[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Crystal Lake 1-5-2016 by Ord. No. 7191. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Stormwater management — See Ch. 595.
Watershed — See Ch. 630.
Unified Development Ordinance — See Ch. 650.
A. 
The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of Crystal Lake through the regulation of non-stormwater discharges to the storm drainage system to the maximum extent practicable as required by federal and state law. This chapter establishes methods for controlling the introduction of pollutants into the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) in order to comply with requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit process.
B. 
The objectives of this chapter are:
(1) 
To regulate the contribution of pollutants to the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) by stormwater discharges by any user.
(2) 
To prohibit illicit connections and illegal discharges to the municipal separate storm sewer system.
(3) 
To establish legal authority to carry out all inspection, surveillance and monitoring procedures necessary to ensure compliance with this chapter.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs)
Schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, general good housekeeping practices, pollution prevention and educational practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants directly or indirectly to stormwater receiving waters, or stormwater conveyance systems. BMPs also include treatment practices, operating procedures and practices to control site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or water disposal, or drainage from raw materials storage.
CITY
The City of Crystal Lake or the Mayor and City Council of the City of Crystal Lake.
CLEAN WATER ACT
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.), and any subsequent amendments thereto.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY or EPA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
GRAB SAMPLE
A series of samples which are taken from a waste stream without regard to the flow in the waste stream, and over a period of time not to exceed 15 minutes.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Any material, including any substance, waste, or combination thereof, which because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may cause, or significantly contribute to, a substantial present or potential hazard to human health, safety, property, or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed.
ILLEGAL DISCHARGE
Any direct or indirect non-stormwater discharge to the storm drain system, except as exempted in § 593-7 of this chapter.
ILLICIT CONNECTIONS
Either of the following:
A. 
Any drain or conveyance, whether on the surface or subsurface, which allows an illegal discharge to enter the storm drain system, including but not limited to any conveyances which allow any non-stormwater discharge, including sewage, process wastewater, and wash water to enter the storm drain system and any connections to the storm drain system from indoor drains and sinks, regardless of whether said drain or connection had been previously allowed, permitted, or approved by a Superintendent or his/her designee; or
B. 
Any drain or conveyance connected from a commercial or industrial land use to the storm drain system that has not been documented in plans, maps, or equivalent records and approved by a Public Works Superintendent or designee.
INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY
Activities subject to NPDES industrial permits as defined in 40 CFR 122.26(b)(14).
MS4
The municipal separate storm sewer system.
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES) STORMWATER DISCHARGE PERMIT
A permit issued by the EPA [or by a state under authority delegated pursuant to 33 USC § 1342(b)] that authorizes the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States, whether the permit is applicable on an individual, group, or general area-wide basis.
NON-CONTACT COOLING WATER
Water used for cooling which does not come into direct contact with any raw material, intermediate product, waste product, or finished product.
NON-STORMWATER DISCHARGE
Any discharge to the storm drain system that is not composed entirely of stormwater.
PERSON
Any individual, association, organization, partnership, firm, corporation, or other entity recognized by law and acting either as the owner or as the owner's agent.
pH
A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, expressed in standard units.
POLLUTANT
Anything that causes or contributes to pollution. Pollutants may include, but are not limited to: paints, varnishes, and solvents; oil and other automotive fluids; nonhazardous liquid and solid wastes and yard wastes; refuse, rubbish, garbage, litter, or other discarded or abandoned objects, ordnance, and accumulations, so that same may cause or contribute to pollution; floatables; pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers; hazardous substances and wastes; sewage, fecal coliform and pathogens; dissolved and particulate metals; animal wastes; wastes and residues that result from constructing a building or structure; and noxious or offensive matter of any kind (e.g., pH, temperature, TSS, turbidity, color, BOD, COD, toxicity, or odor).
PREMISES
Any building, lot, parcel of land, or portion of land whether improved or unimproved, including adjacent sidewalks and parking strips.
PUBLICLY OWNED TREATMENT WORKS or POTW
A treatment works, as defined by Section 212 of the Act (33 U.S.C. § 1292), which is owned by the City of Crystal Lake. This definition includes any devices or systems used in the collection, storage, treatment, recycling, and reclamation of sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature and any conveyances that convey wastewater to a treatment plant.
SEPTIC TANK WASTE
Any sewage from holding tanks such as vessels, chemical toilets, campers, trailers, and septic tanks.
SEWAGE
Human excrement and gray water (household showers, dish-washing operations, etc.).
STORM DRAIN SYSTEM
Publicly owned facilities by which stormwater is collected and/or conveyed, including but not limited to any roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, gutters, curbs, inlets, piped storm drains, pumping facilities, retention and detention basins, natural and human-made or altered drainage channels, reservoirs, and other drainage structures.
STORMWATER
Any surface flow, runoff, and drainage consisting entirely of water from any form of natural precipitation, and resulting from such precipitation.
STORMWATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN (SWPPP)
A document which describes the best management practices and activities to be implemented by a person or business to identify sources of pollution or contamination at a site and the actions to eliminate or reduce pollutant discharges to stormwater, stormwater conveyance systems, and/or receiving water the maximum extent practicable.
SUPERINTENDENT
The person designated by the Director of Public Works to supervise the operation of the Department's Stormwater Division, and who is charged with certain duties and responsibilities by this chapter, or a duly authorized representative.
TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLID or SUSPENDED SOLIDS
The total suspended matter that floats on the surface or is suspended in, water, wastewater, or other liquid, and which is removable by laboratory filtering.
WASTEWATER
Any water or other liquid, other than uncontaminated stormwater, discharged from a facility; the liquids and water-carried industrial wastes and sewage from residential dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial and manufacturing facilities, and institutions, whether treated or untreated, that are discharged into the POTW.
WATERCOURSE
A natural or artificial channel through which water flows.
This chapter shall apply to all water entering the storm drain system generated on any developed and undeveloped lands unless explicitly exempted by the Superintendent.
The Superintendent shall administer, implement, and enforce the provisions of this chapter. Any powers granted or duties imposed upon the Superintendent may be delegated in writing by the Superintendent to persons or entities acting in the beneficial interest of or in the employ of the agency.
The provisions of this chapter are hereby declared to be severable. If any provision, clause, sentence, or paragraph of this chapter or the application thereof to any person, establishment, or circumstances shall be held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions or application of this chapter.
The standards set forth herein and promulgated pursuant to this chapter are minimum standards; therefore, this chapter does not intend nor imply that compliance by any person will ensure that there will be no contamination, pollution, nor unauthorized discharge of pollutants.
A. 
Prohibition of illegal discharges; exceptions.
(1) 
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the municipal storm drain system or watercourses any materials, including but not limited to pollutants or waters containing any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards, other than stormwater.
(2) 
The commencement, conduct or continuance of any illegal discharge to the storm drain system is prohibited except as described as follows:
(a) 
The following discharges are exempt from discharge prohibitions established by this chapter: water line flushing or other potable water sources, landscape irrigation or lawn watering, diverted stream flows, rising groundwater, groundwater infiltration to storm drains, uncontaminated pumped groundwater, foundation or footing drains (not including active groundwater dewatering systems), crawl space pumps, air conditioning condensation, springs, noncommercial washing of vehicles, natural riparian habitat or wetland flows, swimming pools (must be dechlorinated to 0.05 mg/L or less), fire-fighting activities, and any other water source not containing pollutants.
(b) 
Discharges specified in writing by the Superintendent or his/her designee as being necessary to protect public health and safety.
(c) 
Dye testing is an allowable discharge, but requires a verbal notification to the Superintendent or his/her their designee prior to the time of the test.
(d) 
The prohibition shall not apply to any non-stormwater discharge permitted under an NPDES permit, waiver, or waste discharge order issued to the discharger and administered under the authority of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, provided that the discharger is in full compliance with all requirements of the permit, waiver, or order and other applicable laws and regulations, and provided that written approval has been granted for any discharge to the storm drain system.
B. 
Prohibition of illicit connections.
(1) 
The construction, use, maintenance or continued existence of illicit connections to the storm drain system is prohibited.
(2) 
This prohibition expressly includes, without limitation, illicit connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of connection.
(3) 
A person is considered to be in violation of this chapter if the person connects a line conveying sewage to the MS4, or allows such a connection to continue.
A. 
Suspension due to illicit discharges in emergency situations. The Superintendent or his/her designee may, without prior notice, suspend MS4 discharge access to a person when such suspension is necessary to stop an actual or threatened discharge which presents or may present imminent and substantial danger to the environment, or to the health or welfare of persons, or to the MS4 or waters of the United States. If the violator fails to comply with a suspension order issued in an emergency, the Superintendent or his/her designee may take such steps as deemed necessary to prevent or minimize damage to the MS4 or waters of the United States, or to minimize danger to persons.
B. 
Suspension due to the detection of illicit discharge.
(1) 
Any person discharging to the MS4 in violation of this chapter may have his/her MS4 access terminated if such termination would abate or reduce an illicit discharge. The Superintendent will notify a violator of the proposed termination of its MS4 access. The violator may petition the Superintendent for a reconsideration and hearing (see § 593-15).
(2) 
A person commits an offense if the person reinstates MS4 access to premises terminated pursuant to this section, without the prior approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee.
Any person subject to an industrial or construction activity NPDES stormwater discharge permit shall comply with all provisions of such permit. Proof of compliance with said permit may be required in a form acceptable to the Superintendent prior to the allowing of discharges to the MS4.
A. 
Applicability. This section applies to all facilities that have stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity, including construction activity, as well as commercial and residential properties.
B. 
Access to facilities.
(1) 
The Superintendent or his/her designee shall be permitted to enter and inspect facilities subject to regulation under this chapter as often as may be necessary to determine compliance with this chapter. If a discharger has security measures in force that require proper identification and clearance before entry into its premises, the discharger shall make the necessary arrangements to allow access to representatives of the Superintendent or his/her designee.
(2) 
Facility operators shall allow the Superintendent or his/her designee ready access to all parts of the premises for the purposes of inspection, sampling, examination and copying of records that must be kept under the conditions of an NPDES permit to discharge stormwater, and the performance of any additional duties as defined by state and federal law.
(3) 
The Superintendent or his/her designee shall have the right to set up on any permitted facility such devices as are necessary in the opinion of the Superintendent or his/her designee to conduct monitoring and/or sampling of the facility's stormwater discharge.
(4) 
The Superintendent or his/her designee has the right to require the discharger to install monitoring equipment as necessary. The facility's sampling and monitoring equipment shall be maintained at all times in a safe and proper operating condition by the discharger at its own expense. All devices used to measure stormwater flow and quality shall be calibrated to ensure their accuracy.
(5) 
Any temporary or permanent obstruction to safe and easy access to the facility to be inspected and/or sampled shall be promptly removed by the operator at the written or oral request of the Superintendent or his/her designee and shall not be replaced. The costs of clearing such access shall be borne by the operator.
(6) 
Unreasonable delays in allowing the Superintendent or his/her designee access to a permitted facility is a violation of a stormwater discharge permit and of this chapter. A person who is the operator of a facility with a NPDES permit to discharge stormwater associated with industrial activity commits an offense if the person denies the Superintendent or his/her designee reasonable access to the permitted facility for the purpose of conducting any activity authorized or required by this chapter.
(7) 
If the Superintendent or his/her designee has been refused access to any part of the premises from which stormwater is discharged, and he/she is able to demonstrate probable cause to believe that there may be a violation of this chapter, or that there is a need to inspect and/or sample as part of a routine inspection and sampling program designed to verify compliance with this chapter or any order issued hereunder, or to protect the overall public health, safety, and welfare of the community, then the Superintendent or his/her designee may seek issuance of a search warrant from any court of competent jurisdiction.
The Superintendent or his/her designee will adopt requirements identifying best management practices for any activity, operation, or facility which may cause or contribute to pollution or contamination of stormwater, the storm drain system, or waters of the U.S. The owner or operator of a commercial or industrial establishment shall provide, at his/her own expense, reasonable protection from accidental discharge of prohibited materials or other wastes into the municipal storm drain system or watercourses through the use of these structural and nonstructural BMPs. Further, any person responsible for a property or premises, which is, or may be, the source of an illicit discharge, may be required to implement, at said person's expense, additional structural and nonstructural BMPs to prevent the further discharge of pollutants to the municipal separate storm sewer system. Compliance with all terms and conditions of a valid NPDES permit authorizing the discharge of stormwater associated with industrial activity, to the extent practicable, shall be deemed compliance with the provisions of this section. These BMPs shall be part of a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) as necessary for compliance with requirements of the NPDES permit.
Every person owning property through which a watercourse passes, or such person's lessee, shall keep and maintain that part of the watercourse within the property free of trash, debris, excessive vegetation, and other obstacles that would pollute, contaminate, or significantly retard the flow of water through the watercourse. In addition, the owner or lessee shall maintain existing privately owned structures within or adjacent to a watercourse so that such structures will not become a hazard to the use, function, or physical integrity of the watercourse.
Notwithstanding other requirements of law, as soon as any person responsible for a facility or operation, or responsible for emergency response for a facility or operation, has information of any known or suspected release of materials which is resulting or may result in illegal discharges or pollutants discharging into stormwater, the storm drain system, or water of the U.S., said person shall take all necessary steps to ensure the discovery, containment, and cleanup of such release. In the event of such a release of hazardous materials, said person shall immediately notify emergency response agencies of the occurrence via emergency dispatch services. In the event of a release of nonhazardous materials, said person shall notify the Superintendent or his/her designee in person or by phone or facsimile no later than the next business day. Notifications in person or by phone shall be confirmed by written notice addressed and mailed to the Superintendent or his/her designee within three business days of the phone notice. If the discharge of prohibited materials emanates from a commercial or industrial establishment, the owner or operator of such establishment shall also retain an on-site written record of the discharge and the actions taken to prevent its recurrence. Such records shall be retained for at least three years.
A. 
Notice of violation.
(1) 
Whenever the Superintendent or his/her designee finds that a person has violated a prohibition or failed to meet a requirement of this chapter, the Superintendent or his/her designee may order compliance by written notice of violation to the responsible person. Such notice may require, without limitation:
(a) 
The performance of monitoring, analyses, and reporting;
(b) 
The elimination of illicit connections or discharges;
(c) 
That violating discharges, practices, or operations shall cease and desist;
(d) 
The abatement or remediation of stormwater pollution or contamination hazards and the restoration of any affected property; and
(e) 
Payment of a fine to cover administrative and remediation costs; and
(f) 
The implementation of source control or treatment BMPs.
(2) 
If abatement of a violation and/or restoration of affected property is required, the notice shall set forth a deadline within which such remediation or restoration must be completed. Said notice shall further advise that, should the violator fail to remediate or restore within the established deadline, the work will be done by a designated governmental agency or a contractor and the expense thereof shall be charged to the violator.
Any person receiving a notice of violation may appeal the determination of the Superintendent or his/her designee. The notice of appeal must be received within 10 days from the date of the notice of violation. Hearing on the appeal before adjudication court shall take place within one month from the date of receipt of the notice of appeal. The decision of the adjudication judge shall be final.
A. 
When the Superintendent, or his/her designee, finds that a user has violated, or continues to violate, any provisions of this chapter, a wastewater discharge permit or order issued hereunder, or any other storm sewer standard or requirement, the user may be subject to a fine as set forth in Chapter 248, Fines. Such fines shall be assessed on a per-violation, per-day basis. In the case of monthly or other long-term average limits, fines shall be assessed for each day during the period of violation.
B. 
Issuance of any administrative fine shall not be a bar against, or a prerequisite for, taking any other action against the user.
If the violation has not been corrected pursuant to the requirements set forth in the notice of violation, or, in the event of an appeal, within 10 days of the decision of the municipal authority upholding the decision of the Superintendent or his/her designee, then representatives of the Superintendent or his/her designee shall enter upon the subject private property and are authorized to take any and all measures necessary to abate the violation and/or restore the property. It shall be unlawful for any person, owner, agent or person in possession of any premises to refuse to allow the government agency or designated contractor to enter upon the premises for the purposes set forth above.
Within 30 days after abatement of the violation, the owner of the property will be notified of the cost of abatement, including administrative costs. The property owner may file a written protest objecting to the amount of the assessment within 15 days. If the amount due is not paid within a timely manner as determined by the decision of the City of Crystal Lake or by the expiration of the time in which to file an appeal, the charges shall become a special assessment against the property and shall constitute a lien on the property for the amount of the assessment.
It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision or fail to comply with any of the requirements of this chapter. If a person has violated or continues to violate the provisions of this chapter, the Superintendent or his/her designee may petition for a preliminary or permanent injunction restraining the person from activities which would create further violations, or compelling the person to perform abatement or remediation of the violation.
In lieu of enforcement proceedings, penalties, and remedies authorized by this chapter, the Superintendent or his/her designee may impose upon a violator alternative compensatory actions, such as storm drain stenciling, attendance at compliance workshops, creek cleanup, etc.
In addition to the enforcement processes and penalties provided, any condition caused or permitted to exist in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter is a threat to public health, safety, and welfare, and is declared and deemed a nuisance, and may be summarily abated or restored at the violator's expense, and/or a civil action to abate, enjoin, or otherwise compel the cessation of such nuisance may be taken.
A. 
Any person who has violated or continues to violate this chapter or any provisions of any requirement issued pursuant to this chapter may also be in violation of the Clean Water Act and may be subject to the sanctions of the Act, including civil and criminal penalties. Any enforcement actions authorized under this chapter shall also include written notice to the violator of such potential liability.
B. 
The Superintendent or his/her designee may recover all attorneys' fees court costs and other expenses associated with enforcement of this chapter, including sampling and monitoring expenses.
The remedies listed in this chapter are not exclusive of any other remedies available under any applicable federal, state, or local law, and it is within the discretion of the Superintendent or his/her designee to seek cumulative remedies.