[Amended 10-28-2002 by Ord. No. 55-2002; and 11-12-2019 by Ord. No. 53-2019]
A. Prohibited discharge standards.
(1) General prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW any pollutant or wastewater which causes pass-through or interference. These general prohibitions apply to all users of the POTW whether or not they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any other national, state or local pretreatment standards or requirements.
(2) Specific prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW the following pollutants, substances, or wastewater:
(a) Pollutants which create a fire or explosive hazard in the POTW, including but not limited to waste streams with a closed-cup flashpoint of less than 140° F. (60° C.) using the test methods specified in 40 CFR 261.21.
(b) Wastewater having a pH less than 5.0 or more than 11.0, or otherwise causing corrosive structural damage to the POTW or equipment.
(c) Solid or viscous substances which may cause obstruction to the flow in a sewer or other interference with the operation of the wastewater treatment facilities such as, but not limited to: grease, garbage with particles greater than 1/2 inch in any dimension, animal guts or tissues, paunch manure, bones, hair, hides or flushings, entrails, whole blood, medical waste, feathers, ashes, cinders, sand, stone or marble dust, metal, glass, straw, shavings grass clippings, rags, spent grains, spent hops, wastepaper, paper dishes, cups, milk containers, lime slurries, wood, plastics, gas, tar, asphalt residues, residues from refining or processing of fuel or lubricating oil, mud, or glass grinding or polishing wastes.
(d) Pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD etc.), released in a discharge at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, will cause interference with the POTW.
(e) Any wastewater having a temperature which will inhibit biological activity in the treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case wastewater which causes the temperature at the introduction into the treatment plant to exceed 104° F. (40° C.).
(f) Pollutants which 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.
(g) Petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin, in amounts that will cause interference or pass-through.
(h) Trucked or hauled pollutants, except at discharge points designated by the City in accordance with § 467-216 of this Part.
(i) Noxious or malodorous liquids, gases, solids, or other wastewater which, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, are sufficient to create a public nuisance, odor problem, or a hazard to life, or to prevent entry into the sewers for maintenance or repair.
(j) Wastewater with a true color in excess of 100 platinum cobalt units, except by dischargers with a higher limit specified in their permit.
(k) Wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes except in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations or any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by state or federal laws or regulations.
(l) Stormwater, surface water, ground water, artisan well water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, swimming pool drainage, and noncontact cooling water, unless specifically authorized by the City.
(m) Wastewater causing, alone or in conjunction with other sources, the treatment plant's effluent to fail a toxicity test.
(n) Detergents, surface-active agents, or other substances which may cause excessive foaming in the POTW.
(o) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded to at least particles less than 1/2 inch in any dimension. Garbage grinders may be connected to public sewers from homes, hotels, institutions, restaurants, hospitals, catering establishments or similar places where garbage originates from the preparation of food in kitchens for the purpose of consumption on the premises or when served by caterers, providing that all requirements of applicable City ordinances are satisfied.
(p) Chlorine demand in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the wastewater facilities or which may cause the effluent from the City's wastewater treatment facilities to violate any state or federal rules, regulations, or permit requirements including, but not limited to, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.
(q) Concentrations of BOD or TSS or NH3-N which exceed specific threshold values without payment of a surcharge to cover the additional costs of treatment. The current threshold value for BOD is 300 mg/L and for TSS is 325 mg/ l and for NH3-N is 20 mg/l. Payment of a surcharge does not prevent the City from initiating any actions available under § 467-202G below, when the City determines that any other general discharge limitations are violated. Furthermore, payment of a surcharge shall not constitute an affirmative defense to any action taken pursuant to § 467-202G below.
(r) Any substance which may cause the POTW's 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 § 405 of the Act; any criteria, guidelines, or regulations developed under § 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 other federal or state criteria applicable to the sludge management method being used.
(s) Slugs as defined in § 467-201D.
(t) Isolation wastes or regulated medical waste (see definitions under § 467-201D).
(u) Wastewater causing two readings on an explosion hazard meter at the point of discharge into the POTW, or at any point in the POTW, of more than 5% or any single reading over 10% of the lower explosive limit of the meter. Materials include but are not limited to: gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, paint products, kerosene, toluene, xylene, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, peroxides, chlorates, perchlorates, bromates, carbides, hydrides, sulfides, or any other flammable or explosive substances which the City, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, or the Environmental Protection Agency has notified the user is a fire hazard or a hazard to the City POTW.
(v) Discharges prohibited by state or federal regulations.
(w) When the City determines that a user(s) is contributing to the POTW any of the above-enumerated substances in such amounts as to interfere with the operation of the POTW, the City may:
[1] Advise the user(s) of the impact of the contribution on the POTW;
[2] Develop effluent limitation(s) for such user to correct the interference with the POTW; or
[3] Proceed with enforcement pursuant to the provisions of this Part.
(x) Pollutants, substances or wastewater prohibited by this section shall not be processed or stored in a manner that they could be discharged to the POTW.
(y) Wastewater in excess of 100 mg/l total oil and grease of animal or vegetable origin, except by discharges with a lower limit specified in their permit. The City reserves the right to require testing by the EPA Method 1664, N-Hexane Extractable Material (HEM).
(z) Wastewater in excess of 25 mg/l of oil and grease of petroleum or mineral oil origin except by dischargers with a higher or lower limit specified in their permit. The City reserves the right to require oil and grease testing for nonpolar constituents by EPA methods employing silica gel treated n-hexane extractable material (EPA Method 1664, SGT-HEM; nonpolar material).
B. National categorical pretreatment standards. The categorical pretreatment standards found at 40 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter N, Parts 405 through 471, are hereby incorporated.
(1) Where a categorical pretreatment standard is expressed only in terms of either the mass or the concentration of a pollutant in wastewater, the City may impose equivalent concentration or mass limits in accordance with 40 CFR 403.6(c).
(2) When wastewater subject to a categorical pretreatment standard is mixed with wastewater not regulated by the same standard, the City shall impose an alternate limit using the combined waste stream formula in 40 CFR 403.6(e).
(3) A user may obtain a variance from a categorical pretreatment standard if the user can prove, pursuant to the procedural and substantive provisions in 40 CFR 403.13, that factors relating to its discharge are fundamentally different from the factors considered by EPA when developing the categorical pretreatment standard.
(4) A user may obtain a net gross adjustment to a categorical standard in accordance with 40 CFR 403.15.
C. Local limits.
(1) Limits for discharging pollutants which are of concern to the POTW will be made using headworks loading analyses which have been reviewed and approved by the EPA. Limits may be in the form of monthly average concentration, daily maximum concentration, or instantaneous maximum concentration. Limits will be contained in the wastewater discharge permits issued. The limits apply at the point where the wastewater is discharged to the POTW. All concentrations for metallic substances are for total metal unless indicated otherwise. The City may impose mass limitations in addition to, or in place of, the concentration-based limitations above.
(2) The City's objective in setting the limits is to restrict industrial waste discharges to the above described concentrations which will not harm either the sewer system or the treatment plant, will not have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or will not otherwise endanger life, limb, or public property or constitute a nuisance. The City may set lower or higher limitations in specific cases if, in the opinion of the City, said actions will be consistent with the above stated objective. In the setting of such lower or higher limitations, the City will give consideration to such factors as the volume of wastewater flow in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, degree of treatability of the waste, and other pertinent factors. The City reserves the right to reevaluate and revise the limitations as needed. All local limit changes will be submitted to the approval authority for approval. The more stringent of EPA or Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requirements and limitations shall apply in any case where either is more stringent than those presently in force.
(3) An industrial user classified as a categorical industrial user shall be required to meet the EPA categorical standards, if such standards are more stringent than the local discharge limitations.
(4) Maximum Allowable Industrial Loadings (MAILs) for the specified pollutants of concern, as approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are hereby established as set forth below. These MAILs are developed to protect against pass through and interference, and to protect sludge quality. Individual limitations may be allocated to the Industrial Users as needed through Wastewater Discharge Permits issued to the Industrial Users in accordance with §§ 467-204 and 467-205 of the City Sewer Code.
Parameter | Daily Maximum MAIL1, Lbs/Day |
Parameter | Daily Maximum MAIL1, Lbs/Day |
Arsenic | 6.82 |
Cadmium | 1.16 |
Chromium | 15.28 |
Copper | 8.19 |
Cyanide, Free | 2.46 |
Cyanide, Total | 14.50 |
Lead | 4.35 |
Mercury | 0.008 |
Molybdenum | 6.67 |
Nickel | 49.45 |
Phenolics, Total | 9.51 |
Selenium | 2.37 |
Silver | 8.93 |
Zinc | 30.29 |
1 MAIL is defined as Maximum Allowable Industrial Loadings | |
D. State requirements. State requirements and limitations on discharges shall apply in any case where they are more stringent than federal requirements and limitations or those in this Part.
E. Right of revision. The City reserves the right to establish by ordinance limitations or requirements on discharges to the wastewater disposal system if deemed necessary to comply with the objectives presented in § 467-201A of this Part.
F. Dilution. No user shall ever increase the use of process water, or in any way attempt to dilute a discharge, as a partial or complete substitute for adequate treatment to achieve compliance with a discharge limitation unless expressly authorized by an applicable pretreatment standard or requirement. The City may impose mass limitations on users who are using dilution to meet applicable pretreatment standards or requirements, or in other cases when the imposition of mass limitations is appropriate.
G. Remedies. If any wastewater is discharged or is proposed to be discharged to the wastewater facilities in violation of the limitations or prohibitions described in § 467-202, the City may:
(1) Reject the wastes.
(2) Require surcharge payments to be made to the City to cover its added cost of handling, monitoring, and treating the wastes which exceed threshold values in accordance with rates set and approved by the City.
(3) Revoke a discharger's permit.
(4) Recover any and all actual costs expended by the City in correcting any problems caused by discharges in violation of this Part.
(5) As authorized by this Part, take any other administrative sanctions, enforcement actions, and remedial actions as may be desirable, necessary, or permitted to achieve the purpose of this Part.
H. Accidental discharges.
(1) Each user shall provide protection from accidental discharge of prohibited or other substances regulated by this Part. Facilities to prevent accidental discharge of prohibited materials shall be provided and maintained at the owner or user's own cost and expense. Detailed plans showing facilities and operating procedures to provide this protection shall be submitted to the City for review, and shall be approved by the City before construction of the facility. No user shall be permitted to introduce pollutants into the system until accidental discharge procedures have been approved by the City. Review and approval of such plans and operating procedures shall not relieve the industrial user from the responsibility to modify the user's facility as necessary to meet the requirements of this Part. In the case of an accidental discharge, it is the responsibility of the user to immediately notify the City of the incident. The notification shall include location of discharge, type of waste, concentration and volume, and corrective actions.
(2) Written notice. Within five days following an accidental discharge; the user shall submit to the City a detailed written report describing the cause of the discharge and the measures to be taken by the user to prevent similar future occurrences. Such notification shall not relieve the user of any expense, loss, damage, or other liability which may be incurred as a result of damage to the POTW, fish kills, or any other damage to person or property; nor shall such notification relieve the user of any fines, civil penalties, or other liability which may be imposed by this article or other applicable law.
(3) Notice to employees. A notice shall be permanently posted on the user's bulletin board or other prominent place advising employees whom to call in the event of an accidental discharge. Employers shall insure that all employees who may cause or suffer such an accidental discharge to occur are advised of the emergency notification procedures.