(a) Discharges. Discharges to the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) or other Waters of the State within the City of Tiffin shall be subject to and compliant with Ohio Revised Code Chapters 3767, 6117, 3707 and Chapter 909 of Tiffin Codified Ordinances.
(b) Prohibition of Illicit Discharges. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the MS4 or other Waters of the State within the City of Tiffin any materials other than storm water, including but not limited to pollutants or waters containing any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards.
(c) Exemptions. The commencement, conduct or continuance of any illicit discharge to the MS4 is prohibited except as described as follows:
(1) The following discharges are exempt from illicit discharge prohibitions established by these regulat0ions: water line flushing or 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, crawl space pumps, air conditioning condensation, springs, non-commercial washing of vehicles, natural riparian habitat or wet-land flows, swimming pools dechlorinated to less than one part per million (PPM) chlorine, fire fighting activities, and any other water source not containing pollutants, unless the Sanitary Engineer identifies them as significant contributors of pollutants to the MS4.
(2) Diverted stream flows shall not be exempt from compliance with Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3767.
(3) Discharges specified in writing by the City Engineer and approved by Tiffin City Council as being necessary to protect public health and safety are allowable.
(4) Dye testing is an allowable discharge, but requires a verbal notification to the City Engineer prior to the time of the test.
(5) The prohibition shall not apply to any non-storm water discharge permitted under an NPDES permit, waiver, or waste discharge order issued to the discharger and administered under the authority of the Ohio EPA, 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 Waters of the State.
(d) Prohibition of Illicit Connections. The construction, use, maintenance or continued existence of illicit connections to the MS4 or other Waters of the State within the City of Tiffin is prohibited. This prohibition expressly includes, without limitation, illicit connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of connection. Any person who allows such prohibitions to continue is considered to be in violation of these regulations.
Owners of property within the City of Tiffin whose property is served by a connection to sewers maintained and operated by the City or to sewers that are connected to interceptor sewers maintained and operated by the City shall conform to Ohio Revised Code Section 6117.012.
(e) Control of Materials and Debris. Practices shall be implemented by any and all persons at all times to prevent toxic materials, hazardous materials, or other debris from entering the City's and State's water resources or wetlands. These practices shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) At construction sites, an appropriately sized covered dumpster shall be made available for the proper disposal of construction site waste materials, garbage, plaster, drywall, grout, gypsum and etc. A second covered dumpster shall be provided for the proper disposal of toxic and hazardous materials.
(2) The washing of excess concrete material into a street, catch basin, or other public facility or natural resource is prohibited.
(3) All fuel tanks and drums shall be stored in marked storage areas. A dike shall be constructed around this storage area with a minimum capacity equal to 110% of the volume of the largest container in the storage area. If the fuel tanks have a self-contained "dike," the plug shall be kept in the "dike" tank at all times.
(4) Any toxic or hazardous material and contaminated soils shall be disposed of properly. Runoff from contaminated sites shall not be allowed to leave the site.
(5) Proper permits shall be obtained for earth-disturbing activity on solid waste landfill sites.
(6) Measures shall be taken to prevent soil transport onto public roads, or surfaces where runoff is not checked by sediment controls. Gravel construction entrance(s) shall be implemented as required by the City Engineer and the Ohio EPA.
(7) At construction sites where soil is transported onto a public road surface, the roads shall be cleaned thoroughly at the end of each day, or more frequently, in order to ensure public safety. Soil shall be removed from paved surfaces by shoveling or sweeping. Street washing shall be allowed only after shoveling or sweeping has removed most of the sediment.
(f) Watercourse Protection. Every person owning, operating and/or maintaining property through which a watercourse passes, or such person's lessee or designated agent, shall keep and maintain that part of the watercourse within the property free of trash, debris, excessive vegetation, and other obstacles that would pollute, contaminate, or significantly retard the flow of water through the watercourse. Natural riparian vegetation associated with intermittent or perennial streams is not to be eliminated or reduced. The person, person's lessee and/or designated agent shall maintain existing privately owned structures within or adjacent to a watercourse, so that such structures shall not be a hazard to the use, function, or physical integrity of the watercourse.
Vehicles shall avoid water resources, including but not limited to, wetlands, riparian areas and setbacks. A written approval is required by the City Engineer if vehicles must enter and/or cross these areas repeatedly. This regulation includes, but is not limited to, construction vehicles.
No rock, soil or debris shall be placed or disposed of in or upon the banks of a ditch, stream, river or Waters of the State within City of Tiffin. Rock may be used for stream bank stabilization when approved by the City Engineer and designed and installed in accordance with the most current edition of Rainwater and Land Development manual, current ODOT construction and material specifications and US Army Corps of Engineers 404 permit requirements. No litter or material shall be placed or disposed of upon the banks of a ditch, stream, river or Waters of the State within City of Tiffin according to Ohio Revised Code Sections 3767.32 and 3767.33.
(g) Notification of Spills. Notwithstanding other requirements of law, as soon as any person has information of any known or suspected release of materials which are resulting or may result in illicit discharges or pollutants discharging into storm water, the MS4, or Waters of the State said person shall take all necessary steps to notify the City Engineer.
(h) Spill Records. If the discharge of prohibited materials emanates from a commercial or industrial establishment, the owner of record of such establishment, or owner's designated agent, shall retain an on-site written record of the discharge and the actions taken to prevent its recurrence. This provision does not relieve the owner of record of any other requirements by law. (Ord. 19-68. Passed 11-4-19.)