Note: Prior ordinance history; 1953 Code §§ 7171(a)—(d), 7171.1, 7171.2(a)—(b), 7172, 7172.1—7172.3, 7173—7176, 7176.1—7176.8, 7177, 7178 and Ord. 438.
Except as otherwise provided by Sections 17.12.010 through 17.12.040, or Chapter 17.30, it is unlawful to place, deposit or discharge, or to cause, suffer or permit to be placed, deposited or discharged, either directly or indirectly, into any public sewer of this city or into any private sewer lateral connection therewith in the city, or on or upon any street, alley or public place or upon any private property or any other place in the city in such a manner that the same will be permitted to run into any such public sewer or private sewer laterals, any of the following substances:
(a) 
Any oil petroleum, naphtha, liquid asphaltum or petroleum product, or any fatty matter, rags, sand, earth or stone dust;
(b) 
Dead animals, fish, fruit or vegetable matter in any form except garbage deposited into the sanitary sewer system by means of garbage grinders as in this title provided;
(c) 
Any refuse or industrial liquid waste other than domestic sewage that will not readily disintegrate in the sewage treatment plant or that will cause or tend to cause obstructions in the sewer system or the sewage treatment plant or interfere with or tend to interfere with the efficient and successful operation of the system or the plant, or cause a potential hazard or objectionable odor;
(d) 
Any chemicals or wastes destructive to masonry or Portland cement concrete;
(e) 
Grease except in quantities commonly contained in domestic sewage;
(f) 
Any effluent of a temperature exceeding one hundred forty degrees Fahrenheit, or that would cause the temperature of wastewater entering the headworks of any wastewater treatment plant to exceed one hundred four degrees Fahrenheit;
(g) 
Any radioactive waste which exceeds the limits specified in Title 17, Chapter 5, Subchapter 4, Group 3, Article 5, Section 30287 of the California Administrative Code;
(h) 
Any industrial waste, including but not limited to mineral salts, molds or wastes resulting from their manufacture and other products which will tend to sterilize activated sludge, trickling filter slimes, or slime growth on artificial or natural slow sand filters;
(i) 
Any solids or viscous substances of such size or in such quantity that may cause obstruction to the flow in the sewer or be detrimental to proper wastewater treatment plant operation;
(j) 
Any wastes with odors of such strength that the discharge of the wastes to any wastewater treatment plant results in, as determined by the city engineer, an odor violation of the treatment plant's waste discharge requirements, where without the discharge no odor violation would have been anticipated;
(k) 
Any waste containing substances that may precipitate, solidify or become viscous at temperatures between fifty and one hundred degrees Fahrenheit;
(l) 
Any waste capable of passing through the waste-water treatment works and producing discoloration of treatment plant effluent;
(m) 
Any water added for purposes of diluting wastes which would otherwise exceed applicable maximum concentration limitations;
(n) 
Any waste which may create a fire or explosion hazard in the wastewater collection or treatment system;
(o) 
Any waste prohibited by federal standards from being discharged to the sewer system;
(p) 
Any other wastes which may be specifically prohibited by SOCWA or the city.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
Before any person may discharge alkalis, acids or other corrosive or harmful wastes into the public sewer, he or she shall reduce the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and control the pH to the extent which the city engineer finds adequate, taking all circumstances into consideration. In all cases the wastewater discharge shall have a pH within the range of 6.0 to 9.5.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
No person shall connect, or cause or permit to be connected, any roof drain, yard drain or other conduit used for carrying off rain or surface water, with any public sewer or private sewer lateral leading thereto. No person shall cause or permit any indirect connection to the public sewer or private sewer lateral leading thereto by means of which rain or surface waters are permitted to enter the public sewer.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
Waters from swimming pools may be discharged into a private sewer lateral cleanout. If discharge to a private sewer lateral cleanout is not feasible, then water from swimming pools may be discharged into the public sewer; provided, however, that written permission therefor has been first obtained from the city engineer. The city engineer, in granting permission to drain any pool into the public sewer, may impose reasonable conditions, including the amount of water to be drained into the public sewer and the hours therefor. If discharge of waters from swimming pools to the sewer is not possible, then pool water may be discharged into a storm drain sewer provided that the water is free of chemicals including but not limited to chlorine.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
No person engaged in washing motor vehicles or other equipment exclusive or incidental to any other business, shall permit any water or effluent from such operations to flow into any public sewer or private sewer lateral, unless the washing area is equipped with an approved interceptor. Such washing areas shall be roofed over and shall be so constructed as to prevent any water from flowing over any street or public property, and to prevent any storm or surface water from entering any public sewer.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
Cellar drains and showers in basements or yards shall be protected to prevent the admission of sand, detritus and storm or surface water into the public sewer, or into any private sewer lateral leading thereto. When necessary, in the opinion of the city engineer, such appurtenances shall be equipped with an approved interceptor.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
It is declared to be a nuisance, and it is unlawful for any person to use, or suffer or permit to be used, for the purpose of a laundry or washhouse, any building or premises unless the same shall be connected with a public sewer, or to convey or suffer or permit to be conveyed any slops, wash water or refuse substance from any laundry or washhouse within the city into any sink, cesspool pit or on the ground, or in any manner disposing of the same except by conducting the same into a public sewer, provided such sewer is available as stated in Section 17.20.110. Where no such public sewer is available, such wastes shall be discharged into a cesspool constructed according to ordinances of the city.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
No person shall remove or cause to be removed, or damage or cause to be damaged, any portion of any public sewer, or any private sewer lateral in a public easement, or use or cause to be used, or cause to be taken, any water from any sewer or flushing apparatus for any use whatever.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
No person shall open or enter, or cause to be opened or entered, any manhole in any public sewer to dispose of garbage or other deleterious substances, or storm or surface waters, or for any other like purpose.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
When wastewater is discharged into a specified manhole under permission from the city engineer, it shall be discharged through a pipe or hose in such a manner that none of the effluent is left adhering to the sides or shelf of the manhole, and if any such effluent is inadvertently allowed to adhere to the sides or shelf of the manhole, the manhole shall be thoroughly cleaned with clean water.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
(a) 
All private sewer laterals and appurtenances thereto now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition and all devices or safeguards which are required by this title for the operation thereof shall be maintained in good working order.
(b) 
All costs and expenses incident to the installation, connection, repair, maintenance, renovation, replacement, disconnection, reconnection or relocation of a private sewer facility, building drain, or private sewer lateral, including cleanouts, backflow protection devices, pumps or other appurtenances, shall be borne by the property owner or person causing the connection to be made, including, but not limited to, the costs of application, plan submittal, plan check, connection fees or any other fee assessed by the city related to the installation.
(c) 
In no event shall the city be responsible by reason of approval of plans, issuance of licenses or permits, or allowance of connection to the public system for any harm, cost, loss or damage which may be caused by the installation or maintenance of the building drain or private sewer lateral, and the same shall be borne by the property owner or the person causing the connection to be made.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)
(a) 
The requirements contained in this title, covering the maintenance of sanitary sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping plants, industrial liquid waste pretreatment plants, interceptors or other appurtenances, shall apply to all such facilities now existing or hereafter constructed. All such facilities shall be maintained by the owner thereof in a safe and sanitary condition, and all devices or safeguards which are required by this title for the operation of such facilities shall be maintained in good working order.
(b) 
This section shall not be construed as permitting the removal or nonmaintenance of any devices or safeguards on existing facilities unless authorized in writing by the city engineer.
(Ord. 1029 § 3, 1982; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2015)