[Code 1979, § 2.41; amended 7-5-1994 by Ord. No. 94-07]
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
(1) 
In the case of a corporation, a president, secretary, treasurer or vice-president of the corporation in charge of a principal business function.
(2) 
In the case of a partnership or proprietorship, a general partner or proprietor.
(3) 
An authorized representative of the individual designated above if:
a. 
Such representative is responsible for the overall operation of the facilities from which the discharge originates;
b. 
The authorization is in writing; and
c. 
The written authorization is submitted to the public services director.
BOD or BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND
The quantity of oxygen, expressed in milligrams per liter, utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory conditions for five days at a temperature of 20° C. The laboratory determinations shall be made in accordance with procedures set forth in Standard Methods.
BUILDING DRAIN
That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system that receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and convey it to the building sewer, beginning five feet 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.
BYPASS
The intentional diversion of waste streams from any portion of an industrial user's treatment facility.
CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARD
Any regulation containing pollutant discharge limits or requirements promulgated by the EPA in accordance with § 307(b) and (c) of the Act (33 USC 1317) which applies to a specific category of industrial users.
CATEGORICAL STANDARD
Refers to National Categorical Pretreatment Standards or a pretreatment standard as promulgated under authority of Public Law 92-500, 40 CFR 403.
COD or CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND
The quantity of oxygen consumed in the chemical oxidation of organic matter expressed in milligrams per liter.
COMBINED SEWER
A sewer receiving both surface runoff and sewage.
COMPATIBLE POLLUTANT
The pollutants which are treated and removed to a substantial degree by the treatment works. These pollutants include COD, BOD, suspended solids, pH and fecal coliform, phosphorus and its compounds, nitrogen and its compounds.
DIRECTOR
The director of public services of the City or his authorized deputy, agent or representative.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY or EPA
The United States Environmental Protection Agency or, where appropriate, the term may also be used as a designation for the administrator or other authorized official of the agency.
FEDERAL ACT or ACT
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended by the Clean Water Act and the Water Quality Act of 1987, 33 USC 1251 et seq., and rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
GARBAGE
The residue from the domestic and commercial preparation, cooking and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage and sale of food products and produce.
GROUND GARBAGE
The residue from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food that has been shredded to such degree that all particles will be carried freely in suspension under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers with no particle greater than one-half inch in any dimension.
INDUSTRIAL USER
Any nondomestic user discharging or potentially discharging, from any nondomestic source to the City's wastewater system, pollutants which are subject to regulation under the federal act, state law or local ordinance.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Liquid waste carried from industrial processes, as distinct from sanitary sewage.
INTERFERENCE
Any inhibition or disruption of the City's sewer system, treatment process, operations or residuals management program, which may contribute to a violation of the City's NPDES permit.
NATURAL OUTLET
Any outlet, including storm drains, into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface water or groundwater.
NEW SOURCE
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 § 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:
(1) 
The building, structure, facility or installation is constructed at a site at which no other source is located;
(2) 
The building, structure, facility or installation totally replaces the process or production equipment that causes the discharge of pollutants at an existing source; or
(3) 
The production or wastewater generating processes are substantially independent of an existing source at the same site.
NONDOMESTIC USER
Any user of the sewage works that discharges wastes other than or in addition to water-carried wastes from toilet, kitchen, laundry, bathing or other facilities used for household purposes.
NORMAL STRENGTH DOMESTIC WASTEWATER
Wastewater with BOD of 220 mg/l, suspended solids of 300 mg/l, phosphorus of 10 mg/l, ammonia-nitrogen of 20 mg/l, a pH between 6.5 and 9.5, and not containing a concentration or quality of other constituents which may interfere with the normal wastewater treatment process.
NPDES PERMIT
A National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit; a permit issued pursuant to § 402 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 USC 1342).
PASS-THROUGH
A discharge which exits the wastewater treatment system into the receiving water in quantities or concentrations which, alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources, causes a violation of any requirement of the City's NPDES permit (including an increase in the magnitude or duration of a violation).
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, firm, company, corporation, association, joint stock company, trust, estate, governmental entity or any other legal entity, or their legal representatives, agent or assigns.
pH
The logarithm (base 10) of the reciprocal of the hydrogen ion concentration expressed in moles per liter.
POLLUTANT
Any dredged spoil, solid waste, incinerator residue, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discharged equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt and industrial, municipal, commercial and agricultural waste or any other contaminant.
PRETREATMENT
Reducing the amount of pollutants, eliminating pollutants or altering the nature of pollutant properties to a less harmful state prior to discharge into a public sewer. The reduction or alteration can be by physical, chemical or biological processes, process changes or by other means. Dilution is not considered pretreatment unless expressly authorized by an applicable national pretreatment standard for a particular industrial category.
PRETREATMENT STANDARD or STANDARD
Any local, state or federal regulation containing pollutant discharge prohibitions, limitations or requirements applicable to discharges to the City's wastewater system.
PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR or DIRECTOR
The head of the public services department or his duly authorized representatives.
PUBLIC SEWER
A sewer provided by or subject to the jurisdiction of the City. It shall also include sewers within or outside the City boundaries that serve one or more persons and ultimately discharge into the City's wastewater facilities, even though those sewers may not have been constructed with City funds.
SANITARY SEWER
A sewer that conveys sewage or industrial wastes or a combination of both and into which stormwaters, surface waters and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.
SEVERE PROPERTY DAMAGE
Substantial physical damage to property, damage to the treatment facilities which causes them to become inoperable, or substantial and permanent loss of natural resources which can reasonably be expected to occur in the absence of a bypass. Severe property damage does not mean economic loss caused by delays in production.
SEWAGE OR WASTEWATER
A combination of the water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions and industrial establishments.
SEWAGE WORKS OR WASTEWATER SYSTEM
All facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing of sewage.
SEWER
A pipe or conduit that conveys wastewater or drainage water.
SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER
[Amended 2-8-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-01]
(1) 
Except as provided in Subsection (2) below, the term "significant industrial user" means:
a. 
Any industrial user subject to categorical pretreatment standards under 40 CFR 403.6 and 40 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter N; or
b. 
Any other industrial user that discharges an average of 25,000 gallons per day or more of process wastewater (excluding sanitary, noncontact cooling and boiler blowdown wastewater), contributes a process waste stream which makes up 5% or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the treatment plant; or
c. 
An industrial user designated as such by the public services director on the basis that the industrial user has a reasonable potential for adversely affecting the operation of the wastewater system or for violating any pretreatment standard or requirement (in accordance with 40 CFR 403.(f)(6)).
(2) 
Upon a finding that an industrial user meeting the criteria in Subsection (1)b above has no reasonable potential for adversely affecting the operation of the wastewater system or for violating any pretreatment standard or requirement, the public services director may at any time, on his own initiative or in response to a request from an industrial user, and in accordance with 40 CFR 403.8(f)(6), determine that such industrial user is not a significant industrial user.
SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE (SNC)
The noncompliance status of an industrial user with a violation or pattern of violations that meets one or more of the following criteria:
[Amended 2-8-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-01]
(1) 
Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined 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 an instantaneous limit, as defined in § 78-31.
(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 an instantaneous limit, as defined in § 78-31, 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 in § 78-31 (daily maximum, long-term average, instantaneous limit, or narrative standard) that the public services director determines has caused, alone or in combination with other discharges, interference or pass through (including endangering the health and safety of City personnel or the general public).
(4) 
Any discharge of a pollutant that has caused imminent endangerment to human health, welfare or to the environment or has resulted in an emergency suspension of service 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 schedule 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 public services director determines will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the local pretreatment program.
SLUG
Any discharge of wastewater which in concentration of any given constituent or in quantity of flow exceeds for any period of duration longer than 15 minutes more than five times the average twenty-four-hour concentration or flows during normal operation.
SLUG DISCHARGE
Any discharge of a nonroutine, episodic nature, including but not limited to an accidental spill or a noncustomary batch discharge.
STANDARD METHODS
The laboratory procedures set forth in the latest edition, at the time of analysis, of Standard Methods for Examination of Water and Wastewater, published by the American Public Health Association or methods given in 40 CFR 136, Guidelines for Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants.
STORM DRAIN
A drain, sewer or open ditch for conveying stormwater, groundwater, subsurface water or unpolluted water discharged in accordance with a NPDES permit.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
Solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension in water, sewage or other liquids.
TOXIC OR HAZARDOUS POLLUTANT
Any pollutant or combination of pollutants listed in accordance with regulations promulgated by the EPA under the provisions of Public Law 92-500, § 307(A) or included in the critical materials register of the state water resources commission.
[Code 1979, § 2.40]
The sewage works of the City is under the management of the director of public services, or his designated representative, who may implement this article by making such rules, regulations, determinations and requirements as he deems necessary and advisable for the safe, efficient and proper operation of the sewage works subject, however to the rights, powers and duties with respect thereto which are reserved by law to the City Council.
[Code 1979, § 2.42]
It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit or permit to be deposited in any unsanitary manner upon 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.
[Code 1979, § 2.43]
It shall be unlawful to discharge to any natural outlet within the City, or in any area under the jurisdiction of the City, any wastewater or polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations of local, state and federal regulatory agencies.
[Code 1979, § 2.44]
The owner of any house, building or property used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes, situated within the City and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located or may hereafter be located a public sanitary sewer of the City, is hereby required at his expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article, within 90 days after date of official notice to do so.
[Code 1979, § 2.45]
(a) 
Except for facilities approved by the county health department in accordance with the county environmental health code and approved by the director, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended or used for the disposal of wastewater within the City.
(b) 
The owner shall operate and maintain any private disposal facilities in a sanitary manner at all times at no expense to the City.
(c) 
Within 60 days after notice that a public sanitary sewer is available to a property served by a private wastewater disposal system, a direct connection shall be made to the public sanitary sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article. Any septic tanks, cesspools and similar disposal facilities shall be cleaned of sludge and wastewater and filled with clean gravel or dirt.
[Code 1979, § 2.46]
(a) 
Stormwater and all other uncontaminated drainage shall be discharged to storm drains or to natural outlets as approved by the director and other regulating agencies. Industrial or commercial process water, cooling water or other discharges may be discharged to a storm drain or natural outlet only under a NPDES permit.
(b) 
Whenever a separate building sewer is required to accommodate surface runoff or groundwater and provided a storm drain is available contiguous to the property requiring the separate building drain, the building drain shall be connected directly to the storm drain. All separate building drains to accommodate surface runoff and groundwater discharge shall be constructed in accordance with the provisions of this article.
[Code 1979, § 2.75]
The director 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 pertinent to discharges to storm drains, public sewers, natural outlets, watercourses and wastewater facilities in accordance with the provisions of this article. Such entry shall normally be made during regular business hours, but in an emergency, at any time. The director shall have access to control manholes or monitoring facilities installed pursuant to § 78-111(5) at any time. The City shall have the right to set up on the user's property such devices as are necessary to conduct sampling, inspection, compliance monitoring and/or metering operations.
[Code 1979, § 2.76]
While performing the necessary work on private properties referred to in § 78-38, the director or duly authorized employee 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 of the City employee and the City shall indemnify the company against loss or damage to its property by the City employees or property damage claims asserted against the company and growing out of the gaging and sampling operation, except as such as may be caused by negligence or failure of the company to maintain safe conditions as required in § 78-111(5).
[Code 1979, § 2.77]
Information and data furnished to the City with respect to the nature and frequency of discharge shall be available to the public or other governmental agency without restriction unless the discharger specifically requests and is able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the City that the release of such information would divulge information, processes or methods of production entitled to protection as trade secrets or proprietary information of the discharger. When requested by a discharger furnishing a report, the portions of a report which may disclose trade secrets or secret processes shall not be made available for inspection by the public but shall be made available upon written request to governmental agencies for uses related to this article, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and/or the pretreatment programs; provided, however, that such portions of a report shall be available for use by the state or any state agency in judicial review or enforcement proceedings involving the discharger furnishing the report. Wastewater constituents and characteristics will not be recognized as confidential information. Information accepted by the City as confidential shall not be transmitted to any governmental agency or to the general public by the City until and unless a ten-day notification is given to the discharger.
[Code 1979, § 2.78]
(a) 
It is the purpose of this section to provide for the payment of fees from nondomestic users of the City's wastewater system to compensate the City for the cost of administration of the wastewater pretreatment and control program established in this article.
(b) 
The City shall adopt by Council resolution charges and fees which may include:
(1) 
Fees for monitoring, inspection and surveillance procedures.
(2) 
Fees for reimbursement of cost to establishment and administer the City's wastewater pretreatment and control program.
[Code 1979, § 2.79]
(a) 
Any person found to be violating any provision of this article shall be served by the director with a written notice stating the nature of the violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction of the violation. The offender shall, within the period of time stated in the notice, permanently cease all violations.
(b) 
A violation of the provisions of this article shall be considered a public nuisance per se and any action authorized or permitted by law for the abatement of public nuisances may be instituted by the City in regard to such violation.
(c) 
Whenever a person has violated any provision of this article, the City may take any legal action necessary to recover damages sustained by the City as a result of the violation. Such damages shall include, but are not limited to, lost revenues from the federal or state government and any fines or other penalties which are the result of the aforesaid violation.
[Code 1979, § 2.80]
(a) 
In the case of discharges which present or may present an imminent or substantial endangerment to the health or welfare of persons, to the environment, or cause interference with the operation of the sewage works, or otherwise constitutes a public nuisance or emergency, the City sewer service of any person causing or threatening to cause such discharge may be terminated by order of the director, pending further investigation and hearing under § 78-44.
(b) 
Any person so notified of the suspension of the City's sewer service shall, within the time specified in the notice, cease all discharges.
(c) 
In the event of failure of the person to voluntarily comply with the suspension order within the specified time, the City may commence an action or proceeding in any court of competent jurisdiction to compel the person's compliance with the order.
(d) 
The City shall reinstate the sewer service and terminate the judicial proceedings upon proof by the user to the satisfaction of the director of the elimination of the noncomplying discharge or conditions creating the threat of imminent or substantial danger as set forth in Subsection (a) of this section.
[Code 1979, § 2.81]
(a) 
Authority to terminate. The director shall have the authority to terminate wastewater service to any user who attempts to violate or violates any provision of this article or who in any way attempts to avoid, delay, prevent or interfere with the execution or enforcement of any provision of this article, or who fails to pay any charges levied against the user, whether regular or extraordinary, under this article, or who attempts to violate or violates or attempts to avoid, delay, prevent or interfere with the execution or enforcement of any order, rule or regulation promulgated by the director for compliance with or in execution of this article, or who fails to appear at a hearing to meet a charge against him under this article.
(b) 
Hearing procedures.
(1) 
In addition to any remedies provided elsewhere in this article, whenever the director has reason to believe that any user has committed or is committing an offense covered by Subsection (a) of this section he may serve upon the user a written notice stating the nature of the alleged violation and describing the time for and the nature of required correction.
(2) 
If the violation is not corrected as prescribed in the notice, the director may issue an order to the user to appear for a hearing and show cause why service should not be terminated.
(3) 
The notice and order to show cause shall be served upon the user by personal service, or in lieu thereof by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the user's last known address.
(4) 
The hearing shall be conducted by the City Manager or a hearing officer appointed by him who shall render a written decision determining whether the user's service shall be terminated and stating reasons therefor. Admissibility of evidence at the hearing shall be within the discretion of the manager or officer.
(5) 
The user shall be entitled to be represented at the hearing in person or by an attorney at his own expense and shall be entitled to examine witnesses for the City and present evidence on his own behalf. A record shall be made of the proceedings, but such record need not be verbatim.
(6) 
The user whose service is terminated without prior hearing may request such a hearing as described in Subsection (b)(4) and (5) of this section, to permit him to show why his service should not have been terminated and should be resumed. Such requests shall be granted but service will not be resumed unless so ordered by the City Manager or hearing officer.
[Code 1979, § 2.82; amended 7-5-1994 by Ord. No. 94-07]
The public services director shall publish, at least annually in the largest daily newspaper published in the service area of the wastewater system, a public notification of industrial users which are found to be in significant noncompliance with applicable pretreatment requirements during the period since the previous publication.
[Code 1979, § 2.83]
Any discharger or any interested party shall have the right to request in writing an interpretation or ruling by the City on any matter covered by this article and shall be entitled to a prompt written reply. If the inquiry is by a discharger and deals with matters of performance or compliance with this article for which enforcement activity relating to an alleged violation which is the subject, receipt of a discharger's request shall stay all enforcement proceedings pending receipt of the written reply. Appeal of any final judicial order entered pursuant to this article may be taken in accordance with local and state law.
[Code 1979, § 2.85; amended 7-5-1994 by Ord. No. 94-07]
(a) 
Civil penalties. Any person who is found in court to have willfully or negligently failed to comply with any provision of this article shall be punished as provided in § 1-14. Each day on which a violation shall occur or continue shall be deemed a separate and distinct offense.
(b) 
Consent orders. The public services director is hereby empowered to enter into consent orders establishing an agreement with an industrial user which is subject to enforcement action for noncompliance with this article. Consent orders may include compliance schedules, stipulated fines or penalties, remedial actions, other provisions agreed to by the parties, signatures of the public services director and an authorized representative of the industrial user. Consent orders shall be considered a part of this article for the specific user and shall be enforceable in the same manner as this article.
(c) 
Show cause order. In the event of the proposed enforcement action other than termination of wastewater service under § 78-43 the public services director may order any user which causes or contributes to violation of this article to appear and show cause at a meeting with the director why the proposed enforcement action should not be taken. The notice of the meeting shall be served on the user personally or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, at least 10 days prior to the meeting. Whether or not a duly notified industrial user appears as noticed, enforcement action may be pursued as appropriate.
[Code 1979, § 2.86]
Any user violating any of the provisions of this article, or who discharges or causes a discharge producing a deposit or obstruction, or causes damage to or interference with City's wastewater system shall be liable to the City for any expense, loss or damage caused by such violation or discharge. The City shall bill the user for the costs incurred by the City for any cleaning, repair or replacement work caused by the violation or discharge. Refusal to pay the assessed costs shall constitute a violation of this article.
[Code 1979, § 2.87]
Any person who knowingly makes any false statement, representation or certification in any application, record, report, plan or other document filed or required to be maintained pursuant to this article, or who falsifies, tampers with or knowingly renders inaccurate any monitoring device or method required under this article shall upon conviction be punished as provided in § 1-14.