(A) For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
(B) Unless otherwise defined herein, terms shall be as adopted in the latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, published by the American Public Health Association, and American Water Works Association, and the Water Pollution Control Federation and as set forth in 40 C.F.R. part 136. Waste constituents and characteristics shall be measured by Standard Methods unless a mutually agreed upon acceptable alternative method is adopted, or in such other method established by state or federal regulatory agencies. Monitoring and metering will be carried out by customarily accepted methods.
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND or BOD. (of sewage, sewage effluent, polluted waters or industrial wastes). The quantity of dissolved oxygen in milligrams per liter required during stabilization of the decomposable organic matter by aerobic biochemical action under standard laboratory procedures for five days at 20°C. The laboratory determinations of BOD shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in Standard Methods, therein and conventionally referred to as BOD5.
BOARD. The Board of Public Works and Safety of the city. It is the governing body of the sewerage system of the city, which system is a public service.
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND or COD. (of sewage, sewage effluent, polluted waters or industrial wastes). A measure of the oxygen equivalent of the portion of the organic matter in a sample that is susceptible to oxidation by a strong chemical oxidant. The laboratory determination shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in Standard Methods.
CITY. The City of Decatur, Indiana.
DEBT SERVICE CHARGE. A charge levied on users of a treatment works to fund debt service on outstanding revenue bonds and current capital costs.
INDUSTRIAL WASTES. Any solid, liquid or gaseous substance or forms of energy discharges, permitted to flow into or enter the sewerage system from an industrial, manufacturing, commercial or business process or from the development, recovery or processing of any natural resource carried on by any person and shall further mean any waste from an industrial user, but not including sanitary sewage or storm water.
MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR. A user discharging or introducing into the sewerage system a flow of more than 50,000 gallons per average workday; a toxic pollutant in toxic amounts as defined in § 307 of U.S. Pub. Law No. 92-500 as now adopted or as hereafter amended; a flow or pollutant concentration as now or hereafter defined or identified as a problem pollutant or flow by applicable state or federal regulations or by the Board of Public Works and Safety; an effluent of significant impact, either singly or in combination with other contributors, on the wastewater treatment plant or the quality of its effluent; or any substance unusual or unique in quality or quantity requiring special attention or processing in order to effect proper wastewater treatment.
NORMAL DOMESTIC SEWAGE. Sewage such as discharged by residential users with a BOD5 concentration not in excess of 230 mg/l and a suspended solids concentration not in excess of 250 mg/l.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE. All expenses related directly to the operating and maintaining including replacement of the sewage works as identified in the Uniform System of Accounts for Wastewater Utilities or as prescribed the State Board of Accounts under the general headings, Plant Operation and Maintenance, Sewer Operation and Maintenance, Customer Accounts, Administrative and General, Insurance and Taxes.
PERSON. Any natural person, or public or private corporation, or any other entity whatever.
PUBLIC SEWER. A sewer owned by the city.
RECEIVING SEWER SYSTEM. The municipal sewer system.
REPLACEMENT. Expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories or appurtenances which are necessary during the useful life of the treatment works to maintain the capacity and performance for which such works were designed and constructed. The term “operation and maintenance” includes REPLACEMENT.
SANITARY SEWAGE. Sewage such as, and having the characteristics of, domestic sewage from dwellings (including apartment houses and hotels), office buildings, factories or institutions, free from storm and surface water and industrial wastes.
SANITARY SEWER. A sewer intended to carry only sanitary or sanitary and industrial waste waters from residences, commercial buildings, government buildings, industrial buildings and institutions.
SEWAGE CHARGES. The total of the user charge and the debt service charge.
SEWERAGE SYSTEM. The network of publicly owned sewers and appurtenances used for collection, transporting and pumping wastewater to the wastewater treatment plant, and the wastewater treatment plant itself.
SEWER. A pipe or conduit laid by carrying sewage or other liquids, and solids suspended or entrained therein.
SEWER USE ORDINANCE. The currently effective ordinance of the city, codified as §§ 54.001 through 54.015, 54.030 through 54.035, 54.050 through 54.052, 54.065 through 54.071, 54.085 through 54.092, 54.105 through 54.117, 54.130, 54.131, 54.145 through 54.152 and 54.165 through 54.180 of this chapter, together with any amendments, which regulates the connecting to and use of public and private sewers and drains, the installation and connection of building sewers, and the discharge of waters and wastes into the sewerage system of the city, and which provides for the registration of and the metering of private wells, and provides penalties for violations thereof and other matters pertaining thereto.
SURCHARGE. A charge for sewerage services in addition to the basic sewage charge. This charge is assessed users whose sewage is of such a nature that it imposes upon the sewage works a burden greater than that covered by the basic sewage charges.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS. Solids which either float on the surface of or are in suspension in water, sewage or other liquid and which are removable by laboratory filtration. Their concentration shall be expressed in milligrams per liter. Quantitative determinations shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in Standard Methods.
USER. A person who introduces into or discharges into, including both the owner and occupant of real estate from which is introduced or discharged into the sewerage system, any substance whatever.
USER CHARGE. A charge levied on users of a treatment works, or that portion of the ad valorem taxes paid by a user, for the user’s proportionate share of the cost of operation and maintenance (including) replacement of such works.
USER CLASSES.
(a) COMMERCIAL USER. Transit lodging, retail and wholesale establishments or places engaged in providing merchandise for personal, household or industrial consumption or rendering services to others.
(b) GOVERNMENTAL USER. A user engaged in legislative, judicial or administrative activities of federal, state and local governments, such as court houses, police and fire stations, city halls and similar governmental users.
(c) INDUSTRIAL USER. Any user who discharges industrial wastes, as defined above.
(d) INSTITUTIONAL USER. A publicly or privately owned school, hospital, nursing home, prison or other similar institution whose wastes are segregated domestic wastes.
(e) RESIDENTIAL USER. A user who introduces only normal domestic sewage from a single-family or multi-family dwelling into the sewerage system.
WASTE. Sanitary sewage and any and all other waste substances, liquid, solid, gaseous or radioactive, associated with human habitation, or of human or animal origin, or from any producing, processing, manufacturing or industrial operation of whatever nature, including such waste placed within containers of whatever nature prior to, and for purposes of disposal.
WASTEWATER. The water-carried waste from residences, commercial buildings, government buildings, institutions and industrial buildings, singular or in any combination, together with such ground, surface and storm waters as may be present.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT. Any arrangement of devices and structures used by the city for treatment and disposing of sewage, sludge and other sewage constituents and products.
(Prior Code, § 50.30) (Ord. 1983-2, passed 2-15-1983)