For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
AMMONIA or NH3-N. The same as Ammonia Nitrogen measured as Nitrogen. The laboratory determinations shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in "Standards Methods" as defined in this subchapter.
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND or BOD. Of sewage, sewage effluent, polluted waters or industrial wastes. The rate at which microorganisms use the oxygen in water or wastewater while stabilizing decomposable organic matter under aerobic conditions. The laboratory determinations shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in Standard Methods as defined in this subchapter.
BOARD. The City of Ligonier, acting through its Board of Public Works or duly authorized officials or Boards acting on its behalf.
BUILDING (OR HOUSE) DRAIN. The lowest horizontal piping of building drainage system which receives the discharge from waste, and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to a point approximately five feet outside the foundation all of the building or house.
(1) BUILDING DRAIN (SANITARY). A building drain which conveys sanitary or industrial sewage only.
(2) BUILDING DRAIN (STORM). A building drain which conveys storm water or other clean water drainage, but no wastewater.
BUILDING (OR HOUSE) LATERAL SEWER. The extension from the building drain to the sewage system or other place of disposal (Also called HOUSE CONNECTIONS.)
(1) BUILDING SEWER (SANITARY). A building sewer which conveys sanitary or industrial sewage only.
(2) BUILDING SEWER (STORM). A building sewer which conveys storm water or other clean water drainage, but no wastewater.
CARBONACEOUS BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND or CBOD. Of sewage, sewage effluent, polluted waters or industrial wastes. The rate at which microorganisms use the oxygen in water or wastewater while stabilizing decomposable carbonaceous organic matter under aerobic conditions. The laboratory determinations shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in Standard Methods as defined in this subchapter.
C.F.R. The Code of Federal Regulations.
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND or COD. Of sewage, sewage effluent, polluted waters or industrial wastes is a measure of the oxygen consuming capacity of inorganic and organic matter present in wastewater. The laboratory determination shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in Standard Methods.
CITY. The City of Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana.
CITY ENGINEER. The City Engineer of the city, or his or her authorized deputy, agent or representative.
COLLECTOR SEWER. A sewer whose primary purpose is to collect wastewaters from individual point source discharges.
COMBINED SEWER. A sewer intended to receive both wastewater and storm or surface water.
COMMERCIAL USER. Any establishment involved in a commercial enterprise, business or service which based on a determination by the city discharges primarily segregated domestic waste or wastes from sanitary conveniences.
COMPATIBLE POLLUTANT.
(1) Biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, pH and fecal chloroform bacteria, plus additional pollutants identified in the NPDES permit if the treatment works was designed to treat the pollutants and in fact does remove the pollutants to a substantial degree. The term
SUBSTANTIAL DEGREE is not subject to precise definition, but generally contemplates removals in the order of 80% or greater.
(2) Minor incidental removals in the order of 10% to 30% are not considered substantial. Examples of the additional pollutants which may be considered compatible include:
(a) Chemical oxygen demand;
(b) Total organic carbon;
(c) Phosphorus and phosphorus compounds;
(d) Nitrogen and nitrogen compounds; and
(e) Fats, oils and greases of animal or vegetable origin (except as prohibited where these materials would interfere with the operation of the treatment works).
DEBT SERVICE COST. The average annual principal and interest payments on all proposed revenue bonds or other long-term capital debt.
DISCHARGER. Any user of the sewer system who discharges or allows to be discharged any effluent into the system.
EASEMENT. An acquired legal right for the specific use of land owned by others.
E-COLIFORM. Any of a number of organisms common to the intestinal tract of man and animals, whose presence in sanitary sewage is an indicator of pollution.
EFFLUENT DATA. Information necessary to determine the identity, amount, frequency, concentration, temperature or other characteristics of any pollutant discharged.
EPA. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or a duly authorized official of that agency.
EQUIVALENT CONNECTION. The ratio of the cross-sectional area of a water meter connection to the cross-sectional area of a five-eighths-inch water meter connection. The following table displays the EQUIVALENT CONNECTION of various size water meters.
Water Meter Size | Equivalent Connection |
Water Meter Size | Equivalent Connection |
5/8-inch | 1.0 |
3/4-inch | 1.4 |
1-inch | 2.5 |
1/4-inch | 4.0 |
1/2-inch | 58 |
2-inch | 10.0 |
3-inch | 23.0 |
4-inch | 41.0 |
6-inch | 92.0 |
8-inch | 164.0 |
10-inch | 256.0 |
12-inch | 369.0 |
EXCESSIVE STRENGTH SURCHARGE. An additional charge which is billed to users for treating compatible sewage wastes with an average strength in excess of "normal domestic sewage".
FLOATABLE OIL. Oil, fat or grease in a physical state, such that will separate by gravity from wastewater by treatment in a pretreatment facility approved by the city.
FORCE MAIN. A pipe in which wastewater is carried under pressure.
GARBAGE. Any solid wastes from the preparation, cooking or dispensing of food and from handling, storage or sale of produce.
GOVERNMENTAL USER. Any federal, state or local governmental user of the wastewater treatment works.
HEAVY DEMAND SUBSTANCES. Concentrations of phosphorus, ammonia, suspended solids or biochemical oxygen demand in sewage which exceed the levels established in this chapter.
IDEM. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
INCOMPATIBLE POLLUTANT. Any pollutant that is not defined as a compatible pollutant, including non-biodegradable dissolved solids, and further defined in 40 C.F.R. Part 403.
INDUSTRIAL USER. Any manufacturing or processing facility that discharges industrial waste to a wastewater treatment works.
INDUSTRIAL WASTES. Any solid, liquid or gaseous substances or form of energy discharged, permitted to flow or escape from an industrial, manufacturing, commercial or business process or from the development, recovery or processing of any natural resource carried on by a person and shall further mean any waste from an industrial sewer.
INFILTRATION. The water entering a sewer system, including building drains and sewers, from the ground, through means such as, but not limited to, defective pipes, pipe joints, connections or manhole walls. (INFILTRATION does not include and is distinguished from inflow.)
INFILTRATION/INFLOW. The total quantity of water from both infiltration and inflow without distinguishing the source.
INFLOW. The water discharged into a sewer system, including building drains and sewers, from such sources as, but not limited to, roof leader, cellar, yard and area drains, foundation drains, unpolluted cooling water discharges, drains from springs and swampy areas, manhole covers, cross-connections from storm sewers, and combined sewers, catch basins, storm waters, surface runoff, street wash waters or drainage. (Inflow does not include, and is distinguishable from infiltration.)
INSPECTOR. The person or persons duly authorized by the city through its Board of Public Works to inspect and approve the installation of building sewers and then connection to the public sewer system.
INSTITUTIONAL USER. Any establishment involved in a social, charitable, religious and/or educational function which, based on a determination by the city discharges primarily segregated domestic wastes or wastes from sanitary conveniences.
INTERCEPTOR SEWER. A sewer whose primary purpose is to transport wastewater from collector sewers to a treatment facility.
INTERFERENCE. The inhibition or disruption of the municipal sewer system, treatment processes or operations which contributes to a violation of any requirement of its NPDES permit, and/or any other waste disposal permit, and/or the inhibition or disruption of any receiving systems thereof.
MAY. The indication of a discretionary condition.
MGD. Million gallons per day.
MG/L. Milligrams per liter.
NATIONAL CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARD or PRETREATMENT STANDARD. Any regulation containing pollutant discharge limits promulgated by the EPA in accordance with §§ (b) and (c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. § 1347) which applies to a specific category of nonresidential dischargers.
NATURAL OUTLET. Any outlet, including storm sewers and combined sewer overflows, into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface or ground water.
NONRESIDENTIAL DISCHARGER. Any user of the sewer system who discharges a non-domestic effluent into the system by means of pipes, conduits, pumping stations, force mains, constructed drainage ditches, surface water intercepting ditches, and all constructed devices and appliances appurtenant thereto. (Specified in 40 C.F.R. Part 403 as "industrial user".)
NORMAL DOMESTIC SEWAGE. For the purpose of determining surcharges, wastewater or sewage having an average daily concentration as follows:
S.S. |
Not more than 230 mg/l
|
BOD |
Not more than 230 mg/l
|
Ammonia-Nitrogen | Not more than 25 mg/l |
Phosphorus |
Not more than 1 mg/l
|
NPDES PERMIT. A national pollutant discharge elimination system permit setting forth conditions for the discharge of any pollutant or combination of pollutants to the navigable waters of the United States.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COST. Include all costs, direct and indirect, necessary to provide adequate wastewater collection, transport and treatment on continuing basis and produce discharges to receiving waters that conform with all related federal, state and local requirements. (These COSTS include replacement.)
OTHER SERVICE CHARGES. Tap charges, connection charges, area charges and other identifiable charges other than excessive strength surcharges.
pH. The reciprocal of the logarithm of the hydrogen-ion concentration. The concentration is the weight of hydrogen-ions, in grams per liter of solution.
PERSON. Any and all persons, natural or artificial, including any individual, firm, company, municipal or private corporation, partnership, copartnership, joint stock company, trust, estate, association, society, institution, enterprise, governmental agency, the state, the United States of America, or other legal entity, or their legal representatives, agents or assigns. The masculine gender shall include the feminine and the singular shall include the plural where indicated by the context.
PHOSPHORUS (P). The chemical element phosphorus, total. The laboratory determinations shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in C.F.R. as defined in this subchapter.
PLUMBING INSPECTOR. The authorized agent of the Board of Works having responsibility for administration of the provisions of this subchapter as such may pertain to plumbing work.
PRETREATMENT. The reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination of pollutants, or the alteration of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater to a less harmful state prior to or in lieu of discharging or otherwise introducing the pollutants into the sewage works. The reduction or alteration can be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes, process changes or by other means, except as prohibited by 40 C.F.R. § 403.6(d); and shall include all applicable rules and regulations contained in the Code of Federal Regulations as published in the Federal Register, under § 307 of PL 95-217, under regulation 40 C.F.R. Part 403 pursuant to the Act, and amendments.
PRIVATE SEWER. A sewer which is not owned by public authority.
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE. The wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food that has 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 in any dimension.
PUBLIC SEWER. A sewer which is owned and controlled by the public authority and will consist of the following increments: collector sewer, interceptor sewer, force main, pumping station.
PUMPING STATION. A station positioned in the public sewer system at which wastewater is pumped from one point to another.
REPLACEMENT COSTS. The 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 for which the works were designed and constructed.
RESIDENTIAL USER. A user of the treatment works whose premises or building is used primarily as a residence for one or more persons, including all dwelling units and the like.
SANITARY SEWER. A sewer which carries sanitary and industrial wastes, and to which storm, surface and ground water are not intentionally admitted.
SEWAGE. The combination of the liquid and water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants and institutions (including polluted cooling water). The three most common types of SEWAGE are:
(1) COMBINED SEWAGE. Wastes including sanitary sewage, industrial sewage, storm water, infiltration and inflow carried to the wastewater treatment facilities by a combined sewer;
(2) INDUSTRIAL SEWAGE. A combination of liquid and water-carried wastes, discharged from any industrial establishment, and resulting from any trade or process carried on in that establishment (this shall include the wastes from pretreatment facilities and polluted cooling water);
(3) SANITARY SEWAGE. The combination of liquid and water-carried wastes discharged from toilet and other sanitary pumping facilities; and
(4) SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT. Any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.
SEWAGE WORKS. The structures, equipment and processes to collect, transport and treat domestic and industrial wastes and dispose of the effluent and accumulated residual solids.
SEWER. A pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
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 five minutes more than two times the average 24-hour concentration of flow during normal operation or which adversely affects the sewage works.
STANDARD METHODS. The laboratory procedures approved by the IDEM.
STORM SEWER. A sewer for conveying water, ground water or unpolluted water from any source and to which sanitary and/or industrial wastes are not intentionally admitted.
SUPERINTENDENT. The appointed superintendent, or in his or her absence the duly appointed acting superintendent, of the city's sewage works.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS or S.S. Solids which either float on the surface of or are in suspension in water, sewage or other liquid and which are removable by laboratory filtration.
(1) Their concentration shall be expressed in milligrams per liter.
(2) Quantitative determination shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in Standard Methods.
TOTAL SOLIDS. The sum of suspended and dissolved solids.
TOXIC AMOUNT. Concentrations of any pollutant or combination of pollutants which upon exposure to or assimilation into any organism will cause adverse effects, such as cancer, genetic mutations and physiological manifestations.
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 provided.
USER CHARGES. A charge levied on users of the wastewater treatment works for the cost of operation and maintenance of the public works.
USER CLASS. The division of wastewater treatment customers by source, function, waste characteristics and process or discharge similarities, (i.e. residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and governmental in the user charge system).
VOLATILE ORGANIC MATTER. The material in the sewage solids transformed to gases or vapors when heated to 5,500°C for 15 to 20 minutes.
WASTEWATER. Water in which sewage has been discharged.
WATERCOURSE. A natural or artificial channel for the passage of water either continuously or intermittently.
(1998 Code, § 9-7) (Ord. 539, passed 3-14-1994; Ord. 818-2012, passed 8-24-2012)
Statutory reference:
Municipal waterworks, see I.C. 36-9-23-1 et seq.