Chapter XII · Sewers

ARTICLE 4. PUBLIC SEWERS

Sections 12-401 to 12-410 · 10 sections

12-401 Discharge of stormwater.

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, including interior and exterior foundation drains, uncontaminated cooling water, or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer.

12-402 Same; allowable discharged.

Stormwater 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 superintendent. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged on approval of the superintendent, to a storm sewer, combined sewer or natural outlet.

12-403 Prohibited waters and wastes.

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following describe waters or wastes to any public sewers:

(a)Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas;

(b)Any waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids, or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance, or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant, including but not limited to cyanides in excess of two (2) mg/l as CN in the wastes as discharged to the public sewer;

(c)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 sewage works;

(d)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 sewage works 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, mild containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.

12-404 Prohibited materials.

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, materials, waters, or wastes if it appears likely in the opinion of the superintendent 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 his opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the superintendent 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, degree of treatability of wastes, in the sewage treatment plant, and other pertinent factors. The substances prohibited are:

(a)Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than one hundred fifty (150 degrees F) (65 degrees C.);

(b)Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of one hundred (100) mg/l or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between thirty-two (32) and one hundred fifty degrees (150°) F. (0 and 65 degrees C);

(c)Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. The installation and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of three-fourths (3/4) horsepower (0.76 hp metric) or greater shall be subject to the review and approval of the superintendent;

(d)Any waters or wastes containing strong acid iron pickling wastes, or concentrated plating solutions whether neutralized or not;

(e)Any water or wastes exceeding State or Federal permitted levels of iron, chromium, copper, zinc, and similar objectionable or toxic substances; or wastes exerting an excessive chlorine;

(f)Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste-or-odor-producing substances, in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the superintendent as necessary, after treatment of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of State, Federal, or other public agencies of jurisdiction for such discharge to the receiving waters;

(g)Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the superintendent in compliance with applicable State or Federal regulations;

(h)Any waters or wastes having a PH in excess of 9.5;

(i)Materials which exert or cause:

(l) Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but not limited to Fu11ers earth, lime slurries, and lime residues) or of dissolved solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride or sodium sulfate.)

(2)Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions.)

(3)Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand, or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment works.

(4)Unusual volume of flow, or concentration of wastes constituting “slugs” as defined herein.

(j)Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amendable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed, or are amendable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters;

(k)Any waters or wastes having:

(1)a 5-day BOD greater than 300 parts per million by weight, or

(2)containing more than 350 parts per million by weight of suspended solids, or

(3)having an average daily flow greater than two percent (2%) of the average sewage flow of the city, shall be subject to the review of the superintendent. Where necessary in the opinion of the superintendent, the owner shall provide, at his expense, such preliminary treatment as may be necessary to (l) reduce the biochemical oxygen demand to 300 parts per million by weight, or (2) reduce the suspended solids to 350 parts per million by weight, or (3) control the quantities and rates of discharge of such waters or wastes. Plans, specifications, and any other pertinent information relating to proposed preliminary treatment facilities shall be submitted for the approval of the superintendent and no construction of such facilities shall be commenced until said approvals are obtained in writing.

(Ord. 1666; Code 2016)

12-405 Superintendent powers.

If any waters or wastes are discharge, or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in 12-404, and which in the judgment of the superintendent, may have a deleterious effect upon the sewage works, processes, equipment, or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life to constitute a public nuisance, the superintendent may:

(a)Reject the wastes,

(b)require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers,

(c)require control over the quantities 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 12-410. If the superintendent 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 superintendent, and subject to the requirements of all applicable codes, ordinances and laws.

12-406 Interceptors.

Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the superintendent, 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 superintendent, and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection.

12-407 Preliminary treatment.

Where preliminary treatment or flow-equalizing facilities are provided for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.

12-408 Control manhole.

When required by the superintendent, the owner of any property services 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 observations, sampling, and measurement of the wastes. Such manhole, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the superintendent. 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 at all times.

12-409 Same, measurements.

All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in this article shall be determined in accordance with the latest edition of “Standard Methods of 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 method to reflect the effect of constituents upon the sewage works and to determine the existence of hazards to life, limb, and property. (The particular analyses involved will determine whether a twenty-four (24) hour composite of all outfalls of a premise is appropriate or whether a grab sample or samples should be taken. Normally, but not always, BOD and suspended solids analyses are obtained from 24-hour composites of all outfalls whereas PH’s are determined from periodic grab samples.)

12-410 Special agreements.

No statement contained in this article 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 therefore, by the industrial concern.