(A) Capacity certifications. Unless otherwise advised by the Director, a capacity certification with evidence of fee payment shall be required or all new or additional connections prior to initiation of sewer service.
(B) Construction standards. All new sewer construction shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the Davie County Utility Construction Standards and approved by the Director.
(C) Prohibited discharge standards.
(1) General prohibitions. No user shall contribute or cause to be contributed into the POTW, directly or indirectly, any pollutant or wastewater which causes interference or pass through. These general prohibitions apply to all users of a POTW, whether or not the user is a significant industrial user, or subject to any national, state or local pretreatment standards or requirements.
(2) Specific prohibitions. No user shall contribute or cause to be contributed into the POTW the following pollutants, substances or wastewater:
(a) Pollutants which create a fire or explosive hazard in the POTW, including but not limited to, waste streams with a closed cup flashpoint of less than 140°F (60°C), using the test methods specified in 40 C.F.R. § 261.21;
(b) Solid or viscous substances in amounts which will cause obstruction of the flow in the POTW resulting in interference, but in no case solids greater than one-half inch in any dimension;
(c) Petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oil or products of mineral oil origin, in amounts that will cause interference or pass through;
(d) Any wastewater having a pH less than 5.0 or more than 12.0, or wastewater having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage to the POTW or equipment;
(e) Any wastewater containing pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD and the like) in sufficient quantity (flow or concentration), either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, to cause interference with the POTW;
(f) Any wastewater having a temperature greater than 150°F (66°C), or which will inhibit biological activity in the POTW treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case wastewater which causes the temperature at the introduction into the treatment plant to exceed 104°F (40°C);
(g) Any pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors or fumes within the POTW in a quantity that may cause acute worker health and safety problems;
(h) Any trucked or hauled pollutants, except at discharge points designated by the POTW Director in accordance with division (K), Hauled wastewater, below;
(i) Any noxious or malodorous liquids, gases or solids, or other wastewater which, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, are sufficient to create a public nuisance or hazard to life, or are sufficient to prevent entry into the sewers for maintenance and repair;
(j) Any substance which may cause the POTW's effluent or any other product of the POTW, such as residues, sludges or scums, to be unsuitable for reclamation and reuse or to interfere with the reclamation process. In no case, shall a substance discharged to the POTW cause the POTW to be in noncompliance with sludge use or disposal regulations or permits issued under § 405 of the Act; the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act or state criteria applicable to the sludge management method being used;
(k) Any wastewater which imparts color which cannot be removed by the treatment process, including but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions, which consequently imparts sufficient color to the treatment plant's effluent to render the waters injurious to public health, secondary recreation, or aquatic life and wildlife, or to adversely affect the palatability of fish or its aesthetic quality, or to impair the receiving waters for any designated uses;
(l) Any wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes, except as specifically approved by the POTW Director in compliance with applicable state or Federal regulations;
(m) Storm water, surface water, ground water, artesian well water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, swimming pool drainage, condensate, deionized water, non-contact cooling water and unpolluted industrial wastewater, unless specifically authorized by the POTW Director;
(n) Fats, oils or greases of animal or vegetable origin in concentrations greater than 100 mg/l unless authorized by the POTW Director;
(o) Any sludges, screenings or other residue from the pretreatment of industrial wastes;
(p) Any medical wastes, except as specifically authorized by the POTW Director in a wastewater discharge permit;
(q) Any material containing ammonia, ammonia salts or other chelating agents which will produce metallic complexes that interfere with the municipal wastewater system;
(r) Any material that would be identified as hazardous waste according to 40 C.F.R. part 261, if not disposed of in a sewer, except as may be specifically authorized by the POTW Director;
(s) Any wastewater causing the treatment plant effluent to violate state water quality standards for toxic substances as described in 15A NCAC 2B.0200;
(t) Wastewater causing, alone or in conjunction with other sources, the treatment plant's effluent to fail a toxicity test;
(u) Recognizable portions of the human or animal anatomy;
(v) Any wastes containing detergents, surface active agents or other substances which may cause excessive foaming in the municipal wastewater system; and/or
(w) At no time, shall two successive readings on an explosion hazard meter, at the point of discharge into the system (or at any point in the system), be more than 5%, nor any single reading over 10%, of the lower explosive limit (LEL) of the meter;
(3) Processing/storage pollutants, substances, wastewater or other wastes prohibited by this section shall not be processed or stored in a manner that they could be discharged to the municipal wastewater system. All floor drains located in process or materials storage areas must discharge to the industrial user's pretreatment facility before connecting with the system; and
(4) Users in violation when the POTW Director determines that a user(s) is contributing to the POTW, any of the above enumerated substances in amounts which may cause or contribute to interference of POTW operation or pass through, the POTW Director shall:
(a) Advise the user(s) of the potential impact of the contribution on the POTW in accordance with § 6-2.8(A), Administrative remedies, below; and
(b) Take appropriate actions in accordance with § 6-2.4 Wastewater Discharge Permit Application and Issuance below for the user to protect the POTW from interference or pass through.
(D) National categorical pretreatment standards. Users subject to categorical pretreatment standards are required to comply with applicable standards as set out in 40 C.F.R. Ch. 1, Subch. N, parts 405 through 471 and incorporated herein.
(1) Where a categorical pretreatment standard is expressed only in terms of either the mass or the concentration of a pollutant in wastewater, the POTW Director may impose equivalent concentration or mass limits in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 403.6(c).
(2) When wastewater subject to a categorical pretreatment standard is mixed with wastewater not regulated by the same standard, the POTW Director shall impose an alternate limit using the combined waste stream formula in 40 C.F.R. § 403.6(e).
(3) A user may obtain a variance from a categorical pretreatment standard if the user can prove, pursuant to the procedural and substantive provisions in 40 C.F.R. § 403.13, that factors relating to its discharge are fundamentally different from the factors considered by EPA when developing the categorical pretreatment standard.
(4) A user may obtain a net gross adjustment to a categorical standard in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 403.15.
(5) A user may request credit adjustment to a categorical standard in accordance with 40 C.F.R. 403.7.
(E) Local limits.
(1) An industrial waste survey is required prior to a user discharging wastewater containing in excess of the following average discharge limits.
LIMIT |
LIMIT | |
BOD | 250 mg/l |
TSS | 250 mg/l |
NH3 | 25 mg/l |
Arsenic | 0.003 mg/l |
Cadmium | 0.003 mg/l |
Chromium | 0.05 mg/l (total chromium) |
Copper | 0.061 mg/l |
Cyanide | 0.015 mg/l |
Lead | 0.049 mg/l |
Mercury | 0.0003 mg/l |
Nickel | 0.021 mg/l |
Silver | 0.005 mg/l |
Zinc | 0.175 mg/l |
(2) Industrial waste survey information will be used to develop user-specific local limits, when necessary to ensure that the POTW's maximum allowable headworks loading are not exceeded for particular pollutants of concern. User-specific local limits for appropriate pollutants of concern shall be included in wastewater permits. The POTW Director may impose mass-based limits in addition to, or in place of, concentration-based limits.
(F) State requirements. State requirements and limitations on discharges shall apply in any case where they are more stringent than federal requirements and limitations or those in this chapter.
(G) Right of revision. The town reserves the right to establish limitations and requirements more stringent than those required by either state or federal regulation, if deemed necessary to comply with the objectives presented in § 6-2.1(A), Purpose and policy, above or the general and specific prohibitions in § 6-2.2(C), Prohibited discharge standards, as is allowed by 40 C.F.R. § 403.4.
(H) Dilution. No user shall ever increase the use of process water or, in any way, attempt to dilute a discharge as a partial or complete substitute for adequate treatment to achieve compliance with the limitations contained in the national categorical pretreatment standards, unless expressly authorized by an applicable pretreatment standard, or in any other pollutant-specific limitation developed by the town or state.
(I) Pretreatment of wastewater.
(1) Pretreatment facilities. Users shall provide wastewater treatment as necessary to comply with this article and wastewater permits issued under § 6-2.4(B), Wastewater permits, and shall achieve compliance with all national categorical pretreatment standards, local limits and the prohibitions set out in § 6-2.1(C), Prohibited discharge standards, within the time limitations as specified by EPA, the state or the POTW Director, whichever is more stringent. Any facilities necessary for compliance shall be provided, operated and maintained at the user's expense. Detailed plans showing the pretreatment facilities and operating procedures shall be submitted to the town for review and shall be approved by the POTW Director before construction of the facility. The review of the plans and operating procedures shall, in no way, relieve the user from the responsibility of modifying the facility as necessary to produce an effluent acceptable to the town under the provisions of this chapter. Any subsequent changes in the pretreatment facilities or method of operation shall be reported to and be approved by the POTW Director prior to the user's initiation of the changes.
(2) Additional pretreatment measures.
(a) Specific restrictions. Whenever deemed necessary, the POTW Director may require users to restrict their discharge during peak flow periods, designate that certain wastewater be discharged only into specific sewers, relocate and/or consolidate points of discharge, separate sewage waste streams from industrial waste streams, and other conditions as may be necessary to protect the POTW and determine the user's compliance with the requirements of this article.
(b) Flow storage/equalization. The POTW Director may require any person discharging into the POTW to install and maintain, on their property and at their expense, a suitable storage and flow-control facility to ensure equalization of flow. A wastewater discharge permit may be issued solely for flow equalization.
(c) Oil, grease and sand separator and interceptors. See Article 4.
(J) Accidental discharge/slug control plans.
(1) The POTW Director shall evaluate whether each significant industrial user needs a plan or other action to control and prevent slug discharges and accidental discharges as defined in § 6-2.1(B), Definitions and abbreviations, above. All Significant Industrial Users (SIUs) must be evaluated within one year of being designated a SIU. The POTW Director may require any user to develop, submit for approval, and implement a plan or other specific action. Alternatively, the POTW Director may develop a plan for any user.
(2) All SIUs are required to notify the POTW immediately of any changes at its facility affecting the potential for spills and other accidental discharge, discharge of a non-routine, episodic nature, a non-customary batch discharge or a slug load. Also see § 6-2.5(E), Reports of changed conditions and (F) Reports of potential problems.
(3) An accidental discharge/slug control plan shall address, at a minimum, the following:
(a) Description of discharge practices, including non-routine batch discharges;
(b) Description of stored chemicals;
(c) Procedures for immediately notifying the POTW Director of any accidental or slug discharge, as required by § 6-2.5(F) Reports of potential problems; and
(d) Procedures to prevent adverse impact from any accidental or slug discharge. The procedures include, but are not limited to, inspection and maintenance of storage areas, handling and transfer of materials, loading and unloading operations, control of plant site runoff, worker training, building of containment structures or equipment, measures for containing toxic organic pollutants, including solvents and/or measures and equipment for emergency response.
(K) Hauled wastewater.
(1) Any person who hauls wastewater or employs others to haul wastewater to a public sewer system shall be referred to as contractors. Contractors may be permitted to empty domestic septage into the POTW only at locations designated by the POTW Director, and at such times as are established by the POTW Director. The waste shall not violate this section, or any other requirements established by the town. Septic tank discharges shall not contain grease trap wastes, storm water, or industrial waste. The POTW Director shall require Contractors to obtain wastewater discharge permits.
(2) The POTW Director shall require haulers of industrial waste to obtain wastewater discharge permits. The POTW Director may require generators of hauled industrial waste to obtain wastewater discharge permits. The POTW Director also may prohibit the disposal of hauled industrial waste. The discharge of hauled industrial waste is subject to all other requirements of this article.
(3) The contractors are subject to the following conditions:
(a) Contractors must apply for and be permitted by the town and the North Carolina Division of Solid Waste Management, Septage Management Branch as required under G.S.§ 130A, prior to pumping, hauling and discharging into the POTW.
(b) Wastewater discharged by a contractor into the POTW shall not violate any section of this chapter or any other requirements established by the state and/or town.
(c) Contractors must submit an accurate, complete and signed waste-tracking form for every load. This form shall include, at a minimum, the name and address of the septage contractor, permit number, truck identification, names and addresses of sources of waste, and volume and characteristics of waste. The form shall certify that the waste is domestic septage and contains no industrial, commercial, or grease trap waste. All forms shall be approved by the Director.
(d) Contractors shall supply, with every load of septage, a representative sample of the waste, if requested.
(e) The Director may require the contractor to provide and/or pay for any laboratory tests necessary to verify that the hauled wastewater complies with the requirements of this section.
(f) Contractors shall display decals or lettering on each side of every pumper vehicle operated by the contractor. The decals or lettering shall include the name, address (town name), phone number, and septage management firm permit number. Each truck shall include a septage management permit identifier number. All decals or lettering on the pumper vehicle shall be no less than three inches in height and plainly visible. Identification shall be permanently attached (i.e. no removal signs).
(g) Each contractor shall be responsible for the cleanliness and safety practices at the point of disposal. The contractor shall discharge wastes in such a manner as to keep the area clean from spills or other debris. The contractor shall promptly clean up any spills.
(h) Any contractor violating any condition of this section shall be subject to the enforcement actions as outlined in § 6-2.8(B) Civil penalties.
(i) Contractors shall provide any information as requested by the Director to ascertain compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
(j) No permit or fee shall be required to discharge domestic waste from a recreation vehicle holding tank provided such discharge is made at an approved site.
(k) Contractors shall pay such fees as required in this chapter. The Director may revoke the permit at any time for failure to pay sewer charges.
(l) Upon failure to maintain structures in a proper condition of cleanliness, failure to have currently valid documents from the pertinent government agency, failure to pay charges due to the town as herein provided, or failure to abide by all of the requirements of this chapter, the town may deny a contractor permission to dispose of septic tank sludge and waste from chemical toilets into the public sewer system. The POTW Director will notify the pertinent government agency of such denial of permission to any contractor.
(2003 Code, § 6-2.2) (Adopted 4-26-1994; Amended 7-3-2007; Amended 7-1-2014; Amended 12-3-2019)