[Ord. of 4-2-1973, Art. I, §§ 1—8, 10—17, 19—22, 24; Ord. of 8-3-1981, § 1]
Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this article shall be as follows:
ACT or THE ACT
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the "Clean Water Act", as amended, 33 USC 1251, et seq.
AUTHORITY
The Sewer Commission of the City.
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
The amount of oxygen required by bacteria while stabilizing decomposable organic matter under aerobic conditions for five days. The determination of BOD shall be performed in accordance with the procedures prescribed in the latest edition of "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste Water."
BUILDING DRAIN
That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a building plumbing 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 five feet (1.5 meters) outside the inner face of the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER
The extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal; it may also be called a house connection.
CATEGORICAL STANDARDS
National Categorical Pretreatment Standards or pretreatment standards.
COMBINED SEWER
A sewer intended to receive both sewage and storm or surface water.
COMMISSIONER
The Commissioner of Environmental Protection for the State of Connecticut.
COMPATIBLE POLLUTANT
Biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, pH and fecal coliform bacteria; plus any additional pollutants identified in the water pollution control facilities NPDES permit, where the water pollution control facility is designed to treat such pollutants and, in fact does treat such pollutants to the degree required by the NPDES permit.
COMPOSITE SAMPLE
A mixture of aliquot samples obtained at regular intervals over a time period. The volume of each aliquot is proportional to the discharge flow rate for the sampling interval. The minimum time period for composite sampling shall be four hours.
COOLING WATER
Process water in general used for cooling purposes to which the only pollutant added is heat and which has such characteristics that it may be discharged to a natural outlet in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations.
DOMESTIC SEWAGE
Sewage that consists of water and human excretions or other waterborne wastes incidental to the occupancy of a residential building or nonresidential building but not wastewater from water-softening equipment, commercial laundry wastewater and blowdown from heating and cooling equipment.
FLOATABLE OIL
Oil, fat or grease in a physical state such that it will separate by gravity from sewage by treatment in an approved pretreatment facility.
GARBAGE
The animal or vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking or serving of foods.
GRAB SAMPLE
A sample which is taken from a waste stream on a one-time basis with no regard to the flow in the waste stream and without consideration of time.
HOLDING TANK WASTE
Any waste from holding tanks such as vessels, chemical toilets, campers, trailers and septage hauling trucks.
INCOMPATIBLE POLLUTANT
All pollutants other than compatible pollutants as defined herein.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE WATER
All wastewater from industrial processes, trade or business and is distinct from domestic sewage.
MAY
Is permissive (See "shall.").
NATIONAL POLLUTION DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) PERMIT
A permit issued pursuant to Section 402 of the Act (33 USC 1342).
pH
The logarithm of the reciprocal of the hydrogen-ion concentrations. The concentration is the weight of hydrogen ions, in grams, per liter of solution.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, copartnership, firm, company, corporation, association, joint-stock company, trust, estate, governmental entity or any other legal entity, or their legal representatives, agents or assigns. The masculine gender shall include the feminine, the singular shall include the plural where indicated by the context.
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE
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, with no particle greater than 1/2 inch (1.27 centimeters) in any dimension.
PRETREATMENT or TREATMENT
The reduction of the amount of pollutants the elimination of pollutants, or the alternation of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater to a less harmful state prior to or in lieu of discharging or otherwise introducing such pollutants into a water pollution control facility. The reduction of alternation can be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes, except as prohibited by Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 403.6(d).
PUBLIC SEWER
A common sanitary sewer controlled by a governmental agency or public utility.
SANITARY SEWER
A sewer which collects and conveys domestic sewage from residences, public buildings, commercial establishments, industries and institutions. A sanitary sewer may also collect and convey permitted industrial wastewater and unintentionally admitted ground, storm and surface waters.
SEPTAGE
The liquids and solids which are removed from a tank used to treat domestic sewage.
SEWAGE
Human and animal excretions and all domestic and such manufacturing wastes as may tend to be detrimental to the public health.
SEWAGE COLLECTION SYSTEM
The structures and equipment required to collect and convey sewage to the water pollution control facility.
SHALL
Is mandatory (See "may.").
SLUG
Any sudden or excessive discharge which exceeds permitted levels either in terms of pollutant concentration or instantaneous flow rate in such a manner as to adversely affect the sewage collection system and/or the water pollution control facility.
SOLUBLE OIL
Oil which is of either mineral or vegetable origin and disperses in water or sewage at temperatures between 0° C. and 65° C. For the purposes of this article, emulsified oil shall be considered as soluble oil.
STORM SEWER
A sewer which collects and conveys stormwater or groundwater.
SUPERINTENDENT
The Superintendent of the Wastewater Treatment Division of the Department of Public Works of the City, or his authorized deputy, agent or representative, all acting for the Sewer Commission.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
The solid matter, measured in mg/liter, which may be in suspension, floatable or settleable and is removable by laboratory filtering as prescribed in the latest edition of "Standard Methods for Examination of Water and Waste Water."
TOXIC POLLUTANT
Any pollutant or combination of pollutants listed as toxic in regulations promulgated by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the provisions of Section 307(a) of the Act or other acts.
USER
Any person who contributes, causes or permits the contribution of sewage into the City's sewer system.
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITY (WPCF)
An arrangement of devices for the treatment of sewage and sludge.
WATERCOURSE
A natural or artificial channel for the passage of water either continuously or intermittently.
[Ord. 12-3-1970, § 1]
The City is hereby established as a sewer district for establishing and levying sewer assessments, lateral connection charges, and sewer service charges for the purpose of paying a portion of the costs of constructing, maintaining and operating a system of sewers and/or systems of sewerage and sewage disposal.
[Code 1962, § 13-2]
The provisions of Chapter 20, Article III of this Code of Ordinances shall be applicable to applicants for permits under this article and the provisions thereof shall be followed as though a part of this article.
[Ord. of 4-2-1973, Art. II, § 1]
It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit or permit to be deposited in any manner on public or private property within the City, or in any area under the jurisdiction of the City, any human or animal excrement, garbage or other objectionable waste.
[Ord. of 6-22-1970, §§ 1-4; Ord. of 6-1-1998]
(a) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain, permit, cause, create or contribute to in any way the discharge or exposure of sewage or any other organic filth into or on any public place in such a way that transmission of infective material may result thereby.
(b) 
The Health Department shall issue an order in writing to the owner, occupant or person in possession of the property involved specifying the number of days in which the nuisance shall be abated.
(c) 
If such order is not complied with within the time specified, the Health Department shall notify the City Attorney's office and request that appropriate legal action be taken to enforce the Health Department's order.
(d) 
In addition thereto, if such order has not been complied with within the time specified, the City, acting through the health department, may cause such nuisance to be abated, and all costs will be charged to the owner of the premises involved and shall constitute a lien on the property.
[Ord. of 4-2-1973, Art. II, §§ 3, 4; Ord. of 8-3-1981, § 2]
The owner(s) of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes situated within the City of Milford 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 may, at the option of the City and at the owner(s) expense, be required to install a building sewer to connect their building drain to the public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article, within 90 days after the date of official notice to do so.
[Ord. of 4-2-1973, Art. III, § 1; Ord. of 8-3-1931, § 3]
It shall be unlawful for any person to construct or repair any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended for the disposal of sewage if public sewers are available.
[Ord. of 4-2-1973, Art. VII, § 1; Ord. of 8-3-1981, § 4]
No unauthorized person(s) shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter, repair or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof.
[Ord. of 4-2-1973, Art. VIII, §§ 1—3]
(a) 
Authorized. The Authority and other duly authorized employees of the City bearing proper credentials and identifications shall be permitted to enter all properties for the purposes of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing in accordance with the provisions of this article. The Authority or its representatives shall have no authority to inquire into any processes including metallurgical, chemical, oil, refining, ceramic, paper or other industries beyond that point having a direct bearing on the kind and source of discharge to the sewers or waterways or facilities for waste treatment.
(b) 
Observance of safety rules; waiver of liability. While performing the necessary work on private properties referred to in Section 23-20, the Authority or duly authorized employees of the City shall observe all safety rules applicable to the premises established by the company and the company 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.
(c) 
Properties through which City holds easements. The Authority 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 purposes of, but not limited to, inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, repair and maintenance of any portion of the sewerage works lying within such easement. All entry and subsequent work, if any, on such easement, shall be done in full accordance with the terms of the duly negotiated easement pertaining to the private property involved.
[Ord. No. 66-3, 3-7-1966; Ord. of 6-5-1978; Ord. of 7-2-1979; Ord. 8-3-1981, § 5; Ord. of 5-18-1987; Ord. of 4-1-2002; Ord. of 12-2-2019]
(a) 
All sewer, septic tank, cesspool and commercial wastewater removal contractors, individuals and industrial-commercial establishments shall obtain a permit from the Director of Public Works, or his/her designee, to use a disposal plant to be designated by the Superintendent of the Wastewater Treatment Division of the Public Works Department. Such permit shall carry an annual fee of $50.
(b) 
In addition to the permit fee and the permit, the contractors, individuals and establishments described in Subsection (a) hereof shall obtain from the Director of Public Works, or his/her designee, coupons entitling them to deposit effluent from septic tanks, cesspools and other sewage and wastewater systems located within the boundaries of the City up to and including 1,000 gallons. Such coupons shall be sold by the Director of Public Works, or his/her designee, in lots of 10 or more at the rate of $80 per coupon. Loads which exceed 1,000 gallons shall require one coupon per multiple of 1,000.
(c) 
Such contractor, individual or establishment shall furnish to the Director of Public Works, or his/her designee, an affidavit as to the source of such material, the same to be found to be within the geographic boundaries of the City. Material generated from without these boundaries will not be accepted. Falsification of affidavits shall result in revocation of the permit to dump.
(d) 
The dumping of night soil or wastewater in a location at the plant not designated by the Superintendent of the Wastewater Treatment Division of the Public Works Department is expressly prohibited by this section, and the same shall be punishable by punishment as provided in Section 1-9 of this Code of Ordinances for each 1,000 gallons or for each occurrence.
[Ord. of 4-2-1973, Art. X, § 3]
In the event that any state or federal regulation or statute is enacted which is contrary to the provisions of this article, such state and federal regulations and statutes shall prevail.
[Ord. of 4-2-1973, Art. IX, §§ 1—3]
(a) 
Notice of violation. Any person found to be violating any provisions of this article, except Section 23-21, shall be served by the City with written notice stating the nature of the violation and providing a reasonable time limit for satisfactory correction thereof. The offender shall, within the period of time stated in such notice, permanently cease all violations.
(b) 
Authority's right to deny use of system to violators. The Authority shall have the right to deny any violator the use of the sewer system as provided in Section 23-56 of this article.
(c) 
Liability to City. Any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall become liable to the City for any expense, loss or damage occasioned the City by reason of such violation.
(d) 
Penalty. Any person who shall continue any violation beyond the time limit provided for in Subsection (a) of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be punished as provided in Section 1-9 of this Code of Ordinances.
[Ord. of 8-3-1981, § 6]
Any person proposing a new discharge into the public sewer system or a substantial change in the volume or character of pollutants that are being discharged into the public sewer system shall notify the Superintendent at least 45 days prior to the proposed change or connection.