(A) General. All new commercial or industrial facilities with the potential to discharge oil-contaminated stormwater, wash water, or other process wastewater shall be required to treat the discharge by oil-water separation technology. These facilities include, but are not limited to, automotive service shops, automotive maintenance facilities, machinery maintenance facilities, and vehicle washing facilities. Parking areas used by the customers and employees of commercial and industrial facilities shall be exempted from this requirement.
(B) Design. Oil-water separators must be designed to collect and treat all water that has a reasonable potential to contact oil, grease, or other petroleum products. For washing facilities, the devices(s) must be sized (at a minimum) to treat the maximum flow of wash water. If the device(s) are intended to treat stormwater, they must be sized (at a minimum) to collect and treat the peak flow that would result from a two-year, one-hour storm event.
(C) Maintenance. The facility operators must visually inspect the oil-water separator(s) at least monthly, and oil/solids must be removed as needed to ensure proper operation. All oil-water separators must be inspected for system integrity at least annually by qualified individuals, and records of the inspections must be maintained at the facility for a minimum of three years and provided to the Zoning Administrator if requested. All oil removed from the devices must be recycled or otherwise disposed of according to the requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
(D) Exception. The requirements of this section may be waived for car washing facilities that operate under a General Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) Permit for Car Wash Facilities. In order to be granted an exception, the owner or operator must provide a written request for exception to the Northampton County Zoning Department, as well as a copy of their general VPDES permit. Other exception requests may be made by applying for a variance in accordance with § 53.04. Such variance application shall be accompanied by a technical justification prepared by a civil engineer.
(Ord. passed 6-23-03)