Chapter 13.28 REGULATION OF SEWER USE
Section 13.28.180 Use of the public sewers--Discharge restrictions and requirements.
A. No person(s) shall discharge or
cause to be discharged any unpolluted waters such as
stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, or cooling water to
any sewer, except stormwater runoff from limited areas, which stormwater may be polluted at
times, may be discharged to the sanitary sewer by permission of the Superintendent.
B. Stormwater other than that exempted
under subsection A of this section 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 and
other regulatory agencies. Unpolluted industrial cooling water or process waters may be
discharged, on approval of the Superintendent, to a storm sewer, combined sewer or natural
outlet.
C. No person(s) shall discharge or
cause to be discharged any of the following described
water or wastes to any public sewer:
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 or gases in sufficient quantity,
either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to contaminate the sludge of any municipal
system, 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 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 five and one-half (5.5), or having any
corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel
of the wastewater works;
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, plastic, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails
and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.
D. The following described substances,
materials, waters or wastes shall be limited in
discharges 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, limb, public property, or constitute a
nuisance. The Superintendent may set limitations lower than the limitations established in the
following regulations if in his opinion such more severe limitations are necessary to meet the
preceding objectives. In forming his opinion as to the acceptability, the Superintendent will give
consideration to such factors as the quantity of subject waste in relation to flows and velocities in
the sewers, materials of construction in the sewers, the wastewater treatment process employed,
capacity of the wastewater treatment plant, degree of treatability of the waste in the wastewater
treatment plant, and other pertinent factors. The limitations or restrictions on materials or
characteristics of waste or wastewaters discharged to the sanitary sewer which shall not be
violated without approval of the Superintendent are as follows:
1. Wastewater having a temperature
higher than one hundred fifty (150) degrees Fahrenheit
(sixty five (65) degrees Celsius);
2. Wastewater containing more than
twenty-five (25) milligrams per liter of petroleum oil,
nonbiodegradable cutting oils, or products of mineral oil origin;
3. Wastewater from industrial plants
containing floatable oils, fat or grease;
4. Any garbage that has not been properly
shredded (see Section 13.28.010). 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;
5. 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 Superintendent for such
materials;
6. Any waters or wastes containing
odor-producing substances exceeding limits which may
be established by the Superintendent;
7. 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;
8. "Quantities of flow, concentration,
or both, which constitute a slug" as defined in Section
13.28.010;
9. 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;
10. 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 water 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
subsection D of this section, and which in the judgment of the Superintendent, 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 Superintendent may:
a. Reject the wastes;
b. Require pretreatment to an acceptable
condition for discharge to the public sewers;
c. 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 subsection J of this section.
2. When considering the preceding
alternatives, the Superintendent shall give consideration
to the economic impact of each alternative on the discharger. If the Superintendent permits the
pretreatment or equalization of waste flows, the design and installation of the plants and
equipment shall be subject to review and approval of the Superintendent.
F. 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 floatable
grease in excessive amounts as specified in subsection D(3) of this section, or any flammable
wastes, sand, or other harmful ingredients; except that such interceptors shall not be required for
private living quarters of 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. In the maintaining of these interceptors, the owner(s) 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 Superintendent.
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 operation by the
owner(s) at his expense.
H. When required by the Superintendent,
the owner(s) of any property serviced by a 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
measurement of the wastes. Such structures, when required, shall be accessibly and safely
located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Superintendent. The
structure shall be installed by the owner at his expense, and shall be maintained by him so far as
to be safe and accessible at all times.
I. The Superintendent 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 analysis 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 of the user's
property showing sewer and pretreatment facility
location;
6. Details of wastewater pretreatment
facilities;
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 waters 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, location, times, durations and frequencies are to
be determined on an individual basis subject to approval by the Superintendent.
K. No statement contained in this
section shall be construed as preventing any special
agreement or arrangement between Vernal City and any industrial concern whereby an industrial
waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by Vernal City for treatment. (Ord. 79-10, Art
V)