Town of Palmer, MA Use of Public Sewers

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. 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 Superintendent. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged, on approval of the Superintendent, to a storm sewer, combined sewer or natural outlet on approval of the EPA. Nothing in this section should be construed to grant authority to the Superintendent to permit any discharge to any storm sewer, combined sewer, or natural outlet unless all required federal and state permits also have been obtained. A discharge to a natural outlet may require a NPDES permit.

No user shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to the POTW or to any public sewer:

(1)

Any wastes or pollutants which cause pass-through or interference.

(2)

Any pollutants which will create a fire or explosion hazard in the POTW, including, but not limited to, waste streams with a closed-cup flashpoint of less than 140° F. or 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, which may 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.

(4)

Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or having other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, processes, and personnel of the POTW.

(5)

Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in the POTW or other interference with the proper operation of the sewage works. This includes, but is not limited to, ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.

(6)

Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease, or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of 100 mg/liter or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32° and 150° F. 90° and 65° C.).

(7)

Any substance which may cause the POTW's effluent or any other product of the POTW such as residues, sludges, or scums, to be unsuitable for reclamation and reuse or to interfere with the reclamation process. In no case shall a substance discharged to the POTW cause the POTW to be in noncompliance with sludge use or disposal criteria, guidelines, or regulations developed under Section 405 of the Act; or in noncompliance with any criteria, guidelines, or regulations affecting sludge use or disposal developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substance Control Act, or state criteria applicable to the sludge management method being used.

(8)

Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150° F. (65° C.) at the point of discharge to the municipal sewerage system, or having a temperature which will result in interference at the POTW by inhibiting biological activity, but in no case any discharge containing heat in such quantities which will result in the temperature at the POTW exceeding 104° F. (40° C.).

(9)

Any pollutant, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released in a discharge at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which will cause interference with the POTW.

(10)

Water or wastes containing petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin in amounts that will cause interference or pass-through.

(11)

Pollutants which will result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes within the POTW in a quantity that may cause acute worker health and safety problems.

(12)

Any sludge resulting from the pretreatment of waters or wastewaters.

(13)

Materials which exert or cause unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes constituting slugs as defined herein.

(14)

Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters, or which are in violation of any requirement of a permit issued under these Rules.

(15)

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, materials, waters, or wastes if it appears likely, in the opinion of the Superintendent, that such wastes can harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process, or equipment, have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or can otherwise endanger life, limb, public property, or constitute a nuisance. The Superintendent 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:

(a)

Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. The installation and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of 3/4 horsepower (0.76 hp metric) or greater shall be subject to the review and approval of the Superintendent.

(b)

Any waters or wastes containing strong acid iron pickling wastes, or concentrated plating solutions whether neutralized or not.

(c)

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 Superintendent for such materials.

(d)

Any waters or wastes containing phenols, or other taste- or odor-producing substances, in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the Superintendent as necessary, after treatment of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of the state, federal, or other public agencies or jurisdiction for such discharge to the receiving waters.

(e)

Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by applicable state or federal regulations.

(f)

Any waters or wastes having a pH in excess of 9.5.

(g)

Materials which exert or cause:

[1]

Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but not limited to, Fullers earth, lime slurries, and lime residues) or of dissolved solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate).

[2]

Color or turbidity in such an amount that it will prevent the Town from discharging a treated effluent in compliance with the water quality standards (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions).

Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Superintendent, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable wastes, sand or other harmful ingredients.

All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the Superintendent and shall be located so as to be readily accessible for cleaning and inspection.

Grease traps and interceptors must conform to 310 CMR 15.230 and the Plumbing and Drainage Institute Standards G101.

Each user shall be responsible for the costs of installation, inspection, pumping, cleaning and maintaining of its grease interceptor(s).

Records of inspection, grease hauler information, receipts and disposal information (including site name and location) shall be maintained and available for copying by the Superintendent for a period of five years.

The Superintendent shall be permitted to access at all reasonable times all parts of the premises for the purpose of inspection, observation, photographing, records examination, measurement, sampling and testing.

Written notice shall be issued if inspection reveals that the interceptor requires repair, replacement, or corrections or if other deficiencies are noted by the Superintendent. Written notice shall be issued by the Superintendent within five days of inspection. The facility shall have 90 days to correct all deficiencies identified by the Town.

The disposal of grease via the sewer system, whether as a result of the lack of a grease trap or the improper maintenance of a grease trap, is a violation of these Rules and subject to penalties as specified in these Rules.