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.
A.
Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged
to such sewers as are specifically designated as combined sewers or
storm sewers, or to a natural outlet approved by the enforcing officer.
Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged,
on approval of the enforcing officer, to a storm sewer, combined sewer
or natural outlet. However, all new connections to combined sewers
shall be made separately to serve all roof downspouts, exterior foundation
drains, areaway drains and other unpolluted drainage.
B.
Every effort must be made to avoid discharging stormwater and all
other unpolluted drainage to combined sewers. Only in cases where
every alternative has been exhausted, and severe flooding will be
encountered otherwise, will such connection be allowed. Such cases
must be fully documented and approved by the Sewer Commission and
the Department of Community Utilities.
A.
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any pollutant
or wastewater which causes pass through or interference. These general
prohibitions apply to all users of the sewerage works, whether or
not they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any
other national, state, or local pretreatment standards or requirements.
B.
The following described waters or wastes shall be prohibited from
any public sewers:
(1)
Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil or other flammable or explosive
liquid, solid or gas without expressed written consent of the control
authority.
(2)
Pollutants which create a fire or explosive hazard in the sewage
works, including, but not limited to, waste streams with a closed-cup
flashpoint of less than 140° F. (60° C.) using the test methods
specified in 40 CFR 261.21.
(3)
Any waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids
or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by 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 sewage treatment
plant, including but not limited to cyanides in excess of two milligrams
per liter as CN in the wastes as discharged to the public sewer.
(4)
Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or greater than 11.5
or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or
hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the sewerage works.
(5)
Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable
of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or other interference
with the proper operation of the sewerage works, such as but not limited
to latex, rubber, ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal,
glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, garbage, whole blood,
paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails, paper dishes, paper cups,
paper milk containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.
(6)
Pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released
in a discharge at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which,
either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, will cause
interference with the sewerage works.
(7)
Petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral
oil origin, in amounts that will cause interference or pass through;
(8)
Pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or
fumes within the sewerage works in a quantity that may cause acute
worker health and safety problems.
(9)
Trucked or hauled pollutants, except at discharge points designated
by the enforcing officer.
(10)
Wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes except
in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations.
(11)
Sludges, screenings, or other residues from the pretreatment
of industrial waste.
(12)
Medical wastes, except as specifically authorized by the Administrator
of Community Utilities in an individual wastewater discharge permit.
A.
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged the substances, materials, waters or wastes described in Subsection B of this section if it appears likely in the opinion of the enforcing officer that such wastes can harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process or equipment, have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or otherwise endanger life, limb or public property or constitute a nuisance.
B.
In forming his opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the
enforcing officer will give consideration to such factors as the quantities
of subject wastes in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers,
materials of construction of the sewers, nature of the sewage treatment
process, capacity of the sewage treatment plant, degree of treatability
of wastes in the sewage treatment plant and other pertinent factors.
The substances prohibited are:
(1)
Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 130° F.
(2)
Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease or oils, whether
emulsified or not, in excess of 100 milligrams per liter or containing
substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between
32° F. and 150° F.
(3)
Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. The installation
and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of three-fourths
horsepower or greater shall be subject to the review and approval
of the enforcing officer.
(4)
Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc 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 sewage treatment works exceeds the
limits established by the enforcing officer for such materials.
(a)
Limits for the following substances must not be exceeded at
the point source discharge to the sewer system:
|
Substance
|
Limit
(mg/l)
|
|---|---|
|
Cadmium
|
0.30
|
|
Chromium
|
2.24
|
|
Copper
|
0.54
|
|
Lead
|
4.0
|
|
Nickel
|
1.43
|
|
Silver
|
0.10
|
|
Zinc
|
2.20
|
(b)
If any other local, state or federal regulations apply to these
substances, the most stringent regulation shall apply.
(5)
Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste-producing
or odor-producing substances in concentrations exceeding limits which
may be established by the enforcing officer as necessary, after treatment
of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of the state, federal
or other public agencies having jurisdiction for such discharge to
the receiving waters.
(6)
Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration
as may exceed limits established by the enforcing officer in compliance
with applicable state or federal regulations.
(7)
Any waters or wastes having a pH in excess of 11.5.
(8)
Materials which exert or cause:
(a)
Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but
not limited to, fuller's earth, lime slurries and lime residues) or
of dissolved solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride
and sodium sulfate). The concentration of total suspended solids (TSS)
shall not exceed 350 milligrams per liter.
(b)
Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes
and vegetable tanning solutions).
(c)
Unusual BOD, chemical oxygen demand or chlorine requirements
in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage
treatment works.
(d)
Unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes constituting
slugs.
(e)
Unusual concentrations of nitrogen and nitrogen compounds.
(f)
Unusual concentrations of phosphorus.
(9)
Wastes removed from septic tanks and cesspools.
(10)
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.
C.
When a categorical pretreatment standard is expressed only in terms of pollutant concentrations, an industrial user may request that the enforcing officer convert the limits to equivalent mass limits. The determination to convert concentration limits to mass limits is within the discretion of the enforcing officer. The enforcing officer may establish equivalent mass limits only if the industrial user meets all the conditions set forth in Subsection C(1)(a) through (e) below.
(1)
To be eligible for equivalent mass limits, the industrial user must:
(a)
Employ, or demonstrate that it will employ, water conservation
methods and technologies that substantially reduce water use during
the term of its individual wastewater discharge permit;
(b)
Currently use control and treatment technologies adequate to
achieve compliance with the applicable categorical pretreatment standard,
and not have used dilution as a substitute for treatment;
(c)
Provide sufficient information to establish the facility's actual
average daily flow rate for all waste streams, based on data from
a continuous effluent flow monitoring device, as well as the facility's
long-term average production rate. Both the actual average daily flow
rate and the long-term average production rate must be representative
of current operating conditions;
(d)
Not have daily flow rates, production levels, or pollutant levels
that vary so significantly that equivalent mass limits are not appropriate
to control the discharge; and
(e)
Have consistently complied with all applicable categorical pretreatment
standards during the period prior to the industrial user's request
for equivalent mass limits.
(2)
An industrial user subject to equivalent mass limits must:
(a)
Maintain and effectively operate control and treatment technologies
adequate to achieve compliance with the equivalent mass limits;
(b)
Continue to record the facility's flow rates through the use
of a continuous effluent flow monitoring device;
(c)
Continue to record the facility's production rates and notify the enforcing officer whenever production rates are expected to vary by more than 20% from its baseline production rates determined in Subsection (1)(c) of this section. Upon notification of a revised production rate, the enforcing officer will reassess the equivalent mass limit and revise the limit as necessary to reflect changed conditions at the facility; and
(3)
When developing equivalent mass limits, the enforcing officer:
(a)
Will calculate the equivalent mass limit by multiplying the
actual average daily flow rate of the regulated process(es) of the
industrial user by the concentration-based daily maximum and monthly
average standard for the applicable categorical pretreatment standard
and the appropriate unit conversion factor;
(b)
Upon notification of a revised production rate, will reassess
the equivalent mass limit and recalculate the limit as necessary to
reflect changed conditions at the facility; and may retain the same
equivalent mass limit in subsequent individual wastewater discharge
permit terms if the industrial user's actual average daily flow rate
was reduced solely as a result of the implementation of water conservation
methods and technologies, and the actual average daily flow rates
used in the original calculation of the equivalent mass limit were
not based on the use of dilution as a substitute for treatment.
A.
Authority of enforcing officer. If any waters or wastes are discharged or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in § 74-224, and which in the judgment of the enforcing officer may have a deleterious effect upon the sewerage works, processes, equipment or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the enforcing officer may:
(1)
Reject the wastes.
(2)
Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to
the public sewers.
(3)
Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge.
(4)
Require payment to cover the added cost of handling and treating
the wastes not covered by existing taxes or sewer charges under the
provisions of this article.
B.
Pretreatment or equalization of waste flows. If the enforcing officer
permits the pretreatment or equalization of waste flows, the design
and installation of the plant and equipment shall be subject to review
and approval of the enforcing officer and subject to the requirements
of all applicable codes, ordinances and laws.
C.
Waste from septic tanks and cesspools. Wastes removed from septic
tanks and cesspools may be discharged to the public sewers only under
the following conditions:
(1)
The superintendent of the sewage treatment plant is notified, and
it is done in the presence of his representative.
(2)
It is done during the schedule as established by the enforcing officer.
(3)
It is done at places designated by the enforcing officer.
(4)
It shall done be in a manner and at such times as may be acceptable
to the authority having jurisdiction over the sewer.
A.
Fees. The owner or operator of any company transporting and disposing of the contents of private cesspools, chemical toilets, septic tanks, holding tanks or waste receptacles into the sewerage system shall pay a fee for each 1,000 gallons or fraction thereof of tank capacity of the truck or vehicle depositing the material in accordance with Chapter A110, Fee Schedule, of the City Code.
B.
Approval of source and hauler. All nonresidential sources must be
approved in writing by the Sewer Commission. All transport haulers
must be approved by the Sewer Commission.
A.
Generally. Grease and oil interceptors shall be provided when, in
the opinion of the enforcing officer, they are necessary for the proper
handling of liquid waste containing grease in excessive amounts or
other harmful ingredients, except that such interceptors shall not
be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors
shall be of a type and capacity approved by the enforcing officer,
and shall be located so as to be readily accessible for cleaning and
inspection.
B.
Approval; recommended requirements. The Plumbing Inspector must approve
all grease traps. The following are the recommended requirements;
however, the Plumbing Inspector may approve alternative systems based
on the specific project:[1]
(1)
Grease traps generally. Any commercial establishment, including restaurants,
bakeries, nursing homes, schools, hospitals or other such industries,
having a potential or actual discharge of wastewater containing a
concentration of 100 milligrams per liter or more of fat, oil or grease,
or that impacts the City sewer system in such a way as to hinder flow
or upset process conditions at the publicly owned treatment works,
shall provide a fat, oil and grease interceptor to eliminate such
discharges. Fat, oil and grease interceptors, referred to in this
section as "grease traps," must adhere to the following specifications:
(a)
Capacity. Grease traps shall have a minimum depth of four feet
and a minimum capacity of 1,000 gallons, and shall be of sufficient
capacity to provide at least a twenty-four-hour detention time for
the projected flow to the sewer.
(b)
Construction. Grease traps shall be watertight and constructed
of sound and durable materials not subject to excessive corrosion
or frost damage, or cracking or buckling due to settlement or backfilling.
Tanks and covers shall be designed and constructed so as to withstand
normal structural loadings. Proper buoyancy compensation must be provided
if necessary.
(c)
Depth of tees. The inlet tee shall extend to the mid-depth of
the tank and conform to specifications delineated in 248 CMR 10.09.
The outlet tee shall be of PVC and extend to within 12 inches of the
bottom of the tank. Tees shall be properly supported by a hanger,
strap or other device.
(d)
Baffles. Baffles may be provided as necessary to maximize the
separation of grease from the wastewater. Baffles may not be a substitute
for the inlet and outlet tees.
(e)
Materials. Grease traps may be constructed of poured reinforced
concrete, precast reinforced concrete or prefabricated material acceptable
to the approving authority.
(f)
Base. Grease traps shall be installed on a level, stable base
that will not settle.
(g)
Accessibility. Grease traps shall be located on the lot so as
to be accessible for servicing and cleaning.
(h)
Access manholes. Grease traps shall be provided with a minimum
twenty-four-inch-diameter manhole frame and cover to grade. Manholes
shall be provided over the inlet and outlet.
(i)
Backfill. Backfill around the grease trap shall be placed in
such a manner as to prevent damage to the tank.
(j)
Cleaning. Grease traps shall be inspected monthly and shall
be cleaned by the owner when the level of grease is 25% of the effective
depth of the trap, or at least every three months. A log book depicting
scheduled maintenance and maintenance performed shall be kept by the
owner and made available to the City's health inspector upon request.
Recorded log books must be kept available for inspection for at least
three years.
(k)
Location. Grease traps shall be installed on a separate building
sewer serving that part of the plumbing system into which the grease
will be discharged. Grease traps shall be installed on the lot, below
grade, and 10 feet outside of the structure. A variance may be granted
by the City Health and Human Services Division to allow the installation
of a grease trap within the confines of the structure if it is demonstrated,
to the satisfaction of the Health and Human Services Division, that
such installation does not constitute a threat to the general welfare
and health of the public and that installation outside of the structure
creates an undue hardship.
(l)
Grease traps not required for certain premises. Grease traps
are not required for individual dwelling units or any private living
quarters.
(m)
Discharge of waste from food waste grinders. The waste from
food waste grinders (garbage disposers) shall not discharge to the
sewer through a grease trap.
(2)
Interior grease traps. Adherence to this section does not exculpate
liability to conform with the requirements of 248 CMR 10.09.
(3)
Oil and gas separators. Garages, parking lots, condominiums and other
establishments where petroleum-based products are used and stored
and where any petroleum-based products, sand or other harmful material
may be discharged to the City sewer system or that may discharge stormwater
runoff into wetlands must provide a separator pursuant to 248 CMR
10.09.
C.
Enforcement. The Sewer Commission, as authorized by this chapter
and MGL c. 41, §§ 63, 65 and 68, hereby designates
the City Plumbing Inspector to enforce the conditions of this section.
The Plumbing Inspector shall act as an agent of the Sewer Commission
when enforcing this section only and carry out duties including, but
not limited to:
(1)
The use of this section as constituent criteria in the issuance of
plumbing permits.
(2)
Inspecting the installation of grease traps to ensure compliance
with this section.
(3)
The signing of building permits to signify compliance with this section
by the permit holder.
(4)
The implementation of 248 CMR 10.09. The jurisdiction of the Plumbing
Inspector shall be extended to include all fixtures up to and including
the sewer connection. Jurisdiction granted to the City's Plumbing
Inspector by this section shall not be superseded by 248 CMR 10.09
or any federal, state or local statute that limits the jurisdiction
of the Plumbing Inspector to that of any distance short of the sewer
connection.[2]
Where preliminary treatment 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.
When required by the enforcing officer, the owner of any property
serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install
a suitable control manhole, together with such necessary meters and
other appurtenances 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 enforcing officer. The manhole
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 measurements, tests and analyses 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 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 the control manhole. If no special manhole has been
required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest
downstream manhole in the public sewer from the point at which the
building sewer is connected. Sampling shall be carried out by customarily
accepted methods to reflect the effect of constituents upon the sewerage
works and to determine the existence of hazards to life, limb and
property. The particular analyses involved will determine whether
a twenty-four-hour composite of all outfalls of a premises is appropriate
or whether grab samples should be taken. Normally, but not always,
BOD and suspended solids analyses are obtained from twenty-four-hour
composites of all outfalls, whereas pH is determined from periodic
grab samples.
B.
All industries discharging into a public sewer shall perform such
monitoring of their discharges as the enforcing officer and/or other
duly authorized employees of the City may reasonably require, including
installation, use and maintenance of monitoring equipment, keeping
records and reporting results of such monitoring to the enforcing
officer. Such records shall be made available upon request of the
enforcing officer to other agencies having jurisdiction over discharges
to the receiving waters.
A.
Users shall provide wastewater treatment as necessary to comply with this article and shall achieve compliance with all categorical pretreatment standards, local limits, and the prohibitions set out in § 74-224, Discharges requiring approval by the enforcing officer of this article within the time limitations specified by EPA, the state, or the enforcing officer, whichever is more stringent. Any facilities necessary for compliance shall be provided, operated, and maintained at the user's expense. Detailed plans describing such facilities and operating procedures shall be submitted to the enforcing officer for review, and shall be acceptable to the enforcing officer before such facilities are constructed. The review of such plans and operating procedures shall in no way relieve the user from the responsibility of modifying such facilities as necessary to produce a discharge acceptable to the enforcing officer under the provisions of this article.
B.
Whenever deemed necessary, the enforcing officer may require users
to restrict their discharge during peak flow periods, designate that
certain wastewater be discharged only into specific sewers, relocate
and/or consolidate points of discharge, separate domestic sewage waste
streams from industrial waste streams, and such other conditions as
may be necessary to protect the sewerage works and determine the user's
compliance with the requirements of this article.
C.
The enforcing officer may require any persons discharging into the
treatment works to install and maintain, on their property and at
their expense, a suitable storage and flow-control facility to ensure
equalization of flow. An individual wastewater discharge permit may
be issued solely for flow equalization.
D.
The enforcing officer shall evaluate whether each SIU needs an accidental
discharge/slug discharge control plan or other action to control slug
discharges. The enforcing officer may require any user to develop,
submit for approval, and implement such a plan or take such other
action that may be necessary to control slug discharges. An accidental
discharge/slug discharge control plan shall address, at a minimum,
the following:
(1)
Description of discharge practices, including nonroutine batch discharges;
(2)
Description of stored chemicals;
(3)
Procedures for immediately notifying the enforcing officer of any
accidental or slug discharge; and
(4)
Procedures to prevent adverse impact from any accidental or slug
discharge. Such procedures include, but are not limited to, inspection
and maintenance of storage areas, handling and transfer of materials,
loading and unloading operations, control of plant site runoff, worker
training, building of containment structures or equipment, measures
for containing toxic organic pollutants, including solvents, and/or
measures and equipment for emergency response.
