For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
APPLICABLE WATER QUALITY STANDARD. Federal and state numeric or narrative water quality criterion that limits the quantity or concentrations of pollutants that may be present in navigable waters defined in 33 U.S.C. § 1362(7).
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPS). A schedule of activities, pollution treatment practices or devices, prohibition of practices, general good housekeeping practices, pollution prevention, waste minimization, educational practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices or devices to prevent or reduce the amount of pollutants entering the public storm drain system, surface water, air, land, or groundwater. BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES may include a physical, chemical, structural, or operational practice or device that can help to achieve compliance with this chapter.
DIRECT CONNECTION. Any pipe, conduit, or other conveyance that is inserted into any part of the public storm drain system either temporarily or permanently. DIRECT CONNECTIONS to the public storm drain system are prohibited without permission of the City Manager or his or her designee.
FIREFIGHTING ACTIVITIES. All emergency response activities that control or extinguish fires. The phrase does not include the release of significant materials that occur after an emergency situation has ended.
MS4. Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System; public storm drain system.
NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. Any real property that is actually or intended to be used for commercial, industrial, agricultural, or recreational purposes, including but not limited to the immediate vicinity of five or more connected residential dwelling units, and residential subdivisions or dwellings that have not been occupied by a bona fide purchaser or tenant.
NPDES or AZPDES PERMIT. An authorization to discharge storm water issued pursuant to 33 U.S.C. § 1342 or 49 A.R.S. Chapter 2, Art. 3.1.
PERMIT. Written authorization to engage in specific conduct or activities that is issued pursuant to and in accordance with the particular laws, rules, or ordinances governing that conduct or activity.
PERSON. Any individual, partnership, co-partnership, firm, company, corporation, association, joint stock company, trust, or any other legal entity, including their legal representatives, agents, or assigns.
POLLUTANT. Solid, liquid, gaseous, or other substances that can alter the chemical or physical properties of water, including but not limited to: fluids, solid wastes, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, solvents, sludge, petroleum and petroleum products, biological materials, radioactive materials, sand, dirt, animal wastes, acids, and bases.
POLLUTION. The presence of pollutants on land or in the storm water.
POLLUTION PREVENTION. Operational procedures, processes, and improvements in housekeeping or management techniques that reduce potential or actual releases of pollutants to the environment including all air, water, and land resources affected by those pollutants.
PUBLIC STORM DRAIN SYSTEM also known as MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEM-MS4. All or any part of the publicly-owned storm drains, basins, ditches, pipes, graded areas, and gutters located within easements, rights-of-way, parks, streets, roads, highways, or in common areas of real property leased from the City of El Mirage, that are used for collecting, retaining, or conveying storm water.
RELEASE. Any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, placing, leaching, dumping, or disposing into or on any land in a manner that significant materials, pollutants, or storm water that might come to be located in a public storm drain system.
SIGNIFICANT MATERIALS. Any solid, liquid, or gaseous substance other than storm water that can release pollutants, including but not limited to: raw materials; fuels; solvents; detergents; finished materials; hazardous substances designated under § 101(14) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. § 9601(14); any chemical for which a report must be filed pursuant to § 313 of Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, 42 U.S.C. § 11023; fertilizers; pesticides; herbicides; and waste materials, including garbage, trash, ashes, slag, yard waste, animal waste, and sludge.
STORM WATER. Rainfall or snow melt runoff.
STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN (SWMP). A document required by the City of El Mirage from any person that proposes to or does conduct an activity on non-residential property, or that proposes to or does conduct an activity for a fee or charge on residential property, that has the reasonable potential to affect the quality or quantity of storm water impounded upon or released from the property that serves as a written guide for reducing, limiting, and monitoring the reduction of pollutants that are discharged to the publicly owned storm drain system.
STRUCTURAL BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPS). Any berm, retention/detention basin, drywell, or other manmade object that is designed to control the velocity, volume, and/or quality of storm water runoff.
(Ord. O06-07-12, passed 8-31-2006; Res. R06-07-20, passed - -2006)