(A) Prohibition of illicit discharges.
(1) No person shall throw, drain, or otherwise discharge, cause, or allow others under its control to throw, drain, or otherwise discharge into the municipal separate storm sewer system or watercourses any materials, including but not limited to pollutants or waters containing any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards, other than stormwater.
(2) The following discharges are exempt from the prohibition provision above:
(a) Water line flushing performed by a government agency, other potable water sources, landscape irrigation or lawn watering, diverted stream flows, rising ground water, ground water infiltration to storm drains, uncontaminated pumped ground water, foundation or footing drains (not including active groundwater dewatering systems), crawl space pumps, air conditioning condensation, swimming pools, springs, natural riparian habitat or wetland flows, and any other water source not containing pollutants (NOTE: swimming pool water may be discharged only if dechlorinated - below 0.1 milligrams per liter (mg/L), which can typically be achieved though discontinuing chlorination for a minimum period of 48 hours);
(b) Discharges or flows from fire fighting, and other discharges specified in writing by the city as being necessary to protect public health and safety; and
(c) The prohibition provision above shall not apply to any non-stormwater discharge permitted under an NPDES permit, waiver, or waste discharge order issued to the discharger and administered under the authority of the state and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, provided that the discharger is in full compliance with all requirements of the permit, waiver, or order and other applicable laws and regulations, and provided that written approval has been granted for any discharge to the MS4.
(B) Prohibition of illicit connections. The construction, connection, use, maintenance or continued existence of any illicit connection to the municipal separate storm sewer system is prohibited.
(1) This prohibition expressly includes, without limitation, illegal connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of connection.
(2) A person violates this subchapter if the person connects a line conveying sewage to the MS4, or allows such a connection to continue.
(3) Improper connections in violation of this subchapter must be disconnected and redirected, if necessary, to an approved onsite wastewater management system or the sanitary sewer system upon approval of the Richmond Utility Board.
(4) Any drain or conveyance that has not been documented in plans, maps or equivalent, and which may be connected to the storm sewer system, shall be located by the owner or occupant of that property upon receipt of written notice of violation from the City of Richmond requiring that such locating be completed. Such notice will specify a reasonable time period within which the location of the drain or conveyance is to be completed, that the drain or conveyance be identified as storm sewer, sanitary sewer or other, and that the outfall location or point of connection to the storm sewer system, sanitary sewer system or other discharge point be identified. Results of these investigations are to be documented and provided to the City Engineer.
(Ord. 12-54, passed 12-11-12)