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 city and the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago, that the wastes can harm either the sewers, the sewage treatment process or equipment; can have an adverse effect on the receiving stream; or can otherwise endanger life, limb or public property or constitute a nuisance. In forming an opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the city and MSDGC representatives will give consideration to such factors as 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 maximum limits established by regulatory agencies. The substances prohibited are:
(A) Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150°F (65°C);
(B) Any water or waste containers toxic or poisonous materials 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);
(C) 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 city;
(D) Any water or waste containing strong acids, iron pickling wastes or concentrated plating solutions, whether neutralized or not;
(E) Any water or waste containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc or similar objection-able or toxic substances, or wastes exerting an excessive chlorine requirement, to a degree that any material received in the composite sewage at the sewage treatment works exceeds the limits established by the city and MSDGC for such materials;
(F) Any water or waste containing phenols or other taste or odor producing substances in concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the city or MSDGC as necessary after treatment of the composite sewage to meet the requirements of state, federal or other public agencies of jurisdiction for the discharge to the receiving waters;
(G) Any radioactive waste or isotope of a half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the city and MSDGC in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations;
(H) Any water or waste having a pH in excess of 9.5;
(I) Any mercury or any or its compounds in excess of 0.05 mg/l as Hg at any time, except as permitted by the city and MSDGC in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations;
(J) Any cyanide in excess of 0.025 mg/l at any time, except as permitted by the city and MSDGC in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations;
(K) Materials which exert or cause:
(1) Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but not limited to, Fullers 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 quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment works; or
(4) Unusual volumes of flow or concentrations of wastes constituting slugs.
(L) Any water or waste containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to a degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
(2000 Code, § 13.08.490) Penalty, see § 52.999