La Mesa Municipal Code Ch. 17.16 Cesspool and Septic Tank Effluent

It is illegal for any person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of cleaning or pumping cesspools or septic tanks, either within or without the boundaries of this city, to discharge, deposit or place within the sewage system of this city, the effluent, sediment or matter of any kind or nature collected from such septic tanks or cesspools, except as provided by this chapter.

(Ord. 279 § 1; May 28, 1946)

(a) Definitions.

(1) Septage Hauler shall mean any hauler of domestic or industrial wastewater that trucks this waste for the purpose of disposal into the public sewer.

(2) Domestic Wastewater shall mean the liquid and waterborne wastes derived from the ordinary living processes in a dwelling unit, said wastes being of such character as to permit satisfactory disposal, without special treatment into a public sewer or by means of a private disposal system.

(3) Industrial Wastewater shall mean all wastewater, excluding domestic wastewater, and shall include all wastewater from any manufacturing processing, institutional, commercial, service, agricultural or other operation. These may also include wastes of human origin similar to domestic wastewater.

(b) Discharge Permit. All septage haulers owning vacuum or "cesspool" pump trucks or other liquid waste transport trucks and desiring to discharge septic tank, seepage pit, interceptor or cesspool contents, or other liquid wastes to the city's public sewers, shall first:

(1) Be licensed by the county of San Diego department of health services and shall pay all fees established by that agency.

(2) Obtain a license to operate within the city of La Mesa from the La Mesa finance department.

(3) Obtain the city engineer's approval of the proposed private wastewater disposal facility and discharge location required by this chapter.

(c) Permit Duration. Domestic wastewater discharge permits are issued for a period of one year. They are renewed each year with updated information and payment of the permit fee.

(d) Disposal of Industrial Wastewater. No discharge of industrial wastewater will be allowed into the city's sewer system except as provided for in Municipal Code Section 17.20.439. Discharge of industrial waste is prohibited.

(e) Permit and Discharge Fees.

(1) A permit fee, as set by resolution of the city council shall be paid at the time the permit is renewed.

(2) A discharge fee, as set by resolution of the city council will be assessed for each one thousand gallons of domestic wastewater discharged into the city's sewer system. The volume of sewage discharged shall be as recorded by the septage hauler's metered disposal facility. A monthly bill will be sent to each permittee.

(f) Availability of City's Wastewater Facilities. Issuance of a permit and payment of fees shall not constitute a guarantee that the right to discharge will be granted. If sewer capacity problems dictate, the city engineer may order the cessation of discharge at any time and septage haulers must provide their own alternative means of disposal until capacity problems are abated.

(Ord. 2194; August 9, 1979, as amended by Ord. 2371 § 19; August 28, 1984: Ord. 2390 § 5; August 27, 1985: Ord. 2526 § 1; May 9, 1989)

Discharge of domestic wastewater, such as septic tank, cesspool and chemical toilet contents shall be allowed only within an industrially zoned section of the city. Each permittee shall have a private disposal facility located on and within property owned or operated by the septage hauler. Said facility is to be approved by the city engineer, and shall meet the following requirements.

(a) The disposal facility:

(1) Shall connect to a city sewer which is tributary to the city's Alvarado Sewer Trunk Line, as such line is identified in the city of La Mesa Sewer Plan.

(2) Must have a holding tank with a capacity equal to or greater than the nominal capacity of the larger of the septage hauler's trucks.

(3) Must be equipped with a sewage flow metering device or other means to determine the quantity of flow.

(4) Must discharge a flow at a rate no greater than the amount set by the city engineer.

(Ord. 279 § 2 (part); May 28, 1946: Ord. 2526 § 2; May 9, 1989)

It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any provision of this chapter. A violation of any of the provisions or failing to comply with any mandatory requirements of this chapter shall constitute an infraction and shall be subject to the provisions of the general penalty clause as set out in Section 1.01.080 of the code of the city of La Mesa.

(Ord. 279 § 2 (part); May 28, 1946: Ord. 2638 § 2; November 23, 1993)