Azusa Municipal Code Div. 1 Generally

This article shall be known as the Industrial Waste Ordinance and may be cited as such.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.010)

Whenever reference is made to any portion of this article, such reference applies to all amendments and additions thereto.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.020)

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article or in any permit issued under this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Cesspool means an excavation in the ground which receives the discharge of a drainage system or part thereof, so designed and constructed as to retain organic matter and solids discharging therein, but permitting the liquids to seep through the bottom and sides.

Domestic sewage means the waterborne wastes derived from ordinary living processes and of such volume and character as to permit satisfactory disposal into cesspools or septic tanks approved by the health officer or into a public sewer.

Effluent means the liquid flowing out of any treatment plant or facility constructed and operated for the partial or complete treatment of sewage or industrial waste.

Grease interceptor means a device for retaining grease or oil by gravity-differential separation from industrial liquid waste.

Health officer means the county health officer or his authorized deputy, agent, representative or inspector.

Industrial building means any building or structure which is or which is designed to be used for the manufacture, processing or distribution of materials, equipment, supplies, food or commodities of any description or which is used or designed to be used as a school, sanitarium, hospital, penal institution or charitable institution, together with all appurtenances thereto and the surrounding premises under the same ownership or control.

Industrial connection sewer means that part of the horizontal piping from an industrial building, through which is discharged industrial liquid waste from a single industry.

Industrial liquid waste means any waterborne or liquid waste from an industrial building, except the following: domestic sewage, uncontaminated cooling water and uncontaminated stormwater runoff from roofs, streets or yard areas.

Industrial waste means any industrial liquid waste, garbage or other toxic or deleterious materials from an industrial process.

Industrial waste treatment plant or facility means any works or device for the treatment of industrial waste, prior to discharge, in accordance with this article.

Inspector means the authorized inspector, deputy, agent or representative of the city engineer or health officer.

Permittee means the person to whom a permit to discharge industrial waste has been either granted or transferred.

Person means any individual, firm, copartnership, joint adventure, association, social club, fraternal organization, corporation, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, syndicate, municipality, district or other political subdivision or any other group or combination acting as a unit, and the plural as well as the singular number.

Pollution of underground or surface waters means affecting such waters in a manner which, if allowed to continue, would render them unfit for human or animal use or toxic to vegetation to an extent adversely affecting plant growth or curtailing crop yield.

Public agency means and includes the federal government or any department or agency thereof, the state or any department or agency thereof, a county, city and county, city, public corporation, municipal corporation or public district.

Public sewer means any sewer other than a house connection sewer.

Sand interceptor means a device for retaining sand, silt, grit or other mineral material by gravity-differential separation from industrial liquid waste and of a design and capacity approved by the city engineer.

Septic tank means a structure for treating domestic sewage before disposal into a cesspool, seepage hole or leaching system.

Sewage means contaminated water or waterborne wastes from dwellings, hotels, restaurants, schools, institutions, hospitals, office and industrial buildings and other similar structures, but excluding the following: stormwater, rainwater, groundwater, roof or yard drainage, uncontaminated cooling water.

Sewage treatment plant means any works or device for treating sewage, except any industrial waste treatment plant or facility or any septic tank, settling tank or cesspool designed to dispose of domestic sewage.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.030)

Cross reference— Definitions and rules of construction generally, § 1-2.

Whenever the city engineer is permitted by this article to grant an exception to any requirement of this article, he shall do so only if he finds that literal compliance with such provision is impossible or impractical and that the purposes of this article may be accomplished and public safety secured by an alternative construction or procedure.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.040)

The city engineer shall enforce this article and for such purpose shall have the powers of a peace officer.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.050)

Unless otherwise provided in this article, any notice required to be given by the council or the city engineer under this article shall be in writing and served in the manner provided in the Code of Civil Procedure for the service of process or by registered mail. If served by mail upon an applicant or permittee, it shall be sent to the last address given to the city engineer. Where the permittee is unknown, service may be made as provided in this section, upon the owner of record of the property from which industrial waste is being discharged.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.060)

Any time limit provided for in this article may be extended by mutual consent of the officer or department concerned and the permittee or applicant or other person affected.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.070)

The city engineer and the health officer shall provide means of identification for inspectors which shall identify them as such. Inspectors shall identify themselves upon request, when entering upon the work of any contractor or property owner for any inspection required under this article.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.080)

A person shall not discharge or deposit, at any time, any industrial waste effluent or any other material which may create a public nuisance or menace to the public health and safety or which may pollute underground or surface waters or which may cause damage to any storm drain, channel or public or private property.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.090)

Every person applying for a permit for construction of a new industrial building or for an addition or alteration to an existing industrial building shall secure a signed statement from the city engineer as to requirements for disposal of industrial waste. The person for whom such building is to be constructed shall furnish to the engineer such plans, information, dates, statements or affidavits as he may require for determination of the nature and quantity of the wastes involved and the facilities to be provided for the disposal thereof.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.100)

Pursuant to section 78-210, within ten days after the submission of the required date, the city engineer shall issue a statement made in accordance with one or more of the following conditions, which shall be incorporated in the approved plans and made a part of the city building permit:

(1) Disposal of all industrial waste shall be made by connection to the public sewer in accordance with article IV of this chapter.

(2) Connection to the public sewer is not feasible; the applicant has certified that the wastes involved consist only of domestic sewage, uncontaminated cooling water or innocuous materials; and disposal shall be made into septic tanks, cesspools, seepage holes or other similar facilities to be approved by the health officer.

(3) Connection to a public sewer is not feasible, and disposal of all industrial wastes shall be made in accordance with the applicable provisions of this article and plans for the treatment facilities required shall be submitted to and approved by the city engineer, and the required permit issued as provided in division 2 of this article, before construction of such facilities is started.

(4) Disposal of a portion of the industrial wastes shall be made in accordance with applicable provisions of this article and disposal of all remaining wastes shall be effected in accordance with either subsection (1) or (2) of this section.

(5) The proposed use of the building or structure will produce wastes containing impurities which cannot be reduced to safe or reasonable limits by any known processes; disposal of such wastes in the manner proposed may create a menace to the public health or safety or create a public nuisance or pollute underground or surface waters or cause serious damage to public or private property; and no permit for disposal of such wastes can be issued under this article.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.110)

Under this article, a permit is granted to deposit or discharge industrial waste from an existing industrial building to the same extent and by the same method as that legally employed on the effective date of the ordinance from which this section is derived. The city engineer may suspend and the council may revoke any such permit pursuant to division 2 of this article.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.120)

Notwithstanding any of the exceptions mentioned in this article, the city engineer shall promptly investigate every complaint charging violation of this article, and shall take action to correct any violation discovered.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.130)

Under this article, the city engineer may perform educational work and may cooperate with civic organizations, industries, water companies and public agencies whenever in the opinion of the city engineer such work and cooperation is essential to the development of standards or procedures which will prevent creation of a public nuisance or menace to the public health or safety or pollution of underground or surface waters.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.140)

The city engineer may confer and negotiate with officials of any public agency interested in or regulating the disposal of industrial wastes, for the purpose of adopting uniform standards satisfactory to all.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.150)

The city engineer may recommend to the council consummation of a contract by which the administration and enforcement of this article would be transferred to county officials.

(Code 1971, § 16.08.160)