Section
General Provisions
51.001 Agreement for service
51.002 Definitions
51.003 Supervision of sewers and drains
51.004 Wastewater treatment facility
51.005 Authority to enter private property
51.006 Violation notices
51.007 Commercial/industrial establishment exemption procedure
51.008 Damage to wastewater treatment works
51.009 Violations
Construction of Sewers
51.020 Sewers to meet city standards
51.021 Plans signed by engineer
51.022 Cost to review plans
51.023 Plans submitted to state
51.024 Construction permit
51.025 Workmanship and materials
51.026 Sewer inspection and approval
51.027 Certificate of inspection
51.028 Conforming plans
Lateral Sewers
51.040 Owner responsibilities
51.041 Lateral sewer to serve each building
51.042 Prohibited connections
51.043 Connection regulations; conformance with codes
51.044 Construction regulations
51.045 On-site requirements
51.046 Abandonment of sewer laterals
Connecting to Existing Public Sewers
51.060 Connections by licensed plumbers
51.061 Permit required
51.062 Classes of building sewer permits
51.063 Connection outside city limits; special connection charge
51.064 Liability of owner
51.065 Sewer for each building
51.066 Use of old building sewers
51.067 Construction requirements
51.068 Building sewer elevation
51.069 Applications for permits
51.070 Connections, when required
51.071 Connections when property not assessed
51.072 Excavations in streets
51.073 Sewer trenches
51.074 Exposure of sewer pipe to frost
51.075 Materials and construction procedures
51.076 Disconnection of laterals and drains
51.077 Revocation of plumber’s license
51.078 Violations of this subchapter
Private Wastewater and Septic Tank Waste Disposal
51.090 Compliance with Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
51.091 Outside water closets
51.092 Privies prohibited in dwellings
51.093 Private disposal system, permitted
51.094 Unlawful connection to public sewers
51.095 Deposit of sewage
51.096 Disposal of septic tank waste
51.097 Discharge fee
51.098 Additional regulations
Prohibited Discharges
51.110 Stormwater and unpolluted drainage
51.111 Sanitary and other polluted waters
51.112 Other prohibited discharges
51.113 Substances which may be prohibited from public sewers
51.114 Dilution
51.115 Deleterious discharges
51.116 Wastes from garbage shredders
51.117 Grease, oil and sand traps
51.118 Unlawful use of manholes
Industrial Wastes and Discharge Permits
51.130 Major contributing industries
51.131 Industrial wastes; requirements
51.132 Pretreatment requirements
51.133 Discharge permit; application
51.134 Discharge permit; requirements
51.135 Discharge permit; term
51.136 Discharge permit; not transferable
51.137 Discharge permit; revocation
51.138 Monitoring facilities
51.139 Access to owner’s property
51.140 Reliability of monitoring facilities
51.141 Sampling methods
51.142 Special contracts or agreements
51.143 Indemnity
51.144 Charges to major industries
Industrial Waste Surcharge
51.155 When surcharge is applicable
51.156 Pollutants subject to surcharge
51.157 Amount of surcharge
51.158 Review of surcharge rates
51.159 Monitoring facilities
51.160 Surcharge for class groups
51.161 Contract for reserved capacity
Sewer Rates and Charges
51.175 Purpose of subchapter
51.176 “Customer” defined
51.177 Customer; classification
51.178 Rates; determination
51.179 Rates; billing; due date
51.180 Rates; lien
51.181 Special rates
51.182 User charge system review
Storm Sewer Rates and Charges
51.195 Creation of stormwater utility
51.196 Program responsibility
51.197 Operating budget
51.198 Surcharge fee schedule established
51.199 Bills
51.200 Delinquent accounts; lien against property
Administration and Enforcement
51.215 Power of employees to enter premises; liability
51.216 Inspector’s power to enter private properties
Grease (Fats, Oil and Grease) Management Program
51.230 Definitions
51.231 Grease discharge permit required; application; term
51.232 Conditions of the grease discharge permit
51.233 Maintenance of grease interceptors and devices; best management practices; inspection
51.234 Denial, suspension or revocation of permit
51.235 Emergency suspension
51.999 Penalty
GENERAL PROVISIONS
(A) The rules, regulations, rates, charges and other provisions of this chapter pertaining to sanitary sewer service in the city and within the city zoning jurisdiction shall be considered a part of the contract between the city and every person supplied with sanitary sewer service through the sanitary sewer system of the city.
(B) All rates, charges or fees pertaining to sanitary sewer service within the city and the city’s zoning jurisdiction shall be set by resolution as adopted by the City Council in a manner prescribed by law.
(Prior Code, § 51.001) (Ord. 2354, passed 5-1-1974; Ord. 03-39, passed 11-17-2003)
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACT. The Clean Water Act of 1977, Pub. Law No. 95-217, being 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq., and any amendments thereto, as well as any guidelines, limitations and standards promulgated by EPA, pursuant to the ACT.
AMMONIA. The chemical combination of hydrogen and nitrogen occurring in nature expressed as NH3, NH2 or any of its derivatives as contained in the wastewater flow.
BIODEGRADABLE OILS AND GREASE. The fats, oils and greases of animal or vegetable origin contained in the wastewater flow.
BOD5 or BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND. The rate at which organisms use the oxygen in water or wastewater while stabilizing decomposable organic matter under aerobic conditions. BOD5 measurements are determined under standard laboratory procedure in five days at 20°C, expressed in milligrams per liter by weight.
BUILDING SEWER. The part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system, which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainage pipes inside the walls of a building and conveys it to the lateral sewer. The BUILDING SEWER shall extend five feet outside the building wall.
CITY. The City of Columbus, Nebraska.
COD or CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND. A measure of the capacity of water to consume oxygen during the decomposition of organic matter and the oxidation of organic and inorganic chemicals such as ammonia and nitrate.
COMBINED SEWER. A sewer receiving both surface runoff and sewage.
COMMERCIAL USER.
(1) Any non-governmental, nonresidential user of the city’s treatment works which discharges more than the equivalent of 1,000 gallons per day of sanitary waste, and/or which is identified in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual under divisions C, G, H or I; or
(2) Any non-governmental user of the city’s treatment works which discharges wastewater to the treatment works which contains toxic pollutants 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 or have an adverse effect on the waters receiving any discharge from the treatment works.
COMPATIBLE WASTES. The wastes containing pollutants for which the wastewater treatment facility was basically designed to treat and which are identified in the NPDES permit that is applicable to this treatment facility.
COMPOSITE. The makeup of a number of individual samples, so taken as to represent the nature of wastewater or industrial wastes.
CONSTITUENTS. The combination of particles, chemicals or conditions, which exist in industrial wastes.
COOLING WATER. The cleaned wastewaters discharged from any system of heat transfer such as condensation, air conditioning, cooling or refrigeration.
CUSTOMER. Shall be defined as residential, commercial or industrial users of the sanitary sewer system. RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS shall be defined as persons or parties whose premises are used as single-family units and duplexes. All other CUSTOMERS shall be commercial or industrial customers.
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY. The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. The city’s Department of Public Works. Generally charged with the operations and maintenance of the public utilities and streets.
DIRECTOR. The Director of the Public Works Department who supervises the operations of the Department.
EPA. The United States Environmental Protection Agency.
GARBAGE. The solid wastes from domestic and commercial preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.
HYDROGEN SULFIDE. The chemical combination of hydrogen and sulfide occurring in nature expressed as H2S, H2S or S2 as contained in the wastewater flow.
ICR. Industrial cost recovery.
INDUSTRIAL FACILITY. Any facility which discharges industrial wastes as defined in this chapter.
INDUSTRIAL USER. Any non-governmental, nonresidential user of the city’s treatment works which discharges more than the equivalent of 25,000 gallons per day of sanitary waste, or a volume of process waste, or combined process and sanitary waste, equivalent to 25,000 gallons per day of sanitary waste and/or which is identified in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual A, B, D, E or I; or any non-governmental user of the city’s treatment works which discharges wastewater to the treatment works which contains toxic pollutants 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 or have an adverse effect on the waters receiving any discharge from the treatment works.
INDUSTRIAL WASTES. The liquid wastes resulting from the processes employed in industrial, manufacturing and trade or business establishments, as distinct from domestic wastes.
LATERAL SEWER. The sanitary sewer that extends from the building sewer to the public sanitary sewer collection system.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTING INDUSTRY. An industrial user that:
(1) Has a flow of 50,000 gallons or more per average workday;
(2) Has a waste strength greater than 5% of the plant design capacity;
(3) Has in its waste a toxic pollutant in toxic amounts; or
(4) Is found to have significant impact, either singly or in combination with other contributing industries, on the wastewater treatment facility or upon the quality of the plant effluent.
mg/l. Milligrams per liter.
NATURAL OUTLET. Any outlet extending into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface or groundwater.
NORMAL STRENGTH WASTEWATER.
(1) Wastewater with pollutant strength values not exceeding the following:
(a) Ammonia: 30 mg/l;
(b) Biochemical oxygen demand: 250 mg/l;
(c) Hydrogen sulfide: 0 mg/l;
(d) Suspended solids: 250 mg/l;
(e) Biodegradable oils and grease: 100 mg/l; and
(f) pH:
1. Minimum: 6.5 s.u.; and
2. Maximum: 9.0 s.u.
(2) Where the nature of the wastewater does not permit BOD5 determination, COD shall be substituted according to the relation BOD5 equals (K) (COD), where “K” is a constant to be determined by the Department.
NPDES PERMIT. The national pollutant discharge elimination system permit as established by the Act. All municipalities, industries and commercial enterprises that discharge to surface watercourses are required to have NPDES PERMITS approved by EPA and in Nebraska by the Department of Environment and Energy.
OTHER WASTE. Any water or wastes containing dissolved gasses (such as hydrogen sulfide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia) in concentrations sufficient to cause poisonous or toxic fumes or wastewater, or a malodorous or harmful condition.
PERSON or OWNER. Any individual, firm, company, association, developer, corporation or group.
pH. The logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
POLLUTION. The placing of any noxious or deleterious substance in any waters of the city in quantities, which are or may be potentially harmful or injurious to human health or welfare, animal or aquatic life or property, or unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property, including outdoor recreation.
PRETREATMENT. The application of physical, chemical and biological processes to reduce the amount of pollutants in or alter the nature of the pollutant properties in a wastewater prior to discharge into a sanitary sewer.
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE. The waste from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food that have 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 one-half inch (one and twenty-seven hundredths centimeters) in any dimension.
PUBLIC SEWER. The sanitary and/or storm sewers owned by the people of the city and operated and maintained by the Department of Public Works.
RESIDENTIAL STRENGTH WASTEWATER. Wastewater with pollutant strength values which average 250 mg/l of BOD5 and 250 mg/l of SS.
SANITARY SEWER. A sewer which carries sanitary wastewater and industrial wastes and to which storm, surface and groundwater are not intentionally admitted.
SANITARY SEWERAGE SYSTEM. All facilities for collecting, pumping and transporting wastewater to the wastewater treatment facility.
SANITARY WASTES OR WASTEWATER. The water-carried wastes discharged from building sewers by reason of human occupancy.
STANDARD METHODS. Those procedures or methods established by the latest edition of the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, as prepared, approved and published jointly by the American Public Health Association and the American Water Works Association.
STORM DRAIN or STORM SEWER. A sewer which carries stormwaters, surface runoff, street wash waters and drainage, but which excludes sanitary wastewater and industrial wastes, other than unpolluted cooling water.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS or SS. Solids that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in, water, wastewater or other liquids, and which are removable by laboratory filtering, expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/l).
TOXIC. Constituents of wastes, which adversely affect the organisms involved in wastewater treatment.
UNPOLLUTED WATER OR DRAINAGE. Water to which no pollutants have been added, either intentionally or accidentally.
WASTEWATER. The liquid and water-carried domestic or industrial wastes from dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial facilities and institutions, together with any groundwater, surface water and stormwater that may be present, whether treated or untreated, which is discharged into or permitted to enter the city’s wastewater treatment works.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY. The wastewater treatment facility owned and operated by the city for the benefit of all persons located within the city’s limits and two-mile jurisdiction.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT WORKS. The sanitary sewers, pumping and other equipment and their appurtenances, and other facilities, which are an integral part of the wastewater collection system, treatment processes and biosolids process system.
WATERCOURSE. A channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.
(Prior Code, § 51.002) (Ord. 3059, passed 10-7-1985; Ord. 98-18, passed 6-1-1998; Ord. 03-39, passed 11-17-2003)
(A) The city may continue operating the existing wastewater treatment facility and may enlarge or expand the facility from time to time.
(B) The city may also construct other similar facilities and employ other methods of treating wastewater sufficiently to comply with all applicable federal and state regulations.
(Prior Code, § 51.004)
The Director of Public Works and other duly authorized employees of the Department of Public Works bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all private properties to which a proper easement is on record for the purpose of surveying, inspection, maintenance, operation, repair and reconstruction of any portion of the sanitary and storm sewer systems under the management of the Department subject to the terms of the easement.
(Prior Code, § 51.005)
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