(A) No persons shall discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, material, waters or wastes if it appears likely in the opinion of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago that the wastes can harm either the sewer's sewage treatment process or equipment; have an adverse effect on the receiving stream; or can otherwise endanger life, limb, public property or constitute a nuisance. In forming their opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will give consideration to such factors as the quantities of subject wastes in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, nature of the sewage treatment plant, degree of treatability of wastes in the sewage treatment plant and maximum limits established by regulatory agencies. The substances prohibited are:
(1) Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150°F (65°C);
(2) Any waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous materials; or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of 100 mg/l or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32°F and 150°F (0°C and 65°C);
(3) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. The installation and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of 1 horsepower or greater shall be subject to the review and approval of the Plumbing Inspector;
(4) Any waters or wastes containing strong acid, iron pickling wastes or concentrated plating solution, whether neutralized or not;
(5) Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc or similar objectionable or toxic substances or wastes exerting an excessive chlorine requirement, to such degree that any such material received in the composite sewage at the sewage treatment works exceeds the limits established by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for the materials;
(6) Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste- or odor-producing substances, in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago as necessary after treatment of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of the state, federal or other public agencies having jurisdiction of such discharge to the receiving waters;
(7) Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations;
(8) Any wastes or waters having a pH in excess of 9.5;
(9) Any mercury or any of its compounds in excess of 0.0005 mg/l of Hg at any time, except as permitted by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations;
(10) Any cyanide at any time, except as permitted by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations;
(11) Materials which exert or cause:
(a) Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but not limited to, fuller's earth, lime slurries and lime residues) or of dissolved solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate);
(b) Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions);
(c) Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment works; or
(d) Unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes constituting sludge as defined herein;
(12) Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amendable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed or are amendable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
(Ord. C0-08-15, passed 3-18-2008)