(a) General Discharge Prohibitions. No Sewer User shall contribute or cause to be discharged, directly or indirectly, any of the following described discharges into the Conneaut Sewer System or POTW:
(1) Solid or viscous discharges which will or may cause obstruction to the flow in a sewer or other interference with the operation of the wastewater system.
(2) Any wastewater having a pH less than 5.0 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment or personnel of the system.
(3) Any noxious or malodorous liquids, gases, fumes, or solids which either singly or by interaction are capable of creating a public nuisance or hazard to life or which may cause acute worker health and safety problems or are sufficient to prevent entry into sewers for their maintenance and repair.
(4) Any discharge which may cause the sewage treatment plant's treatment residues, sludges, or scums to be unsuitable for reclamation and reuse or disposal or to interfere with the reclamation or disposal process in use or contemplated for use.
(5) Any discharge which will cause the City of Conneaut's facilities to violate its NPDES and/or other Disposal System Permits.
(6) Any discharge with objectionable color not removed in the treatment process, such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions.
(7) Any wastewater having a temperature which will inhibit biological activity in the City of Conneaut's treatment plant resulting in interference; but in no case, wastewater with a temperature at the introduction into the POTW which exceeds 40°C (104°F).
(8) Any slugload.
(9) Any unpolluted water including, but not limited to non-contact cooling water in areas of the City of Conneaut serviced by separate storm and sanitary sewers.
(10) Any wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as exceed limits established in compliance with applicable State or Federal regulations.
(11) Any wastewater which causes a hazard to human life or creates a public nuisance.
(12) Any Discharge that causes or contributes to interference or pass through of the treatment plant.
(13) Any wastewater containing materials or discharges which are in any way deleterious to any part of the System.
(14) Any discharge that causes the City of Conneaut to incur additional operating expenses in the handling or treatment thereof.
(15) Any pollutants which alone or by interaction create a fire or explosion hazard in the sewer System or POTW including, but not limited to, waste streams with a closed cup flash point of less than 140°F or 60°C using the test method specified in 40 CFR 261.21.
(16) Any petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oil or products of mineral oil origin if discharged in amounts that can pass through or cause interference with the POTW or exceed 75 mg/l oil and grease in the discharger's effluent.
(b) National Categorical Pretreatment Standards. National Categorical Pretreatment Standards as promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) pursuant to the Act shall be met by the discharge from the regulated industrial process. Sewer users subject to categorical standards utilizing production based limitations shall report the average production rate for the reporting period semi-annually. The City of Conneaut may, at its discretion, calculate equivalent limits to be used for compliance evaluation.
(c) Right of Revision. The City of Conneaut reserves the right to amend this chapter to provide for more stringent limitations or requirements on discharges to the City of Conneaut's facilities where deemed necessary to comply with the objectives set forth in Section 931.01(b) or to assure compliance by the City of Conneaut with applicable laws and regulations.
(d) Dilution. No Industrial User shall increase the use of potable or process water in any way, nor mix separate waste streams for the purpose of diluting a discharge as a partial or complete substitute for adequate treatment to achieve compliance with the standards set forth in this chapter.
(e) Mass Limitations. The City of Conneaut may impose mass limitations on Industrial Users which are suspected of using dilution to meet the Pretreatment Standards or Requirements of this chapter, or in other cases where the imposition of mass limitations is deemed appropriate by the City of Conneaut.
(f) Accidental Discharges.
(1) Each Industrial User shall provide protection from accidental discharge of prohibited or regulated materials or discharges established by this Regulation. Where necessary, as determined by the City, facilities to prevent accidental discharge of prohibited materials shall be provided and maintained at the Industrial User's cost and expense. Detailed plans showing facilities and operating procedures to provide this protection shall be submitted to the City of Conneaut for review, and shall be approved by the City of Conneaut before construction of the Facility. Each existing Industrial User shall complete its plan and submit same to the City of Conneaut. Review and approval of such plans and operating procedures by the City of Conneaut shall not relieve the Industrial User from the responsibility to modify its facility as necessary to meet the requirements of this Regulation. The notification shall include location of discharge, date and time thereof, type of waste, concentration and volume, and corrective actions. Any Industrial User who discharges a slugload or accidental discharge of prohibited materials shall be liable for any expense, loss or damage to the City of Conneaut, in addition to the amount of any fines imposed on the City of Conneaut on account thereof under local, State or Federal law.
(2) Any industrial user which experiences an accidental discharge, slug load, upset in operations or other condition which places the industrial user in a temporary state of noncompliance with this chapter or a Wastewater Discharge Order issued pursuant hereto shall inform the City of Conneaut hereof immediately following first awareness of the commencement of the upset. Where such information is given orally, a written follow-up report thereof shall be filed by the Industrial User with the City of Conneaut within five (5) days. The report shall specify:
A. Description of the upset, the cause thereof and the upset's impact on Industrial User's compliance status.
B. Duration of noncompliance, including exact dates and times of noncompliance, and if the noncompliance continues, the time by which compliance is reasonably expected to occur.
C. All steps taken or to be taken to reduce, eliminate and prevent recurrence of such an upset or other conditions of noncompliance.
(g) Spill Notification Procedures Display. Signs shall be permanently posted in conspicuous places on Industrial User's premises, advising employees whom to call in the event of a slugload or accidental discharge. Employers shall instruct all employees who may cause or discover such a discharge with respect to emergency notification procedure.
(h) Supplementary Limitations.
(1) No person shall discharge, cause or allow to be discharged into the sewer, wastes which contain any of the following pollutants unless the person is issued wastewater discharge order by the City which allows the discharge of such pollutants. In the absence of such specific wastewater discharge orders, no person shall discharge any of the following pollutants, except as such pollutants may occur, and only in the concentrations such pollutants may occur in typical domestic sewage. The concentrations of pollutants in typical domestic sewage shall be defined as the domestic background concentration values used in calculating the City of Conneaut's current industrial local load limits in the City's "Industrial Pretreatment Program Technical Limits Justification".
Pollutant | Limitation |
Cadmium | As established by the Director in individual permits |
Chromium, Total | As established by the Director in individual permits |
Chromium, Hexavalent | As established by the Director in individual permits |
Copper | As established by the Director in individual permits |
Cyanide | As established by the Director in individual permits |
Lead | As established by the Director in individual permits |
Mercury | As established by the Director in individual permits |
Nickel | As established by the Director in individual permits |
Zinc | As established by the Director in individual permits |
Oil and Grease | As established by the Director in individual permits |
Phenol | As established by the Director in individual permits |
(2) The Director may set concentration limitations or mass limitations on pollutants discharged by Industrial Users in individual wastewater discharge orders. The Director, in establishing or modifying the concentration limitations or mass limitations on pollutants discharged by Industrial Users, shall provide notice to all Significant Industrial Users said notice also being provided to City Council prior to submission to the Ohio EPA of such new limits. The limits shall be recommended by the Superintendent of the wastewater treatment plant based upon the exercise of scientific and technical discretion, or as he or she deems appropriate to prevent pass-through or interference, protect the system, and protect the health and safety of City personnel. Discharge of pollutants to the sanitary sewer shall not exceed the limitations set forth in the wastewater discharge orders.
(i) Sewer System Access. No person shall access the sewer system or POTW for any activity including discharge of hauled septic or industrial wastes except at locations and at times as designated by the Superintendent. Any removal of manhole lids, or other access to the sewer system for the purpose of discharging wastes at times and/or locations other than those designated by the Superintendent, or without the expressed permission of the Superintendent, shall be considered a violation and shall be subject to enforcement action including fines and penalties allowed under Section 931.07.
(Ord. 106-15. Passed 12-14-15.)