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.
ASTM. American Society for Testing Materials.
AUTHORITY. The City of Le Sueur, Minnesota or its representative thereof.
BOD5 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. That 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 concentrations limits imposed by the permit.
CONTROL MANHOLE. A structure specially constructed for the purpose of measuring flow and sampling of wastes.
EASEMENT. An acquired legal right for the specific use of land owned by others.
FECAL COLIFORM. Any number of organisms common to the intestinal tract of man and animals whose presence in sanitary sewage is an indicator of pollution.
FLOATABLE OIL. Oil, fat or grease in a physical state, so 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 including nonbiodegradable dissolved solids.
INDUSTRY. Any nongovernmental or nonresidential user of a publicly owned treatment works which is identified in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, latest edition, which is categorized in Divisions A, B, D, E and I.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE. Gaseous, liquid 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 waste.
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 city’s wastewater disposal system processes or operations which causes or significantly contributes to a violation of any requirement of the city’s NPDES and/or SDS permit. The term includes sewage sludge use of disposal by the city in accordance with published regulations providing guidelines under § 405 of the Act 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 city.
MPCA. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
NATIONAL CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARDS. Federal regulations establishing pretreatment standards for introduction of pollutants in publicly owned wastewater treatment facilities which are determined to be not susceptible to treatment by treatment facilities or would interfere with the operation of treatment facilities, pursuant to § 307(b) of the Act.
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 BOD5 concentration not greater than 222 mg/l and a suspended solids (TSS) concentration not greater than 260 mg/l.
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.
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE. The wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food that have been shredded to a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers with no particle greater that one-half inch (1.27 cm.) in any dimension.
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 wastewater from individual point source discharges and connections.
(2) COMBINED SEWER. A sewer intended to serve as a sanitary sewer and a storm sewer.
(3) FORCEMAIN. 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 TAP FEE (HOOK-UP/CONNECTION CHARGE). A fee charged for making a sewer service connection into the city’s wastewater collection system.
SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER. Any industrial user of the wastewater treatment facility which has a discharge flow:
(1) In excess of 25,000 gallons per average work day;
(2) Has exceeded 5% of the total flow received at the treatment facility;
(3) Whose waste contains a toxic pollutant in toxic amounts pursuant to § 307(a) of the Act; or
(4) 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.
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, Subdivision 8, as it may be amended from time to time.
SUPERINTENDENT. The Wastewater 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.
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.
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 benefited by discharge to the sanitary sewers and wastewater treatment facilities.
USER. Any person who discharges or causes or permits the discharge of wastewater into the city’s wastewater disposal system.
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 TREATMENT WORKS or TREATMENT WORKS. An arrangement of any devices, facilities, structures, equipment or processes owned or used by the city for the purpose of the transmission, storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation or 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 clear 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. The Water Pollution Control Federation.
(Ord. 408, passed 12-26-1989)