Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged
to such sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers in accordance
with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations. No person
shall discharge or cause to be discharged any unpolluted waters, such
as stormwater, groundwater, roof runoff, and subsurface drainage,
to any sanitary sewer, nor shall any person connect any drain or plumbing
fixtures or other sanitary sewer system on his premises to any stormwater
sewer.
No user shall contribute or cause to be contributed, directly
or indirectly, any pollutant or wastewater which will interfere with
the operation or performance of the WPCF. These general prohibitions
apply to all such users of a WPCF whether or not the user is subject
to national categorical pretreatment standards or any other federal
or state pretreatment standards or requirements. A user shall not
contribute the following substances to any WPCF:
A.
Any liquids, solids or gases which, by reason of their nature or
quantity, are or may be sufficient, either alone or by interaction
with other substances, to cause fire or explosion or be injurious
in any other way to the WPCF or to the operation of the WPCF. At no
time shall two successive readings on an explosion hazard meter, at
the point of discharge into the sewage collection system (or at any
point in the system), be more than 5% nor any single reading over
10% of the lower explosive limit (LEL) of the meter.
B.
Solids or viscous substances which may cause obstruction to the flow
in a sewer or other interference with the operation of the WPCF, including
substances such as, but not limited to, grease, garbage with particles
greater than 1/2 inch in any dimension, animal guts or tissues, paunch
manure, bones, hair, hides or fleshings, entrails, whole blood, feathers,
ashes, cinders, sand, spent lime, stone or marble dust, metal, glass,
straw, shavings, grass clippings, rags, spent grains, spent hops,
wastepaper, wood, plastics, gas, tar, asphalt residues, residues from
refining or processing of fuel or lubricating oil, mud or glass grinding
or polishing wastes.
C.
Any sewage having a corrosive property capable of causing damage
or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the WPCF. The
upper and lower limits of pH for any industrial wastewater discharge
shall be within the limits imposed on the WPCF permit.
D.
Any sewage containing toxic pollutants in sufficient quantity, either
singly or by interaction with other pollutants, to injure or interfere
with any wastewater treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans
or animals or plant life, create a toxic effect in the receiving waters
of the WPCF or exceed the limitation set forth in a categorical pretreatment
standard. A toxic pollutant shall include but not be limited to any
pollutant identified pursuant to § 307(a) of the Act (i.e.,
heavy metals and toxic organics). Note: All metals are to be measured
as total metals.
E.
Any noxious or malodorous sewage, gases or solids which, either singly
or by interaction with other sewage, are sufficient to prevent entry
into the public sewers for their maintenance and repair.
F.
Any sewage which, by interaction with other sewage in the public
sewer, releases obnoxious gases, forms suspended solids which interfere
with the collection system, or creates a condition which may be deleterious
to structures and treatment processes or which may cause the effluent
limitations of the WPCF's NPDES permit to be exceeded.
G.
Any substance which may cause the WPCF's effluent, or any other
product of the WPCF, such as residues, sludges or scums, to be unsuitable
for the reclamation process where the WPCF is pursuing a reuse and
reclamation program. In no case shall a substance discharged to the
WPCF cause the facility to be in noncompliance with sludge use or
disposal criteria, guidelines or regulations developed under § 405
of the Act, any criteria, guidelines or regulations affecting sludge
use or disposal developed pursuant to the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act, Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act or state
criteria applicable to the sludge management method being used.
H.
Any substance which will cause a WPCF to violate its NPDES permit
or the receiving water quality standards. The Director of Public Utilities
or designee with the concurrence of the Director may modify the limits
which are acceptable for discharge into the WPCF if deemed appropriate
and in the best interest of the WPCF. Correspondence of such changes
shall be sent to the PUC.
I.
Sewage containing substances which are not amenable to treatment
or reduction by the wastewater treatment process employed or are amenable
to treatment only to such degree that the WPCF effluent cannot meet
the limits stipulated in the (municipality's) NPDES permit.
The following described substances, materials, waters or waste
shall be limited in discharges to public sewers to concentrations
or quantities which will not harm either the sewers or the WPCF, will
not have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or will not otherwise
endanger public property or constitute a nuisance. The Director of
Public Utilities or designee may set lower limitations if more severe
limitations are necessary to meet the water quality standards of the
receiving stream. The limitations or restrictions on materials or
characteristics of sewage discharged to the public sewer are as follows:
A.
Sewage having a temperature higher than 150° F. (65° C.).
B.
Sewage containing fat, wax, grease, petroleum or mineral oil, whether
emulsified or not, in excess of 100 milligrams per liter with floatable
oil not to exceed 20 milligrams per liter or containing substances
which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32°
F. and 150° F. (0° C. and 65° C.). Restaurants shall have
grease traps of 1,000-gallon capacity minimum, or 1/3 the daily discharge,
and/or a professionally engineered system that meets all applicable
sanitary sewer requirements noted in the City Code, accompanied by
a certification statement signed by a professional engineer. All analyses
shall be conducted according to the current method as listed in Title
40 CFR 136 or as approved in writing by the Director of Public Utilities
or designee.
C.
Any residential garbage that has not been properly shredded (see § 170-2). 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. Solids separators may be required for commercial or industrial establishments if deemed required by the Director of Public Utilities or designee. Shredded garbage from food preparation establishments shall be prohibited. Solid separators may be required for establishments if deemed required by the Director of Public Utilities or designee.
D.
Any sewage containing odor-producing substances exceeding limits
which may be established by the PUC and/or the DEEP.
E.
Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration
as may exceed limits established by the PUC and/or the DEEP in compliance
with all applicable state, federal and municipal regulations.
F.
Materials which exert or cause:
(1)
Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but not
limited to, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate).
(2)
Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes
and vegetable tanning solutions).
(3)
Unusual BOD, COD, or chlorine demand in such quantities as to constitute
a significant load on the water pollution control facility.
G.
Overflow from holding tanks or other receptacles storing organic
wastes.
H.
Sewage with a concentration of pollutants, including but not limited
to the following items and limits. The Director, with the concurrence
of the PUC, may require more stringent limits if it is determined
in the best interest of the WPCF.
|
Pollutant
|
Concentration
[parts/million (mg/l)]
|
|---|---|
|
Arsenic as As
|
0.05
|
|
Barium as BA
|
5.0
|
|
Boron as B
|
5.0
|
|
Cyanides as CN (amenable)
|
0.1
|
|
Fluoride as F
|
20
|
|
Chromium (Total)
|
1.0
|
|
Chromium (CR +6)
|
0.1
|
|
Magnesium as Mg
|
100
|
|
Manganese as MN
|
5.0
|
|
Copper as Cu
|
1.0
|
|
Zinc as Zn
|
1.0
|
|
Cadmium
|
0.1
|
|
Lead
|
0.1
|
|
Tin
|
2.0
|
|
Silver
|
0.1
|
|
Mercury
|
0.01
|
|
Nickle
|
1.0
|
|
Phosphorus TP
|
5.0
|
|
Note: All metals are to be measured as total metals.
|
I.
The limitations of wastewater discharged to the sewer system through
grease traps and AGRUs shall be as follows:
(1)
Wastewater having a temperature in excess 140° F. shall not be
discharged into any AGRU.
(2)
Use of enzymes, solvents, emulsifiers, biological agents, and similar
materials for cleaning or maintaining sewer lines or grease traps,
shall be prohibited.
(3)
No food grinder or food pulper shall discharge into an outdoor grease
trap or AGRU.
(4)
All wastewater flows shall be screened to prevent solids from entering
the sewer system. Screened solids shall be disposed of in accordance
with applicable solids waste regulations.
The admission into the public sewers of any waters or wastes having a five-day BOD greater than 500 parts per million by weight, or containing more than 600 parts per million by weight of suspended solids, or containing more than 15 parts per million by weight of chlorine demand, or containing any quantity of substance described in § 170-11B, or having an average daily flow greater than 2% of the average daily sewage flow of the City shall be subject to the review and approval of the Director of Public Utilities or designee. Where necessary, in the opinion of the Director of Public Utilities or designee, the person discharging or causing the discharge of any such waters or wastes into the public sewers shall provide, at his own expense, such preliminary treatment as may be necessary to reduce the BOD to not more than 500 parts per million by weight, the suspended solids to not more than 600 parts per million by weight and the chlorine demand to not more than 15 parts per million by weight; reduce objectionable characteristics or constituents of the substances described in § 170-11 to the limits permitted thereunder; and control the quantities and rates of discharge of such waters and wastes.
A.
In accordance with § 22a-430 of the Connecticut General
Statutes, as amended, a permit from the DEEP is required prior to
PUC approval and the initiation of a discharge of any of the following
wastewaters to a public sewer:
B.
A potential discharger must obtain a conceptual approval form from the Engineering Division. The form must be properly filled out and returned to the Engineering Division for review and approval. The potential discharger must then submit an approved copy of the conceptual approval form with the permit application to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the PUC not later than 90 days prior to the anticipated date of the initiation of the proposed discharge. See § 170-1.
C.
Fog program.
(1)
All food preparation establishments shall be required to apply for
and obtain a FOG discharge permit or variance from the FOG Program
Administrator. The requirements of this section are in addition to
the requirements of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protections'
General Permit for the Discharge of Wastewater Associated with Food
Preparation Establishments, The International Plumbing Code and the
Plumbing and Drainage Institute standards as adopted by the Office
of the State Building Inspector.
(2)
The FOG Program Administrator shall provide an application form for
a FOG discharge permit to all FPEs. All existing FPEs shall submit
a completed application form within 30 days of receipt of the application.
New FPEs shall obtain a FOG discharge permit prior to issuance of
a food service license. All renovations of an existing FPE's
kitchen or cleanup area shall require the application for an issuance
of a new FOG discharge permit.
(a)
Each application form submitted shall include, but not be limited
to, the following: application form; variance form where applicable;
conceptual approval form; hours of facility operation; a current copy
of the FPE's menu; the FPE's engineer's design report
for outdoor grease traps or AGRUs including unit specifications, cut
sheet, and sizing calculations; the application fee and any outstanding
fees or fines payable to the PUC. No installation or modification
shall be undertaken prior to receiving approval.
(3)
The FOG Program Administrator shall approve or deny all applications
for the FOG discharge permits in accordance with the policies and
regulations established in this article. The fog discharge permit
shall be in addition to any other permits, registrations, or occupational
licenses, which may be required by federal, state, or local law. It
shall be a violation of this article for any FPE identified by the
FOG Program Administrator to discharge wastewater containing fats,
oils, and grease to the public sanitary sewer system without a FOG
discharge permit.
(4)
The permit shall not be transferred or sold to a new owner. A new
owner is required to apply to the FOG Program Administrator for a
new FOG discharge permit. The FOG discharge permit or variance shall
be displayed in a prominent location where it can be seen by staff.
A.
If any sewage is discharged or is proposed to be discharged to the public sewers which contains the substances or possesses the characteristics enumerated in § 170-11 of this chapter and which, in the judgment of the PUC, may have a deleterious effect upon the wastewater facilities, processes, equipment or receiving waters or which otherwise may create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the PUC may, in accordance with § 22a-430(b) of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended:
B.
If the DEEP permits the pretreatment or equalization of waste flows,
the design and installation of the equipment shall be subject to the
review and approval of the PUC, subject to the requirements of all
applicable codes, ordinances and laws.
The Director of Public Utilities or designee shall have the
right to reject the discharge of any wastes or require more stringent
effluent limitations than required by the user's § 22a-430
permit, the decisions of the DEEP notwithstanding.
Grease, oil and gross particle separators shall be provided when, in the opinion of the DEEP and/or PUC, they are necessary for the proper handling of sewage containing floatable grease in excessive amounts, as specified in § 170-11B, or any flammable wastes, and or other harmful substances, except that such separators shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All separators shall be of a type and capacity approved by the DEEP and/or PUC and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. In the maintaining of these separators, the owner(s) shall be responsible for the proper removal and disposal by appropriate means of the captured material and shall maintain records of the dates and means of disposal which are subject to review by the Director of Public Utilities or designee.
Where pretreatment or flow-equalizing facilities are provided
or required for any sewage, they shall be maintained continuously
in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.
When required by the PUC, the owner 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 observations, sampling and measurement
of the wastes. Such structure, when required, shall be accessible
and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans
approved by the PUC. The sampling structure shall be located at a
point along the industrial waste stream where a representative sample
of the industrial wastewater may be obtained prior to its being diluted
by domestic sewage in the building sewer. The structure shall be installed
by the owner at his expense and shall be maintained by him so as to
be safe and accessible at all times.
A.
All industries discharging into a public sewer shall perform such
monitoring of their discharge as required by the DEEP in any state
discharge permit issued pursuant to § 22a-430 of the Connecticut
General Statutes, as amended, including but not limited to installation,
use and maintenance of monitoring equipment, keeping records and reporting
the results to the DEEP and the Director of Public Utilities or designee.
B.
All present and future DEEP/EPA treatment and testing parameters
required of the WPCF may be assumed by industrial/commercial sanitary
sewer users/dischargers as determined by the Director of Public Utilities
or designee.
C.
The PUC may at any time order a water meter placed on any service
connection if it deems it in the best interest of the City to do so,
and any property owner, upon notification by the PUC, shall allow
a representative of the Water Division to enter upon his premises
to install such a meter. Upon application by the consumer, a meter
shall be placed on any service previously unmetered. The consumer
shall provide a proper place for the installation of a meter immediately
inside the building wall which shall be of easy access at all times
for reading and repair. The Director of Public Works, or his representatives,
shall determine the size of the meter installed on any service and
may determine when any meter shall be repaired or replaced.
(1)
Water meters for sewer service shall not be supplied to a new account
until a proper and adequate water meter setters has been provided
by the owner immediately inside the building wall which shall be of
easy access at all times for meter reading and repair, the required
fee for the proper size meter has been paid to the Water Division
by the owner, and the Water Division has installed and sealed the
required meter. The Public Utilities Commission shall act as an appeals
board to determine when and if a frost-proof meter pit shall be required
rather than a meter location within the building.
(2)
The fee for the installation of new meters shall be determined through
the Water Division.
All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics
of sewage 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 Health
Association. Sampling methods, location, times, durations and frequencies
are to be determined on an individual basis subject to the stipulations
and general conditions of the discharger's state discharge permit
and the Director of Public Utilities or designee.
No statement contained in this chapter 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, provided that
such agreements do not contravene any requirements of existing state
or federal regulations and are compatible with any user charge and
industrial cost recovery system in effect.
Upon the promulgation of the federal categorical pretreatment
standard for a particular industrial subcategory, the federal standard,
if more stringent than limitations imposed under this chapter for
sources in that subcategory, shall supersede the limitations imposed
under this chapter.
No user shall increase the use of process water in an attempt
to dilute a discharge as a partial or complete substitute for adequate
treatment to achieve compliance with the limitations contained in
the federal categorical pretreatment standards or in any specific
pollutant limitations which may be developed by the DEEP.
Each user shall provide protection from accidental discharge
of prohibited materials or other substances regulated by this chapter.
Facilities to prevent accidental discharge of prohibited materials
shall be provided and maintained at the owner's or user's
own cost and expense. The Director may require that plans showing
facilities and operating procedures be submitted for review and approval
prior to construction of the facilities.
A.
The Director of Public Utilities or designee shall be immediately
notified of all accidental discharges.
B.
Within five days following an accidental discharge, the user shall
submit to the Director of Public Utilities or designee and the DEEP
a detailed written report describing the cause of the discharge and
the measures to be taken by the user to prevent similar future occurrences.
Such notification shall not relieve the user of any expense, loss,
damage or other liability which may be incurred as a result of damage
to the WPCF, fish kills, aquatic plants or any other damage to persons
or property, nor shall such notification relieve the user of any fines,
civil penalties or other liability which may be imposed by this chapter
or other applicable law.
C.
A notice shall be permanently posted on the user's bulletin
board or other prominent place advising employees whom to call in
the event of a dangerous discharge. Employers shall ensure that all
employees are advised of the emergency notification procedure.
No person shall maliciously, willfully or negligently break,
damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance
or equipment which is a part of the sewage collection system or WPCF.
The Director of Public Utilities or designee and other duly
authorized employees of the City bearing proper credentials and identification
shall be permitted to enter all properties for the purposes of inspection,
observation, measurement, sampling and testing in accordance with
the provisions of this chapter.
While performing the necessary work on private properties referred to in § 170-27 above, the Director of Public Utilities or designee or duly authorized employees of the City shall observe all safety rules applicable to the premises established by the user. The user shall be held harmless for injury or death to the City employees, and the City shall indemnify the user 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 user and growing out of the gauging and sampling operation, except as such may be caused by negligence or failure of the user to maintain safe conditions as required in § 170-4.
The Director of Public Utilities or designee 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 an easement or any other claim for access for the purposes
of repair and maintenance of any portion of the sewage works 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.
A.
Any person found to be in violation of any provisions of this chapter, except § 170-26, shall be served by the City with written notice stating the nature of the violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. The offender shall, within the period of time stated in such notice, permanently cease all violations and shall be liable to the City for any and all expense, loss or damage which may be caused to the public sewer, treatment works or appurtenances by reason of such violation.
B.
Upon learning or having reason to believe that an accidental discharge may cause a sewer blockage or adversely affect the public sanitary sewer system, a user shall immediately notify the WPCF by telephone and initiate corrective action to prevent further violations. The user shall report, in writing, such violation and corrective actions taken to the WPCF within five days of the user learning of such violation. Failure to report may result in a fine pursuant to § 170-25.
A.
Sanitary sewer service shall be furnished to consumers subject to
the provisions of this chapter and any rules or regulations of the
PUC made in connection with such service.
B.
If any person, after the time and proper order or direction from
the Director of Public Utilities or designee, fails to take the remedial
steps or perform the acts required by the sections of this chapter
or fails thereafter to use, operate and maintain a connection with
the public sewers of the City or appurtenances thereof, as required
by this chapter, the PUC, by such agents and/or facilities as it may
choose, may disconnect the building sewer or connection or drain which
was wrongfully connected, altered, repaired or used or through which
improper wastes were discharged into the public sewer or drainage
system of the City and may, if necessary, interfere with or cut off
drainage from other portions of the property whereon such violation
of the chapter has occurred or of any adjacent property which is served
by such building sewer, connection or drain. If the Water Pollution
Control Authority shall have disconnected a building sewer, connection
or drain from the public sewer system, as above provided, the City
may collect the cost of making such disconnection from any person
responsible for or who profited by such violation of the requirements
of this chapter.
C.
Failure to comply with the FOG Program may result in fines, revocation
of FOG Discharge permit, inability to renew a food service license
as issued by the Meriden Department of Health, and other penalties
provided for in this chapter.
Any person who continues any violation beyond the time limit provided for in § 170-30 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction thereof, shall be fined in accordance with the Fee Schedule online at www.meridenct.gov for each violation. Each day in which any such violation shall continue shall be deemed a separate offense.
A.
Any person who continues any violation beyond the time limit provided for in § 170-30 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction thereof, shall be fined in accordance with the Fee Schedule online at www.meridenct.gov for each violation. Each day in which any such violation shall continue shall be deemed a separate offense.
B.
For initial violations the Director of Public Utilities or designee
may take enforcement actions against FPEs including:
(1)
Judicially enforceable documents including but not limited to consent
agreements, compliance agreements, assurances of voluntary compliance,
or other similar documents establishing an agreement with any user,
or other person responsible for noncompliance. Such documents will
include specific actions to be taken to correct the noncompliance
including but not limited to:
(a)
Payment of the notice of violation fine as on file with the
Director of Public Utilities or designee.
(b)
Time period for correction.
(c)
Required corrective actions including, but not limited to, submittal
of records for trap maintenance, immediate pump-out of the trap, or
establishment of an ongoing contract with a hauler or renderer.
(d)
Requirements for submittal of plans or upgrade of grease traps,
including time frames for preparation of plans, acquisitions of necessary
equipment, initiation of construction (including time for permit approval,
where required), completion of construction, and date for achievement
of final compliance within the provisions of the notice of violation
and this article.
(2)
Continued violation penalties. If a user violates or continues to
violate the provisions set forth in this article or fails to initiate/complete
corrective action in response to a notice of violation, the Director
of Public Utilities or designee may pursue one or more of the following
options:
(3)
FOG discharge permit revocation. Any FOG discharge permit issued
under the provisions of this article is subject to be modified, suspended,
or revoked in whole or in part for failure to comply with the terms
of this article. Any FPE whose FOG discharge permit has been revoked
must, on correction of the violation, apply for a new FOG discharge
permit including all applicable fees.
Any person who is found to be in violation of any of the provisions
of this chapter shall become liable to the City for any expense, loss
or damage occasioned by the City by reason of such violation.
A.
Any person who is found to be in violation of § 22a-430
of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended, shall be subject
to a monetary penalty or forfeiture under § 22a-438 of the
statutes.
B.
Administrative enforcement and abatement.
(1)
If the Director of Public Utilities or designee records any deficiencies
during an inspection, he will provide written notice to the FPE with
instructions to correct the deficiency within 30 days of such notice
for BMP violations or 60 days for equipment violations. A notice of
violation shall be issued to a FPE for any one or more of the following
violations.
(a)
Failure to properly maintain the grease trap in accordance with
the provisions of the FOG article.
(d)
Failure to maintain grease records including documentation of:
pumping activities; grease disposal facility; or receipts on site
at all times.
(e)
Failure to provide access for trap cleaning, inspection, or
monitoring activities.
(f)
Failure to store grease in a proper container or dispose of
grease at an approved facility.
(g)
Any other failure to comply with the requirements of this article
or conditions of any permit issued pursuant to this article.
Any person who may be aggrieved by any interpretation of any
provision of this chapter, or by an order under authority conferred
by this chapter, or by a requirement of this chapter, or by any classification
of any sewer, drain or any wastewater proposed to be discharged into
any sewer or drain made, may appeal within 21 days from such interpretation,
order, classification or requirement to the PUC. Any such appeal shall
be in writing and forwarded to the PUC by certified mail, setting
out the matter in reasonable detail and completeness. The PUC shall
consider any such appeal made to it within 90 days of receipt and,
if so requested by any such person interested therein, shall afford
all interested parties an opportunity to be heard by it or by a committee
thereof. The PUC shall take such action deemed appropriate and, in
its discretion, may alter any interpretation, order or requirement
under its authority. Until such time as the PUC shall have received
and considered an appeal and shall have voted to change the interpretation,
order or requirement, such interpretation, order or requirement shall
be observed and remain in full force and effect.
