Alhambra Municipal Code Ch. 16.24 Discharge

(A) Prohibited illicit substances designated. Except as otherwise provided by this section, it shall be 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 house sewer connection therewith in the city, or on or upon any street, alley or public place, or on 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 house sewer, any of the following substances:

(1) Any oil, petroleum, naphtha, liquid asphaltum or petroleum product, or any fatty matter, rags, sand, earth or stone dust.

(2) Dead animals, fish, fruit or vegetable matter in any form, except garbage deposited into the sanitary sewer system by means of acceptable garbage grinders as provided for in this title.

(3) 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, or tend to interfere with the efficient and successful operation of the system or the plant, or cause a potential hazard or objectionable odor.

(4) Any chemicals or waste destructive to masonry.

(5) Fats, oils, grease, and any other debris that may cause blockages, except in quantities commonly contained in domestic sewage.

(6) Any effluent of a temperature exceeding 140° F.

(7) Any radioactive waste, except where a special permit has been granted by the Director of Utilities and in type and amounts as specified from time to time by the Director of Utilities. Permission to discharge radioactive waste shall be terminated immediately at the discretion of the Director of Utilities if in his or her opinion the discharge constitutes or may constitute a public health hazard.

(8) 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.

(B) Control of pH and biochemical oxygen demand. Before any person may discharge alkalis, acids or other corrosive or harmful wastes into the public sewer, he shall reduce the biochemical oxygen demand and the pH shall not be in excess of 11 and less than six. Control shall be to the extent which the Director of Utilities finds adequate taking all circumstances into consideration.

(C) Compliance with regulations. Except as provided in Title 17 of this code, it shall be unlawful for any person to make or maintain any connection with any part of the public sewer for the purpose of discharging sewage or waste which contains any of such objectional substances mentioned in this section.

('86 Code, § 16.24.010) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51; Am. Ord. 3088, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 4541, passed 4-27-09; Am. Ord. 4542, passed 5-11-09) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

(A) Refrigeration systems. Unpolluted waters from refrigeration systems, air conditioning systems or industrial cooling operations shall be discharged into a storm sewer where such sewer is available, or a dry well, except as provided in the uniform plumbing code adopted by Chapter 20.24 of this code.

(B) Swimming pools. Unpolluted waters from swimming pools shall be discharged into a storm sewer where such sewer is available or into a dry well where space and soil conditions permit the installation of a dry well.

(C) Permit required. Before any unpolluted waters may be discharged into any storm drain a permit must be obtained from the City Engineer for such purpose and all such waters so discharged shall meet the requirements of the Regional Water Pollution Control Board of the state affecting the district wherein the city is situated.

('86 Code, § 16.24.020) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

(A) Garbage resulting from the preparation of any food or drink prepared and served or proposed to be served on the premises may be ground and dis-charged into the public sewer upon approval of the Director of Public Works and the Building Inspector as to the fineness of content determined by an analysis made with United States standard sieves and based on wet drained weights in accordance with the following:

(1) Not less than 40% shall pass a No. 8 sieve.

(2) Not less than 65% shall pass a No. 3 sieve.

(3) Not less than 100% shall pass a ¼-inch screen.

(B) The method of discharge permitted under this section shall be by flushing with water directly into a trapped outlet into the house plumbing leading to the public sewer. The Director of Public Works may limit the permissible quantity or quality of garbage to be disposed of through garbage grinders.

('86 Code, § 16.24.030) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

No person engaged in washing motor vehicles, cleaning machinery, machine parts, or other equipment exclusive or incidental to any other business, shall permit any water or effluent from such operation to flow into any public sewer or house connection sewer unless the washing area is equipped with an approved interceptor. Such washing area shall be roofed over and shall be so constructed as to prevent any water from flowing over any street or public property or any storm or surface water from entering any public sewer.

('86 Code, § 16.24.040) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

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 house connection sewer leading thereto. When necessary, in the opinion of the Director of Public Works or the Building Inspector, such appurtenances shall be equipped with an approved interceptor.

('86 Code, § 16.24.050) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

No person shall cause or permit the exhaust from any steam engine or the blow-off from any boiler to be discharged directly into any public sewer or into any house connection sewer leading thereto. Such exhaust or blow-off shall first be discharged into a watertight sump which may in turn be connected to the public sewer.

('86 Code, § 16.24.060) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

It is hereby declared to be a nuisance, and it shall be unlawful for any person to use or suffer or permit to be used in the city 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, washwater or refuse substance from any laundry or washhouse within the city into any sink, cesspool, pit or on ground, or in any manner disposing of the same, except by conducting the same into a public sewer, provided that such sewer is available as stated in this title. Where no such public sewer is available, such wastes shall be discharged into a cesspool constructed according to the uniform plumbing code adopted by Chapter 20.11 of this code.

('86 Code, § 16.24.070) (Ord. 2472, passed 9-18-51) Penalty, see § 1.12.010

Any restaurant, cafeteria, or other establishment serving 80 or more meals per day or discharging quantities of grease excessive of an amount commonly contained in domestic sewage shall be connected to the house connection sewer through a grease interceptor.

Every fish, fowl and animal slaughter house or establishment and every fish, fowl and meat packing or curing establishment and every soap factory, tallow rendering, fat rendering and hide curing establishment from which considerable amounts of grease are likely to be discharged into any plumbing system, sewer system or private sewage disposal system, shall be connected to and shall drain or discharge into a grease interceptor of an approved design.