For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACT. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also referred to as the Clean Water Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
ADMINISTRATION. Those fixed costs attributable to administration of the wastewater treatment works.
ASTM. ASTM International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing Materials).
AUTHORITY. The City of Lake Crystal, Minnesota, or its representative thereof.
BOD or BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND. The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic-matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days at 20°C in terms of milligrams per liter (mg/l).
BUILDING DRAIN. The part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from waste and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning immediately outside the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER. The extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal, also referred to as a house connection or service connection.
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD). The quantity of oxygen utilized in the chemical oxidation of organic matter as determined by standard laboratory procedures, and as expressed in terms of milligrams per liter (mg/l).
COMPATIBLE POLLUTANT. Biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, pH and fecal coliform bacteria, plus additional pollutants identified in the NPDES/SDS permit if the treatment facilities are designed to treat the pollutants to a degree which complies with effluent concentration limits imposed by the permit.
CONTROL MANHOLE. A structure specially constructed for the purpose of measuring flow and sampling of wastes.
DEBT SERVICE. The revenue to be used solely for retirement of outstanding debts of the authority’s wastewater treatment works.
DOMESTIC OR SANITARY WASTE. Wastewater that is primarily produced by residential users, with BOD concentration of 225 milligrams per liter and TSS concentration of 215 milligrams per liter
EASEMENT. An acquired legal right for the specific use of land owned by others.
EXTRA STRENGTH WASTE. Wastewater having a BOD and/or suspended solids greater than domestic or sanitary waste as defined herein above, and not otherwise classified as an incompatible waste.
FECAL COLIFORM. Any number of organisms common to the intestinal tract of humans and animals whose presence in sanitary, sewage is an indicator of pollution.
FLOATABLE OIL. Oil, fat or grease in a physical state, such that it will separate by gravity from wastewater.
GARBAGE. Animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and serving of food.
INCOMPATIBLE POLLUTANT. Any pollutant that is not defined as a compatible pollutant (defined herein) including non-biodegradable dissolved solids.
INCOMPATIBLE WASTE. Waste that either singly or by interaction with other wastes interferes with any waste treatment process, constitutes a hazard to humans or animals, creates a public nuisance, or creates any hazard in the receiving waters of the wastewater treatment works.
INDUSTRIAL USERS or INDUSTRIES.
(1) Entities that discharge into a publicly owned wastewater treatment works, liquid wastes resulting from the processes employed in industrial or manufacturing processes, or from the development of any natural resources.
(a) These are identified in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1972, Office of Management and Budget, as amended and supplemented under one of the following divisions:
1. Division A. Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing;
2. Division B. Mining;
3. Division D. Manufacturing;
4. Division E. Transportation, Communications, Electric, Gas and Sanitary Sewers; and
5. Division I. Services.
(b) For the purpose of this definition, domestic or sanitary waste shall be considered to have the following characteristics:
1. BOD less than 225 mg/l; and
2. Suspended solids less than 215 mg/l.
(2) Any non-governmental user of a publicly owned treatment works which discharges wastewater to the treatment works which contains toxic pollutants or poisonous solids, liquids or gases in sufficient quantity either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to contaminate the sludge of any municipal systems, or to injure or to interfere with any sewage treatment process, or which constitutes a hazard to humans to animals, creates a public nuisance, or creates any hazard in or has an adverse effect on the waters receiving any discharge from the treatment works.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE. Gaseous, liquid, toxins as defined in EPA regulations, and solid wastes resulting from industrial or manufacturing processes, trade or business, or from the development, recovery and processing of natural resources, as distinct from residential or domestic strength wastes.
INDUSTRY. Any non-governmental or nonresidential user of a publicly owned treatment works which discharges industrial wastes as defined above.
INFILTRATION. Water entering the sewage system (including building drains and pipes) from the ground through such means as defective pipes, pipe joints, connections and manhole walls.
INFILTRATION/INFLOW (I/I). The total quantity of water from both infiltration and inflow.
INFLOW. Water other than wastewater that enters a sewer system (including building drains) from sources such as, but not limited to, roof leaders, cellar drains, yard and area drains, foundation drains, drains from springs and swampy areas, manhole covers, cross-connections from storm sewers, catch basins, surface runoff, street wash waters or drainage.
INTERFERENCE. The inhibition or disruption of the authority’s wastewater disposal system processes or operations which causes or significantly contributes to a violation of any requirement of the authority’s NPDES and/or SDS permit. The term includes sewage sludge use or disposal by the authority in accordance with published regulations providing guidelines under § 405 of the Clean Water Act, being 33 U.S.C. § 1345, or any regulations developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, being 42 U.S.C. §§ 6901 et seq., the Clean Air Act, being 42 U.S.C. §§ 7401 et seq., the Toxic Substances Control Act, being 15 U.S.C. §§ 2601 et seq., or more stringent state criteria applicable to the method of disposal or use employed by the authority.
MAY. Permissive. See definition for SHALL herein.
MPCA. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
NATIONAL CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARDS. Federal regulations, 40 C.F.R. Part 403, establishing pretreatment standards for introduction of pollutants in publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities which are determined to be not susceptible to treatment by the treatment facilities or would interfere with the operation of the treatment facilities, pursuant to § 307(b) of the Act, being 33 U.S.C. § 1317(b).
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) PERMIT. A permit issued by the MPCA, setting limits on pollutants that a permittee may legally discharge into navigable waters of the United States pursuant to §§ 402 and 405 of the Act.
NATURAL OUTLET. Any outlet, including storm sewers and combined sewers, which overflow into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface water or ground water.
NON-CONTACT COOLING WATER. The water discharged from any use such as air conditioning, cooling or refrigeration, or during which the only pollutant added, is heat.
NORMAL DOMESTIC STRENGTH WASTE. Wastewater that is primarily introduced by residential users with a BOD concentration not greater than 225 mg/l and a suspended solids (TSS) concentration not greater than 215 mg/l.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE. Those variable expenditures and costs which are directly: attributable to the operations and maintenance of a waste treatment works. The term O&M includes “replacement” as defined herein.
pH. The logarithm of the reciprocal of the concentration of hydrogen ions in terms of grams per liter of solution.
PRETREATMENT. The treatment of wastewater from industrial sources prior to the introduction of the waste effluent into a publicly-owned treatment works. See definition of NATIONAL CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARDS herein.
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE. The wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food that have been shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers with no particle greater than one-half inch (1.27 cm) in any dimension.
REPLACEMENT. Expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories or appurtenances which are necessary during the useful life of the treatment works to maintain the capacity and performance of the treatment facility for which it was designed and constructed.
RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL/GOVERNMENTAL USERS. All non-industrial users.
SANITARY SEWER. A sewer intended to carry only sanitary or sanitary and industrial waste waters from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants and institutions together with minor quantities of ground, storm and surface waters that are not admitted intentionally.
SEWAGE. The spent water of a community. The preferred term is WASTEWATER.
SEWER. A pipe or conduit that carries wastewater or drainage water.
(1) COLLECTION SEWER. A sewer whose primary purpose is to collect wastewaters from individual point source discharges and connections.
(2) COMBINED SEWER. A sewer intended to serve as a sanitary sewer and a storm sewer.
(3) FORCE MAIN. A pipe in which wastewater is carried under pressure.
(4) INTERCEPTOR SEWER. A sewer whose primary purpose is to transport wastewater from collection sewers to a treatment facility.
(5) PRIVATE SEWER. A sewer which is not owned and maintained by a public authority.
(6) PUBLIC SEWER. A sewer owned, maintained and controlled by a public authority.
(7) SANITARY SEWER. A sewer intended to carry only liquid and water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants and institutions together with minor quantities of ground, storm and surface waters which are not admitted intentionally.
(8) STORM SEWER or STORM DRAIN. A drain or sewer intended to carry storm waters, surface runoff, ground water, sub-surface water, street wash water, drainage and unpolluted water from any source.
SEWER SERVICE CHARGE SYSTEM. The system of charges by which revenue is generated to offset the cost of operation and maintenance plus replacement, administration and debt service.
SEWER SERVICE FUND. The depository for the sewer service charge system for all revenues collected from the user charges and rate schedules, and in some instances interest collected. The monies in the fund shall be used to pay the operating and maintenance costs through the Operating and Maintenance Fund, equipment replacement costs through the Capital Equipment Replacement Fund, and annual debt service retirement payments through the Debt Service Retirement Fund. These three funds are expenditure accounts for municipal accounting records.
SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER. Any industrial user of the wastewater treatment facility which has a discharge flow: in excess of 25,000 gallons per average work day; or has exceeded 5% of the total flow received at the treatment facility; or whose waste contains a toxic pollutant in toxic amounts pursuant to § 307(a) of the Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1317(a); or whose discharge has a significant effect, either singly or in combination with other contributing industries, on the wastewater disposal system, the quality of sludge, the system’s effluent quality or emissions generated by the treatment system.
SLUG. Any discharge of water or wastewater which in concentration of any given constituent, or in quantity of flow, exceeds for any period of duration longer than 15 minutes, more than five times the average 24-hour concentration of flows during normal operation, and shall adversely affect the collection and/or performance of the wastewater treatment works.
STANDARD METHODS. The latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, published by the American Public Health Association, the American Water Works Association, and the Water Environment Federation.
STATE DISPOSAL SYSTEM (SDS) PERMIT. Any permit (including any terms, conditions and requirements thereof) issued by the MPCA pursuant to M.S. § 115.07, as it may be amended from time to time, for a disposal system as defined by M.S. § 115.01, Subd. 8, as it may be amended from time to time.
STORM DRAIN. Sometimes termed STORM SEWER, shall mean a drain or sewer intended or carry storm waters, surface runoff, groundwater, sub-surface water, street wash waters, drainage and unpolluted water from any source.
SUPERINTENDENT. The utilities superintendent or a deputy, agent or representative thereof.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS) or TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (TSS). The total suspended matter that either floats on the surface of, or is in suspension in water, wastewater or other liquids, and is removable by laboratory filtering as prescribed in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, latest edition, and referred to as non-filterable residue.
TOC. Total organic carbon which shall be determined using a total organic carbon analyzer.
TOXIC POLLUTANT. The concentration of any pollutant or combination of pollutants which upon exposure to or assimilation into any organism will cause adverse affects as defined in standards issued pursuant to § 307(a) of the Act.
TSS or TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS. All particles suspended in water which will not pass through a filter.
UNPOLLUTED WATER. Water of quality equal to or better than the effluent criteria in effect, or water that would not cause violation of receiving water quality standards, and would not be benefitted by discharge to the sanitary sewers and wastewater treatment facilities. See NON-CONTACT COOLING WATER.
USER. Any person who discharges or causes or permits the discharge of wastewater into the authority’s wastewater disposal system.
USER CHARGE. A charge levied on users of the treatment facilities for the users’ proportionate share of the cost of operation and maintenance (including replacement) of the works under 33 U.S.C. §§ 1281(h)(2) and 1284(b)(1)(a) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
USER CLASSES.
(1) COMMERCIAL. Retail or wholesale type establishments, i.e., restaurants, hotels, motels, stores, filling stations, commercial laundry, and so forth, that discharge wastewater, as defined herein into the public wastewater, treatment system, works and facility.
(2) INDUSTRIAL. See definition of INDUSTRIAL USER herein.
(3) INSTITUTIONAL/GOVERNMENTAL. Hospitals; nursing homes; schools; city, county, state or federal industrial buildings; or facilities that discharge wastewater into the public wastewater treatment system, works and facility.
(4) RESIDENTIAL. A principal family residence or habitation classed as single-family, multi-family or apartment dwelling, that discharges domestic sanitary wastewater having characteristics of 225 mg/l BOD and 215 mg/l suspended solids, into the public wastewater treatment systems, works and facility.
WASTEWATER. The spent water of a community and referred to as sewage. From the standpoint of source, it may be a combination of the liquid and water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants and institutions together with any ground water, surface water and storm water that may be present.
WASTEWATER FACILITIES. The structures, equipment and processes required to collect, convey and treat domestic and industrial wastes and dispose of the effluent.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT WORKS or TREATMENT WORKS. An arrangement of any devices, facilities, structures, equipment or processes owned or used by the authority for the purpose of the transmission, storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of municipal sewage, domestic sewage or industrial wastewater, or structures necessary to recycle or reuse water including interceptor sewers, outfall sewers, collection sewers, pumping, power and other equipment and their appurtenances; extensions, improvements, remodeling, additions and alterations thereof; elements essential to provide a reliable recycled water supply such as standby treatment units and wet well facilities; and any works including land which is an integral part of the treatment process or is used for ultimate disposal of residues resulting from the treatment.
WATERCOURSE. A natural or artificial channel for the passage of water, either continuously or intermittently.
WPCF. Now known as the Water Environment Federation.
(Ord. 174, passed 1-7-1985; Ord. 177, passed 12-1-1986)