Unless otherwise defined herein, terms related to water quality
shall be as adopted in the latest edition of Standard Methods for
Examination of Water and Wastewater, published by the American Public
Health Association, the American Water Works Association and the Water
Environment Federation.
Other terms not herein defined are defined as being the same
as set forth in the latest adopted applicable editions of the California
State Codes applicable to building construction as adopted by the
Huntington Beach Municipal Code or Huntington Beach Zoning and Subdivision
Ordinance.
Subject to the foregoing provisions, the following definitions
shall apply in this chapter:
"Best management practices"
shall mean schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices,
maintenance procedures and other management practices to prevent or
reduce the introduction of FOG to the sewer facilities.
"Discharger"
shall mean any person who discharges or causes a discharge
of wastewater directly or indirectly to a public sewer. Discharger
shall mean the same as user.
"Establishment"
shall mean commercial or industrial establishments, including
but not limited to retail food service establishments, that may discharge
fats, oils and grease.
"FOG"
shall mean fats, oils and grease. Any substance such as a
vegetable or animal product that is used in, or is a byproduct of,
the cooking or food preparation process, and that turns or may turn
viscous or solidifies with a change in temperature or other condition
is included in this definition.
"Food grinder"
shall mean any device installed in the plumbing or sewage
system for the purpose of grinding food waste or food preparation
by products for the purpose of disposing it in the sewer system. Also
means a garbage disposal.
"Food service establishment"
shall mean facilities defined in California Health and Safety
Code Section 113285 or which has any process or device that uses or
produces FOG, grease vapors, steam, fumes, smoke, or odors that are
required to be removed by a Type I hood, as defined in Health and
Safety Code Section 113285. A limited food preparation establishment
is not considered a food service establishment nor are establishments
that generate FOG when engaged only in reheating, hot holding or assembly
of ready to eat food products and as a result, there is no wastewater
discharge containing a significant amount of FOG. A limited food preparation
establishment does not include any operation that changes the form,
flavor, or consistency of food.
"Gravity grease interceptor (GGI) or grease trap"
shall mean a water-tight receptacle receiving and retaining
waste containing fats, oils, and grease from food service establishments,
and in all cases shall be located outside a place of business or any
structure. Minimum size shall be 750 gallons. Additional sizing criteria
are set forth by the current adopted plumbing code.
"Grease control device"
shall mean any gravity grease interceptor, hydromechanical
grease trap or other approved mechanism, device, or process, which
attaches to, or is applied to, wastewater plumbing fixtures and lines,
the purpose of which is to trap or collect or treat FOG prior to it
being discharged into the sewer system.
"Hydromechanical grease interceptor (HGI) or grease trap"
shall mean a water-tight receptacle receiving and retaining
waste containing fats, oils and grease from food service establishments.
The HGI is generally located inside a business or structure. Sizing
criteria are set forth by the current adopted plumbing code.
"Infiltration"
shall mean water entering a sewer system, including sewer
service connections, from the ground through such means as defective
pipes, pipe joints, connections, or manhole walls.
"Inflow"
shall mean water entering a sewer system through a direct
stormwater runoff connection to the sanitary sewer, which may cause
an almost immediate increase in wastewater flows.
"Manifest"
shall mean that receipt which is retained by the generator
of wastes for disposing recyclable wastes or liquid wastes as required
by the City.
"New construction"
shall mean any structure planned or under construction for
which a sewer connection permit has not been issued.
"New food service establishment"
shall mean any new or existing food service establishment
that has undergone change in ownership or change in operation which
would involve animal products in the cooking or food preparation process
or as a byproduct of the cooking and preparation of food.
"Person"
shall mean any individual, partnership, firm, association,
corporation or public agency, including the State of California and
the United States of America.
"Private sewer lateral"
shall mean that part of the sewer lateral that is solely
owned and required to be maintained by the property owner.
"Remodeling"
shall mean a physical change or operational change causing
the generation of the amount of FOG that exceeds the current amount
of FOG discharge to the sewer system by the food service establishment
in an amount that alone or collectively causes or creates a potential
for sewer system overflows to occur; or exceeding a cost of $50,000.00
to food service establishments that requires a building permit, and
involves any one or combination of the following:
1.
Under slab plumbing in the food processing area;
2.
A 30% increase in the net public seating area;
3.
A 30% increase in the size of the kitchen area;
4.
Any change in the size or type of food preparation equipment.
"Sample point"
shall mean a location approved by the City, from which wastewater
can be collected that is representative in content and consistency
of the entire flow of wastewater being sampled.
"Sampling facilities"
shall mean structure(s) provided at the user's expense for
the City or user to measure and record wastewater constituent mass,
concentrations, collect a representative sample, or provide access
to plug or terminate the discharge.
"Sewer or sewer system"
shall mean any and all facilities used for collecting, conveying,
pumping, treating, and disposing of wastewater and sludge. This definition
includes but is not limited to any property belonging to the City
used in the treatment, reclamation, reuse, transportation, or disposal
of wastewater, or sludge.
"Sewer lateral"
shall mean a building sewer as defined in the latest edition
of the California Plumbing Code. It is the wastewater connection between
the building's wastewater facilities and a public sewer system.
"Sludge"
shall mean any solid, semisolid or liquid decant, subnate
or supernate from a manufacturing process, utility service, or pretreatment
facility.
"Waste"
shall mean sewage and any and all other waste substances,
liquid, solid, gaseous or radioactive, associated with human habitation
or of human or animal nature, including such wastes placed within
containers of whatever nature prior to and for the purpose of disposal.
"Wastewater"
shall mean the liquid and water-carried wastes of the community
and all constituents thereof, whether treated or untreated, discharged
into or permitted to enter a public sewer.
(3688-12/04; 3979-7/13)
No establishment shall discharge or cause to be discharged into
the sewer system FOG that accumulates and/or causes or contributes
to blockages in the sewer system or at the sewer system lateral, which
connects the establishment to the sewer system.
(3688-12/04)
The City's Director of Public Works and the Director of Planning
and Building or his/her designee is responsible for enforcement of
this chapter and for all determinations of compliance with it.
(3688-12/04; 3979-7/13)
The following prohibitions shall apply to food service establishments
that generate FOG:
A. Installation
of food grinders in the plumbing system of new construction of any
food service establishments that generate FOG, is prohibited. Furthermore,
all food grinders must be removed from existing food service establishments
that generate FOG, as determined by the Director, within 90 days of
written notice to remove.
B. Introduction
of any additives into any establishment's wastewater system for the
purpose of emulsifying FOG is prohibited.
C. Disposal
of waste cooking oil into drainage pipes is prohibited. All waste
cooking oils shall be collected and stored properly in receptacles
such as barrels or drums for recycling or other acceptable methods
of disposal.
D. Discharge
of wastewater from dishwashers to any grease trap or grease interceptor
is prohibited.
E. Discharge
of wastewater with temperatures in excess of 140˚F to any grease control
device, including grease traps and grease interceptors, is prohibited.
F. The
use of biological additives for grease remediation or as a supplement
to interceptor maintenance is prohibited, unless written approval
from the Director is obtained.
G. Discharge
of wastes from toilets, urinals, wash basins, and other fixtures containing
fecal materials to sewer lines intended for grease interceptor service,
or vice versa, is prohibited.
H. Discharge
into the sewer system of any waste which has FOG as well as solid
materials removed from the grease control device is prohibited. Grease
removed from grease interceptors shall be wastehauled periodically
as part of the operation and maintenance requirements for grease interceptors.
Licensed wastehaulers or an approved recycling facility shall be used
to dispose of FOG, including waste cooking oil.
(3688-12/04; 3979-7/13)
No person shall discharge, or cause to be discharged, any wastewater
from any establishment, directly or indirectly into the sewer system
without complying with this chapter.
(3688-12/04)
All food service establishments shall pay a monthly fee as set
by resolution of the City Council to offset the costs of enforcing
this chapter.
(3688-12/04; 3979-7/13)
Property owners of commercial properties or their official designee(s)
shall be responsible for the installation and maintenance of the grease
interceptor serving multiple establishments that are located on a
single parcel or for paying the FOG fee surcharge if there is no grease
interceptor.
(3688-12/04)
This section shall not be interpreted to allow new construction,
remodeling or change in operations without an approved gravity grease
interceptor unless it is determined by the Building and Safety Division
of the Planning and Building Department that it is impossible or impracticable
to install or operate a gravity grease control interceptor for the
subject facility under the provisions of this chapter. In instances
whereby a gravity grease interceptor is impossible or impractical
to install or operate, a properly sized hydromechanical grease interceptor
can be installed in lieu of a gravity grease interceptor.
(3688-12/04; 3979-7/13)
Establishments found to have contributed to a sewer blockage,
sewer system overflow ("SSO"), or any sewer system interferences resulting
from the discharge of wastewater or waste containing FOG, may be ordered
to install and maintain a grease interceptor, and may be subject to
a plan to abate the nuisance and prevent any future health hazards
created by sewer line failures and blockages, SSOs or any other sewer
system interferences. If the City must act to contain and/or clean
up an SSO caused by blockage of a private or public sewer lateral
or system, or at the request of the property owner or operator of
the establishment, or because of the failure of the property owner
or establishment to abate the condition causing a threat to the health,
safety, welfare, or property of the public, or because of an unauthorized
discharge of FOG, the City's costs for such abatement will be entirely
borne by the property owner or operator of the establishment, and
said cost will constitute a debt to the City and become due and payable
upon the City's request for reimbursement of such costs. Food facilities
that experience two or more SSOs within a one-year period or three
within a five-year period may be required at the behest of the Director
of Public Works to install a FOG pretreatment unit if the food establishment
does not have one or upgrade to a larger unit to prevent future SSOs.
(3688-12/04; 3979-7/13)
Sewer system overflows may cause threat and injury to public
health, safety, and welfare of life and property and are hereby declared
public nuisances.
(3688-12/04)
All grease interceptors must comply with all relevant City ordinances,
and the current edition of the California Plumbing Code, if applicable.
A. Grease
interceptor sizing and installation shall conform to the current edition
of the California Plumbing Code. Grease interceptors shall be constructed
in accordance with the design approved by the City's Director of Planning
and Building and shall have a minimum of two compartments with fittings
designed for grease retention and a sampling box.
B. The
grease interceptor shall be installed at a location where it shall
be at all times easily accessible for inspection, cleaning, and removal
of accumulated grease.
C. Access
manholes, with a minimum diameter of 24 inches, shall be provided
over each grease interceptor chamber and sanitary tee. The access
manholes shall extend at least to finished grade and be designed and
maintained to prevent water inflow or infiltration. The manholes shall
also have readily removable covers to facilitate inspection, grease
removal, and wastewater sampling activities.
(3688-12/04; 3979-7/13)
All establishments shall implement best management practices
in its operation to minimize the discharge of FOG to the sewer system.
(3688-12/04)
No person shall interfere with, delay, resist or refuse entrance
to City representatives attempting to inspect any facility involved
directly or indirectly with a discharge of wastewater to the City's
sewer system.
(3688-12/04)
All private sewer laterals must be periodically cleaned at a
minimum frequency that prevents SSOs from occurring or blockages of
more than 25% of the flow capacity of the private sewer lateral.
(3979-7/13)
Any person who discharges a waste which causes or contributes
to the City violating its discharge requirements established by any
regulatory agency with jurisdiction over the City incurring additional
expenses or suffering losses or damage to the facilities, shall be
liable for any costs or expenses incurred by the City, including regulatory
fines, penalties, and assessments made by other agencies or a court.
(3688-12/04)