(A) It is unlawful for any person to discharge or cause to be discharged, directly or indirectly, any of the following described substances into the wastewater treatment system or to any public sewer:
(1) Any combustible, flammable or explosive liquids, solids or gases which by their nature or quantity will or are likely to cause, either alone or by interaction with other substances, a fire or explosion or be injurious to the wastewater treatment system or to its operation. At no time shall two successive readings on an explosion hazard meter, at the point of discharge into the system or at any point in the system, be more than 5%, nor shall there be any single reading over 10%, of the lower explosive limit (LEL) of the meter. Prohibited materials include, but are not limited to, gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, fuel oil, benzene, toluene, xylene, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, peroxides, chlorates, perchlorates, bromates and hydrides;
(2) Any solids or viscous substances which will or are likely to cause obstruction to the flow in a sewer or interference with the operation of the wastewater treatment system. These include, but are not limited to, grease, garbage with particles greater than one-half inch in any dimension, animal guts or tissues, paunch manure, bones, hair, hides or fleshings, entrails, whole blood, feathers, ashes, cinders, sand, spent lime, stone or marble dust, metal, glass, straw, shavings, grass clippings, rags, spent grains, spent hops, waste paper, wood, plastic, gas tar, asphalt residues, residues from refining or processing of fuel or lubricating oil, mud or glass grinding or polishing wastes;
(3) Any wastewater having a pH less than 5.0 or more than 10.0, or having a corrosive property that will or is likely to cause damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the wastewater treatment system;
(4) Any wastewater containing toxic or poisonous pollutants in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, to inhibit or disrupt any wastewater treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals or create a toxic effect in the receiving waters of the wastewater treatment system. A toxic pollutant shall include, but not be limited to, any pollutant identified pursuant to § 307(a) of the Act, being 33 U.S.C. § 1317(a);
(5) Any noxious or malodorous liquids, gases or solids, which, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, will or are likely to create a public nuisance or hazard to life or prevent entry into a sewer for its monitoring, maintenance and repair;
(6) Any wastewater with objectionable color not removed in the treatment process, including, but not limited to, dye wastes, vegetable tanning solutions and printing inks;
(7) Heat in amounts which will or are likely to inhibit biological activity in the wastewater treatment system resulting in interference or damage to the system, but in no case heat in quantities so that the industrial wastewater temperature is greater than 150°F (65.6°C) at its point of discharge to the system, or heat causing, individually or in combination with other wastewater, the influent at the wastewater treatment plant to have a temperature exceeding 104°F (40°C);
(8) Any slug load discharged in a volume or strength so as to cause interference to the wastewater treatment system;
(9) Any unpolluted water, including non-contact cooling water, rain water, storm water or ground water, unless there is no prudent and feasible alternative;
(10) Any wastewater containing fat, wax, grease or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of 150 mg/l which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32°F and 150°F (0°C and 65.6°C); and any wastewater containing oil and grease concentrations of mineral origin of greater than 100 mg/l, whether or not emulsified;
(11) Any wastewater containing inert suspended solids (including Fuller’s earth, lime slurries and lime residues) or dissolved solids (including sodium chloride and sodium sulfate) in quantities that will or are likely to cause interference with the wastewater treatment system; or
(12) Any wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes of a half-life or concentration so that they are in non-compliance with standards issued by the appropriate authority having control over their use and which will or are likely to cause damage or hazards to the wastewater treatment system or personnel operating it.
(B) In addition to these prohibitions, it is unlawful for any person to discharge to any public sewer any discharge which causes interference, as defined, with the wastewater treatment system. Pollutants in the effluent from an industrial user shall not be considered to cause interference where the industrial user is in compliance with specific prohibitions or standards developed by federal, state or local governments. Where the industrial user is in compliance with these specific prohibitions or standards, and pollutants in the effluent from the industrial user’s facility nevertheless are deemed to have caused or significantly contributed to a violation of any requirements of the city’s NPDES or state disposal system permit, and are likely to cause such a violation in the future, the city may take appropriate action to develop and enforce specific effluent limits for that industrial user to ensure renewed and continued compliance with the city’s NPDES or state disposal system permit.
(2004 Code, § 53.072) (Ord. 727, passed 12-12-1985; Ord. 14-0722, passed 3-11-2014) Penalty, see § 10.99