanlike manner, as approved by the Public Works Department or its designated agent.
   (B)   Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to those sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers, or to a natural outlet approved by the city. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged, on approval of the city, to a storm sewer or natural outlet.
   (C)   It is unlawful for any person to discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to any public sewers:
      (1)   Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas;
      (2)   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 sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant;
      (3)   Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the sewage works; or
      (4)   Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of a size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the sewage 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, sanitary napkins, prophylactics and the like, either whole or ground by garbage grinders.
   (D)   No industrial user may discharge sewage into any public sewer until the city has adopted an industrial cost recovery system which:
      (1)   Meets the requirements of § 204(b)(1)(B) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (citation) and applicable federal regulations; and
      (2)   Has been approved by the Agency in accordance with the conditions of any grant made to the city by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for the construction of any part of the sewer system or sewage treatment works of the city.
   (E)   It is unlawful for any person to discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, materials, waters or wastes if it appears likely in the opinion of the city that the wastes can harm either the sewers or sewage treatment process equipment; have an adverse effect on the receiving stream; or can otherwise endanger life, limb, public property or constitute a nuisance. In forming the opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the city will give consideration to 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 sewage treatment process, capacity of the sewage treatment plant and maximum limits established by regulatory agencies. The substances prohibited are:
      (1)   Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150°F (65°C);
      (2)   Any water or wastes containing toxic or poisonous materials; or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of 100 mg/l or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32° and 150°F (0° and 65°C);
      (3)   Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. The installation and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of three-fourths horsepower or greater shall be subject to the review and approval of the city or its authorized representative;
      (4)   Any waters or wastes containing strong acid, iron pickling wastes or concentrated plating solutions, whether neutralized or not;
      (5)   Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc and similar objectionable or toxic substances; or wastes exerting an excessive chlorine requirement, to the degree that the material received in the composite sewage at the sewage treatment works exceeds the limits established by the city, or its authorized representative, for those materials;
      (6)   Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste- or odor-producing substances, in concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the city, or its representative, as necessary after treatment of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of the state, federal or other public agencies of jurisdiction for the discharge to the receiving waters;
      (7)   Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of a half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the city, or its representative, in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations;
      (8)   Any waters or wastes having a pH in excess of 9.5;
      (9)   Any mercury or any of its compounds in excess of 0.0005 mg/l as Hg at any time, except as permitted by the city, or its representative, in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations;
      (10)   Any cyanide in excess of 0.025 mg/l at any time except as permitted by the city, or its representative, in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations;
      (11)   Materials which exert or cause:
         (a)   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);
         (b)   Excessive discoloration (such as but not limited to dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions);
         (c)   Unusual BOD, COD or chlorine requirements in quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment works; or
         (d)   Unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes constituting “slugs” as defined herein.
      (12)   Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to the degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
   (F)   If any waters or wastes are discharged or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated herein and/or which are in violation of the standards for pretreatment provided in Chapter 1, EPA Rules and Regulations, Subchapter D, Water Programs Part 128 Pretreatment Standards, Federal Register, Volume 38, No. 215, Thursday, November 8, 1973 and any amendments thereto and which, in the judgment of the city or its representative, may have a deleterious effect upon the sewage works, processes, equipment or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the city may: reject the wastes; require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to public sewers; require control over the quantities and rates of discharge; and/or require payment to cover the added costs of handling and treating the wastes not covered by existing taxes or sewer charges under the provisions of this chapter. If the city, or its 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 city, or its representative, and subject to the requirements of all applicable codes, city code provisions and laws.
   (G)   Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the city, or its representative, they 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 the interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the city, or its representative, and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection.
   (H)   Where preliminary treatment or flow-equalizing facilities are provided, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his or her expense.
   (I)   Each industry shall be required to install a control manhole and, when required by the city, or its representative, the owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable control manhole together with the necessary meters and other appurtenances in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of the wastes. The manhole, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the city, or its representative. The manhole shall be installed by the owner at his or her expense and shall be maintained by him or her so as to be safe and accessible at all times.
   (J)   (1)   The owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall provide laboratory measurements, tests and analyses of waters and wastes to illustrate compliance with this chapter and any special conditions for discharge established by the city, its representative or regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the discharge.
      (2)   The number, type and frequency of laboratory analyses to be performed by the owner shall be as stipulated by the city, or its representative, but no less than once per year the industry must supply a complete analysis of the constituents of the wastewater discharge to assure that compliance with the federal, state and local standards are being met. The owner shall report the results of measurements and laboratory analyses to the city. The owner shall bear the expense of all measurements, analyses and reporting required by the city. At times as deemed necessary, the city, or its representative, reserves the right to take measurements and samples for analysis by an outside laboratory service. The expense of an outside laboratory shall be borne by the industry or owner.
   (K)   All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in this chapter 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 the 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. Sampling shall be carried out by customarily accepted methods to reflect the effect of constituents upon the sewage works and to determine the existence of hazards to life, limb and property. (The particular analyses involved will determine whether a 24-hour composite of all outfalls of a premises is appropriate or whether a grab sample or samples should be taken. Normally, but not always, BOD and SS analyses are obtained from 24-hour composites of all outfalls, whereas pHs are determined from periodic grab samples.)
   (L)   No statement contained in this chapter shall be construed as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the city and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the city for treatment, subject to payment therefor, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, by the industrial concern, provided the payments are in accordance with federal and state guidelines for user charge system and industrial cost recovery system.
   (M)   Each residential household, commercial complex, commercial business or industry shall pay to the city the established amount set forth by EPA user charge system or industrial cost recovery for the proper operation of the sewage treatment plant. Any building which is privately owned, whether occupied or not, shall be subject to this payment. Any established multi-dwelling shall make payment in the amount established by the user charge system. The payment shall be made unless the water service is discontinued and the service valve closed.
(1989 Code, § 3.40, Subd. 4) (Ord. 33, 2nd Ser., eff. 5-21-1999) Penalty, see § 53.99
§ 53.05 PROTECTION OF SEWAGE WORKS FROM DAMAGE.
   No unauthorized person shall maliciously, willfully or negligently break, damage, destroy or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the sewage works. Any person violating this provision shall be subject to immediate arrest under charge of disorderly conduct.
(1989 Code, § 3.40, Subd. 5) (Ord. 33, 2nd Ser., eff. 5-21-1999) Penalty, see § 53.99
Cross-reference:
   Disorderly conduct, see Ch. 130
§ 53.06 WASTEWATER BACKUPS.
   (A)   All building drains which have backup problems shall have a backwater valve installed at the owner’s expense, and it shall be the owner’s responsibility to see that the backwater valve is kept clean and workable. The city will assume no liability for any damages resulting from backup.
   (B)   All new housing projects shall be required to install a backwater valve in the building drain behind the building drain cleanout wye, as to make it possible to gain access to the private sewer line for cleaning purposes.
(1989 Code, § 3.40, Subd. 6) (Ord. 33, 2nd Ser., eff. 5-21-1999) Penalty, see § 53.99
§ 53.07 POINT OF SALE CERTIFICATION.
   (A)   Scope and intent. The provisions of this section shall apply to all real estate which is connected to the city's sanitary sewer or located within the city. It is the intent of this section to identify and eliminate inflow and infiltration resulting from cracked and leaking pipes, foundation drain connections, roof drain connections, and sump pump connections.
   (B)   Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following terms are defined as follows:
      BUILDING OFFICIAL. The Building Official appointed by the City Council and/or the City Administrator or a City Administrator’s designee.
      BUYER. Any person or entity who purchases a property or to whom title to a property is conveyed.
      CITY COMPLIANCE FORM. The form provided to the seller evidencing compliance with this section.
      CLOSING. The date in which the ownership of the property is transferred to the buyer.
      PLUMBER’S POINT OF SALE CERTIFICATION. The certificate provided to the city evidencing inspection of sanitary sewer.
      QUALIFIED PERSON. A person qualified to complete an inspection and plumber’s point of sale certification under division (D)(3) of this section.
      SALE or SOLD. The transfer of title to a property.
      SELLER. The current owner of real estate as identified in the property records on file at the St. Louis County Auditor's Office or by court order.
   (C)   Requirements.
      (1)   Sanitary sewer lines. All sanitary sewer lines serving property, from the house to the main line, shall be in a safe and functional condition and shall be free from all leaks, failures including but not limited to sags, partially collapsed sections or tree root intrusion.
      (2)   In addition, all sanitary sewer lines shall meet the standards and specifications established in § 53.03, Building Sewers and Connections.
   (D)   Point of sale certification required and monies escrowed for deficiencies.
      (1)   No property which is connected to the city's sanitary sewer shall be sold within the city unless the seller or buyer has provided a plumber’s point of sale certification to the Building Official at least two business days prior to closing. The plumber’s point of sale certification shall provide the city with the resources to provide the city compliance form evidencing that the property has been inspected and is in compliance with the requirements of this section. Compliance forms shall be valid for five years from the date of signature.
      (2)   The plumber’s point of sale certification shall be in the form provided by the city and requires one digital copy of the televising report to be provided to the city along with written report.
      (3)   The inspection and certification of sanitary sewer lines must be completed by a qualified person. A qualified person is a plumber licensed by the State of Minnesota or another sewer professional pre-approved by the city.
      (4)   The fee for inspection and preparation of the certification by the contractor shall be paid by the buyer or seller. There shall be no fee paid to the city.
      (5)   Any deficiencies discovered during the inspection shall be disclosed prior to closing and shall be corrected within 24 months from the closing. The seller shall provide proof to the city that funds were placed in an escrow account at closing to cover the required repairs. The amount to be escrowed shall be one and one-half times the amount of the quote for repairs.
      (6)   Properties found to be sharing a common sewer line during the inspection shall be remedied by providing at least two separate sewer laterals that connect to the city’s main trunk line. The cost shall be split evenly between the property’s owners that are connected to the common service.
   (E)   Exceptions. Compliance forms are not required for the following:
      (1)   A property where the compliance form has been issued by the city within five years prior to the sale of the dwelling unit.
      (2)   Property sold or transferred by a court ruling including wills, probate actions, divorce, and estate settlements.
      (3)   A property that is without building or contains no dwelling or other buildings with plumbing fixtures.
      (4)   Property which is sold to a foreclosing mortgagee which holds a mortgage on the dwelling unit.
      (5)   The transfer does not require the filing of a certificate of real estate value, as described in M.S. § 272.115, subdivision 1.
   (F)   Penalties.
      (1)   Criminal remedies. The failure of any seller or buyer to comply with the provisions of this section or to comply with an order issued by the city pursuant to this section shall be a misdemeanor.
      (2)   Civil remedies. In addition to the criminal remedies, this section may be enforced by injunction, action for abatement or other appropriate civil remedy.
   (G)   Warranty disclaimer by city. By enacting and undertaking to enforce this section, neither the city nor its council, agents or employees warrant or guarantee the safety, fitness or suitability to any property in the city.
(Ord. 101, passed 10-3-2023)
Loading...