Pursuant to the general laws of the State and the powers granted in the Charter of the City, the City Council does hereby declare its intention to acquire, own, construct, equip, operate and maintain within or without the City limits, a wastewater treatment plant or plants, sanitary sewers, equipment and appurtenances necessary, useful or convenient for a complete sewerage and treatment system. This chapter provides for the regulation of discharges into the City of Albany wastewater treatment system through the enforcement of administrative regulations.
(1)
Purpose and Policy. This chapter sets forth uniform requirements for discharges into the wastewater treatment system and enables the City of Albany (City) to protect public health and the environment in conformity with all applicable State and Federal laws relating thereto.
The objectives of this chapter are:
(a)
To protect the health of the City employees working in the City wastewater treatment system;
(b)
To facilitate the orderly development and extension of the wastewater treatment system;
(c)
To prevent the introduction of pollutants into the City wastewater treatment system which will interfere with the normal operation of the system or contaminate the resulting sludge;
(d)
To prevent the introduction of pollutants into the City wastewater treatment system which do not receive adequate treatment in the POTW and which will pass through the system into receiving waters or the atmosphere or otherwise be incompatible with the system;
(e)
To improve the opportunity to recycle and reclaim wastewater and sludge from the system; and
(f)
To allow the use of fees and charges to recover the costs of operation, maintenance and administration of the wastewater treatment system.
(2)
Policy of Assistance. In achieving the objectives of this chapter, it shall be the policy of the City to actively support the community’s commerce and industry through accommodation, assistance, and cooperation consistent with the City’s responsibility to protect the waters of the State from pollution and to secure the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the service area.
(3)
Compliance with Standards. Pollutants shall be accepted into the City wastewater treatment system subject to regulations and requirements as may be promulgated by State and Federal regulatory agencies or the City of Albany for the protection of wastewater facilities and treatment processes, public health and safety, receiving water quality, and avoidance of nuisance. As a minimum, users of the City wastewater treatment system shall comply with the applicable pretreatment standards. Pretreatment standards shall be developed to ensure that at a minimum the City and users comply with Sections 307(b) and 307(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended by the Clean Water Act of 1977 and the regulations promulgated pursuant to these sections of the Act.
(4)
This chapter shall apply to the City of Albany and to persons outside the City of Albany who are, by contract or agreement with the City of Albany, users of the City of Albany POTW. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Director of public Works of the City of Albany shall administer, implement, and enforce the provisions of this chapter.
(Ord. 5016, 1992; Ord. 5636, 2006)