(A) Prohibition of illegal discharges. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the municipal storm drain system or watercourses any materials, including, but not limited to, pollutants or waters containing any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards, other than storm water. The commencement, conduct or continuance of any illegal discharge to the storm drain system is prohibited, except described as follows:
(1) The following discharges are exempt from discharge prohibitions established by this chapter: water line flushing or other potable water sources, landscape irrigation or lawn watering, diverted stream flows, rising ground water, ground water infiltration to storm drains, uncontaminated pumped ground water, foundation or footing drains (not including active groundwater dewatering systems), crawl space pumps, air conditioning condensation, springs, non-commercial washing of vehicles, street wash water, natural riparian habitat or wetland flows, swimming pools (if dechlorinated - typically less than one PPM chlorine), firefighting activities and any other water source not containing pollutants;
(2) Discharges specified in writing by the city’s Storm Water Management Utility as being necessary to protect public health and safety;
(3) Discharges from off-lot household sewage treatment systems permitted by the County Health District for the purpose of discharging treated sewage effluent in accordance with O.A.C. 3701-29-02 until such time as the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency issues as a NPDES permitting mechanism for residential one-, two- or three-family dwellings. These discharges are exempt unless such discharges are deemed to be creating a public health nuisance by the County of Health District. In compliance with the city’s storm water management program, discharge from all off-lot household sewage must either be eliminated or have coverage under an appropriate NPDES permit issued and approved by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. When such permit coverage is available, discharge from off-lot household sewage treatment systems will no longer be exempt from the requirement of this legislation;
(4) Dye testing is an allowable discharge, but requires a verbal notification to the authorized enforcement agency prior to the time of the test; and
(5) The prohibition shall not apply to any non-storm water discharge permitted under an NPDES permit, waiver or waste discharge order issued to the discharger and administered under the authority of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency; provided that, the discharger is in full compliance with all requirements of the permit, waiver or order and other applicable laws and regulations; and, provided that, written approval has been granted for any discharge to the storm drain system.
(B) Prohibition of illicit connections.
(1) The construction, use, maintenance or continued existence of illicit connections to the storm drain system is prohibited.
(2) This prohibition expressly includes, without limitation, illicit connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of connection.
(3) A person is considered in violation of this chapter if the person connects a line conveying sewage to the MS4, or allows such a connection to continue.
(Prior Code, § 1056.06) (Ord. 208-2012, passed 12-10-2012)