This title sets forth uniform requirements for users of the
POTW for the City and enables the City to comply with all applicable
Federal, State and local laws, including the Act and the General Pretreatment
Regulations (40 CFR Part 403) or as amended.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
User agencies which contribute to the City sewer facilities
shall, at a minimum, comply with all of the requirements of this title.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
The Director of Utilities will classify all users in accordance
with the principal activity conducted on the premises where the discharge
occurs. The purpose of the classification is to facilitate regulation
of discharges to the subregional system on the basis of each user's
waste quality, quantity, flow, and City involvement; to provide an
effective means of source control of toxic substances; and to provide
a basis for sewer use charges to insure an equitable recovery of capital
and operating costs. User permit classifications are as follows:
(A) Nonresidential User. Users that discharge nondomestic wastewater
to the sanitary sewer system and do not meet the criteria of SIU.
(B) Non-Significant Categorical Industrial User. Defined in Section 15-04.030(83)(b).
(C) Significant Industrial User.
(D) Ongoing Groundwater Discharger. Users that discharge wastewater generated
from groundwater remediation projects in excess of six months.
(E) One-Time Discharger. Users that discharge wastewater generated as
a result of purging monitoring wells, dewatering underground storage
tanks, groundwater sampling, or for a variety of other circumstances.
(F) Waste Hauler. Haulers that discharge domestic septic waste, portable
chemical toilet waste, non-hazardous commercial or industrial waste,
groundwater remediation site waste, and/or landfill leachate at the
POTW.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008; Ord. 2019-016 § 4)
(A) General Prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW any pollutant or wastewater which causes pass through, interference, or is listed in the specific prohibitions in subsection
(B) of this section. These general prohibitions apply to all users discharging to the POTW whether or not they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any other Federal, State, or local pretreatment standards or requirements.
(B) Specific Prohibitions. No person shall introduce or cause to be introduced
into the POTW the following pollutants, substances, or wastewater:
(1) Pollutants which create fire or explosive hazard in the POTW, including,
but not limited to, wastestreams with closed cup flashpoint of less
than 140° F (60° C) using test methods specified in 40 CFR
Part 261.21 or as amended, or at any point in the POTW, of more than
10 percent of the lower explosive limit on a combustible gas meter;
or
(2) Wastewater having a pH less than 5.0 or more than 12.0, or any substance
causing corrosive structural damage to the POTW, or equipment as standardized
in Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,
SW-846, current edition; or
(3) Solid or viscous pollutants in amounts or concentrations which will
cause or threaten to cause obstruction of the flow in the POTW resulting
in interference, but in no case solids greater than one-fourth inch
or 0.635 cm in any dimension. The installation and use of garbage
grinders (disposals) in commercial food establishments is prohibited,
except in the case where a 1,000-gallon minimum interceptor is in
use (40 CFR Part 403.5(b)(3)) or as amended; or
(4) Pollutants, including oxygen demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released
in a discharge at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which
will cause interference with the POTW (40 CFR Part 403.5(b)(4)) or
as amended; or
(5) Wastewater having a temperature which will inhibit biological activity
in the POTW resulting in interference, but in no case wastewater which
causes the temperature at the POTW to exceed 104° F (40° C)
(40 CFR Part 403.5(b)(5)) or as amended; or
(6) Petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral
oil origin, in amounts that will cause interference or pass through;
or
(7) Pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or
fumes within the POTW in a quantity that may cause acute worker health
and safety problems (40 CFR Part 403.5(b)(7)) or as amended; or
(8) Trucked or hauled pollutants, except at discharge points designated
by the POTW (40 CFR Part 403.5(b)(8)) or as amended; or
(9) Any wastewater containing toxic pollutants in sufficient quantity,
either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, to injure or
interfere with any wastewater treatment process, constitute a hazard
to humans or animals, create a toxic effect in the receiving waters
of the POTW, or exceed the limitation set forth in a categorical pretreatment
standard. Toxic pollutants shall include but not be limited to any
pollutant identified pursuant to Section 307(a) of the Act or as amended;
or
(10) Noxious or malodorous liquids, gases, solids, or other wastewater
which, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, are sufficient
to create a public nuisance or a hazard to life or are sufficient
to prevent entry into the sewers for maintenance or repair; or
(11) Any malodorous substance such as hydrogen sulfide or any other substance
which will cause offensive odors in the sewer system or at the treatment
plant; or
(12) Any substance which may cause the POTW's effluent or any other product
of the POTW, such as residues, sludges or scums, to be unsuitable
for reclamation and reuse or to interfere with the reclamation process.
In no case shall a substance discharged to the POTW cause the POTW
to be in noncompliance with sludge use or disposal criteria, guidelines
or regulations developed under Section 405 of the Act or as amended,
any criteria, guidelines or regulations affecting sludge use or disposal
developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Clean Air
Act or the Toxic Substances Control Act, or State criteria applicable
to the sludge management method being used; or
(13) Any substance which will cause the POTW to violate the NPDES permit
or waste discharge requirements issued by the State; or
(14) Any wastewater containing substances that may precipitate, solidify,
or become viscous at temperatures capable of either causing obstruction
to the flow in the sewers or interfering with the proper sewer system
operation and maintenance; or
(15) Any portions of the human anatomy; or
(16) Wastewater which imparts color which cannot be removed by the treatment
process, such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning
solutions, which consequently imparts color to the POTW's effluent,
thereby violating the City's NPDES permit; or
(17) Wastewater containing any radioactive waste or isotopes except in
compliance with applicable State or Federal regulations; or
(18) Unpolluted water(s) including but not limited to stormwater, surface
water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, non-contact cooling water
or other; or
(19) Sludges, screenings, or other residues from the pretreatment of industrial
wastewater; or
(20) Any infectious waste that is deemed a threat to the public health
and safety, or will result in any violation of applicable waste discharge
requirements shall be rendered noninfectious prior to discharge; or
(21) Wastewater causing the POTW effluent to fail a toxicity test; or
(22) Pollutants which create conditions which violate any statute, rule,
regulation, or ordinance of any public agency relating to releases
of hazardous wastes, hazardous substances, or other pollutants to
the environment when such release is to a publicly owned sanitary
sewer; or
(23) Any substance which is not amenable to treatment by the processes
employed at the POTW; or
(24) Any substance which may cause damage to City facilities; or
(26) Detergents, surface-active agents, or other substances which may
cause excessive foaming in the POTW; or
(27) Any of the following prohibited substances as tested according to
approved 40 CFR 136 methods:
(n)
Endosulfan II (B Endosulfan)
(s)
Polychlorinated Biphenyl Compounds (PCBs)
(t)
Tetrachloroethene, (Perchloroethylene, Perc)
(v)
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCCD); or
(28) Any septic tank waste, holding tank waste, or portable toilet waste
unless a permit is issued by the City and unless such sludge or waste
is transported to the POTW by a permitted waste hauler in accordance
with the regulations set forth within this title; or
(29) Wastewater causing two successive readings on an explosion hazard
meter at the point of discharge into the POTW, or at any point in
the POTW, of more than five percent, or any single reading over 10
percent of the lower explosive limit of the meter.
(C) Compliance by existing sources with the National Categorical Pretreatment
Standards shall be within three years of the date the standard is
promulgated unless a shorter compliance time is specified in the appropriate
subpart of 40 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter N or as amended. Upon the
promulgation of the National Categorical Pretreatment Standards for
a particular industrial subcategory, the Federal standard, if more
stringent than limitations imposed under this chapter for sources
in that subcategory, shall immediately supersede the limitations imposed
under this article. The Director of Utilities will notify all affected
users of the applicable reporting requirements under 40 CFR Part 403.12
or as amended.
(D) Other Prohibitions.
(1) No user shall discharge any wastewater directly into a manhole or
other opening in the City sewage system other than through sewer laterals
or other sewer connection approved by the Director of Utilities, unless
a permit has been obtained for such discharge. A permit will only
be issued for such direct discharge in the event the discharge is
otherwise in compliance with provisions of this title and no other
alternative is reasonably available in the opinion of the Director
of Utilities.
(2) Any discharge of sewage, industrial/commercial waste or other polluted
waters into any storm drain or natural outlet.
(3) Pollutants, substances, or wastewater prohibited by this title shall
not be processed or stored in such a manner that they could be discharged
to the POTW.
(4) No person who owns, operates or maintains a restaurant shall at any
time discharge any wastewater to the storm drain, service dock areas,
or ground. Wastewater generated by restaurants shall be disposed of
through a sanitary sewer, and an approved grease removal device, interceptor,
or sample station connected to a sanitary sewer or hauled off site
and disposed at a legal disposal site.
(5) It is unlawful for any person to discharge the contents of a swimming
pool or a spa into the City sewer system except in the manner specified
herein. The size of pipe carrying discharge water shall not be larger
than one inch and shall not be under a head to exceed 20 feet. If
the water is discharged by pumping, the rate of flow shall not exceed
50 gallons per minute. Each swimming pool or spa discharging to a
sanitary sewer shall be equipped with an approved air gap to preclude
any possibility of a backflow of sewage into the swimming pool or
spa piping system.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008; Ord. 2019-016 § 5)
(A) The categorical pretreatment standards found in 40 CFR Parts 405
471 or as amended are hereby incorporated.
(B) Where a categorical pretreatment standard is expressed only in terms
of either the mass or the concentration of a pollutant in wastewater,
the Director of Utilities may impose equivalent concentration or mass
limits in accordance with 40 CFR Part 403.6(c) or as amended.
(C) When wastewater subject to a categorical pretreatment standard is
mixed with wastewater not regulated by the same standard, the Director
of Utilities shall impose an alternate limit using the combined wastestream
formula or flow weighted average in 40 CFR Part 403.6 or as amended.
(D) A user may obtain a variance from a categorical pretreatment standard
if the user can prove, pursuant to the procedural and substantive
provisions in 40 CFR Part 403.13 or as amended, that factors relating
to its discharge are fundamentally different from the factors considered
by EPA when developing the categorical pretreatment standard.
(E) A user may obtain a net gross adjustment to a categorical standard
in accordance with 40 CFR Part 403.15 or as amended.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
In the event that either state or federal requirement standards
for discharge to the POTW are more stringent than the limitations,
requirements, and standards set forth in this title, the most stringent
standards or requirements shall apply.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
The following pollutant limits are established to protect against
pass through and interference. No SIU or groundwater remediation shall
discharge or cause to discharge, any wastewater containing in excess
of the following daily maximum allowable discharge limits. In addition
the Director of Utilities may apply all or some of the limits set
forth below as the Director of Utilities deems appropriate and designates
in the user's permit.
1. Arsenic, Total
|
0.5 mg/l*
|
2. Cadmium, Total
|
0.2 mg/l
|
3. Chromium, Total
|
2 mg/l
|
4. Copper, Total
|
1 mg/l
|
5. Cyanide, Total
|
0.2 mg/l
|
6. Lead, Total
|
0.3 mg/l
|
7. Mercury, Total
|
0.0003 mg/l
|
8. Nickel, Total
|
3 mg/l
|
9. Zinc, Total
|
2 mg/l
|
10. pH
|
5.0 – 12.0 SU*
|
11. Silver, Total
|
0.5 mg/l
|
12. TPH Gas and Diesel**
|
100 mg/l
|
13. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
|
5,200 mg/l
|
14. Halogenated TTO**
|
0.02 mg/l
|
15. BTEX**
|
2 mg/l
|
Notes:
|
---|
*
|
mg/l = milligrams per liter; SU = Standard Units.
|
**
|
Groundwater remediation and cleanup projects only.
|
•
|
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) Gas and Diesel.
|
•
|
Halogenated TTO = Carbon tetrachloride (tetrachloromethane),
Chlorobenzene, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,1,1-Trichloroethane,
1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane,
Chloroethane, 2-Chloroethylvinylether (mixed), Chloroform (trichloromethane),
1,2-Dichlorobenzene, 1,3-Dichlorobenzene, 1,4-Dichlorobenzene, 1,1-Dichloroethylene,
1,2-Trans-dichloroethylene, 1,2-Dichloropropane, 1,3-Dichloropropylene
(cis-1,3-dichloropropene, trans 1,3-dichloropropene), Methylenechloride
(dichloromethane), Methylchloride (chloromethane), Methylbromide (bromomethane),
Bromoform (tri-bromomethane), Dichlorobromomethane, Chlorodibromomethane,
3-Trichloroethylene, Vinylchloride (chloroethylene), cis-1,2-Dichloroethene.
|
•
|
BTEX = Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylene.
|
•
|
The sum of halogenated TTO or BTEX test values are defined as
the summation of all values observed at levels greater than 5 micrograms/liter
(µg/L). Results less than 5 µg/L will not be considered
or included in the summation.
|
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008; Ord. 3914 § 2, 2009; Ord. 4040 § 4, 2015; Ord. 2019-016 § 6)
The City reserves the right to establish, by ordinance, resolution,
or in wastewater discharge permits, more stringent standards or requirements
on discharges to the POTW.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
No industrial user shall increase the use of process water or
in any other way attempt to dilute a discharge as a partial or complete
substitute for adequate treatment to achieve compliance with a discharge
limitation unless expressly authorized by an applicable pretreatment
standard or requirement. The Director of Utilities may impose mass
limitations on users who are using dilution to meet applicable pretreatment
standards or requirements or in other cases when, in the opinion of
the Director of Utilities, the imposition of mass limitation is appropriate.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
No person shall maliciously, willfully or negligently break,
damage, destroy, uncover, deface, or tamper with any monitoring equipment
so as to cause alteration of the sampling analysis or readings or
cause damage or destruction of equipment being utilized to determine
compliance with this title. Tampering with a City-installed meter
may be subject to fines in accordance with this title.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
Seasonal flow is defined as an industrial wastewater discharge
during any 15-day period during which the average volume and/or strength
of any regulated wastewater characteristic exceeds the respective
yearly averages by 50 percent. Seasonal flow dischargers shall be
subject to wastewater treatment plant service capacity allocation
by the Director of Utilities. If overloading conditions occur or threaten
to occur at the treatment plant or if unused service capacity is insufficient
to accommodate all seasonal flows, the Director of Utilities may allocate
available service capacity among all seasonal dischargers. In allocating
the flow or constituent load, the Director of Utilities shall take
into account the discharger's nonseasonal flow, wastewater conservation
practice, economic and environmental impact, historical data, and
any other consideration advanced by the discharger which will help
the Director of Utilities make an equitable allocation.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
Notwithstanding any provision of this title to the contrary, the Board of Public Utilities and any person may enter into an agreement where unusual conditions compel special terms and conditions and charges for the interception, treatment and disposal of an industrial wastewater necessary to meet the purposes of this title. In no event, however, may the National Categorical Pretreatment Standards referred to in Section
15-08.080 of this title, or as amended or any other Federal or State standard, be relaxed or waived.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
A wastewater discharge permit may be temporarily suspended by
the Director of Utilities at any time if, in his or her opinion, the
continued discharge of the waste or water into the sewer system would,
when combined with other discharges into the sewer system, exceed
the City's allocated capacity service in the subregional system, substantially
jeopardize the ability of the treatment system to meet water quality
requirements or would cause an unsafe condition to occur. In lieu
of temporary suspension of permits, the Director of Utilities may
impose such temporary restrictions, conditions, or limitations upon
the quantities, qualities, and rates of discharge made thereunder
as deemed necessary to assure that said receiving water quality requirements
will not be violated by the discharge to the POTW, or to alleviate
the unsafe condition. In addition, the may suspend a wastewater discharge
permit at any time if he or she deems said suspension necessary to
halt or prevent a discharge that has the potential to endanger human
lives and/or injure the environment.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
Notice of the temporary suspension or the imposition of temporary
restrictions, conditions, or limitations shall be given in writing
by the Director of Utilities to the user at least 24 hours prior to
their effective date. Delivery of said notice to the user's place
of business within the City shall constitute delivery of notice to
user. In circumstances where the Director of Utilities deems it necessary
to suspend a wastewater discharge permit in order to prevent potential
danger to human life and/or injury to the environment, or in any circumstance
that would cause a violation of the treatment plant's NPDES permit,
no notice pursuant to this section is required.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
(A) The Director of Utilities may require any SIU or other user to develop
a slug control plan. Before issuance of a wastewater discharge permit,
the Director of Utilities shall determine whether a user needs such
a plan. Any user required to develop and implement slug control plan
shall submit, at a minimum, the following:
(1) Description of discharge practices, including nonroutine batch discharges;
(2) Description of stored chemicals;
(3) Procedures for immediately notifying the Director of Utilities of
any accidental or slug discharge. Such notification must also be given
for any discharge which would violate any of the prohibited discharges;
(4) Procedures to prevent adverse impact from any accidental or slug
discharge. Such procedures include, but are not limited to, inspection
and maintenance of storage areas, handling and transfer of materials,
loading and unloading operations, control of plant site run off, worker
training, building of containment structures or equipment, measures
for containing toxic organic pollutants (including solvents), and/or
measures and equipment for emergency response;
(B) In the case of an accidental spill and/or slug discharge, refer to Section
15-08.510, Reports of potential problems.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
All domestic wastewater (i.e., restrooms, showers, drinking
fountains) shall be separated from process wastewater until the process
wastewater has passed through a required pretreatment system and/or
the user's monitoring facility. When directed to do so by the Director
of Utilities, users shall separate existing domestic wastewater from
process wastestream.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)
(A) Septic tank waste may be introduced into the POTW only at locations
designated by the Director of Utilities, and at such times as are
established by the Director of Utilities. Such waste shall not violate
any requirements established by the City. The Director of Utilities
will require septic tank waste haulers to obtain wastewater discharge
permits.
(B) The Director of Utilities shall require haulers/generators of industrial
wastewater to obtain wastewater discharge permits. The Director of
Utilities also may prohibit the disposal of hauled industrial wastewater.
The discharge of hauled industrial wastewater is subject to all other
requirements of this title.
(C) Industrial wastewater haulers shall discharge loads only at locations
designated by the Director of Utilities. No load may be discharged
without prior consent of the Director of Utilities. The Director of
Utilities may collect samples of each hauled load to ensure compliance
with applicable standards. The Director of Utilities may require the
industrial wastewater hauler/generator to provide a waste analysis
of any load prior to discharge.
(D) Septic and/or industrial wastewater haulers shall provide a waste
tracking form for every load. This form shall include, at a minimum,
the name and address of the industrial wastewater hauler, permit number,
truck identification, names and addresses of sources of waste, volume,
and characteristics of waste. The form shall identify the type of
industry, known or suspected waste constituents.
(E) Hauled groundwater discharges shall be subject to the criteria set
forth in this section.
(F) Trucked wastes of commercial and/or industrial origin which are generated
outside of the subregional service area (Cotati, Sebastopol, Santa
Rosa, Rohnert Park, South Park Sanitation District) may be accepted
for disposal with the prior approval of the Director of Utilities.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008; Ord. 2019-016 § 7)
Treated water(s) generated from the cleanup of spills, leaking
underground storage tanks, contaminated soil or groundwater, monitoring
wells, or other similar sources shall not be discharged through direct
or indirect connection to the City sewer system unless a temporary
permit or a wastewater discharge permit is issued by the Director
of Utilities. The Director of Utilities may approve the discharge
of such wastewater and issue such a permit only when, in its judgment,
no reasonable alternative method of disposal is available; and the
City's facilities will not be significantly affected.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008; Ord. 2019-016 § 8)
Any sludge or other material removed from the industrial wastewater
by the pretreatment facility shall be disposed of in accordance with
applicable Federal, State and local laws.
(Ord. 3895 § 3, 2008)