No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, materials, waters or wastes if it appears likely, in the opinion of the Superintendent, that such wastes can harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process or equipment; have an adverse effect on the receiving stream; can otherwise endanger life, limb, public property; or constitute a nuisance. In forming his opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the Superintendent 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 process, capacity of the sewage treatment plant, degree of treatability of wastes in the sewage treatment plant and other pertinent factors. The substances prohibited are:
(A) Any liquid or vapor having a temperature in an amount that could:
(1) Inhibit biological activity in the sewage treatment plant and result in interference or damage to the sewage treatment plant; or
(2) Exceed 40°C or 104°F at the sewage treatment plant unless the IDEM Commissioner, upon request by the Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent, approves alternate temperature limits.
(B) Petroleum, oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin in an amount that could cause interference or pass through.
(C) Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease 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° and 150°F (0° and 65°C), or in an amount that could cause pass through or interference.
(D) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. The installation and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of three-fourths horsepower (0.76 hp metric) or greater shall be subject to the review and approval of the Superintendent.
(E) Any waters or wastes containing strong acid, iron pickling wastes or concentrated plating solutions, whether neutralized or not.
(F) Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc and 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 Superintendent for such materials.
(G) Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste- or odor-producing substances, in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the Superintendent as necessary, after treatment of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of the state, Federal or other public agencies of jurisdiction for such discharge to the receiving waters.
(H) Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Superintendent in compliance with applicable state or Federal regulations.
(I) Any waters or wastes having a pH in excess of 9.5.
(J) Materials which exert or cause:
(1) 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);
(2) Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions);
(3) Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on, or cause interference in, the sewage treatment works; and/or
(K) Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
(L) Specific limits on the prohibited substances listed above, such that the following are limited:
(1) A pollutant contributed by an industrial user that has caused or is likely to cause interference or pass through at the receiving sewage treatment plant; and
(2) The recurrence of the contributed pollutant's affect on the sewage treatment plant.
(‘77 Code, § 20-47(b)) (Ord. 374, passed 4-3-78; Am. Ord. 98-6, passed 2-17-98; Am. Ord. 2006-17, passed 12-4-06; Am. Ord. 2015-04, passed 6-22-15)