All uses of the public sewer shall comply with the following.
(A) It is unlawful for any person to discharge, or cause to be discharged, any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, sub-surface drainage, uncontaminated cooling water or unpolluted industrial process water to a sanitary sewer. Stormwater and all other non-polluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers, or to natural outlets and watercourses. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged, on approval of the city, to a storm sewer, natural outlet, or watercourse.
(B) It is unlawful for any person to discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described water or wastes to any public sewer:
(1) Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid, or gas;
(2) Any water containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids, or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injury or interfere with any treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance, or do harm to the water receiving the wastewater treatment plant effluent, consistent with § 307(A) of the Act;
(3) Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 9.5, or having corrosive properties capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, or personnel involved with the sewage system;
(4) Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or interference to, ashes, cinders, shavings, sand, mud, straw, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshing, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, and the like, either whole or ground by garbage grinders;
(5) Any liquid or vapor having a temperature in excess of 150°F (65°C);
(6) Any waters or wastes containing fats, oils, or grease, whether emulsified or not, in excess of 100 mg/l or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32°F and 150°F (0°C and 65°C); or
(7) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded so that all particles are carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle greater than three-eights-inch in any direction.
(C) (1) It is unlawful for any person to discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, materials, waters, or wastes, if it appears likely in the opinion of the city that such wastes can harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process, or equipment; have an adverse effect on the receiving stream; or can otherwise endanger life, limb, public property, or constitute a nuisance. In forming the opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the city will give consideration to such factors as the quantities of subject wastes in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, nature of the sewage treatment process, capacity of the sewage treatment plant, the city’s NPDES permit, and maximum limits established by regulatory agencies.
(2) The substances prohibited are:
(a) Any waters or wastes containing strong, acid, iron pickling wastes, or concentrated plating solutions whether neutralized or not;
(b) Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc, or similar objectionable or toxic substances; or wastes exerting an excessive chlorine requirement, to such degree that any such material received in the composite sewage at the sewage treatment works exceeds the limits as may be established by the city for such materials;
(c) Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste or odor producing substances, in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the city as necessary, after treatment of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of the state, federal, or other public agencies of jurisdiction for such discharge to the receiving waters;
(d) Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the city in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations;
(e) Any mercury or any of its compounds in excess of 0.0005 mg/l as Hg at any time except as permitted by the city in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations;
(f) Any cyanide in excess of 0.0025 mg/l at any time except as permitted by the city in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations;
(g) Materials which exert or cause:
1. Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but not limited to, fullers earth, lime slurries, and lime residues) or dissolved solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate);
2. Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate);
3. Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand, or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment works; or
4. Unusual volume of flow or concentrations of wastes constituting “slugs” as defined in § 51.01.
(h) Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
(D) (1) If any waters or wastes are discharged, or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters or wastes contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in divisions (B) and (C) above, and/or which are in violation of the standards for pretreatment provided in 40 C.F.R. pt. 403, as amended, and which in the judgment of the city may have a deleterious effect upon the sewage works, processes, equipment, or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the city may:
(a) Reject the wastes;
(b) Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers;
(c) Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge; and/or
(d) Require payment to cover the added costs of handling and treating the wastes or the sludge therefrom, not covered by existing sewer charges under the provisions of division (E) below.
(2) If the city permits the pretreatment or equalization of waste flows, the design and installation of such plants and equipment shall be subject to review and approval of the city and subject to the requirements of all applicable codes, provisions of this code of ordinances, and laws.
(E) Grease, oil, and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the city, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable wastes, sand, or other harmful ingredients; except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the city and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection.
(F) Where pretreatment or flow-equalizing facilities are provided, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his or her expense.
(G) If, and when required by the city, the owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable control manhole together with such necessary meters and other appurtenances in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling, and measurement of the wastes. Such manhole, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with the plans approved by the city. The manhole shall be installed by the owner at his or her expense and shall be maintained by him or her so as to be safe and accessible. Access to the control manhole shall be provided at all reasonable times for the purpose of inspection, sampling, or other performance of duty by city or regulatory agency personnel.
(H) (1) Duly authorized employees or agents of the city, bearing proper identification and credentials, shall be permitted to enter all properties for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, and testing pertinent to discharges to the sewer system.
(2) City employees and agents are authorized to obtain information concerning industrial processes which have a direct bearing on the kind and source of discharge to the wastewater system; except that, if the industry establishes that the revelation to the public of the information in question might result in an advantage to competition, the industry may withhold such information.
(3) City employees and agents shall similarly be permitted to enter all private properties through which the city holds a duly negotiated agreement, for the purpose of inspection, testing, observation, measurement, sampling, repair, and maintenance of any portion of the sewage system lying within said easement. All entry and subsequent work, if any, on said easement shall be undertaken in full accordance with the terms of the duly negotiated easement pertaining to the private property involved.
(I) (1) The owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall provide laboratory measurements, tests, and analysis of waters and wastes to illustrate compliance with this section and any special conditions for discharge established by the city or regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the discharge.
(2) The number, type, and frequency of laboratory analysis to be performed by the owner shall be as stipulated by the city, but no less than once per year the industry must supply a complete analysis of the constituents of the wastewater discharge to assure that compliance with the federal, state, and local standards are being met.
(3) The owner shall report the results of measurements and laboratory analysis to the city at such times and in such manner as prescribed by the city. The owner shall bear the expense of all measurements, analysis, and reporting required by the city. At such times as deemed necessary, the city reserves the right to take measurements and samples for analysis by an outside laboratory service.
(J) All measurements, tests, and analysis of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in this section shall be determined in accordance with the latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, published by the American Public Health Association, and shall be determined at the control manhole, provided, or upon suitable samples taken at said control manhole. In the event that no special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer to the point at which the building sewer is connected. Sampling shall be carried out by customarily accepted methods to reflect the effect of constituents upon the sewage works and to determine the existence of hazards to life, limb, and property.
(K) No statement contained in this division (K) shall be construed as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the city and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the city for treatment, subject to payment therefor, in accordance with division (E) above, and the pretreatment requirements outlined in 40 C.F.R. pt. 403, as amended.
(L) It is unlawful for any person to maliciously, willfully, or negligently break, damage, destroy, or tamper with any structure, appurtenance, or equipment which is a part of the sewage works. Any person violating this provision shall be subject to immediate arrest under charge of disorderly conduct.
(M) Any person found violating any provision of this division (M) shall be served written notice by the city stating the nature of said violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof.
(N) Each residential household, commercial establishment, industry, or other person shall pay to the city the amounts established for sewer service, as determined in accordance with division (E) above. Any building which is privately owned, whether occupied or not, shall be subject to this payment unless the water service is discontinued.
(2006 Code, § 3.30) (Ord. 88, 3rd Series, passed 11-28-1991) Penalty, see § 51.99