(a) Prohibition of Illegal Discharges.
(1) No person shall discharge, or cause to be discharged, an illicit discharge into the MS4.
(2) The following discharges are exempt from discharge prohibitions established by this chapter:
A. 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 (not including active groundwater dewatering systems), crawl space pumps, air conditioning condensation, springs, individual residential vehicle washing, natural riparian habitat or wetland flows, dechlorinated swimming pools, fire fighting activities, and any other water source not containing pollutants. These discharges are exempt until such time as they are detemained by the City of Vermilion to be significant contributors of pollutants to the MS4.
B. Any discharge resulting from a declared man-made or natural disaster outside the control of the property owner or person(s) having control of the property, as detemained by the City of Vermilion.
C. Discharges specified in writing by the City of Vermilion as being necessary to protect public health and safety.
D. Dye testing is an allowable discharge, but requires a verbal notification to the Director of Public Service prior to the time of the test.
E. 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 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 storm drain system.
F. Discharges from off-lot household sewage treatment systems permitted by the Erie County Board of Health for the purpose of discharging treated sewage effluent in accordance with Ohio Administrative Code 3701-29-02(6) until such time as the Ohio EPA issues a NPDES permitting mechanism for residential l, 2, or 3 family dwellings. These discharges are exempt unless such discharges are deemed to be creating a public health nuisance by the Erie County Board of Health.
In compliance with the City of Vermilion Storm Water Management Program, discharges from all off-lot household sewage treatment systems must either be eliminated or have coverage under an appropriate NPDES permit issued and approved by the Ohio EPA. When such permit coverage is available, discharges from off-lot discharging household sewage treatment systems will no longer be exempt from the requirements of this regulation.
(b) Prohibition of Illegal Connections.
(1) The construction, use, maintenance or continued existence of illegal connections to the storm drain system is prohibited.
(2) 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.
(3) A person is considered to be in violation of this chapter if the person connects a line conveying pollutants to the MS4, or allows such a connection to continue. (Ord. 2011-45. Passed 9-19-11.)