§ 36-24. Discharge of polluted and unpolluted substances into sewer system.

(a)

General discharge of unpolluted drainage. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, cooling water or industrial process waters to any sewer, except as hereinafter permitted.

(b)

Discharge of unpolluted drainage into approved outlets. Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers, or to a natural outlet approved by the director of public works. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged, upon approval of the director of public works, to a storm sewer or natural outlet. Unpolluted drainage, unpolluted process water, or unpolluted cooling water shall be drainage or water to which has not been added sewage, waste or refuse from animal containments or animal processing facilities, or chemicals in sufficient quantities and concentrations to tend to alter appreciably the existing level of animal or vegetable life within the existing receiving body or bodies of water. Discharge of unpolluted cooling water or process water into a storm sewer or natural outlet will not be cause for waiving sewer charges.

(c)

Discharge of certain harmful waters or wastes prohibited. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to any sewer of the public system or storm sewer:

(1)

Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

(2)

Any waters or wastes which may contain more than 100 milligrams per liter of fat, oil or greases.

(3)

Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas.

(4)

Any garbage that has not been properly shredded.

(5)

Any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, paunch manure, or any other solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or other interference with the proper operation of the sewerage works.

(6)

Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 9.0 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the sewerage works.

(7)

Any waters or wastes containing a toxic or poisonous substance in sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant.

(8)

Any waters or wastes containing suspended solids of such character and quantity that unusual attention or expense is required to handle such materials at the public system's sewage treatment plant.

(9)

Any noxious or malodorous gas or substance capable of creating a public nuisance.

(d)

Grease, oil and sand interceptors.

(1)

Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the director of public works, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable wastes, sand and other harmful ingredients; except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units.

(2)

All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the director of public works and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. Grease and oil interceptors shall be constructed of impervious materials capable of withstanding abrupt and extreme changes in temperature. They shall be of substantial construction, watertight and equipped with easily removable covers which when bolted in place shall be gastight and watertight.

(3)

Maintenance of interceptors.

a.

When installed, all grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be maintained by the owner, at his expense, in continuously efficient operation at all times.

b.

The owner shall provide for all cleaning and maintenance of all contents, including floating materials, wastewater, and bottom sludge and solids.

c.

The owner shall ensure that cleaning of the grease interceptors is performed by a licensed waste hauler who disposes the material at a dumpsite, which has been approved by the appropriate health department personnel in writing which shall also have authority to review the trucks used to perform the cleaning.

d.

Decanting, back-flushing or discharging of removed wastes back into the grease interceptor, grease trap or oil/water separator from which the waste was removed or into any other grease interceptor, grease trap, oil/water separator or any other device or container for the purpose of reducing the volume to be hauled and disposed is prohibited and unlawful.

e.

Grease interceptors, grease traps and oil/water separators shall be pumped or cleaned out completely by the owner as often as necessary but not less than once every six months, in order to prevent carryover of oil and grease into the collection system. Cleaning and maintenance shall include, but not be limited to, complete removal of materials from the tank walls, baffles, cross pipes, inlets and outlets.

f.

The owner shall maintain the oil and grease interceptor in such condition for efficient operation. An oil and grease interceptor shall be considered to be out of compliance if the grease layer on top exceeds six inches and/or if the solids layer on the bottom exceeds six inches, or if sampling and analysis indicates greater than 100 mg/L of oil and grease in the discharge.

g.

The owner of any existing oil and grease trap shall be responsible for maintaining the unit in such condition for efficient operation. An oil and grease trap shall be considered to be out of compliance if the total volume of grease and solids measured occupies more than 20 percent of the working volume of the unit.

h.

Wastes removed from each oil and grease interceptor/trap or oil/water separator shall be disposed of by the owner at a facility permitted to receive such wastes or at a location designated and permitted for such purposes, in accordance with the provisions of this article. It is prohibited and unlawful for the pumpage to be returned to any private or public portion of the collection system or the treatment plants, without prior written approval from the town.

i.

The use of chemical or biological additives as a grease degradation agent by an owner is prohibited without prior written approval of the town.

j.

It is prohibited and unlawful for an owner to use petroleum based solvents for cleaning and degreasing.

k.

It is prohibited and unlawful for an owner to flush the oil and grease interceptor/trap or oil/water separator with water having a temperature in excess of 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

l.

The owner, at the owner's sole expense, shall perform all maintenance of oil and grease management devices including, but not limited to, proper disposal of all removed product.

m.

Owners of existing oil and grease interceptors, grease traps or oil/water separators found to be out of compliance upon issuance of this article will be provided by the town with a report listing the noncompliance issues and a time frame for correction.

(4)

Records and reports.

a.

A manifest that confirms pumping, hauling, and disposal of waste shall be kept to track pumpage from grease interceptors, grease traps and oil/water separators. This manifest shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:

(i)

Generator information: Facility name and address, contact person, telephone number, volume, date and time of pumping, and name and signature of generator verifying generator information;

(ii)

Transporter information: Company name and address, telephone number, volume pumped, date and time of pumping, driver name and signature of transporter verifying transporter information and service provided; and

(iii)

Destination information disposal site or facility: Company name/permit number(s), contact person(s), address, telephone number, location of disposal site/ facility, volume treated, date and time of delivery, driver name and signature, and vehicle number, name and signature of operator verifying disposal site and facility information.

b.

The owner shall maintain a log of pumping activities for the previous 24 months.

c.

The owner shall provide town personnel with immediate access to the log of pumping activities, which shall be posted in a conspicuous location. The log shall include, at a minimum, the date, time, volume pumped, hauler's name, license number and signature.

d.

The owner shall maintain a file on site of the records and other documents pertaining to the facility's grease interceptor, grease trap or oil/water separator. The file contents shall include, at a minimum, the record (as built) drawings, record of inspections, log of pumping activities and receipts, log of maintenance activities, hauler information, disposal information, copies of manifests and monitoring data. The owner shall keep the file available at all times for inspection and review by the town.

(5)

Compliance monitoring.

a.

The owner shall permit the town to enter and conduct facility inspections at its option and without notice.

b.

The town may conduct routine inspections with frequency based on the size of the interception unit and the loading rates. If a problem arises, such as, line stoppages, or increased maintenance on the collection system, in the POTW system or if a violation is noted during the routine inspection, the inspections may be conducted more frequently as determined by the town.

(6)

It is prohibited and unlawful for an owner to fail to comply with the requirements of this section.

(e)

Wastes subject to review of director of public works; control; preliminary treatment facilities. The admission into the town sewers of any waters or wastes having:

(1)

A five day biochemical oxygen demand greater than 300 milligrams per liter;

(2)

Containing more than 350 milligrams per liter of suspended solids;

(3)

Containing any quantity of substance having the characteristics described in subsection (c) of this section; or

(4)

Having an average daily flow greater than two percent of the average daily sewage flow of the town;

Shall be subject to the review and approval of the director of public works. Where necessary, in the opinion of the director of public works, the owner shall provide, at his expense, preliminary treatment facilities including a suitable control manhole fully accessible at all times to the town. Such preliminary treatment facilities shall control the quantities and rates of discharge of such water as specified in subsection (e)(4) of this section and reduce the biochemical oxygen demand to 300 milligrams per liter and the suspended solids to 350 milligrams per liter, or reduce objectionable characteristics of constituents to within the maximum limits provided for in subsection (c) of this section. Plans, specifications and any other pertinent information relating to proposed preliminary treatment facility shall be submitted for the approval of the director of public works and no construction of such facilities shall be commenced until said approval is obtained in writing.

(f)

Construction, maintenance, operations of preliminary treatment facilities. Where the preliminary treatment facilities are required for any waters or wastes, they shall be constructed, maintained and operated by the owner at no cost to the town, in a manner satisfactory to the director of public works.

(g)

Standards for examination of waters and wastes. All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in subsections (c) and (e) of this section shall be determined in accordance with the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, of the American Public Health Association, shall be determined at the control manhole provided in subsection (e) of this section, or upon suitable samples taken at such control manhole. If no special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer to the point at which the building sewer is connected.

(h)

Agreements between town and industrial concerns. No statement contained in this section shall be construed as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the town and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the town for treatment subject to payment therefor by the industrial concern. See Schedule 4 of section 36-26(d).

(i)

Enforcement response plan.

(1)

The town shall issue a notice of violation to a user for failure to comply with the provisions of this article by serving written notice upon the user stating the nature of violation and providing the user with 15 business days to provide to the town a detailed written report with the proposed corrective actions and completion date. The town may shorten the response time in exigent circumstances or when the town determines that the public health, safety or welfare is endangered.

(2)

If a user violates or continues to violate the provisions set forth in this article or fails to initiate complete corrective action within the specified time period in response to a notice of violation, then the town may pursue the following options or such other actions to protect the public health safety or welfare:

a.

Pump the oil and grease interceptor/trap, or oil/water separator, and charge the actual at cost of this service on the user's monthly sewer bill for services which may include pumping, cleaning, and disposal of the contents in the oil and grease interceptor/trap or the oil/water separator;

b.

Impose an administrative penalty, in accordance with the rules and procedures set forth in this article;

c.

Assess a reasonable fee for additional inspection, sample collection, and laboratory analyses;

d.

Terminate water and sewer service; or

e.

Any combination of the above or other enforcement actions.

(3)

Should water and/or sewer service be terminated, the user shall pay all outstanding fees, penalties and other utility charges prior to reinstatement of water and sewer service.

(4)

Appeals of all town staff decisions shall be to the director of the town's public works department, then to the manager and then to the town council. Notices of appeals must be filed within ten days of the date of the decision from which the appeal arises. Decisions of the town council may be appealed to a court of competent jurisdiction in accordance with the controlling rules of procedure. Appeals shall be de novo at each level except the appeals to the town council shall be on the record of the matter determined at the prior level. The town manager may promulgate administrative rules relating to the processes and procedures for hearings and appeals. The town may use its hearing officer process to hear matters at any level.

(Code 1967, § 30-6; Code 1999, § 26-21; Ord. No. 02-17, § 1(Exh. A), 2-7-2017)