A. General Prohibitions: No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW any pollutant or wastewater which causes pass-through or interference or other deleterious effects upon the sewage works, processes, equipment, or receiving waters. These general prohibitions apply to all users of the POTW whether or not they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any other federal, state or local pretreatment standards or requirements. The prohibitions should also be consistent with and complement the characteristics enumerated in ordinance sections 13.08.050, 13.08.051, 13.08.052, and 13.08.053.
B. Specific Prohibitions: No user shall contribute or cause to be discharged, directly or indirectly, any of the following described substances into the wastewater collection system or treatment facilities:
1. Any wastewater having a pH less than six (6) or more than nine (9) or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment or personnel of the system.
2. Any toxic and nontoxic pollutants including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.) in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction, to injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals or to exceed the limitation set forth in national categorical pretreatment standards.
3. Any liquids, solids or gases which by reason of their nature or quantity are, or may be sufficient either alone or by interaction with other substances to cause fire or explosion or be injurious in another way to the POTW or to the operation of the POTW. At no time shall two (2) 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 five percent (5%) nor any single reading over ten percent (10%) of the lower explosive limit (LEL) of the meter. Prohibited materials include, but are not limited to, gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, benzene, toluene, xylene, ethers, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, peroxides, chlorates, perchlorates, bromates, carbides, hydrides, sulfides and any other substances which the POTW deems to be a fire hazard or a hazard to the system.
4. Pollutants that create a fire or explosive hazard in the POTW, including, but not limited to, waste streams with a closed cup flashpoint of less than one hundred forty degrees Fahrenheit (140oF) (60oC) using the test methods specified in 40 CFR section 261.21.
5. Any solid or viscous substances which will or may cause obstruction to the flow in a sewer or other interference with the operation of the wastewater system, such as, but not limited to: grease, garbage with particles greater than one-eighth inch (1/8") in any dimension, animal guts or tissues, paunch manure, bones, hair, hides or fleshings, entrails, whole blood, feathers, ashes, cinders, sand, spent limestone or marble dust, metal, glass, straw, shavings, grass clippings, rags, spent grains, spent hops, wastepaper, wood, plastics, gas, tar, asphalt residues, and residues from refining, or processing of fuel or lubricating oil, mud or glass grinding or polishing wastes.
6. Petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin, in amounts that will cause interference or pass-through.
7. Any noxious or malodorous liquid, gases or solids which either singly or by interaction are capable of creating a public nuisance or hazard to life or are sufficient to prevent entry into the sewers for their maintenance and repair.
8. Pollutants that 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, including, but not limited to, cyanides in excess of two milligrams per liter (2 mg/l) or cyanide in the wastes as discharged to the public sewer.
9. Any substance which may cause the POTW’s effluent or treatment 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 criteria, guidelines or regulations developed under section 405 of the act; any criteria, guidelines or regulations affecting sludge use or disposal developed pursuant to the solid waste disposal act, the clean air act, the toxic substances control act or state standards applicable to the sludge management method being used.
10. Any substance such as 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 which will cause the POTW to violate its NPDES and/or other disposal system permits.
11. Any substance with objectional color not removed in the treatment process, such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions.
12. Any wastewater having a temperature that will inhibit biological activity in the POTW treatment plant resulting in interference; but in no case, wastewater with a temperature at the introduction into the POTW treatment plant which exceeds one hundred four degrees Fahrenheit (104oF) (40oC). If, in the opinion of the city, lower temperatures of such wastes could harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process or equipment; have an adverse effect on the receiving streams or otherwise endanger life, health or property; or constitute a nuisance, the city may prohibit such discharges.
13. Any unpolluted water in excess of two thousand (2,000) gallons per day, including, but not limited to, noncontact cooling water. See subsection D of this section.
14. Any wastewater at a flow rate and/or pollutant discharge rate which is excessive over a relatively short time period so that there is a treatment process upset and subsequent loss of treatment efficiency.
15. Any wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as exceed limits established by the state or federal regulations.
16. Any wastewater comprised of polluted industrial process water or hazardous wastes which causes a hazard to human life or creates a public nuisance.
Pollutants, substances or wastewater prohibited by this section shall not be processed or stored in such a manner that could result in their discharge to the POTW.
17. Any water or waste containing fats, gas, grease or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of one hundred milligrams per liter (100 mg/l) or containing substances that may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between thirty-two (32) and one hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit (150°F) (0 and 65°C).
C. Prohibitions On Storm Drainage And Groundwater: Stormwater, groundwater, rain water, street drainage, subsurface drainage or yard drainage shall not be discharged through direct or indirect connections to the wastewater collection system unless a permit is issued by the city. The city may approve the discharge of such water only when no reasonable alternative method of disposal and/or treatment is available.
If a permit is granted for the discharge of such waters into the sewer, the user shall pay the applicable charges and fees and meet such other conditions as required by the city.
D. Prohibitions On Unpolluted Water: Unpolluted water, including, but not limited to, cooling water, process water or blowdown from cooling towers or evaporative coolers shall not be discharged through direct or indirect connection to the sewer unless a permit is issued by the city. The city may approve the discharge of such water only when no reasonable alternative method of disposal and/or treatment is available.
If a permit is granted for the discharge of such waters into the sewer, the user shall pay the applicable charges and fees and meet such other conditions as required by the city.
E. Limitations On Point Of Discharge: No person shall discharge any substances directly into a manhole or other opening into the sewer other than through an approved building sewer connection unless a permit has been issued by the city. If a permit is granted for the discharge of such waters into the sewer, the user shall pay the applicable charges and fees and meet such other conditions as required by the city.
F. Septage Waste: No person shall discharge any septage waste into the sewer. Septage haulers who comply with the licensing requirements of the city may deposit their septage at the site designated by the city as a receiving facility.
G. Acceptance Of Groundwater From Cleanup Projects: Wastewater generated from the cleanup of spills, leaking underground storage tanks, monitoring wells or other similar sources shall not be discharged through direct or indirect connections to the sewer unless a permit is issued by the city. The city may approve the discharge of such water only when no reasonable alternative method of disposal and/or treatment is available. If a permit is granted for the discharge of such waters into the sewer, the user shall pay the applicable charges and fees and meet such other conditions as required by the city.
Each temporary discharge permit must be reviewed and reissued if the user wishes to discharge past the original expiration date.
H. Additional Pretreatment Measure: Whenever deemed necessary, the city may require users to restrict their discharge during peak flow periods, designate that certain wastewaters be discharged only into specific sewers, relocate and/or consolidate points of discharge, separate sewage waste streams from industrial waste streams, and such other conditions as may be necessary to protect the POTW and to determine the user’s compliance with the requirements of this chapter. Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided for the proper handling of wastewater containing excessive amounts of grease and oil, or sand; except that such interceptors shall not be required for residential users. All interception units shall be of a type and capacity approved by the city and shall be so located to be easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. Such interceptors shall be inspected, cleaned and repaired regularly, as needed, by the user and at the user’s expense. (Ord. 1526 § 4, 2023: Ord. 1399, 2015: Ord. 1056, 1992)