A. 
It is one explicit purpose of these rules, regulations and ordinances to deter, prevent and eliminate, as far as possible, the introduction of unpolluted waters into the Town of Rotterdam sanitary sewer system and all sewers tributary thereto. However, it is recognized that in certain areas the immediate enforcement of these rules, regulations and ordinances against existing subsurface drainage connections would be unfeasible and unreasonable.
B. 
This statement shall not be construed to mitigate in any way the enforcement of these rules, regulations and ordinances against the construction of any new sanitary sewers or against any new connections discharging unpolluted waters to the Town of Rotterdam sanitary sewage system, or sewers tributary thereto, or to the alleviation of unreasonable flows of unpolluted waters; nor shall this statement of policy be used as a reason for not making any changes which may be ordered by governmental regulatory agencies.
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, uncontaminated cooling water or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer.
It shall be unlawful to discharge to any natural outlet within the Town of Rotterdam or in any area under the jurisdiction of said Town any sewage or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with subsequent provisions of this Part 2.
Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as combined sewers or storm sewers approved by the Coordinator and Town-designated engineer. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged on issuance of a permit, as described in § 230-46 of this chapter, to a storm sewer or combined sewer.
A. 
General prohibitions. A user may not introduce, directly or indirectly, into the Town's POTW any pollutant(s) or wastewater which will pass through or cause interference with the operation or performance of the Town POTW. These general prohibitions and the specific prohibitions below apply to each user introducing pollutants into the Town POTW, whether or not the user is subject to other national pretreatment standards or any national, state, or local pretreatment requirements (40 CFR 403.5).
B. 
Specific prohibitions.
(1) 
Fire or explosion hazards.
(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 POTW or to the operation of the POTW. At no time shall two successive readings on an explosion hazard meter at the point of discharge into the 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) 
Pollutants which create a fire or explosion hazard in the POTW, including, but not limited to, waste streams with a closed cup flash point of less than 140° F. or 60° C. using the test methods specified in 40 CFR 261.21.
(2) 
Solid or viscous substances which may cause obstruction to the flow in a sewer or other interference with the operation of the wastewater treatment facilities, such as but not limited to grease and garbage with particles greater than 1/2 inch in any dimension. Solid or viscous pollutants in amounts which will cause obstruction to the flow in the POTW resulting in interference.
(3) 
Other hazards.
(a) 
Any wastewater or pollutants having a pH less than 5.5 or greater than 9.5, unless a permit is specifically issued to accommodate such wastewater, or wastewater having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and/or personnel of the POTW. Pollutants which will cause corrosive, structural damage to the POTW, but in no case discharges with a pH lower than 5.0, unless the works is specifically designed to accommodate such discharges.
(b) 
Any pollutant, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released in a discharge at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which will cause interference with the POTW.
(c) 
Petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin in amounts that will cause interference or pass-through.
(4) 
Any wastewater containing toxic pollutants in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, to injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process, to produce toxic effect in the receiving waters of the POTW or to 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 Section 307(a) of the Act.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 33 U.S.C. § 1317(a).
(5) 
Pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes within the POTW in a quantity that may cause acute worker health and safety problems. This shall include any noxious or malodorous liquids, gases or solids which, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, are sufficient to create a public nuisance or hazard to life or are sufficient to prevent entry into the sewers for maintenance and repair.
(6) 
Any substance which may cause the POTW treatment plant effluent or any other product of the treatment plant, such as residues, sludges or scums, to be unsuitable for reclamation and reuse or to interfere with the reclamation process. In no case shall a substance discharged to the treatment plant cause the POTW to be in noncompliance with sludge use or disposal criteria, guidelines or regulations developed under Section 405 of the Act; [2]any criteria, guidelines or regulations affecting sludge use or disposal developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Clean Air Act or the Toxic Substances Control Act; or state criteria applicable to the sludge management method being used.
[2]
Editor's Note: See 33 U.S.C. § 1345.
(7) 
Any substance which will cause the POTW to violate its New York State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit or the receiving water quality standards.
(8) 
Any wastewater with objectionable color not removed in the treatment process, such as but not limited to dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions.
(9) 
Heat in amounts which will inhibit biological activity in the POTW resulting in interference, but in no case heat in such quantities that the temperature at the POTW treatment plant exceeds 40° C. (104° F.) unless the approval authority, upon request of the Town, approves alternate temperature limits.
(10) 
Any pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which a user knows or has reason to know will cause interference to the POTW treatment plant or is in contravention of permit conditions.
(11) 
Any wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Coordinator in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations.
(12) 
Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease or oils, whether emulsified or not, or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32° F. and 104° F. (0° C. and 40° C.).
(13) 
Any garbage that has not been properly shredded.
(14) 
Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed or are amenable 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.
(15) 
Any trucked or hauled pollutants, except at discharge points designated by the POTW.
C. 
When the Coordinator determines that a user is contributing to the POTW any of the above-enumerated substances in such amounts as to interfere with the operation of the POTW, the Coordinator shall advise the user of the impact of the contribution on the POTW pursuant to procedures in § 230-77 et seq. of this Part 2.
Upon the promulgation of the Federal Categorical Pretreatment Standards for a particular industrial subcategory, the federal standard, if more stringent than limitations imposed under this Part 2 for sources in that subcategory, shall immediately supersede the limitations imposed under this Part 2. The Coordinator shall notify all affected users of the applicable reporting requirements under 40 CFR 403.12.
No person shall discharge substances directly into a manhole or other sanitary opening in a sanitary sewer, other than through an approved building sewer.
No person shall discharge any holding tank waste into a manhole or other opening in a sanitary sewer. All holding tank waste discharged within the Rotterdam's POTW system shall be discharged at a facility at locations designated by the Coordinator. Each separate load of holding tank waste shall be registered with the operator of the treatment facility. The user shall pay the applicable charges and fees and shall meet such other conditions as required by the Department. The Department shall have the right to inquire about the type of waste, the approximate volumes and the origin of holding tank wastes. The transporter of such wastes shall also have a waste haulers permit from the NYSDEC.
Where the Town's wastewater treatment system achieves consistent removal of pollutants limited by federal pretreatment standards, the Town may apply to the approval authority for modification of specific limits in the federal pretreatment standards. "Consistent removal" shall mean reduction in the amount of a pollutant or alteration of the nature of the pollutant by the wastewater treatment system to a less toxic or harmless state in the effluent which is achieved by the system in 95% of the samples taken when measured according to the procedures set forth in 40 CFR 403.7(c)(2), General pretreatment regulations for existing and new sources of pollution, promulgated pursuant to the Act. The Town may then modify pollutant discharge limits in the federal pretreatment standards if the requirements contained in 40 CFR 403.7 are fulfilled and prior approval from the approval authority is obtained.
A. 
Concentration and pH limits.
(1) 
No user shall discharge wastewater to the sanitary sewer system when any of the pollutant concentrations exceed the limits specified herein. These concentrations shall be applied to wastewater effluents at a point just prior to discharge into the Town's sewer system. With the express written consent of the Public Works Coordinator, users with multiple discharge outfalls may combine waste streams by calculation to report on wastewater characteristics.
[Amended 5-22-2024 by Res. No. 230.24]
Pollutant
Total Concentration Limit
(mg/l)
Arsenic
0.2
Barium
4.0
BEHP
2.8
Beryllium
20
Cadmium
0.1
Chloroform
20
Chromium (hexavalent)
0.2
Chromium (total)
4.0
Copper
0.5
Cyanide
1.6
Lead
0.2
Molybdenum
0.5
Nickel
3.5
Oil and grease
200
Phenols
4.0
Selenium
1.6
Silver
0.2
Zinc
2.0
(ng/l)
Mercury
50
(2) 
In addition to the foregoing, pH shall not exceed the discharge limit range of 5.5 to 9.5.
B. 
No person shall discharge or permit the discharge or infiltration into the Town's sewer system of wastes containing the following pollutants in excess of any of the listed concentrations unless prior approval is granted by the Public Works Coordinator:
(1) 
Wastes containing more than 300 milligrams per liter of five-day biochemical oxygen demand.
(2) 
Wastes containing more than 350 milligrams per liter of total suspended solids.
(3) 
Wastes containing more than 160 milligrams per liter of total organic carbon.
(4) 
Wastes containing more than 500 milligrams per liter of chemical oxygen demand.
(5) 
Wastewater in volumes constituting greater than 5% of the mean flow influent to the Town's POTW treatment plant.
The Town reserves the right to establish by local law more stringent limitations or requirements on discharges to the wastewater disposal system if deemed necessary to comply with the objectives presented in § 230-8 of this chapter.
No user shall ever increase the use of process water or in any way 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 other pollutant-specific limitation developed by the Town or state.
No connection with or opening into any sewer, manhole or appurtenances thereto shall be made without the written approval of the appropriate Town agency. The connection of a building sewer into any Town sewer shall conform to the requirements of the applicable Town regulations.
A. 
Written approval by the Coordinator is required for all new discharges from industrial users or any planned significant changes to the user's operations or system added to the Town sewer system. The Coordinator reserves the right to deny or condition new or increased contributions of wastes or changes in wastewater constituents and characteristics, to require an industrial user to obtain an industrial wastewater discharge permit as specified in § 230-46, to require the development of a schedule of compliance for an industrial user for the installation of technology required to meet pretreatment standards and requirements and/or to require the industrial user to submit to the Department self-monitoring reports. Any industrial facility expansion, production increase, or other modifications which result in new, different, or increased discharges of pollutants must be reported to the Department at least 90 days prior to any such discharge.
B. 
Industrial users required to obtain an industrial waste discharge permit shall complete and file with the Department an application in the form prescribed by the Town at least 90 days prior to connecting to or contributing to the Town. In support of the application, the user may be required to submit, in units and terms appropriate for evaluation, the following information:
(1) 
A description of all activities, facilities and plant processes directly related to sewer discharges. This description shall include all those materials which are or could reasonably be expected to be discharged, including hazardous materials as defined by regulations promulgated under the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. § 6901).
A. 
Septic tank waste may be introduced into the POTW only at locations designated by the Town and at such times as are established by the Town. Such waste shall not violate § 230-32 or any other requirements established by the Town. The Town may require septic tank waste haulers to obtain wastewater discharge permits.
B. 
Haulers of industrial wastes shall obtain wastewater discharge permits. The Town may require generators of hauled industrial waste to obtain wastewater discharge permits. The Town also may prohibit the disposal of hauled industrial waste. The discharge of hauled industrial waste is subject to all other requirements of this Part.
C. 
Industrial waste haulers may discharge loads only at locations designated by the Town. No load may be discharged without prior consent of the Town. The Town may collect samples of each hauled load to ensure compliance with applicable standards. The Town may require the industrial waste hauler to provide a waste analysis of any load prior to discharge.
D. 
Industrial waste haulers must provide a waste-tracking form for every load. This form shall include, at a minimum, the name and address of the industrial waste hauler, permit number, truck identification, names and addresses of sources of waste, and volume and characteristics of waste. The form shall identify the type of industry, known or suspected waste constituents, and whether any wastes are RCRA hazardous wastes.
A. 
Any user who commences the discharge of hazardous waste shall notify the POTW, the EPA Regional Waste Management Division Coordinator, and state hazardous waste authorities, in writing, of any discharge into the POTW of a substance which, if otherwise disposed of, would be a hazardous waste under 40 CFR Part 261. Such notification must include the name of the hazardous waste as set forth in 40 CFR Part 261, the EPA hazardous waste number, and the type of discharge (continuous, batch, or other). If the user discharges more than 100 kilograms of such waste per calendar month to the POTW, the notification also shall contain the following information to the extent such information is known and readily available to the user: an identification of the hazardous constituents contained in the wastes, an estimation of the mass and concentration of such constituents in the waste stream discharged during that calendar month, and an estimation of the mass of constituents in the waste stream expected to be discharged during the following 12 months. All notifications must take place no later than 180 days after the discharge commences. Any notification under this subsection need be submitted only once for each hazardous waste discharged. However, notifications of changed conditions must be submitted under § 230-42. The notification requirement in this section does not apply to pollutants already reported by users subject to categorical pretreatment standards under the self-monitoring requirements of § 230-48M.
B. 
An existing user must submit the above notification no later than at the time it submits its next renewal application after the effective date of this provision.
C. 
Dischargers are exempt from the requirements of Subsection A of § 230-44, above, during a calendar month in which they discharge no more than 15 kilograms of hazardous wastes, unless the wastes are acute hazardous wastes as specified in 40 CFR 261.30(d) and 261.33(c). Discharge of more than 15 kilograms of nonacute hazardous wastes in a calendar month, or of any quantity of acute hazardous wastes as specified in 40 CFR 261.30(d) and 261.33(c), requires a one-time notification. Subsequent months during which the user discharges more than such quantities of any hazardous waste do not require additional notification.
D. 
In the case of any new regulations under Section 3001 of RCRA[1] identifying additional characteristics of hazardous waste or listing any additional substance as a hazardous waste, the user must notify the Town, the EPA Regional Waste Management Waste Division Coordinator, and state hazardous waste authorities of the discharge of such substance within 90 days of the effective date of such regulations.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 42 U.S.C. § 6921.
E. 
In the case of any notification made under this section, the user shall certify that it has a program in place to reduce the volume and toxicity of hazardous wastes generated to the degree it has determined to be economically practical.
F. 
This provision does not create a right to discharge any substance not otherwise permitted to be discharged by this Part, a permit issued thereunder, or any applicable federal or state law.