(A) No person(s) shall discharge or cause to be discharged any water such as stormwater, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage or cooling water to any sanitary sewer.
(B) Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designed as storm sewers or to a natural outlet approved by the city and other regulatory agencies. Unpolluted industrial cooling water or process waters may be discharged, on approval of the city, to a storm sewer or natural outlet. Discharges to a storm sewer or natural outlet may require a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
(C) No person(s) shall discharge or cause to be discharged any or 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 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 waste treatment process, constitutes a hazard to humans or animals, creates a public nuisance or creates any hazard in the receiving waters of the wastewater treatment works;
(3) Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or greater than 9.5 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the wastewater facilities and/or wastewater treatment works;
(4) Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or other interference with the proper operation of the wastewater facilities, such as, but not limited to, ashes, bones, cinders, sand, mild, 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 and the like, either whole or ground by garbage grinders.
(D) The following described substances, materials, water or waste shall be limited in discharges to municipal systems to concentrations or quantities which will not harm either sewers, wastewater treatment works, treatment processes or equipment will not have an adverse effect on the receiving stream or will not otherwise endanger lives, limb, public property or constitute a nuisance. The Superintendent may set limitations lower than limitations established in the regulations below if in his or her opinion such more severe limitations are necessary to meet the above objectives. In forming his or her opinion as to the acceptability, the Superintendent will give consideration to such factors as the quantity of subject waste in reaction to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, the wastewater treatment works, the city’s NPDES permits and other pertinent factors. The limitations or restrictions on materials or characteristics of waste or wastewaters discharged to the sanitary sewer which shall not be violated without approval of the Superintendent are as follows:
(1) Wastewater having a temperature higher than 150° Fahrenheit (65° Celsius);
(2) Wastewater containing more than 25 milligrams per liter of petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oils or products of mineral oil origin;
(3) Wastewater from industrial plants and commercial establishments containing floatable oils, fat or grease;
(4) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. Garbage grinders may be connected to sanitary sewers from homes, hotels, institutions, restaurants, hospitals, catering establishments or similar places where garbage originates from the preparation of food in kitchens for the purposes of consumption on the premises or when served by caterers;
(5) Any waters or wastes containing lead, chromium, copper, zinc, mercury, boron and similar objectionable or toxic substances to such degree that any such material received in the composite wastewater at the wastewater treatment works exceeds the limits established by the Superintendent for such materials;
(6) Any waters or wastes containing odor-producing substances exceeding limits which may be established by the Superintendent;
(7) Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Superintendent in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations;
(8) Quantities of flow, concentrations or both which constitute a slug, as defined herein;
(9) Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the wastewater treatment processes employed;
(10) Any waters or wastes containing BOD or suspended solids of such character and quantity that unusual attention or expense is required to handle such materials at the wastewater treatment works, except as may be permitted by specific, written agreement with the city which agreement may provide for special charges, payments or provisions of treating and testing equipment.
(E) 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 in division (D) of this section and which in the judgement of the Superintendent may have a deleterious effect upon the wastewater facilities, processes, equipment or receiving waters or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the city may:
(1) Reject the wastes;
(2) Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers;
(3) Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge; and/or
(4) Reference Federal Register, Volume 43, number 123, part IV, section 126, part 403, titled “General Pretreatment Regulations for Existing and New Sources of Pollution,” as published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, June 26, 1978, and Federal Guidelines pertaining to pretreatment.
(a) If the city 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, in accordance with subsection (5) below.
(b) The city will require payment to cover the added cost of handling the wastes not covered by existing taxes or sewer charges subject to the requirements of 40 CFR 403, in accordance with this section and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
(5) No provision contained in this chapter shall be construed to prevent or prohibit a separate or special contract or agreement between the city and any user whereby waste and material of unusual strength, character or composition may be accented by the city for treatment, subject to additional payment therefor by such user; provided, however, that such contract or agreement shall have the prior approval of the Superintendent, and the payments for such services meet the requirements of the city’s ordinances establishing the sewer service charge system.
(F) Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Superintendent, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing floatable grease in excessive amounts, as specified in division (D)(3), 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 Superintendent and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. In the maintaining of these interceptors, the owner(s) shall be responsible for the proper removal and disposal by appropriate means of the captured material and shall maintain records of the dates and means of disposal which are subject to review by the Superintendent. Any removal and hauling of the collected materials not performed by owner(s)’ personnel must be performed by currently licensed waste disposal firms.
(G) Where pretreatment or flow-equalizing facilities are provided or required for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner(s) at his or her expense.
(H) When required by the city, the owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable structure, together with such necessary meters and other appurtenances in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of the wastes. Such structure, when required, shall be accessible and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the city. The structure 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.
(I) 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. Sampling methods, location, times, durations and frequencies are to be determined on an individual basis subject to approval by the Superintendent. Reference is made to 40 CFR 136, “Guidelines for Establishing Test Procedures for Analysis of Pollutants” dated October 16, 1973.
(J) Whenever any service connection becomes clogged, obstructed, broken or out of order or detrimental to the use of the public sewer or unfit for the purpose of drainage, the owner or person having charge of the service connection shall repair or cause such work to be done as the Superintendent may direct. Each day after three days that a person neglects or fails to so act shall constitute a separate violation of this section, and the Superintendent may then cause the work to be done and recover from such owner or agent the expense thereof, together with 10% damages, by an action in the name of the city.
(K) No person having charge of any building or other premises which drains into a public sewer shall permit any substance or matter which may form a deposit or obstruction to flow or pass into the public sewer. Within ten days after notice in writing from the city, a person shall install a suitable and sufficient catch basin or waste trap, or if one already exists, clean out, repair or alter the same and perform such other work as the Superintendent may deem necessary to prevent any substance or matter passing into the public sewer which may cause a deposit or obstruction therein. In addition to any penalties that may be imposed for violating this section, if a person refuses or neglects to install a catch basin or waste trap or to clean out, repair or alter the same, if one exists, for a period of five days, the Superintendent may cause such work to be done as deemed necessary at the expense of the owner or person having charge of the premises.
(L) In addition to any penalties that may be imposed for violation of any provision of this chapter, the city may assess against any person the cost of repairing or restoring sewers or associated facilities damaged as a result of the discharge of prohibited wastes by such person and may collect such assessment as an additional charge for the use of the public sewer system or in any other manner deemed appropriate by the city.
(M) The owner or operator of any motor vehicle washing or servicing facility shall provide and maintain in serviceable condition at all times a catch basin or waste trap in the building drain system to prevent grease, oil, dirt or any mineral deposit from entering the public sewer system.
(N) The owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes may, at the discretion of the city, be required to provide laboratory measurements, tests and analyses of waters or wastes to illustrate compliance with this chapter and any special condition for discharge established by the city or regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the discharge. The number, type and frequency of sampling and laboratory analyses to be performed by the owner shall be as stipulated by the city. 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 at such times and in such manner as is prescribed by the city. The owner shall bear the expense of all measurements, analyses and reporting required by the city. At such times as deemed necessary, the city reserves the right to take measurements and samples for analysis by an outside laboratory.
(Ord. 144, passed 12-18-96; Am. Ord. passed 7-13-05)