CHAPTER 51: SEWERS
Section
   51.01   Definitions
   51.02   Use of public sewers required; regulations
   51.03   Building sewers and connections
   51.04   Prohibited discharges
   51.05   Pretreatment facilities
   51.06   Grease, oil, and sand interceptors
   51.07   Control manholes
   51.08   Measurements, tests, and analyses
   51.09   Private agreements
   51.10   [Reserved.]
   51.11   Private sewage disposal
   51.12   Scavenger wastes
   51.13   Right of entry for inspections
   51.14   Sewer use charges
   51.15   Provisions for freezing temperatures
   51.16   Annexation covenant and utility contract required for utility service outside city limits
 
   51.99   Penalty
Cross-reference:
   Industrial wastewater pretreatment, see Ch. 53
Statutory reference:
   Authority to establish, regular sewer system, see S.C. Code §§ 5-31-610, 5-31-900
§ 51.01 DEFINITIONS.
   For the purpose of this chapter the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning. All other words shall be construed as having the meaning defined in Glossary Water and Sewage Control Engineering, published by the Water Pollution Control Federation, Washington, D.C., or by their general usage, if undefined.
   "BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs)." Schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to implement the prohibitions listed in Sections 403.5 (a)(1) and (b) of the pretreatment regulations (R61-9.403). BMPs also include treatment requirements, operating procedures, and practices to control plant site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw material storage.
   "B.O.D." or "BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND." The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure, five days at 20°C., expressed in milligrams per liter and as further defined in standard methods.
   "BUILDING DRAIN." That part of lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil waste and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning five feet outside the inner face of the building wall.
   "BUILDING SEWER." The extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal.
   "EPA." The United States Environmental Protection Agency.
   "EXCESSIVE INFILTRATION/INFLOW." The quantities of infiltra- tion/inflow which can be economically eliminated from a sewer system by rehabilitation, as determined by a cost-effectiveness analysis that compares the costs for correcting the infiltration/inflow conditions with the total costs for transportation and treatment of the infiltration/inflow, subject to EPA provisions.
   "GARBAGE." Solid wastes from the domestic and commercial preparation of cooking and dispension of food from the handling, storage, and sale of produce.
   "INDUSTRIAL WASTES." The liquid waste from industrial manufacturing processes, trade or business, as distinct from sanitary sewage.
   "INFILTRATION." The water entering a sewer system, including sewer service connections, from the ground, through such means as, but not limited to, defective pipes, pipe joints, connections, or manhole walls. "INFILTRATION" does not include, and is distinguished from, "inflow".
   "INFILTRATION/INFLOW." The total quantity of water from both infiltration and inflow, without distinguishing the source.
   "INFLOW." The water discharged into a sewer system, including service connections from such sources as, but not limited to, roof leaders, cellar, yard, and area drains, foundation drains, cooling water discharges, drains from springs and swampy areas, manhole covers, cross connections from storm sewers and combined sewers, catch basins, storm waters, surface run-off, street wash waters, or drainage. "INFLOW" does not include, and is distinguished from, "infiltration".
   "INSTANTANEOUS LIMIT." The maximum concentration of a pollutant allowed to be discharged at any time, determined from the analysis of any discrete or composites sample collected, independent of the industrial flow and the duration of the sampling event.
   "NATURAL OUTLET." Any outlet into watercourse, pond, ditch, lake, or other body of surface or groundwater.
   "pH." The logarithm of the reciprocal of weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
   "PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE." The waste from the preparation of cooking and dispensing of food that has been shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers with no particle greater than 3/8 inches in any dimension.
   "PUBLIC SANITARY SEWER." A sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal rights and is controlled by public authority.
   "SANITARY SEWER." A sewer which carries sewage to which storm, surface, and ground waters are not intentionally admitted.
   "SEWAGE." A combination of water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments, together with such ground, surface, and storm waters as may be present.
   "SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT." Any arrangement of the devices and structures used for treating sewage.
   "SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS." All facilities for collecting, pumping, treating, and disposing of sewage or industrial wastewaters.
   "SEWER." A pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
   "SEWER SURCHARGE." A charge for sewer service and treatment service for wastes having characteristics different from sanitary wastes and for which additional charges must be assessed in order to make compensation for additional expenses incurred.
   "SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER." Any industrial user subject to categorical pretreatment standards under Section 403.6 and 40 CFR Chapter 1, Subchapter N; or any non-categorical industrial user that either discharges 25,000 gallons per day or more of process water, contributes a process waste stream which makes up 5% or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the treatment facility, or has a reasonable potential, in the opinion of the city, to adversely affect the treatment facility).
   "SIGNIFICANT VIOLATOR." A significant industrial user that violates the following or any other industrial user that violates paragraphs (C), (D), or (H):
      (1)   Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined here as those in which 66% or more of all the measurements taken for the same pollutant parameter taken during a six month period exceed (by any magnitude) a numeric pretreatment standard or requirement, including instantaneous limits as defined in § 51.01;
      (2)   Technical review criteria (TRC) violations, defined here as those in which 33% or more of wastewater measurements taken for each pollutant parameter during a six month period equals or exceeds the product of the numeric pretreatment standard or requirement including instantaneous limits, as defined by §§ 51.01 multiplied by the applicable criteria (1.4 for BOD, TSS, fats, oils and grease, and 1.2 for all other pollutants except pH);
      (3)   Any other violation of a pretreatment standard or requirement (daily maximum, long-term average, instantaneous limit, or narrative standard)that the city determines has caused, alone or in combination with other discharges, interference or pass through, including endangering the health of POTW personnel or the general public;
      (4)   Any discharge of a pollutant that has caused imminent endangerment to the public or to the environment, or has resulted in the city’s exercise of its emergency authority to halt or prevent such a discharge;
      (5)   Failure to meet, within 90 days of the scheduled date, a compliance schedule milestone contained in an individual wastewater discharge permit or enforcement order for starting construction, completing construction, or attaining final compliance;
      (6)   Failure to provide within 45 days after the due date, any required reports, including baseline monitoring reports, reports on compliance with categorical pretreatment standard deadlines, periodic self-monitoring reports, and reports on compliance with compliance schedules;
      (7)   Failure to accurately report noncompliance; or any other violation(s), which may include a violation of best management practices, which the city determines will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the local pretreatment program.
   "SLUDGE." Any discharge of water, sewage, or industrial waste which in concentration of any given constituent or in quantity of flow exceeds, for any period of duration longer than 15 minutes, more than five times the average 24-hour concentration occurring during normal operation.
   "STANDARD METHODS." The examination and analytical procedures set forth in the most recent edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, published jointly by the American Public Health Association, the American Water Works Association and the Water Pollution Control Federation.
   "STORM DRAIN." or "STORM SEWER." A sewer which carries storm and surface waters and drainage but excludes sewage and industrial wastes.
   "STREET." Construed to embrace streets, avenues, drives, boulevards, roads, alleys, lanes, and viaducts, and all other public highways.
   "SUSPENDED SOLIDS." Solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension in water, sewage, or other liquids which are removable by laboratory filtering and is further defined in standard methods.
   "TOTAL SOLIDS." The sum of suspended matter, settleable matter, and dissolved matter, both volatile and nonvolatile and as further defined in standard methods.
   "WATERCOURSE." A channel in which flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.
('64 Code, § 24-A-1) (Ord., passed 7-8-80; Am. Ord., passed 9-28-82; Am. Ord. 10-001, passed 1-26-10)
§ 51.02 USE OF PUBLIC SEWERS REQUIRED; REGULATIONS.
   (A)   It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit, or permit to be deposited in any unsanitary manner on public or private property within the city or in any area under the jurisdiction of the city, any human or animal excrement, garbage, or other objectionable waste.
   (B)   It shall be unlawful to discharge to any natural outlet within the city or in any area under the jurisdiction of the city any sewage or other polluted waters except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with subsequent provisions of this chapter.
   (C)   It shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for disposal of sewage, where public sewers are available.
   (D)   The owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purpose situated within the city and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there shall be located a public sanitary sewer of the city is hereby required at his expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter within six months after written notice from the city to the property owner requiring such property owner to make connection thereto, provided that the public sewer is available. At the end of this six-month period, sewer service charges as provided in § 51.14 shall be assessed the property owner whether or not the sewer connection has been made.
   (E)   Persons responsible for an accidental spill or discharge of any substance into the treatment works which may adversely affect operation of the treatment works shall immediately notify the city of such a discharge.
   (F)   The discharge of wastewaters to storm sewers is, without exception, prohibited.
('64 Code, § 24-A-2) (Ord., passed 7-8-80; Am. Ord., passed 11-10-81) Penalty, see § 51.99
§ 51.03 BUILDING SEWERS AND CONNECTIONS.
   (A)   No person not authorized by the city shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter, or disturb any public sewer or appurtenances thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the city.
   (B)   There shall be two classes of building sewer permits, residential and commercial service and for service to establishments producing industrial wastes; in either case the owner or his agent shall make application in writing to the city. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the city. A permit and inspection fee for a residential, commercial building sewer permit or an industrial building sewer permit shall be paid to the city at the time the application is filed, as provided in § 51.14(C).
   (C)   All costs and expenses incidental to the installation and connection of a building sewer to the public sanitary sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the city from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.
   (D)   A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building. Where one building stands to the rear of another on a single lot and no private sewer is available or can be constructed to the rear building through an adjoining alley, courtyard, or driveway, the city may grant permission for the building sewer from the front building to be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer, upon a showing by the applicant that it is not feasible that the two buildings so connected will ultimately be on separate lots.
   (E)   Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination by the city, and tested by the owner, to meet all of the requirements of this chapter.
   (F)   The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction of a building sewer, and the methods to be used in excavation, placing of the pipe, jointing, testing, and backfilling the trench, shall all conform to the requirements of the appropriate specifications of the city's utility department. All installation shall be subject to the expressed written approval of the city and in no case shall the size of pipe installed be lessthan four inches in nominal diameter.
   (G)   Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement or first floor. No building sewer shall be made parallel within three feet of any bearing wall, which might thereby be weakened. The depth shall be sufficient to afford protection from live loads (automobile, etc.) which may be superimposed. The building sewer shall be made at uniform grade and in straight alignment insofar as possible. The building sewer shall be constructed to such point as directed by the city.
   (H)   No person shall maintain or make a connection of roof downspouts, exterior foundation drains, areaway drains, or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a building sewer or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer.
   (I)   The installation and connection of the building sewer to the public sanitary sewer shall be completed by a person properly licensed or authorized by the city to perform such services.
   (J)   Before any underground portions thereof are covered, the applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the city when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sanitary sewers. The connection thereof shall be made to the public sanitary sewer by a licensed or authorized plumber and only after inspection. The inspection thereof shall be made within two working days of the receipt of notice by the city.
   (K)   All excavations for building sewer installation shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazards. Streets, sidewalks, parkways, and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the city.
   (L)   The city shall keep a permanent and accurate record of the location, depth, and direction of all new sewer connections, including such landmarks as may be necessary to make an adequate description.
   (M)   All pertinent OSHA requirements must be met during the construction of any portion of the sewage treatment works.
('64 Code, § 24-A-4) (Ord., passed 7-8-80)
   (N)   It shall be required by the city that the owner of any property serviced by a building sewer maintain sewer in such a manner as to keep excessive amounts of infiltration/inflow from entering the public sewers. The city will notify the owner of any building sewer not properly maintained. The owner will then be required to have the necessary repairs made at his own expense. The owner shall be responsible for any necessary repairs which are necessary on private property and the city will accept the responsibility for any necessary repairs of the sewer service line from the customer's property line to the city sewer main after the customer installs an appropriate "clean out" at the property line. The "clean out" plug must be installed and kept clear of obstructions so that it can be easily located. The city will determine whether a person, properly licensed, will be required to make the repairs. Before any underground portions are covered, the owner will notify the city when the building sewer is ready for inspection.
('64 Code, § 24-A-5(k)) (Ord., passed 7-8-80; Am. Ord., passed 10-14-80; Am. Ord., passed 9-28-82; Am. Ord., passed 11-14-89) Penalty, see § 51.99
§ 51.04 PROHIBITED DISCHARGES.
   (A)   No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, or subsurface drainage, to any public sanitary sewer.
   (B)   No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following waters or wastes to any public sanitary sewer. (Refer to division (C) below and § 51.09)
      (1)   Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid, or gas.
      (2)   Any water 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 to constitute a hazard to humans or animals, to create a public nuisance, or to create any hazard in the receiving waters or the sewage treatment works.
      (3)   Any waters or wastes having a pH less than 6.5 or greater than 8.5 or containing heavy concentrations of salts or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and personnel of the sewage plant.
      (4)   Solids or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction on the flow of sewage or other interference to 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, hair and fleshing or entrails, either whole or ground by garbage grinders.
      (5)   Any discharge from heat pumps or other apparatus or equipment using water as a heat exchange medium.
   (C)   No person shall 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 such wastes can harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process, or equipment having adverse effect on the receiving stream or can otherwise endanger life, limb, public property, or constitute a nuisance. In forming their opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the city 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 sewage treatment process, capacity of the sewage treatment plant, degree of treatability of wastes in the sewage treatment plant, and other pertinent factors. The substances prohibited are the following.
      (1)   Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher that 150°F. or 65°C.
      (2)   Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease, 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. or 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 3/4 h.p. or greater shall be subject to the review and approval of the city.
      (4)   Any waters or wastes containing strong acid, iron pickling wastes, or concentrated plating solution whether neutralized or not.
      (5)   Local limits shall be determined, based upon the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to accommodate various pollutants, and will be allocated on a mass basis. Limits shall be allocated according to the SCDHEC-approved WWTP headworks analysis, which shall be updated from time to time.
         (a)   A spectrophotometer set at a wavelength of 254 nm measures the transmittance of UV light through a one-centimeter sample as a percentage relative to deionized water set at 100%. Local industry shall not add any material, solution or color to the wastewater stream that will cause the UV transmittance to fall below 65%.
         (b)   Wastewater with color or UV inhibitors, which cause interference or prevent the POTW from complying with NPDES permit or other state and federal regulations.
      (6)   Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste or odor producing substances in such concentration exceeding limits which may be established by the city as necessary after treatment of the composite sewage to meet requirements of the state, federal or other public agencies of jurisdiction of such discharge of the receiving waters.
      (7)   Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the city in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations.
      (8)   Any waters or wastes having a pH outside of the range of 6.5 to 8.5.
      (9)   Materials which exert or cause the following.
         (a)   Unusual concentration of inert suspended solids; such as, but not limited to, 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 B.O.D., chemical oxygen demand, or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment works.
         (d)   Unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes constituting "sludge" as defined herein.
      (10)   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 such degree that the sewage treatment plant cannot meet the requirements of other state or federal agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
   (D)   If any waters or wastes are discharged or are proposed to be discharged to the public sanitary sewers which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in division (C) above, or any other substances which in the judgment of the city may have a deleterious effect upon the sewage treatment works, processes, equipment, or receiving water, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the city may do the following.
      (1)   Reject the wastes.
      (2)   Require pretreatment to reduce the waste to an acceptable condition in accordance with Federal Regulation 40 CFR Part 403 prior to discharge to the public sewers.
      (3)   Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge.
('64 Code, § 24-A-5(a) - (d)) (Ord., passed 7-8-80; Am. Ord., passed 10-14-80; Am. Ord., passed 9-28-82; Am. Ord. 10-037, passed 9-14-10) Penalty, see § 51.99
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