This section sets forth uniform requirements for discharges into the City wastewater treatment works and enables the City to protect public health in conformity with all applicable state and federal laws relating thereto.
(a) Unlawful Discharge of Unpolluted Water: Orders.
(1) No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged unpolluted water, such as storm water, ground water, roof run-off, subsurface drainage or cooling water, to a sanitary sewer, except that storm water run-off from limited areas, which storm water may be polluted at times, may be discharged to the sanitary sewer by permission of the City Engineer. The City Engineer shall consult with the Superintendent of Water Pollution Control and Maintenance prior to granting written approval. Storm water that is discharged to the City sewer system shall be assessed the same rate as if it were considered sanitary waste.
(2) Whenever the City Engineer finds that paragraph (1) hereof is being violated, a written order shall be issued to the person responsible for the removal, elimination or correction of such condition. The connections or drains shall be removed from the sanitary sewer within thirty days after service of such order. However, if the removal, elimination or correction of such condition cannot reasonably be accomplished within thirty days after service of such order, such time period may be extended an additional sixty days upon application to and approval by the City Manager.
The service of such order may be made upon the person to whom it is directed by delivering a copy of the same to such person, by delivering the same to and leaving it with any person in charge of the premises or by affixing a copy thereof in a conspicuous place on the door to the entrance of such premises.
(b) Lawful Discharge of Unpolluted Water. Storm water, other than that exempted in this Section 923.09, 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 City Engineer and other regulatory agencies. Unpolluted industrial cooling water or process water may be discharged, with the approval of the City Engineer and other regulatory agencies, to a storm sewer, combined sewer or natural outlet.
(c) Grease, Oil and Sand Interceptors Required. Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the City Engineer, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing oil and grease in excessive amounts, as specified in paragraph (d)(13) hereof, or any flammable wastes, sand or other harmful ingredients. However, such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. The owner shall be responsible to determine the size and type of interceptors and shall be responsible for installation and maintenance.
Grease and oil interceptors shall be construed of impervious materials capable of withstanding abrupt and extreme changes in temperature. They shall be of substantial construction, watertight and equipped with easily removable covers which, when bolted in place, shall be gastight and watertight.
(d) Maintenance of Grease, Oil and Sand Interceptors. Where grease, oil and sand interceptors and pretreatment of flow-equalizing facilities are provided or required for any water or waste, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his or her expense. All grease traps and garbage interceptors, at a minimum, shall be cleaned of its contents once per year. A report shall be maintained by the owner and shall be made available to the City upon request.
(e) Specific Discharge Prohibitions. In the case of waters or wastes which are discharged or are proposed to be discharged, which waters or wastes contain compatible or incompatible pollutants, other than sanitary sewage, and which may have a deleterious effect upon the wastewater treatment works, processes, equipment or receiving waters, including a violation of applicable water quality standards, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the Superintendent shall reject the discharge of such wastes; require pretreatment of quantities and rates of discharge to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers and/or require payment to cover the added cost of handling, treating and disposing of the wastes in accordance with this chapter. However, no person shall contribute or discharge or cause to be discharged, directly or indirectly, any of the following described substances into the City's sewage treatment works:
(1) Pollutants which create a fire or explosion hazard in the POTW, including, but not limited to, wastestreams with a closed cup flashpoint of less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit or sixty degrees Centigrade using the test method specified in 40 CFR 261.21;
(2) Solid or viscous substances which will or may cause an obstruction to the flow in a sewer or other interference with the operation of the system;
(3) If monitored by grab sample, any wastewater having a pH of less than 5.0 S.U. or more than 11.0 S.U. or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment or personnel of the sewage treatment works. If continuous monitoring of pH is required by the industrial wastewater discharge permit, then the conditions of said permit shall apply;
(4) Any wastewater containing toxic pollutants in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction, to injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process, to constitute a hazard to humans or animals or to exceed the limitations set forth in any National, State, or local pretreatment standards;
(5) Pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes within the POTW and/or within the sewer collection system in a quantity that may cause acute worker health and/or safety problems, and/or be detrimental to the operation of the POTW and/or the sewer collection system;
(6) Any substance which may cause the wastewater treatment plant effluent or treatment residues, sludges or scums to be unsuitable for reclamation and re-use or to interfere with the reclamation process. In no case shall a substance discharged to the wastewater treatment works cause noncompliance with sludge use or disposal criteria, or regulations developed under Section 405 of the Act with criteria, guidelines or regulations affecting sludge use or disposal developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Clean Air Act or the Toxic Substance Control Act or with State standards applicable to the sludge management method being used.
(7) Any substance which will cause the wastewater treatment plant to violate its NPDES and/or other disposal system permit;
(8) Any substance with objectionable color not removed in the treatment process, such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions;
(9) Any wastewater having a temperature which will inhibit biological activity in the water pollution control plant resulting in interference in the treatment plant, but in no case wastewater with a temperature exceeding sixty degrees Centigrade (140 degrees Fahrenheit) at its introduction into the public sewer, and/or which causes the influent to the water pollution control plant to exceed forty degrees Centigrade (104 degrees Fahrenheit);
(10) Any slug as defined in Section 923.04(86);
(11) Any wastewater containing radioisotopes of such a half life or concentration as exceed limits established by the City in compliance with applicable State or Federal regulations;
(12) Any wastewater which causes a hazard to human life or creates a public nuisance;
(13) Any wastewater containing more than fifty mg/l of petroleum hydrocarbons or any wastewater containing more than 294 mg/l, or the allowable limit as specified in the most recent OEPA approved local discharge limits of total recoverable oil and grease; but in no case, oil in quantities which will pass through or cause interference at the POTW;
(14) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded; or
(15) Any substance that exerts a significant chlorine demand. No discharge shall exceed a residual chlorine limit of 0.7 mg/l.
(16) Storage of materials. Pollutants, substances, or wastewater prohibited by this section hall not be processed or stored in such a manner that they could be discharged to the POTW.
(Ord. 5976-24. Passed 6-3-24.)