CHAPTER 3
SEWER REGULATIONS
SEWER REGULATIONS
SECTION:
8-3-1: Purpose
8-3-2: Scope
8-3-3: Definitions
8-3-4: Administration
8-3-5: Superintendence
8-3-6: Permits Required
8-3-7: Construction Permits
8-3-8: Wastewater Discharge Permits
8-3-8-1: General Requirements
8-3-8-2: Permit Application Procedures
8-3-9: Capacity Requirements
8-3-10: Confidentiality
8-3-11: Falsifying Information
8-3-12: Notice Of Violation
8-3-13: Orders
8-3-14: Disconnection
8-3-15: Right To Hearing
8-3-16: Revocation Of Permit
8-3-17: Legal Action
8-3-18: Continuing Offense
8-3-19: Termination Of Service
8-3-20: Reinstatement Of Service
8-3-21: Additional Remedies
8-3-22: Penalties For Noncompliance
The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the optimum public use of the city's wastewater collection and treatment facilities through the regulation of sewer construction, sewer use and industrial wastewater discharges; to provide for distribution of the city's costs for ownership, operation and maintenance of the wastewater collection and treatment facilities necessary for protection of public health and environment; and to meet the applicable regulatory requirements that may be imposed on the city now or in the future. (Ord. 4261, 10-6-1997)
A. This chapter shall be interpreted in accordance with the definitions set forth in section 8-3-3 of this chapter.
B. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to direct and/or indirect wastewater discharge to the city's facilities. It provides for regulation of sewer construction that will contribute to the city's facilities, quantity and quality of wastewater discharges, industrial wastewater pretreatment requirements, establishes fees for the distribution of costs for ownership, operation and maintenance of the collection and treatment facilities, the approval of plans and/or specifications for sewer construction, issuance of permits for industrial wastewater discharge, miscellaneous permits, and establishment of appropriate enforcement actions for violations of this chapter. (Ord. 4261, 10-6-1997)
The following abbreviations shall have the designated meanings:
BOD | Biochemical oxygen demand |
CBOD | Carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand |
CFR | Code of Federal Regulations |
CFS | Cubic feet per second |
COD | Chemical oxygen demand |
EPA | Environmental Protection Agency |
FOG | Fats, oils, and greases |
GPD | Gallons per day |
GPM | Gallons per minute |
IDNR | Iowa Department of Natural Resources |
mg | Milligram |
mg/l | Milligrams per liter |
MGD | Million gallons per day |
NH3-N | Ammonia nitrogen |
NPDES | National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System |
POTW | Publicly owned treatment works |
ppm | Parts per million |
RCRA | Resource Conservation and Recovery Act |
SIC | Standard industrial classification |
SIU | Significant industrial user |
TKN | Total kjeldahl nitrogen |
TSS | Total suspended solids |
WMSD | Waste management services department |
WPCF | Water pollution control facilities |
When used herein, "shall" is mandatory; "may" is permissive.
ACT OR THE ACT: Federal water pollution control act, also known as the clean water act, as amended, 33 USC 1251 et seq.
ADMINISTRATOR: Superintendent of the waste management services department or designated representative.
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE: Individual designated by the city council with authority to act on the city's behalf in regard to a specific issue.
AVERAGE DAILY FLOW: Volume of flow compiled over a given period of time and converted to a daily average by dividing the total flow by the number of days represented in the time period for which data has been compiled.
Where individual day's flow readings are recorded, the average shall be based on the number of days for which flows are recorded and not necessarily the total number of days in the time period.
For computing average daily flow for industrial users, only production days shall be included in the computation. Weekends and/or holidays, shutdowns, etc., shall not generally be considered by the city in computing the average daily flow.
AVERAGE DAILY LOADING: Measure of a particular constituent (generally BOD, TSS and/or TKN) compiled over a period of time and converted to a daily average by dividing the cumulative concentration and/or volume of the constituent by the number of days represented in the time period for which data has been compiled.
Where individual day's loadings are recorded, the average shall be based on the number of days for which loadings are recorded and not necessarily the total number of days in the time period.
For computing average daily loadings for industrial users, only production days shall be included in the computation. Weekends and/or holidays, shutdowns, etc., shall not generally be considered by the city in computing the average daily loading.
BASIC WASTEWATER CHARGE: Monthly charge based on volume of flow by a contributor which is intended to recover the cost of operation and maintenance of the city's share of the POTW and associated programs.
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs): Schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to prevent or reduce the discharge of waterborne pollutants. BMPs also include treatment requirements, operating procedures, and practices to control site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or water disposal, or drainage from raw materials storage.
BILLABLE FLOW: The volume of wastewater generated by a user as measured by a water meter or other approved metering system.
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD): The quantity of oxygen used in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory conditions in five (5) days at twenty degrees Celsius (20°C), usually expressed in milligrams per liter.
BIOSOLIDS/SLUDGE: Solids, semisolids, residues and/or precipitates that result from the treatment of wastewater.
BYPASS: The diversion of wastewater from or around any portion of the collection system and/or treatment facility.
CARBONACEOUS BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (CBOD): That portion of the BOD attributable to the biochemical oxidation of the carbonaceous organic matter. This is determined through standard laboratory analyses using a nitrification inhibitor in performing the BOD test. Generally expressed in milligrams per liter.
CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARDS: National pollutant discharge limits promulgated by EPA in accordance with section 307(b) and (c) of the clean water act, which apply to specific categories of industrial users 1 . Unless noted otherwise, categorical pretreatment standards shall always refer to the latest approved limits.
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD): The quantity of oxygen used in the chemical decomposition of organic matter in wastewater as determined by the appropriate laboratory procedure, usually expressed in milligrams per liter.
CITY: City of Waterloo, Iowa.
CITY ENGINEER: City engineer of the city.
COMBINED SEWER: A sewer which receives both sanitary sewage and storm sewage.
COMPOSITE SAMPLE: The sample resulting from the combination of individual wastewater samples taken at selected intervals based on an increment of either flow or time.
CONTRIBUTOR, DISCHARGER OR USER: Any person, firm, corporation or other entity or organization responsible for the production of domestic, commercial or industrial wastewater which is discharged to the wastewater collection and treatment system.
DEBT SERVICE: Funds necessary to recover annual principal and interest payments for bonds issued for the wastewater system.
DEMAND CHARGE: Charge which recovers debt service costs associated with the wastewater treatment system.
DISCHARGE: The introduction of pollutants into a POTW from any nondomestic source regulated under section 307(b), (c) or (d) of the act.
DOMESTIC USER: Discharge of wastewater from a residential household.
DOMESTIC WASTEWATER: Household type wastes discharged from places of human habitation, including sanitary convenience, kitchen and laundry waste. Domestic strength wastewater is accepted as having the following characteristics:
BOD | 300 mg/l | |
TSS | 350 mg/l | |
TKN | 30 mg/l | |
NH3 -N | 15 mg/l | |
FOG | 100 mg/l |
EFFLUENT: Discharge from a particular facility, unit, treatment process or system.
EFFLUENT LIMITS; EFFLUENT STANDARDS: Numerical limits on pollutants in effluents generally reported in milligrams per liter or pounds per day.
FOUNDATION DRAIN OR FOOTING DRAIN: Piping system around the foundation of a structure or building which is intended to carry groundwater away from the structure to relieve hydraulic pressure and help keep the structure walls dry. This may also refer to the sump pump used in the footing drain system, where applicable.
GRAB SAMPLE: The sample which is taken from a waste stream on a onetime basis without regard to the flow in the waste stream and without consideration of time.
GRAVITY SEPARATION INTERCEPTOR: Facility designed for removal of dangerous, deleterious or prohibited matter from the waste stream by differential gravity separation (i.e., grease traps and/or catch basins).
GRAVITY SEWER: Sewer that flows by the force of gravity, generally operates hydraulically as an open channel.
HAZARDOUS WASTE: A waste defined as hazardous by 40 CFR part 261.
HOUSE SEWER/HOUSE SERVICE CONNECTION: The sewer connecting the building plumbing system to the public sewer for conveying domestic wastewater.
INDUSTRIAL SEWER/INDUSTRIAL SERVICE CONNECTION: The sewer connecting the building plumbing system to the public sewer for conveying industrial wastewater.
INDUSTRIAL USER: A source of discharge of wastewater into a POTW from any source other than a domestic user.
INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER: Wastewater and water-borne wastes of the community, excluding domestic wastewater and uncontaminated water, and includes all wastewater from any production, manufacturing, processing, institutional, commercial, agricultural or other operation where the wastes discharged include significant quantities of wastes from nondomestic sources.
INTERCEPTOR SEWER: Public sewer which generally collects wastewater from lateral sewers and transports it to another interceptor, pumping station or treatment facility.
INTERFERENCE: A discharge, alone or in conjunction with discharges from other sources, which:
A. Inhibits or disrupts the POTW, its treatment process or operations, or its sludge process, use or disposal; and/or
B. Causes a violation of any requirement of the POTW's NPDES permit (including an increase in magnitude or duration of a violation) or prevents sewage sludge use or disposal in accordance with section 405 of the act, or any criteria, guidelines or regulations of EPA or IDNR.
LATERAL SEWER/COLLECTOR SEWER: Public sewer which generally collects wastewater from house sewers and/or industrial sewers and transports it to an interceptor sewer.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Mayor and city council of the city of Waterloo, Iowa.
MILLIGRAMS PER LITER (mg/l): Measure of concentration of a substance in a liquid generally accepted to equal parts per million.
NPDES PERMIT (NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM): A permit issued pursuant to section 402 of the act.
NEW SOURCE: Defined as in 40 CFR 403.3(k).
A. Any building, structure, facility, or installation from which there is (or may be) a discharge of pollutants, the construction of which commenced after the publication of proposed pretreatment standards under section 307(c) of the Act which will be applicable to such source if such standards are thereafter promulgated in accordance with that section, provided that:
1. The building, structure, facility, or installation is constructed at a site at which no other source is located; or
2. The building, structure, facility, or installation totally replaces the process or production equipment that causes the discharge of pollutants at an existing source; or
3. The production or wastewater generating processes of the building, structure, facility, or installation are substantially independent of an existing source at the same site. In determining whether these are substantially independent, factors such as the extent to which the new facility is integrated with the existing plant, and the extent to which the new facility is engaged in the same general type of activity as the existing source, should be considered.
B. Construction on a site at which an existing source is located results in a modification rather than a new source if the construction does not create a new building, structure, facility, or installation meeting the criteria of subsection A2 or A3 of this definition but otherwise alters, replaces, or adds to existing process or production equipment.
C. Construction of a "new source" as defined under this section has commenced if the owner or operator has:
1. Begun, or caused to begin, as part of a continuous on-site construction program:
a. Any placement, assembly, or installation of facilities or equipment; or
b. Significant site preparation work including clearing, excavation, or removal of existing buildings, structures, or facilities which is necessary for the placement, assembly, or installation of new source facilities or equipment; or
2. Entered into a binding contractual obligation for the purchase of facilities or equipment which are intended to be used in its operation within a reasonable time. Options to purchase or contracts which can be terminated or modified without substantial loss, and contracts for feasibility, engineering, and design studies do not constitute a contractual obligation under this definition.
POTW TREATMENT PLANT: Treatment works portion of the POTW.
PASS THROUGH: A discharge which exits the POTW into a water of the state in quantities or concentrations which, alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources, is a cause of a violation of any of the requirements of the POTWs NPDES permit (including an increase in the magnitude or duration of a violation) or other permit issued to the POTW by the IDNR or USEPA.
PERSON: Any individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity or other legal entity or their representative. The masculine gender shall include the feminine and the singular shall include the plural, where applicable.
pH: The negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion activity. Generally refers to a measure of the acidity of a solution: pH 7 is neutral, pH >7 is alkaline and pH <7 is acidic.
PRETREATMENT: The reduction of pollutants or conditioning of the waste stream to enhance treatability prior to discharge to the POTW for treatment.
PUBLIC SEWER: A sewer constructed for public use under the control of the city.
PUBLICLY OWNED TREATMENT WORKS (POTW): The system of public sewers, pumping facilities and treatment facilities used to collect, convey and treat wastewater and manage wastewater sludges which is owned, managed and regulated by the city.
SANITARY SEWER: Sewer which is intended to transport wastewater and to which storm sewage, surface water and ground water are not intentionally connected.
SEWER SYSTEM: A network of wastewater collection, conveyance, pumping, treatment and disposal facilities connected with sewers and owned and controlled by the city.
SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER: An industrial user meeting any of the following criteria:
A. Discharges more than twenty five thousand (25,000) gallons per day of process wastewater.
B. Discharges a process wastewater which makes up five percent (5%) or more of the hydraulic or organic capacity of the POTW.
C. Is designated as significant by the superintendent because the discharge may adversely affect the operation of the POTW or for violating any pretreatment requirement.
D. Any industrial user subject to categorical pretreatment standards.
SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE: A. Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined here as those in which sixty six percent (66%) or more of all of the measurements taken for the same pollutant parameter during a six (6) month period exceed (by any magnitude) a numeric pretreatment standard or requirement, including instantaneous limits, as defined by 40 CFR section 403.3(l);
B. Technical review criteria (TRC) violations, defined here as those in which thirty three percent (33%) or more of all of the measurements taken for the same pollutant parameter during a six (6) month period equal or exceed the product of the numeric pretreatment standard or requirement including instantaneous limits, as defined by 40 CFR section 403.3(l), multiplied by the applicable TRC (TRC = 1.4 for BOD, TSS, fats, oil and grease, and 1.2 for all other pollutants except pH);
C. Any other violation of a pretreatment standard or requirement as defined by 40 CFR section 403.3(l) (daily maximum, long term average, instantaneous limit, or narrative standard) that the superintendent determines has caused, alone or in combination with other discharges, interference or pass-through (including endangering the health of POTW personnel or the general public);
D. Any discharge of a pollutant that has caused imminent endangerment to human health, welfare or to the environment, or has resulted in the superintendent's exercise of its emergency authority under 40 CFR section 403.8(f)(1)(vi)(B) to halt or prevent such a discharge;
E. Failure to meet, within ninety (90) days after the schedule date, a compliance schedule milestone contained in a wastewater discharge permit or enforcement order for starting construction, completing construction, or attaining final compliance;
F. Failure to provide within forty five (45) days after the due date, required reports such as baseline monitoring reports, ninety (90) day compliance reports, periodic self-monitoring reports, and reports on compliance with compliance schedules;
G. Failure to accurately report noncompliance; or
H. Any other violation or group of violations, which may include a violation of best management practices, which the superintendent determines will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the local pretreatment program.
SLUDGE; BIOSOLIDS: Solids, semisolids, residues and/or precipitates that result from the treatment of wastewater.
SLUG: Any discharge of water, sewage or industrial waste to the wastewater treatment facilities which in concentration of any given constituent or in quantity of flow exceeds for any period of time more than five (5) times the average twenty four (24) hour concentration or flows during normal operation and which adversely affects the performance of such facilities.
STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION (SIC): A classification of industrial facilities in accordance with the standard industrial classification manual issued by the office of management and budget.
STATE: State of Iowa.
SUPERINTENDENT: The superintendent of the city's waste management services department or his designated representative.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS): Solids that float on the surface or are in suspension in wastewater which can be removed through standard laboratory filtering.
TOTAL KJELDAHL NITROGEN (TKN): Measure of nitrogen in wastewater determined in a laboratory by measuring ammonia after digesting organic nitrogen to convert it to ammonia nitrogen.
TOXIC POLLUTANT: Any pollutant or combination of pollutants listed as toxic in regulations promulgated by the environmental protection agency.
USER CHARGE: Rates, charges and fees charged to contributors for use of the POTW.
WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM: Network of sewers and pumping stations which collect wastewater from individual building sewers and convey it to the treatment facilities.
WASTEWATER, SEWAGE: Combination of waterborne wastes from residences, businesses, institutions and industrial facilities, along with groundwater and surface runoff that may be present, which is discharged to the POTW.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES; WATER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITIES: A system of unit processes which function to reduce pollutant loadings through physical, chemical and/or biological processes. (Ord. 4261, 10-6-1997; amd. Ord. 4482, 5-29-2001; Ord. 5267, 3-2-2015)
Notes
| 1 | 1. 400 CFR 403.6, 405-471. |
| 2 | 1. See title 9, chapter 4 of this code. |
The POTW is under the authority, management and control of the city of Waterloo who shall employ a full time superintendent of the waste management services department and other employees as are necessary for the operation and maintenance of the POTW and the administrative activities incidental thereto. (Ord. 4482, 5-29-2001)
A. Administrator: The superintendent of the waste management services department shall be the administrator of the system and, as such, is empowered to implement and enforce the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 4482, 5-29-2001)
B. Powers And Duties: The superintendent is hereby empowered to, either directly or indirectly:
1. Supervise the implementation of this chapter.
2. Institute actions against all users violating this chapter and, with the city attorney, institute necessary legal proceedings to prosecute violations of this chapter and compel the prevention and abatement of violations of this chapter or nuisances arising therefrom.
3. Review the plans for pretreatment equipment, submitted by users.
4. Make inspections and tests of existing and newly installed, constructed, reconstructed or altered pretreatment equipment to determine compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
5. Investigate complaints of violations of this chapter and make inspections and observations of discharges. Record such investigations, complaints, inspections and observations.
6. Issue orders requiring compliance with this chapter.
7. Determine surcharges to be levied pursuant to this chapter.
8. Deny a permit for cause.
9. Perform other actions necessary or advisable for the management and operation of the POTW and the enforcement of this chapter and other applicable laws and regulations. (Ord. 4261, 10-6-1997)
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