For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD). The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure, five days at 20°C expressed in terms of weight and concentration (mg/l).
BUILDING DRAIN. The part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning three feet outside the inner face of the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER. Also called HOUSE CONNECTION, SERVICE LINE. The extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal.
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD). The quantity of oxygen consumed from a chemical oxidation of inorganic and organic matter present in the water or wastewater, with testing conducted according to Standard Methods, expressed in mg/l.
CITY. The City of Sour Lake, Hardin County, Texas, or any authorized person acting in its behalf.
DISCHARGE. To deposit, conduct, drain, emit, throw, run, allow to seep, or otherwise release or dispose of, or to allow any of these acts to occur. The insertion of any prohibited materials into the sewer system through manholes, lift stations or similar appurtenances shall be construed as a PROHIBITED DISCHARGE.
DOMESTIC SEWAGE. Water-borne wastes normally discharging into the sanitary conveniences of dwellings (including apartment houses and hotels), office buildings, factories and institutions, free of storm and surface water and industrial wastes.
GARBAGE. Animal and vegetable wastes and residue from preparation, cooking and dispensing of food, and from the handling, processing, storage and sale of food products and produce.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE. Waste resulting from any process of industry, manufacturing, trade, business or service, or from the development of any natural resource, or any mixture of the waste with water or domestic sewage, as distinct from normal domestic sewage.
MILLIGRAMS PER LITER (mg/l). A weight-to-volume ratio numerically equal to parts per million (the mg/l value multiplied by 8.345 equals pounds per million gallons of water).
NATURAL OUTLET. Any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface or ground water.
NORMAL DOMESTIC SEWAGE. Sewage (excluding industrial wastes) discharged into sanitary sewers with average concentrations of suspended solids and BOD not more than 200 mg/l.
OVERLOAD. The imposition of organic or hydraulic loading on a treatment facility in excess of its engineered design capacity.
PARTS PER MILLION (ppm). A weight-to-weight ratio numerically equal to mg/l.
PERSON. Any individual. Except for references to health and welfare of persons, the term also includes any corporation, organization, government, governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association or other legal entity.
pH. The logarithm (base 10) of the reciprocal of the concentration of hydrogen ions expressed in grams per liter of solution. It shall be determined according to Standard Methods.
PLUMBING CODE. Any standard or special Plumbing Code adopted by the city to regulate gas, water and/or sewer plumbing.
PLUMBING ORDINANCE. The city ordinance adopting the Plumbing Code and establishing plumbing inspection.
POLLUTANT. Any dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator residue, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discharged equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt and industrial, municipal and agricultural waste discharged into water.
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE. The wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food that have been shredded to a degree that all particles shall be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle greater than one-half inch in any dimension.
PUBLIC SEWER. A publicly owned sewer in which all owners of abutting properties shall have equal rights and interest controlled by public authority.
RATE ORDINANCE. The city ordinance establishing user charges (as periodically updated).
RECEIVING STREAM. The watercourse into which the effluent from the sewage treatment plant is discharged.
SANITARY SEWER. Also SEWER. A pipe or conduit which conveys domestic sewage, industrial sewage or a combination of both, and into which storm, surface and ground waters or unpolluted industrial wastes are not passed intentionally.
SEPTAGE. Any liquid, semi-solid or solid domestic wastes pumped out of septic tanks.
SEWAGE. A combination of the water-carried waste from residences, business buildings, institutions and industrial establishments, together with the ground, surface and storm water as may be present.
SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT. Also TREATMENT PLANT. Any city owned facilities, devices, and structures used for receiving, processing and treating sewage, industrial waste and sludges from the sanitary sewers.
SEWAGE WORKS. All facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing of sewage and industrial waste, including public sewers as well as the sewage treatment plant. This includes sewers from users located outside the city and connected to the sewage works.
SLUG. Any discharge of water, sewage or industrial waste which in concentration of any given constituent or in quantity of flow, exceeds for any period longer than 15 minutes more than five times the average 24-hour concentration or flows during normal operation.
STANDARD METHODS. The examination and analytical procedures set forth in the latest edition, at the time of analysis, of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater as prepared, approved and published jointly by the American Public Health Association, the American Water Works Association, and the Water Pollution Control Federation.
STORM SEWER. Also STORM DRAIN. A sewer which carries storm and surface waters, but excludes sewage and polluted industrial wastes.
STORM WATER. Rainfall or any other forms of precipitation.
SUPERINTENDENT. The Water and Sewer Superintendent for the city or any person acting in this capacity, or his or her duly authorized deputy, agent or representative.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS. Solids that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in water, sewage or other liquids, and which are removable by a laboratory filtration device. Quantitive determination of SUSPENDED SOLIDS shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in Standard Methods.
TRAP. A device designed to skim, settle or otherwise remove grease, oil, sand, flammable wastes or other harmful substances.
UNPOLLUTED WATER OR WASTE. Water containing:
(1) No free or emulsified grease or oil;
(2) No acids or alkalies;
(3) No phenols or other substances producing taste or odor in receiving water;
(4) No toxic or poisonous substances in suspension, colloidal state or solution;
(5) No noxious or otherwise obnoxious or odorous gases;
(6) Not more than an insignificant amount in mg/l each of suspended solids and BOD, as determined by the State Department of Water Resources; and
(7) Color not exceeding 50 units as measured by the Platinum-Cobalt method of determination as specified in Standard Methods.
USER. Any person who contributes, causes or permits the contribution of wastewater into the city sewage works.
USER CHARGE. The charge made to all users for collection and treatment of wastes. The definition excludes tap fees.
USER CHARGE ORDINANCE. The city ordinance providing a system for establishing, assessing and collecting user charges.
WATERCOURSE. A channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.
(Ord. passed 8-20-1985)