Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise,
the meanings of terms used in this ordinance shall be as follows:
ABNORMAL SEWAGE
Any industrial waste having either a concentration of any
constituent in excess of that found in normal sewage or any other
character or property exceeding those conditions found in normal sewage,
but which is otherwise acceptable into a public sewer under the terms
of this ordinance.
ABNORMAL SEWAGE SURCHARGE
The charge levied against any person for services rendered
during treatment of abnormal sewage. This charge is intended to defray
the added cost of transporting and treating abnormal sewage and will
be in addition to the charge for normal sewage.
ALTERNATIVE DISCHARGE LIMIT
Limits set by the city in lieu of the promulgated National
Categorical Pretreatment Standards, for integrated facilities in accordance
with the combined waste stream formula as set by the EPA.
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF INDUSTRIAL USER
[Amended 12-17-2013]
(1)
If the user is a corporation:
(a)
The president, vice president, secretary or treasurer of the
corporation in charge of a principal business function, or any other
person who performs similar policy or decision-making functions for
the corporation; or
(b)
The manager of one or more manufacturing, production, or operation
facilities employing more than 250 persons, if authority to sign documents
has been assigned or delegated to the manager in accordance with corporate
procedures.
(2)
If the user is a partnership or sole proprietorship,
a general partner or proprietor, respectively.
(3)
If the user is a federal, state or local government
facility, a director or the highest-ranking official appointed or
designated to oversee the operation and performance of the activities
of the government facility, or such person's designee.
(4)
The individuals described in Subsections
(1) through
(3) above may designate another authorized representative if the authorization is in writing, the authorization specifies the individual or position responsible for the overall operation of the facility from which the discharge originates or having overall responsibility for the environmental matters for the company, and the written authorization is submitted to the City.
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation
of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure, five days at
20° C. expressed in terms of weight and concentration (milligrams
per liter).
BUILDING DRAIN
That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system
which receives the drainage from soil, waste and other drainage pipes
inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer,
beginning five feet [one and five-tenths meters] outside the inner
face of the building wall.
BUILDING SEWER
The extension of the building drainage system from the building
drain to the public sewer or other places of disposal.
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD)
A measure of the oxygen-consuming capacity of inorganic and
organic matter present in water or wastewater. It is expressed as
the amount of oxygen consumed from a chemical oxidant in a specified
test. It does not differentiate between stable and unstable organic
matter and thus does not necessarily correlate with biochemical oxygen
demand. Also known as "OC" and "DOC", oxygen consumed and dichromate
oxygen consumed, respectively.
CHLORINE DEMAND
The difference between the amount of chlorine added to water
or wastewater and the amount of residual chlorine remaining at the
end of a specified contact period. The demand for any given water
varies with the amount of chlorine applied, time of contact and temperature.
CITY
The City of North Tonawanda or its designated official or
department.
CITY ENGINEER
The City Engineer of the City of North Tonawanda or his authorized
agent or representative.
COMBINED WASTE STREAM
The waste stream at industrial facilities where regulated
process effluent is mixed with other wastewaters, either regulated
or unregulated, prior to treatment.
COMPATIBLE POLLUTANT
A substance amenable to treatment in the wastewater treatment
plant, such as biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, pH and
fecal coliform bacteria, plus additional pollutants identified in
the SPDES permit if the publicly owned treatment works was designed
to treat such pollutants, and in fact does remove such pollutant to
a substantial degree. Examples of such additional pollutants may include
chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, phosphorus and phosphorus
compounds, nitrogen compounds, fats, oils and greases of animal or
vegetable origin.
COMPOSITE SAMPLE
A series of samples taken over a specific period of time
and eventually combined into one sample whose volume is proportional
to the flow in the waste stream.
COOLING WATER
The water discharged from any use, such as air conditioning,
cooling or refrigeration, or to which the only pollutant added is
heat.
DEBT SERVICE CHARGE
The charges levied to customers of the wastewater system
which are used to pay principal, interest and administrative costs
of retiring the debt incurred for construction of the sewage works.
GARBAGE
Solid wastes from the domestic and commercial preparation,
cooking and dispensing of food and from the handling, storage and
sale of produce.
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, resulting from human excrement, from holding tanks
such as vessels, chemical toilets, campers, trailers, septic tanks
and vacuum pump tank trucks.
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
The wastewater discharges from industrial, manufacturing,
trade or business processes or wastewater discharge from any structure
with these characteristics, as distinct from their employee's domestic
wastes or wastes from sanitary conveniences.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE PERMIT
A permit issued by the city to deposit or discharge industrial
wastewater into any public sewer in the City of North Tonawanda.
INFLITRATION
That portion of groundwater which is unintentionally admitted
to a sewer.
INTERFERENCE
A discharge, which alone or in conjunction with a discharge
or discharges from other sources, inhibits or disrupts the POTW, its
treatment processes or operation of its sludge processes, use or disposal,
and, therefore, is a cause of violation of the City’s SPDES
permit or of the prevention of sewage sludge use or disposal in compliance
with any of the following statutory/regulatory provisions or permits
issued thereunder, or any more stringent federal, state or local regulations
such as Section 405 of the Act; the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA),
including Title II, commonly referred to as the "Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act" (RCRA); any state regulations contained in any state
sludge management plan prepared pursuant to Subtitle D of the SWDA;
the Clean Air Act; the Toxic Substances Control Act; and the Marine
Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act.
[Amended 12-17-2013]
LABORATORY DETERMINATION
The measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics
of waters and wastes in accordance with the methods contained in the
latest edition at the time of any such measurements, tests or analyses
of the characteristics of waters and wastes in accordance with the
methods contained in 40 CFR 136 or in accordance with any other method
prescribed by the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this
Article.
NATURAL OUTLET
Any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other
body of surface or groundwater.
NEW SOURCE
[Amended 12-17-2013]
(1)
Any building, structure, facility or installation from which
there is or may be a discharge of pollutants, the construction of
which commenced after the publication of proposed pretreatment standards
under Section 307(c) of the Act which will be applicable to such source
if such standards are thereafter promulgated in accordance with that
section, provided that:
(a)
The building, structure, facility or installation is constructed
at a site at which no other source is located; or
(b)
The building, structure, facility or installation totally replaces
the process or production equipment that causes the discharge of pollutants
at an existing source; or
(c)
The production or wastewater-generating processes of the building,
structure, facility or installation are substantially independent
of an existing source at the same site. In determining whether these
are substantially independent, factors such as the extent to which
the new facility is integrated with the existing plant and the extent
to which the new facility is engaged in the same general type of activity
as the existing source should be considered.
(2)
Construction on a site at which an existing source is located results in a modification rather than a new source if the construction does not create a new building, structure, facility, or installation meeting the criteria of Subsection
(1)(b) or
(c) above, but otherwise alters, replaces, or adds to existing process or production equipment.
(3)
Construction of a new source, as defined under this section,
has commenced if the owner or operator has:
(a)
Begun, or caused to begin, as part of a continuous on-site construction
program:
[1]
Any placement, assembly, or installation of facilities or equipment;
or
[2]
Significant site preparation work, including clearing, excavation
or removal of existing buildings, structure, or facilities which is
necessary for the placement, assembly, or installation of new source
facilities or equipment; or
(b)
Entered into a binding contractual obligation for the purchase
of facilities or equipment which are intended to be used in its operation
within a reasonable time. Options to purchase or contracts which can
be terminated or modified without substantial loss, and contracts
for feasibility, engineering, and design studies, do not constitute
a contractual obligation under this subsection.
NORMAL SEWAGE
Sewage which, when analyzed, shows, by weight, a daily average
of not more than the following, and which is otherwise acceptable
into a public sewer under the terms of this ordinance.
(1)
Biological oxygen: 300 parts per million.
(2)
Suspended solids: 300 parts per million.
(3)
Phosphate, as "P": 15 parts per million.
NORTH TONAWANDA WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
That portion of the publicly owned treatment works which
is designed to provide treatment (including recycling and reclamation)
of municipal sewage and industrial waste.
[Added 12-17-2013]
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
All work, materials, equipment, utilities, administration
and other effort required to operate and maintain the sewage works
consistent with ensuring adequate treatment of wastewater to produce
an effluent in compliance with the SPDES permit and other applicable
state and federal regulations, and includes the cost of replacement.
PASS-THROUGH
A discharge which exits the POTW into waters of the United
States in quantities or concentrations which, alone or in conjunction
with a discharge or discharges from other sources, is a cause of a
violation of any requirement of the POTW's National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) permit, including an increase in the magnitude
or duration of a violation.
[Added 12-17-2013]
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, copartnership, firm, company,
corporation, association, joint-stock company, trust, estate, governmental
entity or any other legal entity, or its legal representatives or
agents.
pH
The logarithm (base 10) of the reciprocal of the concentration
of hydrogen ions expressed in grams per liter of solution.
PLUMBING INSPECTOR
The Plumbing Inspector of the City of North Tonawanda, or
his authorized agent or representative.
PHOSPHORUS
The total phosphorus content of a sample, including all of
the orthophosphates and condensed phosphates, both soluble and insoluble,
and organic and inorganic species, and referred to in Standard Methods
as "total phosphorus."
POLLUTANT
Any of various chemicals, substances and refuse materials,
such as solid waste, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, chemical wastes,
biological materials, radioactive materials, heat and industrial,
municipal and agricultural wastes which impair the purity of the water
and soil.
POLLUTED WATER or WASTE
Any water or liquid waste containing any of the following:
phenols or other substances to an extent imparting taste or odor in
receiving waters; toxic or poisonous substances in suspension, coloidal
state of solution; noxious odorous gases; more than 10,000 parts per
million, by weight, of dissolved solids; more than 2,500 parts per
million, by weight, of dissolved chlorides; more than 10 parts per
million, by weight, each of suspended solids or BOD; color exceeding
50 parts per million, by weight; having a pH value of less than 5.5
or more than 9.5; as well as any water or waste not approved for discharge
to a natural outlet by appropriate state and/or federal authority.
POLLUTION
The man-made or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical,
biological or radiological integrity of water.
PRETREATMENT REQUIREMENTS
Any substantive or procedural requirement related to pretreatment,
other than a national pretreatment standard, imposed on an industrial
user.
[Amended 12-17-2013]
PRETREATMENT STANDARDS
National Categorical Pretreatment Standards, Alternative
Discharge Limits, or other federal, state or local standards, whichever
are applicable.
PRETREATMENT or TREATMENT
The reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination
of pollutants or the alteration of the nature of pollutants or the
alteration 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 the sewage works. The reduction or
alteration can be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes,
or process changes by other means, except as prohibited by 40 CFR
403.6(d).
PROCESS WASTEWATER
Any water which, during manufacturing or processing, comes
into direct contact with or results from the production or use of
any raw material, intermediate product, finished product, by-product,
or waste product.
[Added 12-17-2013]
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE
Garbage that has been shredded to such a degree that all
particles will be carried freely under the flow condition normally
prevailing in public sewers, with no particle greater than 1/2 inch
in any dimension.
PUBLICLY OWNED TREATMENT WORKS
A treatment works owned by the City of North Tonawanda. This
definition includes any devices and systems used in the storage, treatment,
recycling and reclamation of municipal sewage or industrial wastes
of a liquid nature. It also includes sewers, pipes and other conveyances
only if they convey wastewater to a North Tonawanda Wastewater Treatment
Plant. The term also means the municipality, in this case the City
of North Tonawanda, which has jurisdiction over the indirect discharges
to and the discharges from such a treatment works.
[Added 12-17-2013]
PUBLIC SEWER
A sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal
rights and which is controlled by the city.
REPLACEMENT
The replacement, in whole or in part, of any equipment in
the wastewater transportation or treatment systems to ensure continuous
treatment of wastewater in accordance with the SPDES permit and other
state and federal regulations.
SANITARY SEWER
A sewer which carries sewage and to which storm-, surface
and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.
SEWAGE or WASTEWATER
The liquid and watercarried industrial or domestic wastes
from dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial facilities and institutions,
together with any groundwater, surface water and stormwater that may
be present, whether treated or untreated, which is contributed into
or permitted to enter the sewage works.
SEWAGE WORKS
All municipal facilities for collecting, pumping, treating
and disposing of sewage and/or sludge, also referred to as "publicly
operated treatment works (POTW)."
SEWER
A pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
SEWER RENTS
A sewer service charge pursuant to the Sewer Rent Law adopted
by the city pursuant to Article 14-F of the General Municipal Law
of the State of New York.
SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER
[Amended 12-17-2013]
(1)
A user subject to categorical pretreatment standards; or
(2)
A user that:
(a)
Discharges an average of 25,000 gallons per day (gpd) or more
of process wastewater to the POTW (excluding sanitary, noncontact
cooling and boiler blowdown wastewater);
(b)
Contributes a process wastestream which makes up 5% or more
of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the NTWWTP;
or
(c)
Is designated as such by the City on the basis that is has a
reasonable potential for adversely affecting the POTW operation or
for violating any pretreatment standard or requirement.
(3)
Upon finding that a user meeting the criteria in Subsection
(2) has no reasonable potential for adversely affecting the POTW's operation or for violating any pretreatment standard or requirement, the City may, at any time, on its own initiative or in response to a petition received from a user, and in accordance with procedures in 40 CFR 403.8(f)(6), determine that such user should not be considered a significant industrial user.
SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE (VIOLATION)
A violation or violations that meet(s) one or more of the
following criteria:
[Amended 12-17-2013]
(1)
Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined here
as those in which 66% or more of all of the measurements taken for
the same pollutant parameter during a six-month period exceed (by
any magnitude) a numeric pretreatment standard or requirement, including
instantaneous limits, as defined by 40 CFR 403.3(l);
(2)
Technical review criteria (TRC) violations, defined here as
those in which 33% or more of all of the measurements taken for the
same pollutant parameter during a six-month period equal or exceed
the product of the numeric pretreatment standard or requirement, including
instantaneous limits, as defined by 40 CFR 403.3(l), multiplied by
the applicable TRC (TRC=1.4 for BOD, TSS, fats, oil, and grease, and
1.2 for all other pollutants except pH);
(3)
Any other violation of a pretreatment standard or requirement
as defined by 40 CFR 403.3(l) (daily maximum, long-term average, instantaneous
limit, or narrative standard) that the POTW determines has caused,
alone or in combination with other discharges, interference or pass-through
(including endangering the health of POTW personnel or the general
public);
(4)
Any discharge of a pollutant that has caused imminent endangerment
to human health or welfare or to the environment or has resulted in
the POTW's exercise of its emergency authority to halt or prevent
such a discharge;
(5)
Failure to meet, within 90 days after the schedule date, a compliance
schedule milestone contained in a local control mechanism or enforcement
order for starting construction, completing construction, or attaining
final compliance;
(6)
Failure to provide, within 30 days after the due date, required
reports such as baseline monitoring reports, ninety-day compliance
reports, periodic self-monitoring reports, and reports on compliance
with compliance schedules;
(7)
Failure to accurately report noncompliance;
(8)
Any other violation or group of violations, which may include
a violation of best management practices, which the POTW determines
will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the local
pretreatment program.
SLUG
Any discharge of a nonroutine, episodic nature, including
but not limited to an accidental spill or a noncustomary batch discharge,
which has a reasonable potential to cause interference or pass-through,
or in any other way violates the POTW's regulations, local limits
or permit conditions.
[Amended 12-17-2013]
STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION (SIC)
A classification pursuant to the Standard Industrial Classification
Manual issued by the Executive Office of the President, Office of
Management and Budget, 1972.
STANDARD METHODS
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater,
prepared and published jointly by the American Public Health Association,
the American Waterworks Association and the Water Pollution Control
Federation, latest edition.
STATE
The State of New York.
STORM SEWER or STORM DRAIN
A sewer which carries storm and surface waters and drainage,
but excludes sewage and polluted industrial wastes.
STORMWATER
Any flow occurring during or following any form of natural
precipitation and resulting therefrom.
SUPERINTENDENT
The Superintendent of Wastewater Facilities of the City of
North Tonawanda, or his authorized agent or representative.
SURCHARGE
A charge to cover the extra cost of treating, sampling and
testing abnormal sewage.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
The total suspended matter that floats on the surface of,
or is suspended in, water, wastewater or other liquids, and which
is removable by laboratory filtering.
TOXIC POLLUTANTS
Any pollutant or combination of pollutants which is or can
potentially be harmful to public health or environment, including
those listed as toxic in regulations promulgated by the Administrator
of the Environmental Protection Agency under the provisions of CWA
307(a) or other acts.
UNPOLLUTED WATER OR WASTE
Any water or waste containing less than the concentrations
of the constituents listed in the definition of "polluted water or
waste" and/or which is approved for discharge to a natural outlet
by appropriate state and/or federal authority.
USER
Any person who contributes, causes or permits the contribution
of wastewater into the sewage works.
USER CHARGE
A charge levied on users of a treatment works for the cost
of operation and maintenance of sewerage works pursuant to Section
204(b) of PL 92-500, and includes the cost of replacement.
USER CLASS
The kind of user connected to sanitary sewers, including
but not limited to residential, industrial, commercial, institutional
and governmental.
(1)
RESIDENTIAL USERA user of the treatment works whose premises or buildings are used primarily as a domicile for one or more persons, including dwelling units such as detached, semidetached and row houses, mobile homes, apartments or permanent multifamily dwellings. (Transit lodging is not included; it is considered commercial).
(2)
INDUSTRIAL USERAny user who discharges an industrial waste as defined in this ordinance.
(3)
COMMERCIAL USERAn establishment listed in the Office of Management and Budget's Standard Industrial Classification Manual (SICM), 1972 Edition, involved in a commercial enterprise, business or service which, based on a determination by the city, discharges primarily segregated domestic wastes or wastes from sanitary conveniences and which is not a residential user or an industrial user.
(4)
INSTITUTIONAL USERAny establishment listed in the SICM involved in a social, charitable, religious or educational function which, based on a determination by the city, discharges primarily segregated domestic wastes or wastes from sanitary conveniences.
(5)
GOVERNMENTAL USERAny federal, state or local governmental user of the wastewater treatment works.
WATERCOURSE
A channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously
or intermittently.
WATERS OF THE STATE
All streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, watercourses, waterways,
wells, springs, reservoirs, aquifers, irrigation systems, drainage
systems and all other bodies or accumulations of water, surface or
underground, natural or artificial, public or private, which are contained
within, flow through or border upon the state or any portion thereof.