For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
APPROVAL AUTHORITY. The State of California's Regional Water Quality Control Board - Central Valley Region.
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE USER.
(1) If the user is a corporation:
(a) The president, secretary, treasurer, or a vice-president of the corporation in charge of a principal business function, or any other person who performs similar policy or decision-making functions for the corporation; or
(b) The manager of one or more manufacturing, production, or operation facilities employing more than 250 persons or having gross annual sales or expenditures exceeding $25,000,000 (in second-quarter 1980 dollars), if authority to sign documents has been assigned or delegated to the manager in accordance with corporate procedures.
(2) If the user is a partnership or sole proprietorship: a general partner or proprietor, respectively.
(3) If the user is a federal, state, or local governmental facility: a director or highest official appointed or designated to oversee the operation and performance of the activities of the government facility, or their designee.
(4) The individuals described in divisions (1) through (3), above, may designate another authorized representative if the authorization is in writing, the authorization specifies the individual or position responsible for the overall operation of the facility from which the discharge originates or having overall responsibility for environmental matters for the company, and the written authorization is submitted to the city.
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND or BOD. The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedures for five days at 20° C., usually expressed as a concentration (for example, mg/L).
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY or EPA. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
GRAB SAMPLE. A sample which is taken from a waste stream without regard to the flow in the waste stream and over a period of time not to exceed 15 minutes.
INDIRECT DISCHARGE or DISCHARGE. The introduction of pollutants into the POTW from any nondomestic source.
INSTANTANEOUS MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE DISCHARGE LIMIT. The maximum concentration of a pollutant allowed to be discharged at any time, determined from the analysis of any discrete or composited sample collected, independent of the industrial flow rate and the duration of the sampling event.
INTERFERENCE. A discharge, which alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources, inhibits or disrupts the POTW, its treatment processes or operations or its sludge processes, use or disposal; and therefore, is a cause of a violation of the city's waste discharge requirements.
NONCONTACT COOLING WATER. Water used for cooling which does not come into direct contact with any raw material, intermediate product, waste product, or finished product.
PASS THROUGH. A discharge which exits the POTW into waters of the State of California in quantities or concentrations which, alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources, is a cause of a violation of any requirement of the city's waste discharge requirements, including an increase in the magnitude or duration of a violation.
PERMITTEE. The person to whom a permit has been issued pursuant hereto.
PERSON. Any individual, partnership, copartnership, firm, company, corporation, association, joint stock company, trust, estate, governmental entity, or any other legal entity; or their legal representatives, agents, or assigns. This definition includes all federal, state, and local governmental entities.
pH. A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, expressed in standard units.
POLLUTANT. Dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator residue, filter backwash, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, medical wastes, chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt, municipal, agricultural and industrial wastes, and certain characteristics of wastewater (for example, pH, temperature, TSS, turbidity, color, BOD, COD, toxicity, or odor).
PRETREATMENT. The reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination of pollutants, or the alteration of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater prior to, or in lieu of introducing such pollutants into the POTW. This reduction or alteration can be obtained by physical, chemical, or biological processes; by process changes; or by other means, except by diluting the concentration of the pollutants unless allowed by an applicable pretreatment standard.
PRETREATMENT REQUIREMENTS. Any substantive or procedural requirement related to pretreatment imposed on a user, other than a pretreatment standard.
PRETREATMENT STANDARDS or STANDARDS. Prohibited discharge standards, pretreatment standards, and local limits.
PROHIBITED DISCHARGE STANDARDS or PROHIBITED DISCHARGES. Absolute prohibitions against the discharge of certain substances; these prohibitions appear in § 51.24 of this subchapter.
PUBLICLY OWNED TREATMENT WORKS or POTW. A treatment works, as defined by Section 212 of the Act (33 USC 1292), which is owned by the city. This definition includes any devices or systems used in the collection, storage, treatment, and disposal of sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature and any conveyances which convey wastewater to a treatment plant.
SEPTIC TANK WASTE. Any sewage from holding tanks such as vessels, chemical toilets, campers, trailers, and septic tanks.
SEWAGE. Human excrement and gray water (household showers, dishwashing operations, etc.).
SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER.
(1) A user that:
(a) Discharges an average of 25,000 gpd or more of process wastewater to the POTW (excluding sanitary, noncontact cooling, and boiler blowdown wastewater);
(b) Contributes a process waste stream which makes up 5% or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the POTW treatment plant; or
(c) Is designated as such by the city on the basis that it has a reasonable potential for adversely affecting the POTW's operation or for violating any pretreatment standard or requirement.
(2) Upon a finding that a user meeting the criteria in division (1) has no reasonable potential for adversely affecting the POTW's operation or for violating any pretreatment standard or requirement, the city may at any time, on its own initiative or in response to a petition received from a user, determine that such user should not be considered a significant industrial user.
SLUDGE LOAD or SLUDGE. Any discharge at a flow rate or concentration which could cause a violation of the prohibited discharge standards in § 51.24 of this subchapter.
STORM WATER. Any flow occurring during or following any form of natural precipitation, and resulting from such precipitation.
SUPERINTENDENT. The person designated by the city to supervise the operation of the POTW, and who is charged with certain duties and responsibilities by this subchapter, or a duly authorized representative.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS. The total suspended matter that floats on the surface of; or is suspended in, water, wastewater, or other liquid, and which is removable by laboratory filtering.
USER or INDUSTRIAL USER. A source of indirect discharge.
WASTEWATER. Liquid and water-carried industrial wastes and sewage from residential dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial and manufacturing facilities, and institutions, whether treated or untreated, which are contributed to the POTW.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT or TREATMENT PLANT. That portion of the POTW which is designed to provide treatment of municipal sewage and industrial waste.
(Ord. 95-05, passed 4-10-95)