(a) Prohibition of Illegal Discharges. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the municipal storm drain system or watercourses any materials, including but not limited to pollutants or wastes containing any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards, other than storm water.
(b) The commencement, conduct or continuance of any illegal discharge to the storm drain system is prohibited except as described as follows:
(1) The following discharges are exempt from discharge prohibitions established by this article: water line flushing or other potable water sources, landscape irrigation of lawn watering, diverted stream flows, rising ground water, ground water infiltration to storm drains, uncontaminated pumped ground water, foundation or footing drains (not including active groundwater dewatering systems), crawl space pumps, air conditioning condensation, springs, non-commercial washing of vehicles, natural riparian habitat or wet-land flows, swimming pools (if dechlorinated - to a concentration of one PPM chlorine or less), fire fighting activities, and any other water source not containing pollutants. If these discharges are determined to be a significant source of pollution than they are prohibited.
(2) Discharges specified in writing by the authorized enforcement agency as being necessary to protect public health and safety.
(3) Dye testing in an allowable discharge, but requires a verbal notification to the authorized enforcement agency prior to the time of the test.
(4) The prohibition shall not apply to any non-storm water discharge permitted under an NPDES permit, waiver or waste discharge order issued to the discharger and administered under the authority of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, provided that the discharge is in full compliance with all requirements of the permit, waiver or order and other applicable laws and regulations, and provided that written approval has been granted for any discharge to the storm drain system.
(c) Prohibitions of Illicit Connection.
(1) The construction, use, maintenance or continued existence of illicit connections to the storm drain system is prohibited.
(2) This prohibition expressly includes, without limitation, illicit connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of connection.
(3) A person is considered to be in violation of this article if the person connects a line conveying sewage to the MS4, or allows such a connection to continue. (Passed 12-13-11.)