For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACT. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act also known as the Clean Waters Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
BOD (denoting 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, expressed in milligrams per liter.
BUILDING DRAIN. The part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning two feet outside the outside face of the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER. The extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal.
COMBINED SEWER. A sewer receiving both surface run-off and sewage.
GARBAGE. Solid wastes from the domestic and commercial preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.
INDIVIDUAL SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM. A sewage disposal system, other than a public or community system, which receives sewage from an individual establishment. Unless otherwise indicated, the word SYSTEM, as it appears in this chapter, means INDIVIDUAL SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM.
INDUSTRIAL USER. A person who discharges to the city’s sewage works liquid wastes resulting from the processes employed in industrial, manufacturing, trade or business establishments, or from the development of any natural resource.
INDUSTRIAL WASTES. The liquid wastes from industrial manufacturing processes, trade or business, as distinct from sanitary sewage.
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 or the state’s disposal system permit. The term includes prevention of sewage sludge use or disposal by the city in accordance with published regulations providing guidelines under § 405 of the Act (33 U.S.C. § 1345) or any regulations developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C.
§§ 6901 et seq.), the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 7401 et seq.), the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 2601 et seq.) or more stringent state criteria applicable to the method of disposal or use employed by the city.
pH. The logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
PRETREATMENT.
(1) The process of reducing the amount of pollutants, eliminating pollutants or altering the nature of pollutant properties in sewage to a less harmful state prior to, or in lieu of, discharging or otherwise introducing the pollutants into the sewage works.
(2) The reduction, elimination or alteration may be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes, process changes or other means, except dilution.
PUBLIC SEWER. A sewer in which all owners of abutting property have equal rights and is controlled by public authority.
SANITARY SEWER. A sewer which carries sewage and to which storm, surface and ground waters are not intentionally admitted.
SEWAGE. The liquid and water-carried industrial or domestic wastes from dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial facilities and institutions, together with any ground water, surface water and storm water that may be present, whether treated or untreated, which is discharged into or permitted to enter the city’s wastewater disposal system.
SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER. A user that discharges to the city’s treatment facility non-domestic wastewater that:
(1) Has a flow of 25,000 gallons per day or more of process wastewater;
(2) Contains a loading of 156 pounds per day of BOD or more; or
(3) Has the potential, in the opinion of the city, to adversely impact the city’s treatment works or the quality of its effluent.
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT. Any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.
SEWER. A pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
SLUG. Any discharge of water, sewage or industrial waste which is a concentration of any given constituent or in quantity of flow exceeds, for any period of duration longer than 15 minutes, more than three times the average 24-hour concentration of flows during normal operation.
STATE DISPOSAL SYSTEM 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. 5, as it may be amended from time to time.
STORM DRAIN. (Sometimes termed as STORM SEWER.) A sewer which carried storm and surface waters and drainage, but excludes sewage and industrial wastes, other than unpolluted cooling water.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS. Solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension in water, sewage or other liquids, and which are removable by laboratory filtering.
USER. Any person who discharges, causes or permits discharge of wastewater into the city’s wastewater disposal system.
WASTEWATER DISPOSAL SYSTEM or SYSTEM. Any devices, facilities, structures, equipment or works owned or used by the city for the purpose of the transmission, storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of industrial and domestic wastewater or necessary to recycle or reuse water, including intercepting sewers, outfall sewers, sewage collection system, pumping, power and other equipment, and their appurtenances; extension, improvements, remodeling, additions and alterations thereof; elements essential to provide a recycled water supply such as standby treatment units and clear well facilities; and any works, including land that will be an integral part of the treatment process or is used for ultimate disposal of residues resulting from the treatment.
(Prior Code, § 3.21) (Ord. 22, Third Series, effective 10-17-1984; Ord. 207, Third Series, effective 8-20-1998)