Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this chapter shall be as follows:
ACT: The clean water act (33 USC 1251 et seq.), as amended.
AMMONIA NITROGEN (NH3-N): One of the oxidation states of nitrogen, in which nitrogen is combined with hydrogen in molecular form as NH3 or in ionized form as NH4. Quantitative determination of ammonia nitrogen shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in "standard methods" or chapter NR 149 of the Wisconsin administrative code.
APPROVING AUTHORITY OR AUTHORITY: The common council, or its duly authorized committee, agent, or representative and shall include the superintendent.
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD): The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter in five (5) days at twenty degrees centigrade (20°C), expressed as milligrams per liter. Quantitative determination of BOD shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in the most recent edition of "standard methods".
BUILDING DRAIN: That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside the wall of the building and conveys it to the building sewer.
BUILDING SEWER: The extension from the building drain beginning at the immediate outside foundation wall to its connection with the sanitary sewer or other place of disposal. This term is synonymous with sanitary sewer.
COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL USER: Those users of the treatment works which are not residential and are not classified as an industrial user.
COMPATIBLE POLLUTANTS: Biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, phosphorus, ammonia, or pH, plus additional pollutants identified in the WPDES permit for the publicly owned treatment works receiving the pollutants to a substantial degree.
DEBT SERVICE CHARGE: That charge to the users in the city service area which shall defray the costs of retiring the debts incurred by the city in construction of sewage treatment facilities plus the existing debts on the city sewerage facilities.
DISCHARGER: Any person who discharges septage or wastewater into the sewerage system and shall include any person with whom the utility has entered into a contract or agreement.
DOMESTIC WASTEWATER: Waterborne wastes normally being discharged from the sanitary conveniences of dwellings, apartment houses, hotels, office buildings, commercial buildings, factories and institutions, free of industrial wastes and in which the average concentration of BOD is established at or below two hundred thirty seven milligrams per liter (237 mg/l), the suspended solids is established at or below two hundred fifteen milligrams per liter (215 mg/l), and ammonia is established at or below twenty three milligrams per liter (23 mg/l), and the phosphorus is established at or below seven milligrams per liter (7 mg/l).
FLAT CHARGE: The charge made to unmetered users for use of the sewage treatment facilities. This charge consists of all charges for metered customers equal to fifteen thousand (15,000) gallons of use per quarter.
FLOATABLE OIL: Oil, fat, or grease in a physical state such that it will separate by gravity from wastewater by treatment in an approved pretreatment facility. Wastewater or septage shall be considered free of floatable fat if it is properly pretreated and the wastewater does not interfere with the collection or treatment system.
GARBAGE: The residue from the preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage and sale of food products and produce.
GROUND GARBAGE: The residue from the preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food that has been shredded to such degree that all particles will be no greater than one-half inch (1/2") in any dimension and will be carried freely in suspension under normal flow conditions in sewers.
HOLDING TANK SERVICE AREA: The area outside the sewer service area, but inside or equal to the wastewater treatment facilities planning area where a contract has been developed for holding tank wastewater to be treated at the wastewater treatment facility.
INCOMPATIBLE POLLUTANTS OR WASTEWATER: Wastewater or septage with pollutants of such a strength that will adversely affect or disrupt the wastewater treatment processes or effluent quality if discharged to the sewerage system facility.
INDUSTRIAL USER: As defined for industrial user class means any user of the treatment works that engages in the processing, blending, assembling or in some way transforming of materials or substances into new products, and: a) discharges a wastewater having BOD concentrations in excess of two hundred thirty seven milligrams per liter (237 mg/l) and/or suspended solids concentrations in excess of two hundred fifteen milligrams per liter (215 mg/l) and/or phosphorus in excess of seven milligrams per liter (7 mg/l) and/or flows in excess of twenty five thousand (25,000) gallons per day (GPD); or b) has in its waste a toxic pollutant in toxic amounts as defined in section 307 of the act; or c) is found by the city, state or the U.S. environmental protection agency (EPA) to have significant impact, either singly or in combination with other contributing industries, on the wastewater treatment system, the quality of sludge, the system's effluent quality, or air emissions generated by the system.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE: The wastewater from industrial process, trade, or business, as distinct from sanitary sewage, including cooling water and the discharge from sewage pretreatment facilities.
LICENSED DISPOSER: A person or business holding a valid license to do septage servicing under NR 113.
MANHOLE: An opening constructed to permit access to a sanitary sewer or system.
MAY: Permissible or discretionary.
MINIMUM CHARGE: The amount charged to each user in the city, regardless of use and is comprised of the cost of billing, collecting and accounting, meter reading expense, collection system maintenance, office supplies and expenses, transportation, miscellaneous general expense, administrative and general salaries expenses, and office rent. This charge does not require any minimum use by user.
NATURAL OUTLET: Any outlet, including storm sewers, into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface water or ground water.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COSTS: The treatment plant operation and maintenance costs plus the operation and maintenance costs of the city sewerage system. These costs shall include labor, energy, chemicals and equipment replacement cost but shall not include debt retirement.
PERMIT: Shall include any contract or agreement with the city or utility concerning discharge of septage and/or wastewater into the sewerage system.
PERSON: Any and all persons, including an individual, firm, company, municipal or private corporation, association, society, institution, enterprise, government agency or other entity.
pH: The logarithm (base 10) of the reciprocal of the hydrogen ion concentration. The concentration is the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution. Neutral water, for example, has a pH value of 7 and a hydrogen ion concentration of 10-7. It shall be determined by one of the procedures outlined in "standard methods".
PHOSPHORUS: Phosphorus compounds including organic phosphate, polyphosphate, orthophosphate, or any other form which may be regulated by the WPDES permit. Quantitative determination of phosphorus shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in "standard methods" or chapter NR 149 of the Wisconsin administrative code.
PLUMBING INSPECTOR: The official of the city designated to enforce laws regulating plumbing within the city.
PRIVATE SEWER SYSTEM: A system comprised of a septic tank and effluent absorption area designed for the purpose of processing sewage (section 145.01(12), Wisconsin statutes).
PUBLIC SEWER: Any sewer provided by or subject to the jurisdiction of the sewer utility of the city.
REPLACEMENT COST: Expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories or appurtenances which are necessary to maintain the capacity and performance during the service life of the treatment works and city sewerage system. The term "operation and maintenance" includes replacement. The yearly replacement cost "a" shall be calculated as follows:
"a" = | present replacement cost |
projected service life |
SANITARY SEWER: A sewer that carries liquid and water carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and institutions, together with small quantities of ground, storm, and surface waters that are not admitted intentionally. This does not include the sewer system. This is commonly known as a lateral.
SEPTAGE: Wastewater or contents of septic or holding tanks, dosing chambers, seepage beds, seepage pits, seepage trenches, privies or portable restrooms.
SEWER SERVICE CHARGE: A service charge levied on users of the wastewater collection and treatment facilities for payment of use related capital expenses as well as the operation and maintenance costs, including replacement of said facilities.
SEWER SYSTEM: The common sewers which are primarily installed to receive wastewaters directly from sanitary sewers which convey wastewater from individual structures or from private property.
SEWERAGE SYSTEM: All structures, conduits and pipes by which sewage is collected, treated, and disposed of. This system shall include the sewer system. See also definition of Wastewater Facilities.
SHALL: Means mandatory.
SLUG LOAD: Any substance release at a discharge rate and/or concentration which causes interference to wastewater treatment processes or plugging or surcharging of the sewer system.
STANDARD METHODS: The examination and analytical procedures set forth in the most recent edition of "Standard Methods For The Examination Of Water, Sewage, And Industrial Wastes" published jointly by the American Public Health Association, the American Water Works Association and the Water Pollution Control Federation.
STORM DRAIN OR STORM SEWER: Drain or sewer for conveying surface water, ground water, subsurface water (unpolluted) from any source.
STORMWATER RUNOFF: That portion of the rainfall that is collected and drained into the storm sewers.
SUPERINTENDENT: Superintendent of the utility or his authorized deputy, agent or representative.
SURCHARGE: An additional charge related to industrial wastes being discharged by any user having unusual characteristics such as BOD greater than two hundred thirty seven milligrams per liter (237 mg/l), suspended solids greater than two hundred fifteen milligrams per liter (215 mg/l), phosphorus greater than seven milligrams per liter (7 mg/l), or other pollutants.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS: Solids that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in, water, wastewater, septage, or other liquids, and that are removable by laboratory filtering as prescribed in "standard methods" and are referred to as nonfilterable residue.
USER: Any person discharging domestic wastewater or industrial wastes into the collection system.
USER CHARGE: That charge to users of the city sewerage system which adequately provides for proportionate recovery of the debt and operation and maintenance costs.
USER CLASS: A group of users having similar wastewater flows and characteristics, levels of BOD, suspended solids, etc., as identified in the WPDES permit.
UTILITY: The Menomonie sewer utility empowered to enforce this chapter. The utility shall be directed and administered by the approving authority. The terms utility and approving authority may be used synonymously.
WPDES PERMIT: The Wisconsin pollutant discharge elimination system permit, issued for the city.
WASTEWATER: A combination of the water carried waste discharged into the collection system from residences, commercial buildings, institutions and industrial establishments, together with such ground surface and storm water as may be present.
WASTEWATER FACILITIES: The complete facilities for collection, storage, treating and disposing of the wastewater and septage. This term is synonymous with wastewater treatment facilities, treatment works, sewage facilities, sewage treatment facilities, sewerage system facilities and sewerage systems. (1975 Code Ch. 5 § I)