(A) No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any unpolluted waters such as storm water, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage or cooling water to any sewer, except storm water runoff from limited areas, which storm water may be polluted at times, may be discharged to the sanitary sewer by permission of the Public Works Supervisor.
(B) Storm water, other than that exempted under division (A) above, and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as combined sewers or storm sewers, or to a natural outlet approved by the Public Works Supervisor and other regulatory agencies. Unpolluted industrial cooling water or process waters may be discharged, on approval of the Public Works Supervisor, to a storm sewer, combined sewer or natural outlet.
(C) No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described water or wastes to any public sewers:
(1) Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas;
(2) Any waters containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids, gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to contaminate the sludge of any municipal system, to injury or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance, or create any hazard in, or have an adverse effect on the waters receiving any discharge from the treatment works;
(3) Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5, or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the wastewater works; or
(4) Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the wastewater facilities, such as, but not limited to, ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk containers and the like, or personal hygiene products, either whole or ground by garbage grinders.
(D) The following described substances, materials, waters or wastes shall be limited in discharge to municipal systems to concentrations or quantities which will not harm either the sewers, wastewater treatment process or equipment, will not have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or will not otherwise endanger lives, limbs, public property or constitute a nuisance.
(1) The Public Works Supervisor may set limitations lower than the limitations established in the regulations below if, in the Public Works Supervisor's opinion, such more severe limitations are necessary to meet the above objectives. In forming this opinion as to the acceptability, the Public Works Supervisor will give consideration to such factors as the quantity of subject waste in relation to flows and velocities in the sewer, materials of construction of the sewers, the wastewater treatment plant, degree of treatability of the waste in the wastewater treatment plant and other pertinent factors.
(2) The limitations or restrictions on materials or characteristics of waste or wastewater discharged to the sanitary sewer which shall not be violated without approval of the Public Works Supervisor are as follows:
(a) Wastewater having a temperature higher than 150°F (65°C);
(b) Wastewater containing more than 25 milligrams per liter of petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oils, or products of mineral oil origin;
(c) Wastewater from industrial plants containing floatable oils, fats or grease;
(d) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded (see § 8.3.1). Garbage grinders may be connected to sanitary sewers from homes, hotels, institutions, restaurants, hospitals, catering establishments or similar places where garbage originates from the preparation of food in kitchens for the purpose of consumption on the premises or when served by caterers;
(e) Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc and similar objectionable or toxic substances to such degree that any such material received in the composite wastewater at the wastewater treatment works exceeds the limits established by the Public Works Supervisor for such materials;
(f) Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Public Works Supervisor in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations;
(g) Quantities of flow, concentrations or both which constitute a "slug" as defined herein;
(h) Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the wastewater treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the wastewater treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters; and
(i) Any water or wastes which, by interaction with other water or wastes in the public sewer system, release obnoxious gases, form suspended solids which interfere with the collection system, or create a condition deleterious to structures and treatment processes.
(E) (1) If any waters or wastes are discharged, or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in division (D) above, and which in the judgment of the Public Works Supervisor may have a deleterious effect upon the wastewater facilities, processes, equipment or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the Public Works Supervisor 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 cost of handling and treating the wastes not covered by existing taxes or sewer charges under the provisions of division (J) below.
(2) When considering the above alternatives, the Public Works Supervisor shall give consideration to the economic impact of each alternative on the discharger.
(3) If the Public Works Supervisor permits the pretreatment or equalization of waste flows, the design and installation of the plants and equipment shall be subject to the review and approval of the Public Works Supervisor.
(F) Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Public Works Supervisor, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing floatable grease in excessive amounts, as specified in division (D)(2)(c) above, 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 Public Works Supervisor, and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. In the maintaining of these interceptors, the owner shall be responsible for the proper removal and disposal by appropriate means of the captivated material and shall maintain records of the dates and means of disposal, which are subject to review by the Public Works Supervisor. Any removal and hauling of the collected materials not performed by the owner's personnel must be performed by currently licensed waste disposal firms.
(G) Where pretreatment or flow-equalizing facilities are provided or required for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operations by the owner at their expense.
(H) When required by the Public Works Supervisor, the owner of any property serviced by the building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable structure together with such necessary meters and other appurtenances in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling and measurements of the wastes. Such structures, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Public Works Supervisor. The structure shall be installed by the owner at their expense and shall be maintained by them so as to be safe and accessible at all times.
(I) The Public Works Supervisor may require a user of sewer services to provide information needed to determine compliance with this chapter. These requirements may include:
(1) Wastewaters discharge peak rate and volume over a specified time period;
(2) Chemical analyses of wastewaters;
(3) Information on raw materials, processes and products affecting wastewater volume and quality;
(4) Quantity and disposition of specific liquid, sludge, oil, solvent or other materials important to sewer use control;
(5) A plot plan of sewers on the user's property showing sewer and pretreatment facility location;
(6) Details of wastewater pretreatment facilities; and
(7) Details of systems to prevent and control the losses of materials through spills to the municipal sewer.
(J) All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of water and wastes to which reference is made in this chapter 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. Sampling methods, locations, time, durations and frequencies are to be determined on an individual basis subject to approval by the Public Works Supervisor.
(K) No statement contained in this section 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.
(Ord. 369, passed 4-1-2018, § 4.02.050; Ord. 2023-2, passed 2-21-2023)