For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACT. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also referred to as the Clean Water Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
ASTM. American Society for Testing Materials.
AUTHORITY. The City of North Mankato, Minnesota, or its representative thereof.
BOD5 or BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND. The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in 5 days at 20 degrees Centigrade in terms of milligrams per liter (mg/l).
BUILDING DRAIN. That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from waste and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning immediately outside the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER. The extension of the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal, also referred to as a house connection or service connection.
CITY. The area within the corporate boundaries of the City of North Mankato as presently established or as amended by ordinance or other legal actions at a future time. The term CITY when used herein may also be used to refer to the City Council or its duly authorized representatives.
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD). The quantity of oxygen utilized in the chemical oxidation of an organic matter as determined by standard laboratory procedures, and as expressed in terms of milligrams per liter (mg/l).
COMPATIBLE POLLUTANT. Biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, pH, and fecal coliform bacteria, plus additional pollutants identified in the NPDES/SDS Permit, if the treatment facilities are designed to treat such pollutants to a degree which complies with effluent concentration limits imposed by the permit.
CONTROL MANHOLE. A structure specifically constructed for the purpose of measuring flow and sampling of wastes.
DEBT SERVICE. Debt service revenue to be used solely for retirement of outstanding debts of the city’s wastewater collection and treatment system.
EASEMENT. An acquired legal right for the specific use of land owned by others.
EXTRA STRENGTH WASTE. Wastewater having a BOD and/or total suspended solids greater than normal domestic strength waste and not otherwise classified as an incompatible waste.
FECAL COLIFORM. Any number of organisms common to the intestinal tract of man and warm blooded animals whose presence in sanitary sewage is an indicator of pollution.
FLOATABLE OIL. Oil, fat, or grease in a physical state, such that it will separate by gravity from wastewater.
GARBAGE. Animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking, and serving of food.
INCOMPATIBLE POLLUTANT. Any pollutant that is not defined as a compatible pollutant, including non-biodegradable dissolved solids.
INDUSTRY. Any nongovernmental or nonresidential user of a publicly owned treatment works which is identified in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, latest edition, which is categorized in Divisions A, B, D, E and I.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE. Gaseous, liquid, and solid wastes resulting from industrial or manufacturing processes, trade or business, or from the development, recovery, and processing of natural resources, as distinct from residential or domestic strength wastes.
INFILTRATION. Water entering the sewage system (including building drains and pipes) from the ground through such means as defective pipes, pipe joints, connections, and manhole walls.
INFILTRATION/INFLOW (I/I). The total quantity of water from both infiltration and inflow.
INFLOW. Water other than wastewater that enters a sewer system (including building drains) from sources such as, but not limited to, roof leaders, cellar drains, yard and area drains, foundation drains, drains from springs and swampy areas, manhole covers, cross connections from storm sewers, catch basins, surface runoff, street wash waters or drainage.
INDUSTRIAL USER. A facility which discharges to the city’s wastewater treatment system liquid waste resulting from the processes employed in industrial, manufacturing, trade, or business establishments, or from the development of any natural resource.
INTERFERENCE. The inhibition or disruption of the city’s wastewater disposal system processes or operations which causes or significantly contributes to a violation of any requirement of the city’s NPDES and/or SDS Permit. The term includes sewage sludge use or disposal by the city in accordance with published regulations providing guidelines under § 405 of the Act or any regulations developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, or more stringent state criteria applicable to the method of disposal or use employed by the city.
MPCA. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
NATIONAL CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARDS. Federal regulations establishing pretreatment standards for the introduction of pollutants into publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities which are determined to be not amenable to treatment by such treatment facilities or would interfere with the operation of such treatment facilities, pursuant to Section 307(b) of the Act.
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) PERMIT. Any permit or requirements issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, for the purpose of regulating the discharge of wastewater, industrial wastes, or other wastes under the authority of Section 402 of the Act.
NATURAL OUTLET. Any outlet, including storm sewers and combined sewers, which overflows into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface water or ground water.
NON-CONTACT COOLING WATER. The water discharged from any use such as air conditioning, cooling or refrigeration, or during which the only pollutant added is heat.
NORMAL DOMESTIC STRENGTH WASTE. Wastewater that is primarily introduced by residential users with a BOD5 concentration not greater than 260 mg/l and a total suspended solids (TSS) concentration not greater than 280 mg/l.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE. Those variable expenditures and costs which are directly attributable to the operation and maintenance of a waste treatment collection system. The term O AND M includes replacement.
PERSON. The state or any agency or institution thereof, any municipality, governmental subdivision, public or private corporation, individual, partnership, or other entity, including, but not limited to, association, commission, or any interstate body, including any officer or governing or managing body of any municipality, governmental subdivision, or public or private corporation, or other entity.
pH. The logarithm base 10 of the reciprocal of the concentration of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
PRETREATMENT. The process of reducing the amount of pollutants, eliminating pollutants, or altering the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater to a less harmful state prior to introducing such pollutants into the city’s wastewater system. The reduction, elimination, or alteration may be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes, process changes or other means, except as prohibited by this chapter.
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE. The wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food that have been shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers with no particle greater than one-half inch (1.27 cm) in any dimension.
REPLACEMENT. Expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories, or appurtenances which are necessary during the useful life of the treatment works to maintain the capacity and performance of the treatment facility for which it was designed and constructed.
SEWAGE. The spent water of a community. The preferred term is WASTEWATER.
SEWER SERVICE CHARGE SYSTEM. The system of charges by which revenue is generated to offset the cost of operation and maintenance, plus replacement, administration, and debt service.
SEWER. A pipe or conduit that carries wastewater or drainage water.
(1) COLLECTION SEWER. A sewer whose primary purpose is to collect wastewater from individual point source discharges and connections.
(2) COMBINED SEWER. A sewer intended to serve as a sanitary sewer and a storm sewer.
(3) FORCE MAIN. A pipe in which wastewater is carried under pressure.
(4) INTERCEPTOR SEWER. A sewer whose primary purpose is to transport wastewater from collection sewers to a treatment facility.
(5) PRIVATE SEWER. A sewer which is not owned and maintained by a public authority.
(6) PUBLIC SEWER. A sewer owned, maintained, and controlled by a public authority.
(7) SANITARY SEWER. A sewer intended to carry only liquid and water carried waste from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and institutions, together with minor quantities of ground, storm, and surface waters which are not admitted intentionally.
(8) STORM SEWER or STORM DRAIN. A drain or sewer intended to carry storm waters, surface runoff, ground water, subsurface water, street wash water, drainage, and unpolluted water from any source.
SHALL; MAY. SHALL is mandatory; MAY is permissive.
SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER. Any industrial user of the city’s wastewater treatment system which:
(1) Has a discharge flow of 50,000 gallons or more per average work day; or
(2) Has in its wastes toxic pollutants at significant levels as defined pursuant to Section 307 of the Act, or Minnesota Statutes and Rules; or
(3) Has a significant impact, either singly or in combination with other contributing industries, on the wastewater treatment system, the quality of sludge, the systems effluent quality, or emission generated by the system.
SLUG. Any discharge of water or wastewater which in concentration of any given constituent, or in quantity of flow, exceeds 4 times the average 24 hour concentration of flow during normal operation.
STATE DISPOSAL SYSTEM (SDS) PERMIT. Any permit (including any terms, conditions and requirements thereof) issued by the MPCA pursuant to M.S. § 115.07, as it may be amended from time to time, for a disposal system as defined by M.S. § 115.01, as it may be amended from time to time.
STORM WATER. Any flow occurring during or following any form of natural precipitation and resulting therefrom.
SUPERINTENDENT. The Utilities Superintendent or a deputy agent or representative thereof.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS) or TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (TSS). The total suspended matter that floats on the surface of, or is suspended in, water, wastewater or other liquids, and which is removable by a standard glass fiber filter.
TOXIC POLLUTANT. The concentration of any pollutant or combination of pollutants which, upon exposure to or assimilation into any organism will cause adverse effects as defined in standards issued pursuant to Section 307A(a) or the Act.
UNPOLLUTED WATER. Water of quality equal to or better than the effluent criteria in effect, or water that would not cause violation of receiving water quality standards, and would not be benefitted by discharge to the sanitary sewers and wastewater treatment facilities. (See NON-CONTACT COOLING WATER).
USER. Any person who discharges or causes or permits the discharge of wastewater into the city’s wastewater disposal system.
USER CHARGE. A charge levied on users of the treatment system for the operation and maintenance of such system.
(1) RESIDENTIAL. A principal family residence or habitation classed as a single family, multi family, or apartment dwelling that discharges domestic sanitary wastewater having characteristics of not more than 260 mg/l of BOD and 280 mg/l of suspended solids into the public wastewater treatment system, works, and facility.
(2) COMMERCIAL. Retail or wholesale type establishments, i.e. restaurants, hotels, motels, stores, filling stations, commercial laundries, and the like that discharge wastewater into the public wastewater treatment system, works, and facility.
(3) GOVERNMENTAL/INSTITUTIONAL. Hospitals, nursing homes, schools, city, county, state or federal buildings, or facilities that discharge wastewater into the public wastewater treatment system, works, and facility.
(4) INDUSTRIAL. An industry, as defined elsewhere in this section, which discharges wastewater into the public wastewater treatment system, works, and facility.
WASTEWATER. The liquid and water-carried industrial or domestic wastes from dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and institutions, together with any ground water, surface water, and storm water that may be present, whether treated or untreated, which is discharged into or permitted to enter the city’s wastewater treatment system.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM or SYSTEM. Any devices, facilities, structures, equipment or works owned or used by the city for the purpose of the transmission, storage, or treatment of industrial and domestic wastewater, including intercepting sewers, outfall sewers, wastewater collection systems, pumping and other equipment, and their appurtenances, extensions, improvements, remodeling, additions, and alterations thereof, and any works, including land that will be an integral part of the treatment process or is used for ultimate disposal of the residues resulting from such treatment.
WATERS OF THE STATE. All streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, aquifers, irrigation systems, drainage systems of all other bodies or accumulations of water, surface or underground, natural or artificial, public or private, which are contained within, flow through, or border upon the state or any portion thereof.
WATER COURSE. A natural or artificial channel for the passage of water, either continuously or intermittently.
WPCF. The Water Pollution Control Federation.
(Ord. 72, passed 3-3-1986)