Approving authority.
The mayor or his duly authorized representative.
BOD (biochemical oxygen demand).
The quantity of oxygen by weight, expressed in mg/l, utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory conditions for five (5) days at a temperature of twenty (20) degrees centigrade.
Building sewer.
The extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal (also called the house lateral and house connection).
City.
The City of Jourdanton, Texas, or any authorized person acting in its behalf.
COD (chemical oxygen demand).
A measure of the oxygen-consuming capacity of inorganic and organic matter present in the water or wastewater expressed in mg/l as the amount of oxygen consumed from a chemical oxidant in a specific test, but not differentiating between stable and unstable organic matter and thus not necessarily correlating with biochemical oxygen demand.
Control manhole.
A manhole giving access to a building sewer at some point before the building sewer discharge mixes with other discharges in the public sewer.
Control point.
A point of access to a course of discharge before the discharge mixes with other discharges in the public sewer.
Fats, oils, and greases (FOG).
Organic polar compounds derived from animal and/or plant sources that contain multiple carbon chain triglyceride molecules. These substances are detectable and measurable using analytical test procedures established in 40 CFR 136, as amended. All are sometimes referred to herein as “grease” or “greases.”
Food service establishment.
A commercial, institutional or industrial establishment identified in this definition that prepares, serves, processes, manufactures or conducts any other food service-type activity involving food or beverage products of any kind that generate industrial wastewater. Food service establishments include but not limited to restaurants of all types, food courts, food packagers, grocery and convenience stores, bakeries, lounges, bars, schools, food manufactures, food processors, hospitals, hotels, motels, and nursing homes.
Garbage.
Animal and vegetable wastes and residue from preparation, cooking and dispensing of food, and from the handling, processing, storage and sale of food products and produce.
Grease trap or interceptor.
A device designed to use differences in specific gravities to separate and retain light density liquids, waterborne fats, oils, and greases prior to the wastewater entering the sanitary sewer collection system. These devices also serve to collect settleable solids, generated by and from food preparation activities, prior to the water exiting the trap and entering the sanitary sewer collection system. Grease traps and interceptors are also referred to herein as “grease traps/interceptors” or “traps.”
Grease trap waste.
Material collected in and from a grease trap/interceptor in the sanitary sewer service line of a commercial, institutional, or industrial food service or processing establishment, including the solids resulting from de-watering processes.
Industrial waste.
Waste resulting from any process of industry, manufacturing, trade, or business or from the development of any natural resource, or any mixture of the waste with water or normal wastewater, or distinct from normal wastewater.
Industrial waste charge.
The charge made on those persons who discharge industrial wastes into the city’s sewer system.
Milligrams per liter (mg/l).
Means the same as parts per million, and is a weight-to-volume ratio; the milligram-per-liter value multiplied by the factor 8.34 shall be equivalent to pounds per million gallons of water.
Natural outlet.
Any outlet into a watercourse, ditch, lake, or other body of surface water or groundwater.
Normal domestic wastewater.
Wastewater, excluding industrial wastewater, discharged by a person into sanitary sewers and in which the average concentration of total suspended solids is not more than 250 mg/l and BOD is not more than 250 mg/l.
Overload.
The imposition of organic or hydraulic loading on a treatment facility in excess of its engineered design capacity.
Person.
Any individual, and includes any corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, or other legal entity.
pH.
The logarithm (base 10) of the reciprocal of the hydrogen ion concentration.
Public sewer.
A pipe or conduit carrying wastewater or unpolluted drainage in which owners of abutting properties shall have the use, subject to control by the city.
Sanitary sewer.
A public sewer that conveys domestic wastewater or industrial wastes, or a combination of both, and into which stormwater, surface water, groundwater, and other unpolluted wastes are not intentionally passed.
Slug.
Any discharge of water, wastewater or industrial waste which in concentration of any given constituent, or in quantity of flow, exceeds for any period of duration longer than fifteen (15) minutes more than five (5) times the average twenty-four (24) hour concentration or flows during normal operation.
Standard Methods.
The examination and analytical procedures set forth in the latest edition, at the time of analysis, of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, as prepared, approved, and published jointly by the American Public Health Association, the American Water Works Association, and the Water Environment Federation.
Storm sewer.
A public sewer which carries storm and surface waters and drainage and into which domestic wastewater or industrial wastes are not intentionally passed.
Stormwater.
Rainfall or any other forms of precipitation.
Superintendent.
The water and wastewater superintendent of the city or his duly authorized deputy, agent or representative.
Suspended solids (TSS).
Solids measured in mg/l that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in, water, wastewater, or other liquids, and which are largely removable by a laboratory filtration device.
To discharge.
To deposit, conduct, drain, emit, throw, run, allow to seep, or otherwise release or dispose of, or to allow, permit, or suffer any of these acts or omissions.
Trap.
A device designed to skim, settle, or otherwise remove grease, oil, sand, flammable wastes or other harmful substances. This definition may be used interchangeably with the term “grease trap/interceptor.”
Unpolluted wastewater.
Water containing:
(1) 
No free or emulsified grease or oil;
(2) 
No acids or alkalis;
(3) 
No phenols or other substances producing taste or odor in receiving water;
(4) 
No toxic or poisonous substances in suspension, colloidal state, or solution;
(5) 
No noxious or otherwise obnoxious or odorous gases;
(6) 
Not more than an insignificant amount in mg/l of each of suspended solids and BOD, as determined by the state commission on environmental quality; and
(7) 
Color not exceeding fifty (50) units as measured by the platinum-cobalt method of determination as specified in Standard Methods.
Waste.
Rejected, unutilized or superfluous substances in liquid, gaseous, or solid form resulting from domestic, agricultural, or industrial activities.
Wastewater.
A combination of the water-carried waste from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments, together with any ground, surface, and stormwater that may be present.
Wastewater facilities.
Includes all facilities for collection, pumping, treating, and disposing of wastewater and industrial wastes.
Wastewater service charge.
The charge on all users of the public sewer system whose wastes do not exceed in strength the concentration values established as representative of normal wastewater.
Wastewater treatment plant.
Any city-owned facilities, devices, and structures used for receiving, processing and treating wastewater, industrial waste, and sludges from the sanitary sewers.
Watercourse.
A natural or man-made channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.01; Ordinance 773 adopted 6/17/19)
(a) 
No person may discharge to public sewers any waste which by itself or by interaction with other wastes may:
(1) 
Injure or interfere with wastewater treatment processes or facilities;
(2) 
Constitute a hazard to humans or animals; or
(3) 
Create a hazard in receiving waters of the wastewater treatment plant effluent.
(b) 
All discharges shall conform to requirements of this article.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.02)
(a) 
No discharge to public sewers may contain:
(1) 
Cyanide greater than 1.0 mg/l;
(2) 
Fluoride other than that contained in the public water supply;
(3) 
Chlorides in concentrations greater than 250 mg/l;
(4) 
Gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas; or
(5) 
Substances causing an excessive chemical oxygen demand (COD).
(b) 
No waste or wastewater discharged to public waters may contain:
(1) 
Strong acid, iron pickling wastes, or concentrated plating solutions, whether neutralized or not;
(2) 
Fats, wax, grease, or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of one hundred (100) mg/l, or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between thirty-two (32) and one hundred fifty (150) degrees Fahrenheit (0 and 65 degrees centigrade);
(3) 
Objectionable or toxic substances exerting an excessive chlorine requirement to such degree that any such material received in the composite wastewater treatment works exceeds the limits established by the approving authority for such materials; or
(4) 
Obnoxious, toxic or poisonous solids, liquids, or gases in quantities sufficient to violate the provisions of section 13.06.002(a).
(c) 
No waste, wastewater, or other substance may be discharged into public sewers which has a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 9.5, or any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and/or personnel at the wastewater facilities.
(d) 
All waste, wastewater, or other substances containing phenols, hydrogen sulfide, or other taste-and odor-producing substances shall conform to concentration limits established by the approving authority. After treatment of the composite wastewater, concentration limits may not exceed the requirements established by state, federal or other agencies with jurisdiction over discharges to receiving waters.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.03)
(a) 
No discharges may contain concentrations of hazardous metals other than amounts specified in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) 
The allowable concentrations of hazardous metals, in terms of milligrams per liter (mg/l), for discharge to inland waters, and determined on the basis of individual sampling in accordance with Standard Methods, are:
Metal
Average
Daily Composite
Grab Sample
Arsenic
0.1
0.2
0.3
Barium
1.0
2.0
4.0
Cadmium
0.05
0.1
0.2
Chromium
0.5
1.0
5.0
Copper
0.5
1.0
2.0
Lead
0.5
1.0
1.5
Manganese
1.0
2.0
3.0
Mercury
0.005
0.005
0.01
Nickel
1.0
2.0
3.0
Selenium
0.05
0.1
0.2
Silver
0.05
0.1
0.2
Zinc
1.0
2.0
6.0
Note: These concentration parameters and rules governing same are promulgated under authority of sections 5.131 and 5.132, Texas Water Code (Hazardous Metals), and in accordance with state department of water resources rule 156.19.
(c) 
No other hazardous metals or toxic materials may be discharged into public sewers without a permit from the approving authority specifying conditions of pretreatment, concentrations, volumes, and other applicable provisions.
(d) 
Prohibited hazardous materials include but are not limited to:
(1) 
Antimony.
(2) 
Beryllium.
(3) 
Bismuth.
(4) 
Cobalt.
(5) 
Molybdenum.
(6) 
Uranyl ion.
(7) 
Rhenium.
(8) 
Strontium.
(9) 
Tellurium.
(10) 
Herbicides.
(11) 
Fungicides.
(12) 
Pesticides.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.04)
(a) 
No person may discharge garbage or other solids into public sewers unless it is shredded to a degree that all particles can be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers. Particles greater than one-half inch (1/2") in any dimension are prohibited.
(b) 
The approving authority is entitled to review and approve the installation and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of three-fourths (3/4) horsepower (0.76 hp metric) or greater.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.05)
(a) 
No person may discharge to public sanitary sewers unpolluted stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff or subsurface drainage, unpolluted cooling water, unpolluted industrial process waters, or other unpolluted drainage, or make any new connections from inflow sources.
(b) 
In compliance with the Texas Water Quality Act and other statutes, the approving authority may designate storm sewers and other watercourses into which unpolluted drainage described in subsection (a) of this section may be discharged.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.06)
No person may discharge liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than one hundred fifty (150) degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees centigrade), or any substance which causes the temperature of the total wastewater treatment plant influent to increase at a rate of ten (10) degrees Fahrenheit or more per hour, or a combined total increase of plant influent to one hundred ten (110) degrees Fahrenheit.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.07)
(a) 
No person may discharge radioactive wastes or isotopes into public sewers without the permission of the approving authority.
(b) 
The approving authority may establish, in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations, regulations for discharge of radioactive wastes into public sewers.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.08)
(a) 
No person may discharge into public sewers any substance capable of causing:
(1) 
Obstruction to the flow in sewers;
(2) 
Interference with the operation of treatment processes or facilities; or
(3) 
Excessive loading of treatment facilities.
(b) 
Discharges prohibited by subsection (a) of this section include, but are not limited to, materials which exert or cause concentrations of:
(1) 
Inert suspended solids greater than 250 mg/l, including but not limited to:
(A) 
Fuller’s earth;
(B) 
Lime slurries; and
(C) 
Lime residues.
(2) 
Dissolved solids greater than 1,000 mg/l, including but not limited to:
(A) 
Sodium chloride; and
(B) 
Sodium sulfate.
(3) 
Excessive discoloration, including but not limited to:
(A) 
Dye wastes; and
(B) 
Vegetable tanning solutions.
(4) 
BOD, COD, or chlorine demand in excess of normal plant capacity.
(c) 
No person may discharge into public sewers any substance that may:
(1) 
Deposit grease or oil in the sewer lines in such a manner as to clog the sewers;
(2) 
Overload skimming and grease-handling equipment;
(3) 
Pass to the receiving waters without being effectively treated by normal wastewater treatment processes due to the nonamenability of the substance to bacterial action; or
(4) 
Deleteriously affect the treatment process due to excessive quantities.
(d) 
No person may discharge any substance into public sewers which:
(1) 
Is not amenable to treatment or reduction by the processes and facilities employed; or
(2) 
Is amenable to treatment only to such a degree that the treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
(e) 
The approving authority shall regulate the flow and concentration of slugs when they may:
(1) 
Impair the treatment process;
(2) 
Cause damage to collection facilities;
(3) 
Incur treatment costs exceeding those for normal wastewater; or
(4) 
Render the effluent unfit for stream disposal or industrial use.
(f) 
No person may discharge into public sewers solid or viscous substances which may violate subsection (a) of this section if present in sufficient quantity or size, including but not limited to:
(1) 
Ashes;
(2) 
Cinders;
(3) 
Sand;
(4) 
Mud;
(5) 
Straw;
(6) 
Shavings;
(7) 
Metal;
(8) 
Glass;
(9) 
Rags;
(10) 
Feathers;
(11) 
Tar;
(12) 
Plastics;
(13) 
Wood;
(14) 
Unground garbage;
(15) 
Whole blood;
(16) 
Paunch manure;
(17) 
Hair and fleshings;
(18) 
Entrails;
(19) 
Paper products, either whole or ground by garbage grinders;
(20) 
Slops;
(21) 
Chemical residues;
(22) 
Paint residues; or
(23) 
Bulk solids.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.09)
(a) 
Unless exception is granted by the approving authority, the public sanitary sewer system shall be used by all persons discharging:
(1) 
Wastewater;
(2) 
Industrial waste;
(3) 
Polluted liquids.
(b) 
Unless authorized by the state department of environmental quality, no person may deposit or discharge any waste included in subsection (a) above on public or private property or into or adjacent to any:
(1) 
Natural outlet;
(2) 
Watercourse;
(3) 
Storm sewer;
(4) 
Other area within the jurisdiction of the city.
(c) 
The approving authority shall verify prior to discharge that wastes authorized to be discharged will receive suitable treatment within the provisions of laws, regulations, ordinances, rules and orders of federal, state and local governments.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.10)
(a) 
If discharges or proposed discharges to public sewers may (i) deleteriously affect wastewater facilities, processes, equipment, or receiving waters, (ii) create a hazard to life or health, or (iii) create a public nuisance, the approving authority shall require:
(1) 
Pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers;
(2) 
Control over the quantities and rates of discharge; and
(3) 
Payment to cover the cost of handling and treating the wastes.
(b) 
The approving authority is entitled to determine whether a discharge or proposed discharge or proposed discharge [sic] is included under subsection (a) above.
(c) 
The approving authority shall reject wastes when it determines that a discharge or proposed discharge does not meet the requirements of subsection (a) above.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.11)
(a) 
If pretreatment or control is required, the approving authority shall review and approve design and installation of equipment and processes.
(b) 
The design and installation of equipment and processes must conform to all applicable statutes, codes, ordinances and other laws.
(c) 
Any person responsible for discharges requiring pretreatment, flow-equalizing, or other facilities shall provide and maintain the facilities in effective operating condition at his own expense.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.12)
(a) 
Applicability of this section.
(1) 
Grease traps/interceptors shall not be required for residential users.
(2) 
This section applies to all food service establishments that generate fats, oils or greases as a result of food manufacturing, processing, or preparation.
(3) 
Other nonresidential users not identified as a food service establishment may be required to comply with this section if, upon sampling, the user’s discharge is shown to exceed any pollutant limit established by city ordinance.
(4) 
Other discharges requiring a trap:
(A) 
Oil;
(B) 
Sand;
(C) 
Flammable wastes; and
(D) 
Other harmful ingredients.
(b) 
Installation.
(1) 
Food processing or food service facilities which are newly proposed or constructed, shall design, install, operate, and maintain a grease trap/interceptor in accordance with the city’s adopted plumbing codes and other applicable ordinances. Grease traps/interceptors shall be installed and inspected prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
(2) 
Facilities which will be expanded or renovated to include a food service facility, where such facility did not previously exist, shall design, install, operate and maintain a grease trap/interceptor in accordance with the city’s adopted plumbing codes and other applicable ordinances. Grease traps/interceptions shall be inspected prior to facility being placed into service.
(3) 
Commercial service or manufacturing facilities which are newly proposed or constructed, or existing facilities which will be expanded or renovated that generate motor oil, grease, sand, wash water or other substances that will interfere with the wastewater system shall design, install, operate and maintain a trap in accordance with the city’s adopted plumbing codes or other applicable ordinances.
(4) 
Grease traps shall be sized in accordance with the city’s adopted plumbing code or other applicable ordinances. The city may adjust the final grease trap size as needed to protect the wastewater system.
(c) 
Cleaning and maintenance.
(1) 
Grease traps/interceptors shall be operated and maintained in an efficient operating condition. “Efficient operating condition” means a grease trap/interceptor that fully complies with the provisions of this section.
(2) 
Each grease trap/interceptor pumped shall be fully evacuated unless the grease/grit trap volume is greater than the tank capacity on the vacuum truck in which case the transporter shall arrange for additional transportation capacity so that the trap is fully evacuated within a twenty-four (24) hour period, in accordance with 30 TAC sec. 312.143.
(d) 
Self-cleaning.
(1) 
Grease trap self-cleaning operators must receive approval from the city annually prior to removing grease from their own grease trap(s) located inside a building, provided:
(A) 
The grease trap is no more than fifty (50) gallons in liquid/operating capacity;
(B) 
Proper on-site material disposal methods are implemented (e.g. absorb liquids into solid form and dispose into trash);
(C) 
The local solid waste authority allows such practices;
(D) 
Grease trap waste is placed in a leak proof, sealable container(s) located on the premises and in an area for the transporter to pump-out; and
(E) 
Detailed records on these activities are maintained.
(2) 
Grease trap self-cleaning operators must submit a self-cleaning request to the city for approval. The written request shall include the following information:
(A) 
Business name and street address;
(B) 
Grease trap/interceptor operator name, title, and phone number;
(C) 
Description of maintenance frequency, method of disposal, method of cleaning and size (in gallons) of the grease trap/interceptor; and
(D) 
Signed statement that the operator will maintain records of waste disposal and produce them for compliance inspections.
(3) 
Self-cleaners must adhere to all the requirements; procedures and detailed recordkeeping outlined in their approved application, to ensure compliance with this article. A maintenance log shall be kept by self-cleaning operators that indicates, at a minimum, the following information:
(A) 
Date the grease trap/interceptor was serviced;
(B) 
Name of the person or company servicing the grease trap/interceptor;
(C) 
Waste disposal method used;
(D) 
Gallons of grease removed and disposed of;
(E) 
Waste oil added to grease trap/interceptor waste; and
(F) 
Signature of the operator after each cleaning that certifies that all grease was removed, disposed of properly, grease trap/interceptor was thoroughly cleaned, and that all parts were replaced and in operable condition.
(4) 
Violations incurred by grease trap self-cleaners will be subject to enforcement action including fines and may include removal from the self-cleaner program.
(e) 
Cleaning schedules.
(1) 
Grease traps/interceptors shall be cleaned as often as necessary to ensure that sediment and floating materials do not accumulate to impair the efficiency of the grease trap/interceptor; to ensure the discharge is in compliance with local discharge limits; and to ensure no visible grease is observed in discharge.
(2) 
The city may inspect and evaluate grease traps/interceptors at any time.
(3) 
Grease traps/interceptors subject to these standards shall be completely evacuated a minimum of every ninety (90) days, or more frequently when:
(A) 
Twenty-five (25) percent or more of the wetted height of the grease trap or grease interceptor, as measured from the bottom of the device to the invert of the outlet pipe, contains floating materials, sediment, oils or greases; or
(B) 
The discharge exceeds BOD, COD, TSS, FOG, pH, or other pollutant levels established by the city; or
(C) 
If there is a history of noncompliance.
(4) 
Any person who owns or operates a grease trap/interceptor may submit to the city a request in writing for an exception to the ninety (90) day pumping frequency of their grease trap/interceptor. The city may grant an extension for required cleaning frequency on a case-by-case basis when:
(A) 
The grease trap/interceptor owner/operator has demonstrated the specific trap/interceptor will produce an effluent, based on defensible analytical results, in consistent compliance with established local discharge limits such as BOD, TSS, FOG, or other parameters as determined by the city; or
(B) 
Less than twenty-five (25) percent of the wetted height of the grease trap or grease interceptor, as measured from the bottom of the device to the invert of the outlet pipe, contains floating materials, sediment, oils or greases.
(5) 
In any event, a grease trap and grease interceptor shall be fully evacuated, cleaned, and inspected at least once every 180 days.
(f) 
Manifest requirements.
(1) 
Each pump-out of a grease trap/interceptor must be accompanied by a manifest to be used for recordkeeping purposes.
(2) 
Persons who generate, collect and transport grease waste shall maintain a record of each individual collection and deposit. Such records shall be in the form of a manifest. The manifest shall include:
(A) 
Name, address, telephone, and commission registration number of transporter;
(B) 
Name, signature, address, and phone number of the person who generated the waste and the date collected;
(C) 
Type and amount(s) of waste collected or transported;
(D) 
Name and signature(s) of responsible person(s) collecting, transporting, and depositing the waste;
(E) 
Date and place where the waste was deposited;
(F) 
Identification (permit or site registration number, location, and operator) of the facility where the waste was deposited;
(G) 
Name and signature of facility on-site representative acknowledging receipt of the waste and the amount of waste received;
(H) 
The volume of the grease waste received; and
(I) 
A consecutive numerical tracking number to assist transporters, waste generators, and regulating authorities in tracking the volume of grease transported.
(3) 
Manifests shall be divided into five parts and records shall be maintained as follows:
(A) 
One part of the manifest shall have the generator and transporter information completed and be given to the generator at the time of waste pickup.
(B) 
The remaining four parts of the manifest shall have all required information completely filled out and signed by the appropriate party before distribution of the manifest.
(C) 
One part of the manifest shall go to the receiving facility.
(D) 
One part shall go to the transporter, who shall retain a copy of all manifests showing the collection and disposition of waste.
(E) 
One copy of the manifest shall be returned by the transporter to the person who generated the wastes within 15 days after the waste is received at the disposal or processing facility.
(F) 
One part of the manifest shall go to the city of utility department.
(4) 
Copies of manifests returned to the waste generator shall be retained for five years and be readily available for review by the city.
(g) 
Alternative treatment.
(1) 
A person commits an offense if the person introduces, or causes, permits, or suffers the introduction of any surfactant, solvent or emulsifier into a grease trap. Surfactants, solvents, and emulsifiers are materials which allow the grease to pass from the trap into the collection system, and include but are not limited to enzymes, soap, diesel, kerosene, terpene, and other solvents.
(2) 
It is an affirmative defense to an enforcement of this section that the use of surfactants or soaps is incidental to normal kitchen hygiene operations.
(3) 
Bioremediation media may be used with the city’s approval if the person has proved to the satisfaction of the city that laboratory testing which is appropriate for the type of grease trap to be used has verified that:
(A) 
The media is a pure live bacterial product which is not inactivated by the use of domestic or commercial disinfectants and detergents, strong alkalis, acids, and/or water temperatures of 160°F (71°C),
(B) 
The use of the media does not reduce the buoyancy of the grease layer in the grease trap and does not increase the potential for oil and grease to be discharged to the sanitary sewer.
(C) 
The use of the bioremediation media does not cause foaming in the sanitary sewer.
(D) 
The BOD, COD, and TSS discharged to the sanitary sewer after use of the media does not exceed the BOD, COD, and TSS which would be discharged if the product were not being used and the grease trap was being properly maintained. pH levels must be between 5 and 11.
(Ordinance 773 adopted 6/17/19)
Any person responsible for discharges through a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall, at his own expense and as required by the approving authority:
(1) 
Install an accessible control manhole;
(2) 
Install meters and other appurtenances to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of the waste;
(3) 
Install safety equipment and facilities (ventilation, steps, etc.) where needed; and
(4) 
Maintain the equipment and facilities.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.14)
(a) 
Sampling shall be conducted according to customarily accepted methods, reflecting the effect of constituents upon the sewage works and determining the existence of hazards to health, life, limb, and property. (Note: The particular analysis involved will determine whether a twenty-four (24) hour composite sample from all outfalls of the premises is appropriate or whether a grab sample or samples should be taken. Normally, but not always, BOD and suspended solids analyses are obtained from twenty-four (24) hour composites of all outfalls. Where applicable, sixteen (16) hour, eight (8) hour or some other period may be required. Periodic grab samples are used to determine pH and oil and grease.)
(b) 
Examination and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes required by the article shall be:
(1) 
Conducted in accordance with the latest edition of Standard Methods; and
(2) 
Determined from suitable samples taken at the control point authorized by the approving authority.
(c) 
BOD and suspended solids shall be determined from composite sampling, except to detect unauthorized discharges.
(d) 
The approving authority shall determine which users or classes of users may contribute wastewater which is of greater strength than normal domestic wastewater. All users or classes of users so identified shall be sampled for flow BOD, TSS and pH at least annually.
(e) 
The city may select an independent firm or laboratory to determine flow, BOD, and suspended solids, if necessary. Flow may alternately be determined by water meter measurements if no other flow device is available and no other source of raw water is used.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.15)
(a) 
Payment of costs by user.
Persons making discharges of industrial waste into the city system shall pay a charge to cover all costs of collection and treatment.
(b) 
User agreement.
When discharges of any waste into the city system are approved by the approving authority, the city or its authorized representative shall enter into an agreement or arrangement providing:
(1) 
Terms of acceptance by the city;
(2) 
Payment by the person making the discharge, in accordance with the user charge system as established in subsection (e) hereof;
(3) 
Sewer connection procedures and requirements shall be in accordance with the [Standard] Plumbing Code as promulgated by the [Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc.];
(4) 
A sewer application approved with connection fee paid; and
(5) 
Construction of sewer connections shall be approved by city inspectors prior to sewer use.
(c) 
Notice of rates and charges.
Each user of the wastewater treatment system will be notified, at least annually, in conjunction with a regular sewer bill, of the rate and that portion of user charges or ad valorem taxes which are attributable to the operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment system.
(d) 
Excess revenues.
The city will apply excess revenues collected from a class of users to the cost of operation and maintenance attributable to that class for the next year and adjust the rates accordingly.
(e) 
User classification and user charge system.
(1) 
User classification.
A user classification is hereby established for all users of the municipal wastewater facilities, as follows:
User classification:
Class A: Residential user
 
Class B: Commercial user
(A) 
Class A users shall include all residential type users, including, but not limited to, residences, apartment units, trailer court units, duplexes, or any other service primarily intended for domestic or residential type use. The city may include small office buildings, churches, and other low-volume (similar to domestic volume) users in class A.
(B) 
Class B users shall include commercial users, such as, but not limited to, restaurants, cafes, carwashes, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, offices, hotels, motels, laundries, grocery stores, department stores, etc., not included in class A.
(C) 
In the future, the city may establish other user classifications as necessary to meet local, state or federal regulations, or the general needs of the area.
(2) 
Basis of charges.
All users of municipal wastewater facilities shall be charged a minimum charge per month, plus a charge per 1,000 gallons of metered water consumption. The water consumption per month to be billed for class A users shall be the average water consumption per month during the December through February period of each fiscal year in order not to account any water used during other months for purposes such as lawn and garden watering from which water is not returned into the wastewater facilities. The water consumption per month to be billed for class B users shall be the actual water consumption recorded each month for the purpose of the water bill. In case of users not on a metered basis, the city shall establish an estimated water consumption based on a comparison of the non-metered user with a metered user of similar class.
(3) 
User charge schedule.
All users of municipal wastewater facilities shall be charged on a volume basis, as the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids and other pollutant concentrations discharged are approximately equal for both class A and class B users. The charges shall be determined in accordance with the following formula:
Cu = Cb + (Ct/Vt) (Vu)
(Based on Model #1, 40 CFR 35, Appendix B)
Symbols and definitions:
Cu
=
A user’s charge per unit of time.
Cb
=
A user’s base minimum charge per unit of time for costs not associated with operations and maintenance of flow-related units of wastewater facilities.
Ct
=
Total operation and maintenance (O&M) costs per unit of time of flow-related units of wastewater facilities.
Vt
=
Total volume contribution from all users per unit of time (may include extraneous flows).
Vu
=
Volume contribution from a user per unit of time.
(4) 
Excessive strength surcharge.
For any user, when the BOD exceeds 250 mg/l, or the suspended solids exceed 250 mg/l, or when other pollutant concentrations exceed the range of concentrations of these pollutants in normal domestic sewage, a surcharge shall be added to the basic charge. This surcharge shall be calculated by the following formula:
Cs = Bc (B) + Sc (S) = Pc (P) Vu
(Based on Model No. 2, 40 CFR 35, Appendix B)
Symbols and definitions:
Cs
=
A surcharge for wastewaters of excessive strength.
Bc
=
O&M cost for treatment of a unit of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). B = Concentration of BOD from a user above a base level.
Sc
=
O&M cost for treatment of a unit of suspended solids (SS). S = Concentration of SS from a user above a base level.
Pc
=
O&M costs for treatment of a unit of any pollutant.
P
=
Concentration of any pollutant from a user above a base level.
Vu
=
Volume contribution from a user per unit of time.
(5) 
Review and revision.
The user charge ordinance shall be reviewed annually regarding the wastewater contribution of users and user classes, the total costs of the operation and maintenance of the treatment works, and its approved user charge system. The charges for users or user classes shall be revised to accomplish the following:
(A) 
Maintain the proportionate distribution of operation and maintenance costs among users and user classes.
(B) 
Generate sufficient revenue to pay the total operation and maintenance costs necessary to the proper operation and maintenance (including replacement) of the treatment works.
(C) 
Apply excess revenues collected from a class of users to the costs of operation and maintenance attributable to that class for the next year, and the rates shall be adjusted accordingly.
(6) 
Toxic pollutants charges.
Each user that discharges any toxic pollutants which cause an increase in the cost of managing the effluent or the sludge of the treatment works shall pay for such increased costs.
(7) 
Notification.
Each user shall be notified at least annually, in conjunction with the regular bill, of the sewer use rate and the portion of the user charges which are attributable to wastewater treatment services.
(8) 
Charges for extraneous flows.
The costs of operation and maintenance for all flows not directly attributable to users (such as infiltration/inflow) shall be distributed among users on the same basis as operation and maintenance charges.
(9) 
Records.
A recordkeeping system shall be established and maintained by the city to document compliance with federal regulations pertaining to the user charge ordinance.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.16)
An entity discharging industrial wastes into public sewers prior to the effective date of this article may continue without penalty so long as it meets all of the following requirements:
(1) 
Does not increase the quantity or decrease the quality of discharge without permission of the approving authority;
(2) 
Has discharged the waste at least twenty-four (24) months prior to the effective date of this article; and
(3) 
Applies for and is granted a permit no later than two hundred and ten (210) days after the effective date of this article.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.18)
(a) 
The city may grant a permit to discharge to entities meeting all requirements of the savings clause provided that the entity:
(1) 
Submits an application within sixty (60) days after the effective date of this article on forms supplied by the approving authority;
(2) 
Secures approval by the approving authority of plans and specifications for the facilities when required; and
(3) 
Has complied with all requirements for agreements or arrangements, including but not limited to provisions for:
(A) 
Payment of charges;
(B) 
Installation and operation of the facilities and of pretreatment facilities, if required; and
(C) 
Sampling and analysis to determine quantity and strength when directed by the city; and
(4) 
Provides a sampling point, when requested by the city, subject to the provisions of this article and approval of the approving authority.
(b) 
An entity applying for a new discharge permit shall:
(1) 
Meet all conditions of subsection (a) of this section; and
(2) 
Secure a permit prior to discharging any waste.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.19)
(a) 
The superintendent and other duly authorized employees of the city bearing proper credentials and identification are entitled to enter any public or private property at any reasonable time for the purpose of enforcing this article.
(b) 
Anyone acting under this authority shall observe the establishment’s rules and regulations concerning safety, internal security, and fire protection.
(c) 
Except when caused by negligence or failure of person(s) to maintain safe conditions, the city shall indemnify the person(s) against loss or damage to their property by city employees and against liability claims and demands for personal injury or property damage asserted against the person(s) and growing out of the sampling operation.
(d) 
The superintendent and other duly authorized employees of the city bearing proper credentials and identification are entitled to enter all private properties through which the city holds a negotiated easement for the purposes of:
(1) 
Inspection, observation, measurement, sampling or repair;
(2) 
Maintenance of any portion of the sewerage system lying within the easements; and
(3) 
Conducting any other authorized activity.
All activities shall be conducted in full accordance with the terms of the negotiated easement pertaining to the private property involved.
(e) 
No person acting under authority of this provision may inquire into any processes, including metallurgical, chemical, oil refining, ceramic, paper or other industries, beyond that point having a direct bearing on the kind and source of discharge to the public sewers.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.20)
(a) 
The city may terminate water and wastewater disposal service and disconnect a customer from the system when:
(1) 
Acids or chemicals which may damage the sewer lines or treatment process are released to the sewer, potentially causing accelerated deterioration of these structures or interfering with proper conveyance and treatment of wastewater;
(2) 
A governmental agency informs the city that the effluent from the wastewater treatment plant is no longer of a quality permitted for discharge to a watercourse, and it is found that the customer is delivering wastewater to the city’s system that cannot be sufficiently treated or requires treatment that is not provided by the city as normal domestic treatment; or
(3) 
The customer:
(A) 
Discharges waste or wastewater that is in violation of the permit issued by the approving authority;
(B) 
Discharges wastewater at an uncontrolled, variable rate in sufficient quantity to cause an imbalance in the wastewater treatment system;
(C) 
Fails to pay monthly bills for water and sanitary sewer services when due; or
(D) 
Repeats a discharge of prohibited wastes to public sewers in violation of sections 13.06.002 through 13.06.009 as stated above.
(b) 
If service is discontinued pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of this section, the city shall:
(1) 
Disconnect the customer;
(2) 
Supply the customer with the governmental agency’s report and provide the customer with all pertinent information; and
(3) 
Continue disconnection until such time as the customer provides pretreatment/ additional pretreatment or other facilities designed to remove the objectionable characteristics from his wastes.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.21)
The city shall serve persons discharging in violation of this article with written notice stating the nature of the violation and providing a reasonable time limit for satisfactory compliance.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.22)
(a) 
A person who continues prohibited discharges is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is punishable by a fine for each act of violation and for each day of violation.
(b) 
In addition to proceeding under authority of subsection (a) above, the city is entitled to pursue all other criminal and civil remedies to which it is entitled under authority of statutes or other ordinances against a person continuing prohibited discharges.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.24)
In addition to sanctions provided for by this article, the city is entitled to exercise sanctions provided for by the other ordinances of the city for failure to pay the bill for water and sanitary sewer service when due.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.25)
The city may pursue all criminal and civil remedies to which it is entitled under authority of statutes and ordinances against a person negligently, willfully or maliciously causing loss by tampering with or destroying public sewers or treatment facilities.
(1988 Code, ch. 11, sec. 10.26)