(a) 
The following list is not considered to be all-inclusive of all prohibited discharges. Final discretion is left to the city manager and based on potential damage to the MS4.
(b) 
A person commits an offense if the person introduces or causes to be introduced into the MS4 any discharge that causes or contributes to causing the city to violate a water quality standard, the city's TPDES permit, or any other discharge permit for discharges from its MS4.
(c) 
A person commits an offense if the person dumps, spills, pumps, pours, empties, discharges, disposes of, recklessly leaks, leaches, emits or otherwise introduces or causes, allows, or permits to be introduced any of the following substances to the MS4:
(1) 
Excessive amounts of sediment that would cause accumulation of sediment in the city MS4 or cause the MS4 to discharge excessive sediments to the waters in the state;
(2) 
Any used motor oil, antifreeze, or any other motor vehicle fluid;
(3) 
Any industrial waste;
(4) 
Any hazardous material or waste, including household hazardous waste;
(5) 
Any fire protection water containing oil or hazardous substances or materials that this code requires to be contained and treated prior to discharge, unless treatment adequate to remove pollutants occurs prior to discharge (this prohibition does not apply to discharges or flow from firefighting by the fire department);
(6) 
Any domestic sewage or septic tank waste, grease trap waste, or grit trap waste;
(7) 
Any commercial runoff or wash-down water from any animal pen, kennel or fowl or livestock containment area;
(8) 
Wastewater from a commercial carwash facility; from any vehicle washing, cleaning, or maintenance at any automotive-related facility; or from any washing, cleaning or maintenance of any business or commercial or public service vehicle by any business or public entity that operates more than two (2) such vehicles;
(9) 
Wastewater or wash water from operations that are contaminated with chemicals or waste products from operations;
(10) 
Brush, leaves, grass clippings or other yard waste previously gathered for the purpose of disposal;
(11) 
Any discharge from water line disinfection by superchlorination or other means unless the disinfecting chemical has been removed or attenuated to the point where it is not a pollutant;
(12) 
Excessive dust or dusty materials;
(13) 
Garbage, trash, debris, or rubbish;
(14) 
Any substance or material that will damage, block or clog the MS4;
(15) 
Any polluted liquids.
(Ordinance 1304, sec. 8-2.4, adopted 4/12/2010)
It is unlawful for any person to:
(1) 
Operate a facility that is subject to storm water discharge permitting without prior approval from the state commission on environmental quality or other approving agency;
(2) 
Install or maintain grease or sand traps that discharge to the MS4 without prior approval from the city;
(3) 
Permit polluted materials, hazardous materials, liquid waste, semi-liquid waste, or chemical waste or like material that would adversely affect water quality to:
(A) 
Discharge to the ground; or
(B) 
Discharge to or create a potential to discharge to the MS4 through any of the following activities:
(i) 
Discharge of wash water containing the material;
(ii) 
Dump, drain or introduce the material to the MS4;
(iii) 
Store the material in such a manner that the material is exposed to the elements or runoff; or
(iv) 
Dispose of the material in any area that may drain to the MS4 or dispose or store the material at any site other than one approved for that purpose;
(4) 
Permit cooling tower, compressor, or boiler blow-down that is not clean or is contaminated to flow to the MS4;
(5) 
Permit wash water from any surface containing or having a substance on it that is a pollutant to discharge to the MS4;
(6) 
Permit unused materials from ready-mix concrete mortar, and asphalt base delivery trucks to be dumped to any area that may drain to the MS4;
(7) 
Purposefully dump, blow into, sweep into or otherwise dispose of excessive grass clippings, leaves, brush, yard waste or any rubbish or debris to the curb, gutter, storm drain, or watercourse;
(8) 
Permit sewage wastes to flow to any area other than a sanitary sewer or approved septic tank.
(Ordinance 1304, sec. 8-2.5, adopted 4/12/2010)
(a) 
Any sale, distribution, application, labeling, manufacture, transportation, storage, or disposal of a pesticide, herbicide, or fertilizer must comply fully with all state and federal statutes and regulations including, without limitation, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. section 136 et seq. (1996), and all federal regulations promulgated pursuant to FIFRA; chapters 63 and 76 of the Texas Agriculture Code and all state regulations promulgated pursuant to it; and any other state or federal requirement.
(b) 
No person shall use, or cause to be used, any pesticide or herbicide contrary to any directions for use on any labeling required by state or federal statute or regulation.
(c) 
No person shall use or cause to be used any pesticide, herbicide, or fertilizer in any manner that the person knows, is likely to cause, or does cause, a harmful quantity of the pesticide, herbicide, or fertilizer to enter the MS4.
(d) 
No person shall dispose of, discard, store, or transport a pesticide, herbicide, or fertilizer or a pesticide, herbicide, or fertilizer container in a manner that the person knows is likely to cause or does cause a harmful quantity of the pesticide, herbicide or fertilizer to enter the MS4.
(Ordinance 1304, sec. 8-2.6, adopted 4/12/2010; Ordinance adopting 2023 Code)
(a) 
No person shall:
(1) 
Pour, spill, leak, pump, empty, leach, dispose, or otherwise discharge used oil into the MS4 or a sewer, drainage system, septic tank, surface water, groundwater or watercourse;
(2) 
Apply used oil to a road or land for dust suppression, weed abatement, or other similar use that introduces used oil into the environment;
(3) 
Introduce or cause to be introduced into the sanitary sewer system any discharge of storm water, polluted or unpolluted, or any discharge that cause or contributes to causing the city to violate a water quality standard, its agreements associated with the regional sewage treatment plants, or any state-issued permit.
(b) 
Any person that causes a spill, release, or other discharge of a prohibited substance or other pollutant to the MS4 is solely responsible for the cleanup and removal of the substance from the MS4 or any area adjacent to the MS4 that is exposed to runoff. Where the person that caused the spill, release, or discharge to the MS4 is unknown, the owner of the property on which the spill, release, or discharge occurred is responsible for the cleanup or removal of the substance from the MS4 or any area adjacent to the MS4.
(c) 
Drip pans, absorbent mats, or equivalent controls shall be used to collect and properly dispose of leaking fluids from motor vehicles that are parked outside during maintenance and repairs or while awaiting repairs at commercial repair facilities. Used engines, transmissions, radiators, and other vehicle components that have automotive fluids in or on them shall be stored in a manner that prevents pollutants from entering the MS4.
(Ordinance 1304, sec. 8-2.7, adopted 4/12/2010)
(a) 
Mobile cleaning operations may discharge clean, uncontaminated water to the MS4.
(b) 
Any actual or threatened discharge of contaminated discharge to the MS4 from the operation of a mobile cleaning operation is hereby declared a nuisance.
(c) 
A mobile cleaning operation must collect any unclean or contaminated water produced when engaging in mobile cleaning operations and dispose of said wastewater in the sanitary sewer with approval from the owner of the property upon which the sewer inlet is located.
(d) 
Contaminated water from mobile cleaning operations includes, but is not limited to:
(1) 
Water containing soap, detergent, degreaser, solvent or other harmful cleaning substances, including biodegradable products;
(2) 
Any waste water from the wash-down or other cleaning of any pavement where any spill, leak, or other release of oil, motor fuel, or other petroleum or hazardous substance has occurred, unless all harmful quantities of the released material have been previously removed; or
(3) 
Waste water with excessive amounts of sediments.
(e) 
A mobile cleaning operation must use best management practices to the maximum extent practicable to prevent contaminants from entering the MS4.
(f) 
Occasional discharges of vehicle wash water are allowable when generated strictly for the purpose of fundraising activities. Best management practices are encouraged to minimize pollution, including, but not limited to:
(1) 
Remove all trash and debris before beginning the activity;
(2) 
Use soaps that are 'non-toxic," "phosphate-free," or "biodegradable";
(3) 
Refrain from using acid wheel cleaners or other toxic or harmful substances;
(4) 
Minimize the amount of soapy water entering the MS4 by shutting off water when not in use and washing on a grassy area or an area where the runoff will enter a grassy area;
(5) 
Emptying buckets of soapy water in sinks or toilets; and
(6) 
Clean up the site after completing the activity.
(Ordinance 1304, sec. 8-2.8, adopted 4/12/2010)
The construction, use, maintenance or continued existence of illicit connections to the storm drain system is prohibited. 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. A person is considered to be in violation of this article if the person connects a line conveying sewage to the MS4, or allows such a connection to continue.
(Ordinance 1304, sec. 8-2.9, adopted 4/12/2010)
(a) 
The person in charge of any vehicle, facility, or other source of any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, escaping, leaching, dumping, disposing, or any other release of any of the following quantities of any of the following substances that may flow, leach, enter, or otherwise be introduced into the MS4 shall telephone and notify the city manager through the PD dispatch non-emergency contact number as soon as practicable concerning the incident:
(1) 
An amount equal to or in excess of a reportable quantity of any hazardous substance, as established under 40 CFR part 302;
(2) 
An amount equal to or in excess of a reportable quantity of any extremely hazardous substance, as established under 40 CFR part 355;
(3) 
An amount of oil that either (i) violates applicable water quality standards, or (ii) causes a film or discoloration of the surface of the water or an adjoining shoreline or causes a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface of the water or upon an adjoining shoreline; or
(4) 
Any harmful quantity of any pollutant.
(b) 
The immediate notification shall include the following information:
(1) 
The identity or chemical name of the substance released, and whether the substance is an extremely hazardous substance, as established under 40 CFR part 355;
(2) 
The exact location of the release, including any known name of the waters involved or threatened and any other environmental media affected;
(3) 
The time and duration (thus far) of the release;
(4) 
An estimate of the quantity and concentration (if known) of the substance released;
(5) 
The source of the release;
(6) 
Any known or anticipated health risks associated with the release and, where appropriate, advice regarding medical attention for exposed individuals;
(7) 
Any precautions that should be taken as a result of the release;
(8) 
Any steps that have been taken to contain and clean up the released material and minimize its impacts; and
(9) 
The name and telephone numbers of the person or persons to be contacted for further information.
(c) 
Within fourteen days following such release, the responsible person in charge of the vehicle, facility, or other source of the release shall, unless waived by the city manager, submit a written report containing each of the items of information specified above, as well as the following additional information:
(1) 
The ultimate duration, concentration, and quantity of the release;
(2) 
All actions taken to respond to, contain, and clean up the released substances, and all precautions taken to minimize the impacts;
(3) 
Any known or anticipated acute or chronic health risks associated with the release;
(4) 
Where appropriate, advice regarding medical attention necessary for exposed individuals;
(5) 
The identity of any government/private sector representative responding to the release; and
(6) 
The measures taken or to be taken by the responsible person(s) to prevent similar future occurrences.
(d) 
Any release report required by a state or federal authority containing the information described above shall be adequate to meet the reporting requirements for submittal to the city manager.
(e) 
The notifications required above shall not relieve the responsible person of any expense, loss, damage, or other liability which may be incurred as a result of the release, including any liability for damage to the city, to natural resources, or to any other person or property; nor shall such notification relieve the responsible person of any fine, penalty, or other liability which may be imposed pursuant to this article or to state or federal law.
(f) 
Any person responsible for any release as described above shall comply with all state, federal, and any other local law requiring reporting, cleanup, containment, and any other appropriate remedial action in response to the release.
(g) 
Any person responsible for a release described above shall reimburse the city for any cost incurred by the city in responding to the release.
(Ordinance 1304, sec. 8-2.10, adopted 4/12/2010)