For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACT. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act also referred to as the Clean Water Act, as amended, 33. U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
BOD5 or BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND. The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days at 20°C in terms of milligrams per liter (mg/l).
DEBT SERVICE CHARGE. The charge related to the principal and interest necessary to pay bonded indebtedness of facilities owned or operated by the city. The DEBT SERVICE CHARGE includes a debt service connection charge and a debt service user charge.
EPA. Environmental Protection Agency.
GENERAL MUNICIPAL USER. Any user discharging sewage to the general municipal flow other than industrial users, municipalities and other contract users. This category of user includes as sub-categories: domestic users; commercial users; institutional users; and governmental users, which are not contract users.
INDUSTRIAL USER. Any entity which discharges to the city's wastewater treatment system, solid, liquid or gaseous wastes resulting from the process employed in industrial or manufacturing processes, or from the development of any natural resource.
MPCA. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) PERMIT. A permit issued by the MPCA, setting limits on pollutants that a permittee may legally discharge into a river or stream.
NATURAL OUTLET. Any outlet, including storm sewers and combined sewers, which overflow into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface water or ground water.
NON-CONTACT COOLING WATER. The water discharged from any use such as air conditioning, cooling or refrigeration, or during which the only pollutant added, is heat.
NORMAL DOMESTIC STRENGTH WASTE. Wastewater that is primarily introduced by residential users with a BOD5 concentration not greater than 170 mg/l and a suspended solids (TSS) concentration not greater than 175 mg/l.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COSTS (O & M COSTS). The expenses related to the costs of the operation, maintenance, replacement and administration of the city facilities.
pH. The logarithm of the reciprocal of the concentration of hydrogen ions in terms of grams per liter of solution.
POTW. Publicly owned treatment works.
PRETREATMENT. The process of reducing the amount of pollutants, eliminating pollutants or altering the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater to a less harmful state prior to or in lieu of discharging or otherwise introducing pollutants into the city's wastewater disposal system. The reduction, elimination or alteration may be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes, process changes or other means, except by dilution.
REPLACEMENT COSTS. Costs related to the expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories or appurtenances which are necessary to maintain the capacity and performance during the useful life of the city facilities for which the facilities were designed and constructed. The term OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE includes replacement.
SANITARY SEWER. A sewer intended to carry only wastewater from general municipal users and industrial plants together with minor quantities of ground, storm and surface waters which are not admitted intentionally.
SEWER SERVICE CHARGE. The aggregate of all the charges including the user charge, debt service charges and other sewer related charges that are billed periodically to users of the city facilities.
SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER. Any user of the city's wastewater disposal system which:
(1) Has a disposal flow of 50,000 gallons or more per average work day;
(2) Has flow greater than 5% of the flow in the city's wastewater disposal system;
(3) Has in its wastes toxic pollutants as defined pursuant to 33 U.S.C. § 1317 or state statutes and rules; or
(4) Has a significant impact, either singly or in combination with other contributing industries, on the wastewater disposal system, the quality of sludge, the system's effluent quality or air emissions generated by the system.
SLUG. A discharge of any pollutant, including oxygen demanding pollutants (BOD and the like) released in a discharge of a volume or strength as to cause inhibition or disruption of the POTW's sewer system or treatment or to cause prevention of sewage sludge use or disposal by means described in the POTWs sludge management plan. A SLUG DISCHARGE from a significant industrial user may be quantitatively defined to relate to plant inhibition in its discharge permit.
STATE DISPOSAL SYSTEM (SDS) PERMIT. Any permit (including any terms, conditions and requirements thereof) issued by the MPCA pursuant to M.S. § 115.07, as it may be amended from time to time, for a disposal system as defined by M.S. § 115.01, Subdivision 8, as it may be amended from time to time.
STORM SEWER or STORM DRAIN. A drain or sewer intended to carry stormwater, surface runoff, ground water, drainage and unpolluted water from any source.
SUPERINTENDENT. The Utilities Superintendent or a deputy, agent or representative thereof.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS) or TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (TSS). The total suspended matter that either floats on the surface of, or is in suspension in water, wastewater or other liquids, and is removable by laboratory filtering as prescribed in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, latest edition, and referred to as non-filterable residue.
USER. Any person who discharges or causes or permits the discharge of wastewater into the city's wastewater disposal system.
USER CHARGE. A charge levied on users of city facilities for the cost of operation, maintenance and replacement of the facilities.
WASTEWATER. The liquid and water-carried industrial or domestic wastes from dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial facilities and institutions, together with any ground water, surface water and stormwater that may be present, whether treated or untreated, which is discharged into or permitted to enter the city's wastewater disposal system.
(Prior Code, § 3.20, Subd. 2)