ARTICLE 927 Sewer Use

(a) Purpose and Policy. This article sets forth the City's uniform requirements for users of the Publicly Owned Treatment Works for the City of Wheeling and enables the City to comply with all applicable State and Federal laws, including the Clean Water Act (33 United States Code subsection 1251 et seq.) and the General Pretreatment Regulations ( 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 403 ). The objectives of this article are:

(1) To prevent the introduction of pollutants into the Publicly Owned Treatment Works that will interfere with its operation;

(2) To prevent the introduction of pollutants into the Publicly Owned Treatment Works that will pass through the Publicly Owned Treatment Works, inadequately treated, into receiving waters, or otherwise be incompatible with the Publicly Owned Treatment Works;

(3) To protect both Publicly Owned Treatment Works personnel who may be affected by wastewater and sludge in the course of their employment and the general public;

(4) To enable the City to comply with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit conditions, sludge use and disposal requirements, and any other Federal or State laws to which the Publicly Owned Treatment Works is subject.

This article shall apply to all users of the Publicly Owned Treatment Works. This article authorizes the issuance of wastewater discharge permits; provides for monitoring, compliance, and enforcement activities; establishes administrative review procedures; requires user reporting; and provides for the setting of fees for the equitable distribution of costs resulting from the program established herein.

(b) Administration. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Superintendent shall administer, implement, and enforce the provisions of this article. Any powers granted to or duties imposed upon the Superintendent may be delegated by the Superintendent to other City personnel.

* BOD - Biochemical Oxygen Demand

* BMP - Best Management Practice

* BMR - Baseline Monitoring Report

* CFR - Code of Federal Regulations

* CIU - Categorical Industrial User

* COD - Chemical Oxygen Demand

* EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

* gpd - Gallons per day

* mg/l - milligrams per liter

* NPDES - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

* POTW - Publicly Owned Treatment Works

* RCRA - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

* SIC - Standard Industrial Classification

* SIU - Significant Industrial User

* SNC - Significant Noncompliance

* TSS - Total Suspended Solids

* U.S.C. - United States Code

(d) Definitions. Unless a provision explicitly states otherwise, the following terms and phrases, as used in this article, shall have the meanings hereinafter designated.

(1) Act or "the Act." The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. subsection 1251 et. seq.

(2) Approval authority. The State of West Virginia through the Department of Environmental Protection.

(3) Authorized representative of the user.

A. If the user is a corporation:

1. The president, secretary, treasurer, or a vice-president of the corporation in charge of a principal business function, or any other person who performs similar policy or decision-making functions for the corporation; or

2. The manager of one or more manufacturing, production, or operation facilities employing more than two hundred fifty (250) persons or having gross annual sales or expenditures exceeding twenty-five (25) million dollars (in second-quarter 1980 dollars), if authority to sign documents has been assigned or delegated to the manager in accordance with corporate procedures.

B. If the user is a partnership or sole proprietorship: a general partner or proprietor, respectively.

C. If the user is a Federal, State, or local governmental facility: a director or highest official appointed or designated to oversee the operation and performance of the activities of the government facility, or their designee.

D. The individuals described in paragraphs A. through C. above, may designate another authorized representative if the authorization is in writing, the authorization specifies the individual or position responsible for the overall operation of the facility from which the discharge originates or having overall responsibility for environmental matters for the company, and the written authorization is submitted to the City.

(4) Biochemical Oxygen Demand or BOD. The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedures for five (5) days at 20o centigrade, usually expressed as a concentration (e.g., mg/1)

(5) Best Management Practices or BMPs. Schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to implement the prohibitions listed in Section 927.02(a)(2)A.B. [40 CFR 403.5(a)(l) and (b)]. BMPs include treatment requirements, operating procedures, and practices to control plant site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw materials storage.

(6) Categorical Pretreatment Standard or Categorical Standard. Any regulation containing pollutant discharge limits promulgated by EPA in accordance with Sections 307(b) and (e) of the Act (33 U.S.C. subsection 1317) which apply to a specific category of users and which appear in 40 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter N, Parts 405-471.

(7) City. The City of Wheeling, West Virginia.

(8) Environmental Protection Agency or EPA. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or, where appropriate, the Regional Water Management Division Director, or other duly authorized official of said agency.

(9) Existing source. Any source of discharge, the construction or operation of which commenced prior to the publication by EPA of proposed categorical pretreatment standards, which will be applicable to such source if the standard is thereafter promulgated in accordance with Section 307 of the Act.

(10) Grab sample. A sample which is taken from a wastestream without regard to the flow in the wastestream and over a period of time not to exceed fifteen (15) minutes.

(11) Indirect discharge or discharge. The introduction of pollutants into the POTW from any nondomestic source regulated under Section 307(b ), (c), or (d) of the Act.

(12) Instantaneous maximum allowable discharge limit. The maximum concentration of a pollutant allowed to be discharged at any time, determined from the analysis of any discrete or composited sample collected, independent of the industrial flow rate and the duration of the sampling event.

(13) Interference. A discharge, which alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources, inhibits or disrupts the POTW, its treatment processes or operations or its sludge processes, use or disposal; and therefore, is a cause of a violation of the City's NPDES permit or of the prevention of sewage sludge use or disposal in compliance with any of the following statutory/regulatory provisions or permits issued thereunder, or any more stringent State or local regulations: Section 405 of the Act; the Solid Waste Disposal Act, including Title II commonly referred to as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); any State regulations contained in any State sludge management plan prepared pursuant to Subtitle D of the Solid Waste Disposal Act; the Clean Air Act; the Toxic Substances Control Act; and the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act.

(14) Medical Waste. Isolation wastes, infectious agents, human blood and blood products, pathological wastes, sharps, body parts, contaminated bedding, surgical wastes, potentially contaminated laboratory wastes and dialysis wastes.

(15) New source.

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 paragraph (15)A.2. or 3. above but otherwise alters, replaces, or adds to existing process or production equipment.

C. Construction of a new source as defined under this paragraph has commenced if the owner or operator has:

1. Begun, or caused to begin, as part of a continuous onsite 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 paragraph.

(16) Noncontact cooling water. Water used for cooling which does not come into direct contact with any raw material, intermediate product, waste product, or finished product.

(17) Pass through. A discharge which exits the POTW into waters of the United States 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 requirement of the City's NPDES permit, including an increase in the magnitude or duration of a violation.

(18) Person. Any individual, partnership, copartnership, firm, company, corporation, association, joint stock company, trust, estate, governmental entity, or any other legal entity; or their legal representatives, agents, or assigns. This definition includes all Federal, State, and local governmental entities.

(19) pH. The logarithm (base 10) of the reciprocal of the concentration of hydrogen ions expressed in grams per liter of solution.

(20) Pollutant. Dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator residue, filter backwash, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, medical wastes, chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt, municipal, agricultural and industrial wastes, and certain characteristics of wastewater (e.g., pH, temperature, TSS, turbidity, color, BOD, COD, toxicity, or odor).

(21) Pretreatment. The reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination of pollutants, or the alteration of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater prior to, or in lieu of, introducing such pollutants into the POTW. This reduction or alteration can be obtained by physical, chemical, or biological processes; by process changes; or by other means, except by diluting the concentration of the pollutants unless allowed by an applicable pretreatment standard.

(22) Pretreatment requirements. Any substantive or procedural requirement related to pretreatment imposed on a user, other than a pretreatment standard.

(23) Pretreatment standards or standards. Pretreatment standards shall mean prohibited discharge standards, categorical pretreatment standards, and local limits.

(24) Prohibited discharge standards or prohibited discharges. Absolute prohibitions against the discharge of certain substances; these prohibitions appear in Section 927.02(a).

(25) Publicly owned treatment works or POTW. A "treatment works," as defined by Section 212 of the Act(33 U.S.C. subsection 1292) which is owned by the City. This definition includes any devices or systems used in the collection, storage, treatment, recycling, and reclamation of sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature and any conveyances which convey wastewater to a treatment plant.

(26) Septic tank waste. Any sewage from holding tanks such as vessels, chemical toilets, campers, trailers, and septic tanks.

(27) Sewage. Human excrement and gray water (household showers, dish washing operations, etc.).

(28) Significant industrial user.

A. A user subject to categorical pretreatment standards; or

B. A user that:

1. Discharges an average of twenty-five thousand (25,000) gpd or more of process wastewater to the POTW (excluding sanitary, noncontact cooling, and boiler blowdown wastewater).

2. Contributes a process wastestream which makes up five (5) percent or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the POTW treatment plant; or

3. Designated as such by the City on the basis that it has a reasonable potential for adversely affecting the POTW's operation or for violating any pretreatment standard or requirement.

C. Upon a finding that a user meeting the criteria in subsection (28)B. has no reasonable potential for adversely affecting the POTW's operation or for violating any pretreatment standard or requirement, the City may at any time, on its own initiative or in response to a petition received from a user, and in accordance with procedures in 40 CFR 403.8(f)(6), determine that such user should not be considered a significant industrial user.

(29) Slug load or slug. Any discharge at a flow rate or concentration which could cause a violation of the prohibited discharge standards in Section 927.02 of this article.

(30) Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code. A classification pursuant to the Standard Industrial Classification Manual issued by the United States Office of Management and Budget.

(31) Storm water. Any flow occurring during or following any form of natural precipitation, and resulting from such precipitation, including snowmelt.

(32) Superintendent. The person designated by the City to supervise the operation of the POTW, and who is charged with certain duties and responsibilities by this article, or a duly authorized representative.

(33) Suspended solids. The total suspended matter that floats on the surface of, or is suspended in, water, wastewater, or other liquid, and which is removable by laboratory filtering.

(34) User or Industrial User. A source of indirect discharge.

(35) Wastewater. Liquid and water-carried industrial wastes and sewage from residential dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial and manufacturing facilities, and institutions, whether treated or untreated, which are contributed to the POTW.

(36) Wastewater Treatment Plant or Treatment Plant. That portion of the POTW which is designed to provide treatment of municipal sewage and industrial waste.

(Ord. 14173. Passed 7-5-11.)

927.02 GENERAL SEWER USE REQUIREMENTS.

(a) Prohibited Discharge Standards.

(1) General prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW any pollutant or wastewater which causes pass through or interference. These general prohibitions apply to all users of the POTW whether or not they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any other National, State, or local pretreatment standards or requirements.

(2) Specific prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW the following pollutants, substances, or wastewater:

A. Pollutants which create a fire or explosive hazard in the POTW, including, but not limited to, wastestreams with a closed-cup flashpoint of less than 140oF (60oC) using the test methods specified in 40 CFR 261.21;

B. Wastewater having a pH less than 5.0 or more than 10.5, or otherwise causing corrosive structural damage to the POTW or equipment;

C. Solid or viscous substances in amounts which will cause obstruction of the flow in the POTW resulting in interference but in no case solids greater than one-quarter inch (1/4") in any dimension;

D. Pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released in a discharge at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, will cause interference with the POTW;

E. Wastewater having a temperature greater than 150oF (65.5oC), or which will inhibit biological activity in the treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case wastewater which causes the temperature at the introduction into the treatment plant to exceed 104oF (40oC).

F. Petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin, in amounts that will cause interference or pass through;

G. Pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes within the POTWin a quantity that may cause acute worker health and safety problems;

H. Trucked or hauled pollutants, except at discharge points designated by the Superintendent in accordance with Section 927.03(d);

I. Noxious or malodorous liquids, gases, solids, or other wastewater which, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, are sufficient to create a public nuisance or a hazard to life, or to prevent entry into the sewers for maintenance or repair;

J. Wastewater which imparts color which cannot be removed by the treatment process, such as, but not limited to, dye waste and paint manufacturing waste, which consequently imparts color to the treatment plant's effluent, thereby violating the City's NPDES permit;

K. Wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes except in compliance with applicable State or Federal regulations;

L. Sludges, screenings, or other residues from the pretreatment of industrial wastes;

M. Wastewater causing, alone or in conjunction with other sources, the treatment plant's effluent to fail a toxicity test;

N. Wastewater causing two readings on an explosion hazard meter at the point of discharge into the POTW, or at any point in the POTW, of more than five percent (5%) or any single reading over ten percent (10%) of the Lower Explosive Limit of the meter.

O. Medical Wastes, except as specifically authorized by the Superintendent in an individual wastewater discharge permit or a general permit.

P. Detergents, surface-active agents, or other substances which might cause excessive foaming in the POTW.

Q. Fats, oils or greases of animal or vegetable origin in concentrations greater than 150 mg/l.

R. Frac Water [check and get proper terminology and all inclusive definition or requirements from WVDEP].

Pollutants, substances, or wastewater prohibited by this section shall not be processed or stored in such a manner that they could be discharged to the POTW.

(b) National Categorical Pretreatment Standards. The categorical pretreatment standards found at 40 CFR I, Subchapter N, Parts 405-471 are hereby incorporated.

(1) Where a categorical pretreatment standard is expressed only in terms of either the mass or the concentration of a pollutant in wastewater, the Superintendent may impose equivalent concentration or mass limits in accordance with 40 CFR 403.6(c).

(2) When wastewater subject to a categorical pretreatment standard is mixed with wastewater not regulated by the same standard, the Superintendent shall impose an alternate limit using the combined wastestream formula in 40 CFR 403.6(e).

(3) A user may obtain a variance from a categorical pretreatment standard if the user can prove, pursuant to the procedural and substantive provisions in 40 CFR 403.13, that factors relating to its discharge are fundamentally different from the factors considered by EPA when developing the categorical pretreatment standard.

(4) A user may obtain a net gross adjustment to a categorical standard in accordance with 40 CFR 403.15.

(d) Local Limits. The following pollutant limits are established to protect against pass through interference. No person shall discharge wastewater containing in excess of the following daily maximum allowable discharge limits:

PARAMETER	AVERAGE MONTHLY CONCENTRATION LIMITS (mg/l)	EPA TEST METHOD NUMBER	MDL ug/l
Arsenic T.	0.647	200.8	1.4
Cadmium T. Recoverable	0.078	200.8	0.5
Chloride	1100	325.3	N/A
Chromium T.	6.7	200.8	0.9
Copper T. Recoverable	1.5	200.8	0.5
Cyanide Free	0.21	Weak acid dissociable	Standard Methods
Lead T. Recoverable	0.5	200.8	0.6
Mercury T.	0.0003	1631	0.0002
Nickel T. Recoverable	1.88	200.8	0.5
Selenium T. Recoverable	0.45	200.9	0.6
Silver T. Recoverable	0.18	200.8	0.1
Zinc T. Recoverable	2.5	200.8	1.8
Total Toxic Organic	2.13*
* (The Sum of EPA Standard 624, 625, 608)
BOD	Surcharge	Standard Methods	0.001
TSS	Surcharge	160.2	0.001
Ammonia	Surcharge	Standard Methods	0.1
PH (max)	10.5	Standard Methods	Electrometric 0.1 SU
PH (min)	5.0	Standard Methods	Electrometric 0.1 SU
Chromium (+6) Hexavalent	0.2	218.6	0.0006
Temperature	150 degrees F.	Electrometric 0.1 SU
Flow (GPD)	Spec. to S.I.U.

(Ord. 14814. Passed 5-17-16.)

The above limits apply at the point where the wastewater is discharged to POTW. All concentrations for metallic substances are for "total" metal unless indicated otherwise. The Superintendent may impose mass limitations in addition to, or in place of, the concentration based limitations above.

A minimum of four instantaneous separate measurements are required to be reported to determine pH and Temperature. For Cyanide, Oil and Grease, Chromium +6, the individual results of four grab samples will be averaged and reported to determine the daily value. For volatile organic compounds (VOC' s) four grab samples must be combined in the laboratory immediately before analysis, and a single analysis performed. Oil & Grease sample must be collected in amber glass sample containers. For all other pollutants, samples must be obtained using the sample type shown in Addendum No. 1, page 4 of the Permit.

(e) City's Right of Revision. The City reserves the right to establish, by ordinance or in individual wastewater discharge permits, more stringent standards or requirements on discharges to the POTW, including regulation of pollutants of an unusual nature which are characteristic of a particular user.

(f) Dilution. No user shall ever increase the use of process water, or in any way attempt to dilute a discharge, as a partial or complete substitute for adequate treatment to achieve compliance with a discharge limitation unless expressly authorized by an applicable pretreatment standard or requirement. The Superintendent may impose mass limitations on users who are using dilution to meet applicable pretreatment standards or requirements, or in other cases when the imposition of mass limitations is appropriate.

(Ord. 14173. Passed 7-5-11.)

927.03 PRETREATMENT OF WASTEWATER.

(a) Pretreatment Facilities. Users shall provide wastewater treatment as necessary to comply with this article and shall achieve compliance with all categorical pretreatment standards, local limits, and the prohibitions set out in Section 927.02(a) within the time limitations specified by EPA, the State, or the Superintendent, whichever is more stringent. Any facilities necessary for compliance shall be provided, operated, and maintained at the user's expense. Detailed plans describing such facilities and operating procedures shall be submitted to the Superintendent for review, and shall be acceptable to the Superintendent before such facilities are constructed. The review of such plans and operating procedures shall in no way relieve the user from the responsibility of modifying such facilities as necessary to produce a discharge acceptable to the City under the provisions of this article.

(b) Additional Pretreatment Measures.

(1) Whenever deemed necessary, the Superintendent may require users to restrict their discharge during peak flow periods, designate that certain wastewater be discharged only into specific sewers, relocate and/or consolidate points of discharge, separate sewage wastestreams from industrial wastestreams, and such other conditions as may be necessary to protect the POTW and determine the user's compliance with the requirements of this article.

(2) The Superintendent may require any person discharging into the POTW to install and maintain, on their property and at their expenses, a suitable storage and flow-control facility to ensure equalization of flow. A wastewater discharge permit may be issued solely for flow equalization.

(3) Grease, oil, and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Superintendent, they are necessary for the proper handling of wastewater containing excessive amounts of grease and oil, or sand; except that such interceptors shall not be required for residential users. All interception units shall be of type and capacity approved by the Superintendent and shall be so located to be easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. Such interceptors shall be inspected, cleaned, and repaired regularly, as needed, by the user at their expense. Failure to clean grease, oil, or sand interceptor is a violation of this article subject to penalties.

(4) Users with the potential to discharge flammable substances may be required to install and maintain an approved combustible gas detection meter.

(c) Accidental Discharge/Slug Control Plans. At least once every two (2) years, the Superintendent shall evaluate whether each significant industrial user needs an accidental discharge/slug control plan. The Superintendent may require any user to develop, submit for approval, and implement such a plan. Alternatively, the Superintendent may develop such a plan for any user. An accidental discharge/slug control plan shall address, at a minimum, the following:

(1) Description of discharge practices, including nonroutine batch discharges;

(2) Description of stored chemicals;

(3) Procedures for immediately notifying the Superintendent of any accidental or slug discharge, as required by Section 927.06(f); and

(4) Procedures to prevent adverse impact from any accidental or slug discharge. Such procedures include, but are not limited to, inspection and maintenance of storage areas, handling and transfer of materials, loading and unloading operations, control of plant site runoff, worker training, building of containment structures or equipment, measures for containing toxic organic pollutants, including solvents, and/or measures and equipment for emergency response.

(d) Hauled Wastewater.

(1) Septic tank wastewaters are not accepted at the POTW plant.

(2) The POTW will not accept hauled industrial waste and industrial waste haulers are prohibited from discharging any hauled industrial waste into the POTW and any unauthorized location on the collector system.

(Ord. 14173. Passed 7-5-11.)

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