The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this division, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Act
means Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. 1251, et seq.
B.O.D. (biochemical oxygen demand)
means the quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter by standard methods procedure in five days at 20 degrees Celsius, expressed in parts per million by weight.
City
means the City of Rockport, Texas, or any authorized person acting in its behalf.
COD
means the value of the test for Chemical Oxygen Demand, as described in the latest edition of "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water & Wastewater."
Domestic sewage
means water-borne wastes normally discharged from sanitary conveniences of dwellings, including apartment houses and hotels, office buildings, factories, restaurants and institutions, free from storm surface water and industrial wastes. The term "normal domestic sewage" shall mean normal sewage for the city, in which the average concentration of suspended materials and five days B.O.D. is established at 250 parts per million each, by weight, on the basis of the normal contribution of twenty-hundredths pounds per capita. It is further expressly provided that for the purpose of this article, any waste that exceeds the above concentration of suspended materials and/or B.O.D. shall be classified as industrial waste and made subject to all regulations pertaining thereto, whether or not such waste was partially of domestic origin.
Defective service line
means a line transporting wastewater from a user facility to the public wastewater collection system that in addition allows the entrance of infiltration and/or inflow.
EPA
means the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Fats, oils, and greases (FOG)
means 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 may be amended from time to time. All are sometimes referred to herein as "grease" or "greases."
Garbage
means solid wastes from the preparation, cooking and disposing of food, and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.
Generator
means any person who owns or operates a grease trap/grease interceptor, or whose act or process produces a grease trap waste.
Grease trap or interceptor
means 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."
Grease trap waste
means material collected in and from any grease trap/interceptor in the sanitary sewer service line of a commercial, institutional, multi-family facility or industrial food service or processing establishment, including the solids resulting from de-watering processes.
Indirect discharge or discharge
means the introduction of pollutants into a POTW from any non-domestic source.
Industrial wastes
means all water-borne solids, liquids, or gaseous wastes resulting from any industrial manufacturing or food processing operation or process, or from the development of any natural resource, or any mixture of these with water or domestic sewage as distinct from normal domestic sewage.
Infiltration
means water entering the POTW at any location, public or private, by permeation through the ground and subsequent entry through defective pipes, pipe joints, connections, manhole walls or similar such means of passage.
Inflow
means water entering the POTW at any location, public or private, by means of surface stormwater or irrigation runoff, or piped transportation of such waters.
Interference
means a discharge which alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources inhibits or disrupts the POTW, its treatment processes or operations or its sludge processes, use or disposal, or is a cause of a violation of the city's TPDES permit.
Person, establishment or owner
means any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation, partnership, or group, their agents, servants or employees.
pH
means the logarithm (base 10) of the reciprocal of the hydrogen-ion concentration of a solution.
POTW or Publicly owned treatment works
means a treatment works which is owned by a state or municipality as defined by section 502(4) of the Clean Water Act. This definition includes any devices and systems used in the storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of municipal sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature. It also includes all sewers, pipes and other conveyances that convey wastewater to a POTW treatment plant. The term also means the municipality as defined in section 502(4) of the Act, which has jurisdiction over the indirect discharges to and the discharges from such a treatment works. For purposes of this ordinance, the terms "sanitary sewer system" and "POTW" may be used interchangeably.
Private service line
means the pipe originating on private property and ending at the point of connection to the POTW (typically the property line) including the clean out at the point of tie-in into the POTW. The private service line is the sole responsibility of the property owner to maintain and repair.
Prohibited connection
means any piping arrangement or transportation system that conveys groundwater, stormwater or irrigation runoff, to the public wastewater collection system.
Properly shredded garbage
means the wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food, exclusive of egg shells, bones, and similar matter that have been shredded to such degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particles greater than one-half inch in any dimension.
Public sewer
means a sewer in which all owners of abutting properties shall have equal rights, and which is controlled by public authority.
Sanitary sewer
means a public sewer which carries sewage and to which stormwaters, surface waters and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.
Sewage
means a combination of the water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions and industrial establishments.
Sewage treatment plant
means any city-owned facility, devices and structures used for receiving and treating sewage from the city sanitary sewer systems.
Sewerage
means a pipe or conduit for carrying sanitary sewage.
Sewerage works
means all facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing of sewage.
Suspended solids
means solids that either float on the surface, or are in suspension in water, sewage, or other liquids; and which, in accordance with standard methods, are removable by laboratory filtering.
Standard methods
means the laboratory procedures set forth in the latest edition, at the time of analysis, of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste Water as prepared, approved, and published jointly by the American Public Health Association, the American Water Works Association, and the Water Environment Federation.
TCEQ
means the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and its predecessor and successor agencies.
Transporter
means a person who is registered with and authorized by the TCEQ to transport sewage sludge, water treatment sludge, domestic seepage, chemical toilet waste, grit trap waste, or grease trap waste in accordance with 30 Texas Administrative Code § 312.142.
TSS
means the value of the test for Total Suspended Solids, as described in the latest edition of "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water & Wastewater."
Unpolluted water or waste
means any water or waste containing none of the following: free or emulsified grease or oil; acid or alkali; phenol, or other substances in suspension, colloidal state or solution, and noxious or odorous gases. It shall contain no more than ten parts per million each of suspended solids and B.O.D. The color shall not exceed 50 parts per million.
User
means any person, including those located outside the jurisdictional limits of the city, which contributes causes or permits the contribution or discharge of wastewater into the POTW, including persons who contribute such wastewater from mobile sources.
(Code 1972, § 24-38; Ordinance 1486, § 2, 12-1-09; Ordinance 1597, § 1, 1-8-13)
(a) 
No person shall discharge, or cause to be discharged, into any sanitary sewer, any of the following described substances, materials, waters or wastes:
(1) 
Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius), or any discharge which causes the temperature of the total treatment plant influent to increase at a rate of ten degrees Fahrenheit or more per hour or a combined total increase to a plant influent temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
(2) 
Any water or wastes which contain wax, grease or oil, plastic, or other substance that will solidify or become discernibly viscous at temperatures between 32 degrees to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
(3) 
Flammable or explosive liquid, solids or gas, such as gasoline, kerosene, benzine, naphtha, and the like.
(4) 
Solid or viscous substances in quantities capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the sewage works, such as ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails, lime slurry, lime residues, slops, chemical residues, paint residues or bulk solids.
(5) 
Any garbage not within the definition of "properly shredded garbage" as defined in this article.
(6) 
Any noxious or malodorous substance which can form a gas, which either singly or by interaction with other wastes, is capable of causing objectionable odors; or hazard to life; or forms solids in concentration exceeding the limits established in subsection (b) of this section; or creates any other condition deleterious to structures or treatment processes; or requires unusual provisions, attention, or expense to handle such materials.
(7) 
Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Molybdenum, Tin and Uranyl ion will not be discharged into the sanitary sewer system.
(b) 
Except in quantities or concentrations or with provisions as stipulated in this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to discharge, to any sanitary sewer, water or wastes containing:
(1) 
Acids or alkalies which attack or corrode sewers or sewage disposal structures, or have a pH value lower than 5.5 or higher than 9.5.
(2) 
The concentration of cyanide or cyanogen compounds allowed to be discharged into the sanitary sewer system shall not exceed 1.0 mg/l.
(3) 
Materials which exert or cause:
a. 
Unusual concentrations of solids or composition; as for example, total suspended solids of greater than 250 parts per million of inert nature or such as Fuller's earth and/or total dissolved solids such as sodium chloride, or sodium sulfate.
b. 
The color shall not exceed 50 units as measured by the Platinum-Cobalt Method of Determination.
c. 
Biochemical oxygen demand or an immediate oxygen demand greater than 250 parts per million.
d. 
High hydrogen sulfide content.
e. 
Unusual flow and concentration, which shall be pretreated to a concentration acceptable to the city water and sewer system if such wastes can cause damage to collection facilities, impair the processes, incur treatment cost exceeding those of normal sewage, or render the water unfit for stream disposal or industrial use.
(4) 
Discharge of concentrations into the sanitary sewer system of the following substances shall not exceed the following percentages:
Substance
mg/l
Arsenic
0.05
Barium
5.0
Boron
1.0
Cadmium
0.02
Chromium (Hexa)
0.05
Chromium (Tri)
5.0
Copper
1.0
Iron
0.3
Phenols
0.005
Lead
0.1
Manganese
1.0
Mercury
0.005
Nickel
1.0
Selenium
0.02
Silver
0.1
Zinc
5.0
(c) 
No person may discharge radioactive wastes or isotopes into the sanitary sewer system without consulting the city for permission; such material will be handled in compliance with applicable state and federal regulations controlling the discharge of radioactive wastes into public sewers.
(Code 1972, § 24-39; Ordinance 1486, § 2, 12-1-09; Ordinance 1597, § 1, 1-8-13)
(a) 
Installations.
(1) 
New facilities.
Food processing, food service and/or multi-family facilities which are newly proposed or constructed, or existing facilities which will be expanded or renovated to include a food service facility, where such facility did not previously exist, shall be required to design, install, operate and maintain a grease trap/interceptor in accordance with locally adopted plumbing codes or other applicable ordinances. Grease traps/interceptors shall be installed and inspected prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
(2) 
Existing facilities.
Existing grease traps/interceptors must be operated and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and in accordance with these model standards, unless specified in writing and approved by the POTW.
(3) 
All grease trap/interceptor waste shall be properly disposed of at a facility in accordance with federal, state, or local regulation.
(b) 
Cleaning and maintenance.
(1) 
Grease traps and grease interceptors shall be maintained in an efficient operating condition at all times.
(2) 
Each grease trap pumped shall be fully evacuated unless the 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 24-hour period, in accordance with 30 Texas Administrative Code § 312.143.
(c) 
Self-cleaning.
(1) 
Grease trap self-cleaning operators must receive approval from the POTW annually prior to removing grease from their own grease trap(s) located inside a building, provided:
a. 
The grease trap is no more than 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 completed self-cleaning request to the POTW 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 record keeping outlined in their approved application, to ensure compliance with this ordinance. 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/or removal from the self-cleaner program.
(d) 
Cleaning schedules.
(1) 
Grease traps and grease 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) 
Grease traps and grease interceptors subject to these standards shall be completely evacuated a minimum of every 90 days, or more frequently when:
a. 
Twenty-five 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 POTW; or
c. 
If there is a history of non-compliance.
(3) 
Any person who owns or operates a grease trap/interceptor may submit to the POTW a request in writing for an exception to the 90-day pumping frequency of their grease trap/interceptor. The POTW 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 POTW; 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.
(4) 
In any event, a grease trap and grease interceptor shall be fully evacuated, cleaned, and inspected at least once every 180 days.
(e) 
Manifest requirements.
(1) 
Each pump-out of a grease trap or interceptor must be accompanied by a manifest to be used for record keeping 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 is 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 local authority.
(4) 
Copies of manifests returned to the waste generator shall be retained for five years and be readily available for review by the POTW.
(f) 
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 chapter that the use of surfactants or soaps is incidental to normal kitchen hygiene operations.
(3) 
Bioremediation media may be used with the POTW's approval if the person has proved to the satisfaction of the POTW 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.
(4) 
All testing shall be scientifically sound and statistically valid. All tests to determine oil and grease, TSS, BOD, COD, pH, and other pollutant levels shall use appropriate tests which have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and which are defined in Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 136 or Title 30, Texas Administrative Code § 319.11. Testing shall be open to inspection by the POTW, and shall meet the POTW's approval.
(g) 
Schedule of penalties.
(1) 
If the POTW determines that a generator is responsible for a blockage of a collection system line the generator shall owe a civil penalty of $1,000.00 for the first violation, $1,500.00 for a second violation, and $2,000.00 for the third violation within a two-year period. Continuous violations shall result in an increase in penalty by $500.00 and may also result in termination of services.
(2) 
Any person violating any of the provisions of this division shall be subject to a written warning for the first violation, a $1,000.00 civil penalty for the second violation, a $1,500.00 civil penalty for the third violation, and a $2,000.00 civil penalty for the fourth violation within a two-year period. Consistent violations will result in a $500.00 increase in civil penalty and may result in termination of service.
(Ordinance 1597, § 2, 1-8-13)
(a) 
Persons or owners discharging industrial wastes which exhibit any of the prohibited wastes set out in this article shall be required to pretreat such wastes or otherwise dispose of such wastes so as to make the remaining waste acceptable to the city prior to admission of such waste into a sanitary sewer.
(b) 
Plans, specifications and any other pertinent information relating to proposed preliminary treatment and control facilities shall be submitted for the approval of the city, and no construction of such facilities shall be commenced until approval is obtained in writing. Preliminary treatment and control facilities shall be constructed so as to provide all of the following:
(1) 
Prevention of prohibited waste from entering a sanitary sewer.
(2) 
Control of the quantities and rates of discharge of industrial wastes into a sanitary sewer.
(3) 
An accessible entry so that any authorized employee of the city may readily and safely measure the volume and samples of the flow prior to the admission of such industrial wastes into a sanitary sewer.
(c) 
When preliminary treatment and control facilities are provided for any water or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.
(d) 
The director of public works and other duly authorized employees of the city acting as his duly authorized agent and bearing proper credentials and identification, shall be permitted to gain access to such properties as may be necessary for the purpose of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing of sewage and industrial wastes.
Note-Formerly numbered as § 102-293
(Code 1972, § 24-40; Ordinance 1486, § 2, 12-1-09; Ordinance 1597, § 3, 1-18-13)
(a) 
Industrial waste charge and added costs.
(1) 
If the volume or character of the waste to be treated by the city does not cause overloading of the sewage collection, treatment or disposal facilities of the city, then prior to approval, the city and the person making the discharge shall enter into an agreement which provides that the discharger pay an industrial waste charge to be determined from the schedule of charges.
(2) 
If the volume or character of the waste to be treated by the city requires that wastewater collection, treatment, or other disposal facilities of the city be improved, expanded, or enlarged in order to treat the waste, then prior to approval, the city and the person making the discharge shall enter into an agreement which provides that the discharger pay in full all added costs the city may incur due to acceptance of the waste.
(3) 
The agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this section shall include but not be limited to:
a. 
Amortization of all capital outlay for collecting and treating the waste, including new capital outlay and the proportionate part of the value of the existing system used in handling and treating the waste.
b. 
Operation and maintenance costs including salaries and wages, power costs, costs of chemicals and supplies, proper allowance for maintenance, depreciation, overhead and office expense.
(4) 
Amortization shall be completed in a 24-year period and payment shall include all debt service costs.
(b) 
Schedule of charges. Industrial waste charges shall be calculated by the following formula:
Ci = voVi + boBi + soSi
Note: The principle applies equally well with additional terms (e.g., chlorine feed rates)
Where:
Ci
=
charge to industrial users, $/month
vo
=
unit cost of transport and treatment chargeable to volume, $/1,000 gal.
bo
=
unit cost of treatment chargeable to BOD, $/lb.
so
=
unit cost of treatment (including sludge treatment) chargeable to SS, $/lb.
Vi
=
volume of wastewater from industrial users, gal./mo.
Bi
=
amount of BOD from industrial users, lb./mo.
Si
=
amount of SS from industrial users, lb./mo.
(c) 
Adjustment of charges.
(1) 
The city shall adjust charges at least annually to reflect changes in the characteristics of wastewater based on the results of sampling and testing.
(2) 
Increases in charges shall be retroactive for two billing periods and shall continue for six billing periods unless subsequent tests determine that the charge should be further increased.
(3) 
The city shall review at least annually the basis for determining charges and shall adjust the unit treatment cost in the formula to reflect increases or decreases in wastewater treatment costs based on the previous year's experience.
(4) 
The city shall bill the discharger by the month and shall show industrial waste charges as a separate item on the regular bill for water and sewer charges. The discharger shall pay monthly in accordance with practices existing for payment of sewer charges.
Note-Formerly numbered as § 102-294
(Code 1972, § 24-41; Ordinance 1486, § 2, 12-1-09; Ordinance 1597, § 3, 1-18-13)
Any owner of any property connecting to the POTW for the first time or replacing an existing yard line shall install and maintain a sewer cleanout at the point of tie-in to the city's service line. To minimize groundwater infiltration and surface water inflow to the public sewer system that overloads pipelines and inhibits wastewater treatment, the city hereby requires the owner of any property on which a defective sewer line or a prohibited connection is located to repair the service line or remove the prohibited connection at the owner's expense.
(a) 
Defective service line.
The city will investigate and determine if a service line is defective. Cracked, broken, crushed or similarly damaged lines, lines with separated joints, or lines with any condition that allows infiltration of groundwater, shall be considered defective.
(b) 
Prohibited connections.
The city will investigate and determine if a connection to the public sewer is a prohibited connection. Prohibited connections may be direct to the public sewer or indirect through the property service line. Roof drains, yard drains, driveway and parking area drains, foundation drains, exterior stairwell drains, uncapped cleanouts, sumps or any other system that conveys groundwater or surface runoff to a public sanitary sewer may be considered a prohibited connection, even though such connection may not have been prohibited under existing ordinance, regulations or standards at the time of construction.
(c) 
Administrative procedure.
The codes enforcement officer will provide written notice to the property owner by certified mail that corrective action is required. The written notice will specify the action that is needed such as partial repair, replacement or disconnection. The property owner shall have 30 days from the date of the notice to complete the work. If the property owner fails to complete the work, the codes enforcement officer will file appropriate damages in municipal court for violation of the (city) Municipal Code. In addition to prosecution in municipal court, the city may pursue a civil action by injunction in any court of competent jurisdiction to temporarily or permanently enjoin the continuation of wastewater collection service because of a public health nuisance. Further, the city may suspend water service to property until the violations are corrected.
(d) 
Corrective action.
Plumbing work shall be done in accordance with all city, state and federal codes, regulations and standards. The city in no way whatsoever assumes any responsibility or liability for corrective action undertaken by the property owner or plumbing contractor. All prohibited connections shall be disconnected immediately at the public sewer or sanitary service line and capped with a watertight seal. All corrective work shall be inspected and accepted by the city prior to the line being covered and returned to service. Reconnection of terminated service shall be at the owner's expense.
(Ordinance 1597, §§ 3, 4, 1-8-13)
The city shall retain the right to disconnect waste disposal service in the following circumstances:
(1) 
Where acids or chemicals damaging to sewer lines or treatment processes are released to the sewer causing rapid deterioration of these structures or interfering with proper treatment of sewage, the director is authorized immediately to terminate service by such measures as are necessary to protect the facilities.
(2) 
Where any governmental agency informs the city that the effluent from the treatment plant is no longer of a standard permitted for surface runoff and it is found that the owner is delivering waste water to the city's system that cannot be sufficiently diluted by mixing with the city's waste or requires treatment that is not provided by the city as normal domestic treatment. In this instance, the city shall immediately supply the owner with the governmental agency's report and provide the owner with all pertinent information. The owner's waste line will then be disconnected when the city is informed that it can no longer continue to release its effluent for surface runoff. The owner's waste treatment service shall remain disconnected until such time that the owner has provided additional pretreatment facilities designed to remove the objectionable cause from his industrial wastes.
(3) 
Where the owner delivers his waste water at an uncontrolled, variable rate in sufficient quantity that it causes an imbalance in the sewage treating system.
Note—Formerly numbered as § 10-295.
(Code 1972, § 24-42; Ordinance 1486, § 2, 12-1-09; Ordinance 1597, § 4, 1-8-13)
Any person failing or refusing to pay the charges provided for in this article, or to deposit the proper sum in the event of a dispute as to the amount of such charges, in the time and manner provided, and who continues to discharge waste from his property into the sanitary sewer systems of the city shall be guilty of an offense and upon continuance thereof shall be fined as provided in section 1-7 of this Code. Each and every day that such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable as such. The conviction of a person for such an offense shall not be a bar to the institution by the city of a suit for the collection of the delinquent charges and for an injunction to enjoin such person from discharging waste into the sanitary sewer systems of the city without complying with the provision of this division and paying the charges established hereby.
(Ordinance 1597, § 5, 1-8-13)