(a) Prohibition of Illegal Discharges.
(1) No person shall throw, drain, or otherwise discharge, cause, or allow others under its control to throw, drain, or otherwise discharge into the MS4 any pollutants or waters containing any pollutants, other than storm water. Prohibited discharges include, but are not limited to: wastewater from concrete washout, unless managed by an appropriate control; wastewater from washout and cleanout of stucco, paint, form release oils,
curing compounds and other construction materials; fuels, oils or other pollutants used in vehicle and equipment operations and maintenance; and soaps or solvents used in vehicle and equipment washing.
(2) The commencement, conduct or continuance of any illegal discharge to the storm drainage system is prohibited except as described as follows:
A. The following discharges are exempt from discharge prohibitions established by this ordinance: water line flushing, landscape irrigation, routine external building washdown which does not use detergents, pavement washwaters where spills or leaks of toxic or hazardous materials have not occurred (unless all spilled material has been removed) and where detergents haven't been used, uncontaminated groundwater from trench or well point dewatering, diverted stream flows, rising ground waters, uncontaminated ground water infiltration. Infiltration is defined as water other than wastewater that enters a sewer system, including sewer service connections and footer drains, from the ground through such means as defective pipes, pipe joints, connections, or manholes. Infiltration does not include, and is distinguished from inflow, uncontaminated pumped ground water, discharges from potable water sources, foundation or footer drains where flows are not contaminated with process materials such as solvents, air conditioning condensation, irrigation water, springs, water from crawl space pumps, footing drains, lawn watering, individual residential car washing, flows from riparian habitats and wetlands, dechlorinated swimming pool discharges, and street wash water.
B. Discharges or flow from firefighting, and other discharges specified in writing by the Director as being necessary to protect public health and safety.
C. Discharges associated with dye testing, however this activity requires a verbal notification to the Director prior to the time of the test.
D. 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 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Ohio EPA, provided that the discharger 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.
(3) The local government may evaluate and remove any of the above exemptions if it is determined that they are causing an adverse impact.
(b) Prohibition of Illicit Connections.
(1) The construction, use, maintenance or continued existence of illicit connections to the storm drainage 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 ordinance if the person connects a line conveying sewage to the MS4, or allows such a connection to continue.
(4) Improper connections in violation of this ordinance must be disconnected and redirected, if necessary, to an approved onsite wastewater management system or the sanitary sewer system upon approval of the Director.
(5) Any drain or conveyance that has not been documented in plans, maps or equivalent, and which may be connected to the storm sewer system, shall be located by the owner or occupant of that property upon receipt of written notice of violation from the Director requiring that such locating be completed. Such notice will specify a reasonable time period within which the location of the drain or conveyance is to be determined, that the drain or conveyance be identified as storm sewer, sanitary sewer or other, and that the outfall location or point of connection to the storm drainage system, sanitary sewer system or other discharge point be identified. Results of these investigations are to be documented and provided to the Director.
(Ord. 2017-17. Passed 3-15-17.)