[Adopted 6-13-1977 by Ord. No. 313]
A.
It is the objective of the Mayor and Council of the
City of Crisfield, Maryland, to permit the discharge of sanitary sewage
and industrial wastes into the sewerage system of the City of Crisfield,
provided that such discharge does not damage the sewerage system,
unduly restrict the capacity of the system to receive wastewater,
adversely affect the treatment process or in any other way constitute
a detriment to the sewerage system, including the sewers, pumping
facilities, the wastewater treatment plant or the receiving waters.
B.
It is declared to be the purpose of this article to
specify:
(1)
Those wastewaters, including industrial wastes, which
will be accepted in the sewerage system of the City of Crisfield.
(2)
Types of wastes which will be prohibited from discharge
to the sewerage system of the City of Crisfield.
(3)
Conditions, including pretreatment or screening, under
which certain wastes will be accepted in the sewerage system of the
City of Crisfield after review and upon approval of the Mayor and
Council and the City Engineer.
[Amended 5-22-2019 by Ord. No. 684]
A.
BOD (DENOTING "BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND")
BUILDING DRAIN
BUILDING SEWER
CESSPOOL
CHLORINE DEMAND
CITY
COLOR
COMBINED SEWER
COMPOSITE SAMPLE
DOMESTIC SEWAGE OR SANITARY SEWAGE
ENGINEER
FLOATABLE GREASE
GARBAGE
GREASE, FATS, WAX OR OILS
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
INDUSTRY
MAJOR CONTRIBUTING INDUSTRY
NATURAL OUTLET
PARTS PER MILLION (PPM) OR MILLIGRAMS PER LITER (MG/L)
PERSON, ESTABLISHMENT OR OWNER
PH
PRIVY
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE
PUBLIC SEWER
SANITARY SEWER
SCREENING
SEPTIC TANK
SEWAGE OR WASTEWATER
SEWAGE WORKS
SEWER
SLUDGE
SMALL COMMERCIAL CUSTOMER
STORM DRAIN (SOMETIMES TERMED "STORM SEWER")
SUPERINTENDENT
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
WATERCOURSE
Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following
terms shall have the meanings indicated:
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation
of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days
at 20° C., expressed in milligrams per liter, as determined in
accordance with the latest issue of the American Public Health Association
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater.
That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system
which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainage pipes
inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer,
beginning 10 feet outside the inner face of the building wall.
The extension from the building drain to the public sewer
or other place of disposal.
A lined or partially lined pit into which raw household wastewater
is discharged and from which the liquid seeps into the surrounding
soil.
The amount of chlorine which must be added to liquid waste
to produce a residual chlorine content in the liquid waste.
The governing body of the City of Crisfield or its duly appointed
officers or representatives.
The true color due to substances in solution expressed in
color units on a platinum-cobalt scale.
A sewer receiving both surface runoff and sewage.
A sample of wastewater, consisting of a number of individual
samples collected at uniform intervals over a given time span, collected
and preserved in accordance with the latest issue of the American
Public Health Association Standard Methods for the Examination of
Water and Wastewater.
The liquid wastes derived principally from residential, institutional,
commercial and other nonindustrial sources.
The Consultant Engineer retained by the city or the City
Engineer of the City of Crisfield or their duly authorized representative.
Grease, fat, wax or oil in a physical state such that it
will separate by gravity from wastewater by treatment in an approved
facility. A wastewater shall be considered free of floatable grease
if it is pretreated for floatable grease removal in a facility which
is designed, constructed and operated as approved by the city.
Solid wastes from the domestic and commercial preparation,
cooking and dispensing of food and from the handling, storage and
sale of produce.
Those substances, whether emulsified or not, which may solidify
or become viscous at temperatures between 32° and 150° F.
[0° and 65° C.].
Either the local or State of Maryland Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene office having jurisdiction over local health and
sewage disposal.
The liquid wastes from industrial manufacturing processes,
trade or business as distinct from sanitary sewage.
Any person, establishment, firm, company, association or
group, whether public or private, engaged in a manufacturing or service
enterprise which produces liquid wastes, which are excessive in biological
strength, toxic, hazardous, nonbiodegradable or otherwise harmful
to the sewage works or which would interfere with operation of the
sewage works or require unreasonable operating attention or expense.
Any customer who contributes a flow of 50,000 gallons or
more per day, has a flow greater than 5% of the flow carried by the
municipal system receiving the waste, has in its waste a toxic pollutant
in toxic amounts or has significant impact, either singly or in combination
with other contributing industries, on the quality of the effluent.
Any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other
body of surface or ground water.
The relative concentration of substance in a sample of waste,
by weight, in terms of the weight of such substance per unit volume
of the waste.
Any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation
or group, public or private.
The logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen
ions in grams per liter of solution.
A building, either portable or fixed directly to a pit or
vault, equipped with seating and used for excretion of bodily wastes.
The wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of
food that have been shredded to such a degree that all particles will
be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in
public sewers.
A sewer which is owned or controlled by the City of Crisfield
or its duly authorized representative and in which all owners of abutting
property have equal rights. It shall include that portion of the building
sewer within the street right-of-way or public easement up to and
including the clean-out, if any, adjacent to the curb, sidewalk or
edge of paving.
A sewer which carries sewage and to which storm-, surface
and ground waters are not intentionally admitted.
The removal of solids from liquid wastes by straining through
twenty-mesh screens or finer.
A settling tank in which settled sludge is in immediate contact
with the wastewater flowing through the tank, and the organic solids
are decomposed by anaerobic bacterial action.
A combination of the water-carried wastes from residences,
business buildings, institutions and industrial establishments, together
with such ground-, surface and storm waters as may be present.
All facilities for collecting, transporting, pumping, treating
and disposing of sewage and sludge.
A pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
Solids separated from wastewater resulting from treatment
of wastewater.
A commercial office, service company, professional office, or other commercial building, or a multiunit apartment, hotel, motel and/or rooming house having a water utilization of less than 4,000 gallons in a month. A small commercial customer having a water utilization rate of 4,000 gallons or more in a month shall be assessed the service charge for municipal sewer set forth in § 94-9C. A small commercial customer shall be assessed the service charge for municipal water set forth in § 109-6A.
[Added 5-22-2019 by Ord.
No. 684; amended 6-9-2021 by Ord. No. 704]
A sewer which carries storm- and surface waters and drainage,
but excludes sewage and industrial wastes other than unpolluted cooling
water.
The Superintendent of Sewage Works of the City of Crisfield
or his authorized deputy, agent or representative.
Solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension
in water, sewage or other liquids and which are removable by laboratory
filtering, as determined in accordance with the latest issue of the
American Public Health Association Standard Methods for the Examination
of Water and Wastewater.
Any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating
domestic and/or industrial liquid wastes.
A channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously
or intermittently.
B.
Word usage. "Shall" is mandatory; "may" is permissive.
Connections to the public sewers shall be made
only by the city or under direct supervision of the city.
It shall be unlawful for any person to place,
deposit or permit to be deposited in any unsanitary manner on public
or private property within the City of Crisfield any human or animal
excrement, garbage or other objectionable waste.
It shall be unlawful to discharge to any natural
outlet within the City of Crisfield any sewage or other pollutants,
except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with
subsequent provisions of this article.
Except as provided in the City Plumbing Code,
it shall be unlawful to erect or maintain any privy, septic tank,
cesspool or other facility intended or used for disposal of sewage.
The owner of all houses, buildings or properties
used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes
situated within the city and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way
in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public
sanitary or combined sewer of the city is hereby required at his expense
to install suitable toilet facilities therein and to connect such
facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with
the provisions of the requirements of the City Plumbing Code.
No person shall make connection of roof downspouts,
foundation drains, areaway drains or other sources of surface runoff
or groundwater to a building drain which in turn is connected, directly
or indirectly, to be a sanitary sewer. If any of the above are currently
connected, they shall be disconnected at once. Stormwater and all
other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are
specifically designated as storm sewers or storm drains or to a natural
outlet approved to the Engineer. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted
process waters may be discharged on approval by the responsible regulatory
agency to a storm sewer or natural outlet.
No person, other than authorized city employees,
shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, alter or
disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof.
A.
Permits for connections to the public sewers shall
be obtained from the Mayor and Council and shall be made on forms
provided by the Mayor and Council. In all applications involving industrial
wastes, as defined by this article, additional information, plans,
specifications or other pertinent information will be required for
review and approval by the Engineer.
B.
This additional information shall include the wastewater
constituents in detail and shall include but not be limited to the
following:
C.
Authorization to discharge industrial waste into the
city's sewer system shall be valid for a period of two years. Application
for renewal of authorization shall contain the required information
above, plus any added by the city since the original application and
permit. Any change in the industrial process or characteristics of
the sewage shall render the permit invalid and require the customer
to reapply in accordance with the above procedure.
All costs and expense incident to the installation
and connection to the building sewer shall be borne by the owner.
The owner shall indemnify the city from any loss or damage that may
directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building
sewer.
Old building sewers may be used in connection
with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test
by proper city authority, to meet all requirements of the Plumbing
Code.
The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction
of a building sewer and the methods to be used in excavating, placing
of the pipe, jointing, testing and backfilling the trench shall all
conform to the requirements of the Building and Plumbing Code or other
applicable rules and regulations of the city.
Whenever possible, the building sewer shall
be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor.
In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit
gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such
building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged
to the building sewer at the owners entire cost.
The connection of the building sewer into the
public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the Building and
Plumbing Code or other applicable rules and regulations of the city.
A.
Stormwater, surface water, groundwater, uncontaminated
cooling water or unpolluted process water shall not be permitted to
be discharged into sanitary sewers. In residential construction, floor
drains may not be connected to the building sewer.
B.
In general, no person shall discharge or cause to
be discharged any liquid or solid wastes into the sanitary sewerage
system that may result in physical damage to the sewage works, interference
with operation or unreasonable maintenance attention or expense. Prohibited
discharge shall generally include those containing substances which
are not amenable to treatment or reduction by existing municipal wastewater
treatment processes or are amenable to treatment only to such degree
that the wastewater treatment plant effluent cannot meet the current
requirements of appropriate regulatory agencies of the United States
government or the State of Maryland.
C.
Specifically, no person shall discharge or cause to
be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to any
public sewers:
(1)
Any petroleum derivative, paint products or other
flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas.
(2)
Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than
150° F. [65° C.].
(3)
Any waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous
solids, liquids or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or
by an 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 wastewater treatment plant. The following substances are not
permitted in concentration above those listed. By amendment to this
article, restrictions may also be placed on other substances or the
present concentration limits revised when it is shown that the presence
of these substances or concentrations at a treatment plant are sufficient
to adversely affect any portion of the treatment process.
|
Substance
|
Maximum Allowable Concentration
(mg/l)
|
|---|---|
|
Arsenic as As
|
0.5
|
|
Cadmium as Cd
|
0.4
|
|
Chromium (Hexavalent) as Cr
|
0.2
|
|
Copper as Cu
|
1.0
|
|
Cyanides or cyanogen compounds as CN
|
0.5
|
|
Lead as Pb
|
0.5
|
|
Mercury or Mercury compounds as Hg
|
0.5
|
|
Nickel as Ni
|
2.0
|
|
Zinc as Zn
|
5.0
|
(4)
Any liquid having pH values upon point of discharge
into the public sewer lower than 5.5 or higher than 10.5, except that
it shall in no way cause damage to sewer structures, equipment or
the wastewater treatment process.
(5)
Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such
size capable of causing obstructions to the flow in sewers or other
interference with the proper operation of the sewage works, such as
but not limited to improperly shredded garbage, ashes, cinders, sand,
mud, straw, shavings, metal, rubber, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics,
wood, paint residues, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings,
entrails, paper dishes or containers.
(6)
Any water or wastes which contain floatable grease,
fats, wax or oils.
(7)
Any water or wastes containing emulsified oil, fats
or grease exceeding 150 milligrams per liter, as determined from a
twenty-four-hour composite sample. In addition, the concentration,
as determined from any individual sample, shall not exceed 200 milligrams
per liter. For the purpose of interpreting this requirement, at least
80% of all individual samples taken over any thirty-day period shall
contain less than 200 milligrams per liter.
(8)
Any waters or wastes containing discharge of strong
acid, iron-pickling wastes or concentrated plating solutions, whether
neutralized or not.
(9)
Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste-
or odor-producing substances in such concentrations exceeding the
limits which may be established by higher regulatory agencies for
discharge to the receiving waters.
(10)
Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life
or concentration as may exceed limits established by applicable state
or federal regulations.
(11)
Any waters or wastes containing iron, manganese
and similar objectionable or toxic substances or wastes exerting an
excessive chlorine requirement to such degree that any such material
received in the composite sewage at the wastewater treatment works
exceeds the limits established by the city for such materials.
(12)
Any noxious or malodorous gas or substance which,
singly or by interaction with other wastes, is capable of creating
a public nuisance or hazard to life or of preventing entry into sewers
for their maintenance and repair.
(13)
Materials which exert or cause unusual concentrations
of inert suspended solids, such as but not limited to fuller's earth,
lime slurrys and lime residues, or of dissolved solids, such as but
not limited to sodium chloride and sodium sulfate.
(14)
Materials which exert or cause excessive discoloration,
such as but not limited to dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions.
(15)
Any wastewater that has a BOD greater than 400
milligrams per liter or contains more than 400 milligrams per liter
of suspended solids, as determined from analysis of a twenty-four-hour
composite sample. The city may permit the discharge of sewage from
a given installation containing a higher concentration of BOD and
suspended solids, subject to the levying of a surcharge over and above
the normal rates for sewer service, such surcharge to be fixed by
the city to achieve equitable recovery of capital and operating costs
in proportion to the rate of flow and strength of the particular waste.
This higher strength sewage shall in no case adversely affect the
operation of the municipal sewage treatment plant.
(16)
Any industrial wastes that will not pass a twenty-mesh
screen or equivalent.
(17)
Any unusual volume of flow that would materially
affect the sewage works adversely.
(18)
Any substances, materials, waters or wastes
that, after treatment of the composite sewage, cause violation of
the requirements of the state, federal or other public agencies having
jurisdiction over the quality of wastewater treatment plant discharge
to the receiving waters.
D.
If any waters or wastes are discharged or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain any of the substances or possess any of the characteristics enumerated in Subsections A, B and C of this section, the city may:
If the city requires or permits the pretreatment
or flow equalization of waste flows from any industry, the design
and installation of the plants and equipment shall be subject to the
review and approval of the Engineer and subject to the requirements
of all applicable codes, ordinances, laws and regulations of the local,
state and federal regulatory agencies.
Where pretreatment 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
and in such manner that a public nuisance or health hazard does not
occur.
When required by the Engineer, the owner of
any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes
shall install a suitable control manhole in the building sewer to
facilitate observation, 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 Engineer.
The manhole shall be installed by the owner at his expense and shall
be maintained by him so as to be safe and accessible to the city at
all times.
All measurements, tests and analysis 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 for 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. Sampling shall be carried out by customarily
accepted methods to reflect the effect of constituents upon the sewage
works and to determine the existence of hazards to life, limb and
property.
A.
All major contributing industries, as defined in § 94-12 of this article, shall file a weekly report on the constituents and characteristics of the wastewater they are discharging into the municipal system.
B.
This report shall be compiled from tests taken and
analyzed by a certified laboratory. The report shall include the following
parameters:
C.
The major contributing industry shall keep daily records
of the flows into the municipal system and the condition and maintenance
of monitoring equipment.
D.
Sampling for the above reports shall be by a composite
sample taken over the plant workday.
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, in accordance with § 94-26C(15), subject to equitable payment therefor by the industrial concern.
When wastes of usual or unusual strength of
character are accepted, charges to the contributor of the waste will
be made by the city in accordance with the following:
A.
The sewer service charge consists of the normal charge for wastewaters based upon the flow contributed to the sewerage system, plus a surcharge computed on the basis of the concentration of BOD and suspended solids above those established in § 94-26C(15).
B.
The surcharge described above will be established
by computing the pounds of BOD and suspended solids above 400 parts
per million and multiplying each by the established city surcharge
rate.
C.
The volume of wastewater flow shall be determined
as follows:
(1)
Whenever the establishment purchases all of its water
from the city and discharges nearly all of the water as wastes only
to the sewerage system, the volume of water purchased shall be used
as a measure of the volume of waste discharged; or whenever the establishment
purchases all of its water from the city and discharges substantially
smaller part to the sewerage system, an allowance for water not put
into the sewer shall be made in computing flow charges. The establishment
shall provide, at its own expense, an approved metering facility in
order to receive credit for the water not discharged to the sewerage
system.
(2)
Whenever an establishment using a private water supply discharges wastes to the sewerage system, the flow will be based upon the metered use of water used in the establishment or that portion discharging wastes to the system or the metered flow discharged to the sewerage system in the same manner as indicated in Subsection C(1) above.
(3)
Whenever a mixture of city and privately supplied
water is used, the appropriate measurement or combination of measurements
described above shall be used.
(4)
The expense of all wastewater metering facilities
shall be borne by the owner of the establishment contributing the
wastewater, except for those normally provided by the City of Crisfield
for measuring water consumption.
Any person who maliciously, willfully or negligently
breaks, damages, destroys, uncovers, defaces or tampers with any structure,
appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the sewerage system shall
be subject to immediate arrest under charge of disorderly conduct.
In addition, the Engineer and other duly authorized employees of the
City may institute legal proceedings against such person to recover
damages for any losses incurred.
A.
The Engineer's other duly authorized employees of
the City and agents of the Environmental Protection Agency and the
State of Maryland bearing proper credentials and identification shall
be permitted to enter all properties for the purpose of inspection,
observation, measurement, sampling and testing in accordance with
the provisions of this article, The Engineer and other duly authorized
employees of the City shall have no authority to inquire into any
processes, including shellfish preparation and packaging, metallurgical,
chemical, oil, ceramic, foodstuffs, paper or other industries, beyond
that point having a direct bearing on the kind and source of discharge
to the public sewers, waterways or waste treatment facilities.
B.
The Engineer and other duly authorized employees of
the City bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted
to enter all private properties through which the City holds a duly
negotiated easement for the purpose of but not limited to inspection,
observation, measurement, sampling, repair and maintenance of any
portion of the sewerage system lying within said easement. All entry
and subsequent work, if any, on said easement shall be done in full
accordance with the terms of the duly negotiated easement pertaining
to the private property involved.
C.
While performing necessary work on private properties, the Engineer or duly authorized employees of the City shall observe all safety rules applicable to the premises established by the owner, and the owner shall be held harmless for injury or death to the City employees, and the City shall indemnify the company against loss or damage to its property by City employees and against liability claims and demands for personal injury or property damage asserted against the company and growing out of the gauging and sampling operation, except as such may be caused by negligence or failure of the company to maintain safe conditions as required in § 94-28.
[Amended 9-12-1979 by Ord. No. 333; 9-12-2001 by Ord. No.
537]
A.
Any person found to be violating any provision of this article, except § 94-32, shall be guilty of an infraction and, on conviction thereof, shall be fined $250 for each offense.
B.
Any person violating any provision of this article
will become liable to the City for any expense, loss or damage occasioned
the City by reasons of such violations.
