(a) Prohibition of Illicit Discharges. No person shall discharge, or cause to be discharged, an illicit discharge into the MS4, the commencement, conduct, or continuance of any illicit discharge to the MS4 is prohibited except as described below:
(1) Water line flushing; landscape irrigation; diverted stream flows; rising ground waters; uncontaminated ground water infiltration; uncontaminated ground water; discharges from potable water sources; foundation drains; air conditioning condensate; irrigation water; springs; water from crawl space pumps; footing drains; lawn watering; individual residential car washing; flows from riparian habitats and wetlands; dechlorinated swimming pool discharges; street wash water; and discharges or flows from fire fighting activities. These discharges are exempt until such time as they are determined by the City to be significant contributors of pollutants to the MS4.
(2) Discharges specified in writing by the City as being necessary to protect public health and safety.
(b) Sewage effluent from household sewage treatment systems may be permitted to discharge to a storm sewer or other drainageway from residential 1, 2 or 3 family dwellings by the Lucas County Board of Health in accordance with Ohio Administrative Code 3701-29, all sewage systems that discharge effluent off-lot to surface waters are subject to NPDES permits issued by Ohio EPA, and must comply with quality standards.
(c) Any temporary or permanent obstruction to safe and reasonable access to the facility to be inspected and/or sampled shall be promptly removed by the facility’s owner/operator at the written or oral request of the City and shall not be replaced. The costs of clearing such access shall be borne by the facility owner/operator.
(d) Unreasonable delays in allowing the City access to a facility subject to this regulation for the purposes of illicit discharge inspection is a violation of this regulation.
(e) If the City is refused access to any part of the facility from which storm water is discharged, and the City demonstrates probable cause to believe that there may be a violation of this regulation, or that there is a need to inspect and/or sample as part of an inspection and sampling program designed to verify compliance with this regulation or any order issued hereunder, or to protect the public health, safety and welfare, the City may seek issuance of a search warrant, civil remedies including but not limited to injunctive relief, and/or criminal remedies from any court of appropriate jurisdiction.
(f) Any costs associated with these inspections shall be assessed to the facility owner/operator. (Ord. 9-2011. Passed 2-7-11.)