Sewage collection services shall be rendered upon the following terms and conditions:
(a) Free Service Prohibited. There shall be no free service rendered by the City's sewage collection system to firms or individuals, and all public corporations, charitable or nonprofit institutions, school districts and other political subdivisions shall pay for the use of the services and facilities thereof in accordance with the established schedule of rates set forth in this chapter.
(b) Care and Treatment of Industrial Waste. If the character of sewage or industrial waste from a nonfamily unit is such that it imposes a burden upon the City sewage collection system, in excess of the burden imposed by average sewage, such additional charge shall be made therefor as the City deems to be fair and equitable to meet the additional costs of collecting, analyzing, sampling, transporting, treating and disposing of such sewage and waste. The City may, if it deems it advisable, require the owner, tenant or occupant of such commercial building or manufacturing or industrial plant, building or premises to pretreat and/or equalize the flow of such sewage or waste in such a manner as shall be specified by the City before discharging such sewage or waste into the City sewage collection system.
(c) Excessive Infiltration Prohibited. The City may prohibit excessive infiltration of surface ground waters into the City sewage collection system. From time to time, the City may inspect the sewers of any user to ascertain the extent of such infiltration. Where such infiltration is found, the City may cause the user and/or owner to correct or repair the defects found therein. If the user and/or owner fails or refuses to correct the defects causing excessive infiltration, the City may correct the same and charge the user and/or owner the costs for such corrections, which costs, if not paid, shall be a lien against the user and/or owner as herein set forth. However, the City shall give the user and/or owner a written notice of its intention to correct the defective condition at least thirty days before the City incurs costs for the correction of such defective condition.
(d) Storm, Roof, Surface or Water Discharges. The sanitary sewer discharge from the sanitary sewerage system of the user and/or owner into the City sewage collection system shall not contain stream, storm, roof, surface or other water, the discharge from tile drains or any industrial waste chemicals or other matter in violation of this chapter, unless otherwise permitted, authorized or approved by the City and the Commonwealth or any duly constituted board, commission or department thereof.
(e) Costs for Pretreatment of Sewage. If any sewage is discharged into the City sewage collection system, from the sewage system of a user, the user shall provide pretreatment prior to discharge into the City sewage collection system or shall pay to the City the actual cost of any special treatment at the City's sewage treatment plant as may be agreed upon by the user and the City. The user shall pay the cost of any damage to the City sewage collection system resulting from the discharge of such sewage which requires special treatment. Whether or not sewage is improper and in need of special treatment, and whether or not such discharge resulted in damage to the City sewage collection system, shall be determined by a competent professional engineer acceptable to the City.
(f) Nonliability of City. The City shall not be liable for any damage or expense occurring to or within any premises resulting from leaks or stoppage in the City sewage collection system or from any other cause, unless the damages resulting from leaks or stoppage are caused by the action of the City or its negligence and/ or the negligence of its servants, workers and employees.
(g) Connection to City Sewage Collection System of a System of Sewers. Any person who contemplates land development projects within the City and, by reason thereof, contemplates any extension of the existing system of sewers which are intended to connect with the City sewage collection system, either directly or indirectly, shall do sin in accordance with this chapter and the applicable laws of the Commonwealth. Before any such contemplated connection or addition is made, two copies of the maps or drawings of such system or addition to the system must be furnished to and approved by the City Plumbing Inspector. All properties served by such a system connected with the City sewage collection system shall become subject to this chapter, and the furnishing of sewage service to such properties shall be at the rates and charges provided in tariffs of the City.
(h) Special Devices and Treatment.
(1) Traps and separators. All persons discharging sanitary sewage containing grease, oil or fats into the City sewage collection system shall provide adequate grease and sand traps or oil separators which shall effectively keep the grease content of sewage leaving the premises to less than 100 parts per million by weight.
(2) Prohibited wastes; special treatment. Sanitary sewage, discharged into the City sewage collection system, shall not contain any industrial waste, chemicals or other matter:
A. Having a temperature higher than 150 degrees Fahrenheit;
B. Containing more than 100 parts per million by weight of fat, oil or grease;
C. Containing any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil or other inflammable or explosive liquids, solids or gas;
D. Containing any inadequately ground garbage;
E. Containing any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, paunch manure, or any solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction or other interference with the City sewage collection system or the sewage treatment plant into which the sewage is discharged;
F. Having a pH, as determined by the City Engineer, lower than 6.0 or higher than 9.0, or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures or equipment in the City sewage collection system or structures, equipment, bacterial action or personnel of the sewage treatment plant into which the sewage is discharged;
G. Containing a toxic or poisonous substance in sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, to constitute a hazard to humans or animals or to create any hazard in the receiving water of the sewage treatment plant into which the sewage is discharged. Toxic wastes shall include wastes containing cyanide or copper, chromium, nickel, zinc or other metallic ions.
H. Containing total solids of such character and quantity that unusual attention or expense is required to handle such materials at the sewage treatment plant; or
I. Containing an unusual, noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable of creating an unnecessary public nuisance.
Where wastes are of such character as to violate any of the preceding regulations, the wastes must be pretreated to such a degree that they will comply with the preceding provisions prior to discharge into the City sewage collection system.
The City shall have the right to direct any customer to cease and prevent the discharge into the City sewage collection system of any wastes not complying with these regulations.
(i) Approval of Pretreatment Devices. All grease traps, sand traps or other devices for pretreatment of sanitary sewage or industrial wastes shall be subject to the approval of the City Engineer prior to installation.
(Ord. 4170. Passed 1-9-80.)