Article III — Discharge of Industrial Waste to Public Sewers

The provisions of this article shall pertain to the disposal of industrial waste to the public sewer only.

• (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

• (A) No person may discharge industrial waste to a public sewer without first obtaining an industrial waste permit from the Director.

• (B) No industrial waste permit shall be granted unless the Director determines that sufficient capacity exists in the public sewer to allow for such industrial waste.

• (C) A separate permit shall be required for each connection discharging industrial wastes to the public sewer.

• (D) For the purpose of this Chapter, discharges resulting from garbage grinders powered by motors of less than one and one-half horsepower installed in food service establishments pursuant to the provisions of the Los Angeles County Plumbing Code prior to July 1, 2009, or the City of Palmdale Plumbing Code thereafter, and where such facilities are not required by other provisions of this Chapter, are not considered to be industrial waste discharges.

• (E) A person shall obtain an industrial waste permit from the Director to maintain an existing but unused industrial waste connection to the public sewer. The annual fee for such permit shall be as that for Inspection Class A. The connection shall be removed upon the expiration or revocation of such permit pursuant to the criteria established by PMC § 13.11.270 (Cancellation of permit and facility closure – Conditions).

• (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009; Ord. 1614 § 4 (Exh. I), 2023)

• (A) The Director shall provide printed application forms for the industrial waste permit required by this article, indicating thereon the information to be furnished by the applicant. The application shall be signed under penalty of perjury by the authorized representative of the discharger.

• (B) For the purpose of this chapter, the Director may utilize joint permit application forms under agreements established with other public agencies as provided in Chapter 13.08 PMC.

• (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

Information and data concerning an industrial user obtained from reports, questionnaires, permit applications, permits, monitoring programs and inspections shall be available to the public or other governmental agency without restriction unless the user specifically requests and is able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the City that the release of such information would divulge

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City of Palmdale, CA

SANITARY SEWERS AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE

§ 13.11.380

§ 13.11.430

information, processes or methods of production entitled to protection as trade secrets of the user except where the City has a requirement to release information pursuant to the California Public Records Act. Wastewater constituents and characteristics will not be recognized as confidential information.

(Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

If it appears from the application and supporting information submitted for any industrial waste permit required by this chapter that the proposed disposal complies with the provisions of this chapter and other applicable laws and ordinances, the Director, upon receipt of the fees hereinafter required, shall issue such permit.

(Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

Before granting an industrial waste disposal permit to any applicant, the Director shall determine either that the waste is one which will not damage or destroy the public sewer, or cause an unwarranted increase in the cost of maintenance of the public sewer, or retard or inhibit the treatment of the sewage, or is one that can be made acceptable after pretreatment. (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

In event pretreatment or special facilities are required to make the waste acceptable as provided under the provisions of this chapter, the applicant for an industrial waste disposal permit may be required to furnish plans showing the method of collections and pretreatment proposed to be used, and a permit shall not be issued until said plans or required modification thereof have been checked and approved by the Director.

(Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

By following the procedure set forth in Article I of this chapter, the Director may revoke any permit if, after due investigation, the Director finds:

• (A) A failure of the permittee to correct conditions as required by the Director; or

• (B) Conditions which would justify the denial of a permit; or

• (C) Fraud or deceit was employed in obtaining the permit; or

• (D) Any other violation of this article or of any conditions of any permit, including the one to be revoked, license or exception granted hereunder.

• (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

At least annually, the Director shall provide public notification, in a newspaper(s) of general circulation that provides meaningful public notice within the jurisdiction(s) served by the POTW of industrial users which, at any time during the previous 12 months, were in significantly violating noncompliance with applicable pretreatment standards or other pretreatment

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City of Palmdale, CA

PALMDALE CODE

§ 13.11.430

§ 13.11.450

requirements. For the purpose of this section, a significant industrial user (SIU) (or any industrial user which violates subsection (C), (D), or (H) of this section) is in significant noncompliance if its violation meets one of the following criteria:

• (A) Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined here as those in which 66 percent or more of all of the measurements taken for the same pollutant parameter during a six-month period exceed (by any magnitude) a numeric pretreatment standard or requirement, including instantaneous limits, as defined by 40 CFR 403.3(l);

• (B) Technical review criteria (TRC) violations, defined here as those in which 33 percent or more of all of the measurements taken for the same pollutant parameter during a six-month period equal or exceed the product of the numeric pretreatment standard or requirement including instantaneous limits, as defined by 40 CFR 403.3(l) multiplied by the applicable TRC (TRC=1.4 for BOD, TSS, fats, oils, and grease, and 1.2 for all other pollutants except pH);

• (C) Any other violation of a pretreatment standard or requirement as defined by 40 CFR 403.3(l) (daily maximum, long-term average, instantaneous limit, or narrative standard) that a POTW determines has caused, alone or in combination with other discharges, interference or pass through (including endangering the health of POTW personnel or the general public);

• (D) Any discharge of a pollutant that has caused imminent endangerment to human health, welfare or to the environment or has resulted in a POTW exercising its emergency authority under 40 CFR 403.8(f)(1)(vi)(B) to halt or prevent such a discharge;

• (E) Failure to meet, within 90 days after the scheduled date, a compliance schedule milestone contained in a local control mechanism or enforcement order for starting construction, completing construction, or attaining final compliance;

• (F) Failure to provide, within 45 days after the due date, required reports such as baseline monitoring reports, 90-day compliance reports, periodic self-monitoring reports, and reports on compliance with compliance schedules;

• (G) Failure to accurately report noncompliance;

• (H) Any other violation or group of violations, which may include a violation of best management practices (BMPs), which the director determines will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the local pretreatment program.

The Director need not provide such notification if a notice meeting all applicable 40 CFR 403 requirements has been published by the POTW operator. The cost of such public notification shall be collected by the Director from the discharger causing such violation and/or notification. (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

If a permit is revoked, the Director may disconnect from the public sewer any industrial connection sewer which was connected pursuant to such industrial waste permit. (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

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City of Palmdale, CA

SANITARY SEWERS AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE

§ 13.11.450

§ 13.11.480

The Director may establish uniform minimum standards and criteria for the application of such standards for pretreatment of specific industrial waste discharges. The provisions of this chapter shall not prohibit the Director from requiring additional pretreatment to accomplish the objective of PMC § 13.11.400.

(Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

Wastewater discharge originating at food service establishments (FSE) from fixtures and equipment which may contain fats, oils and grease (FOG), including but not limited to scullery sinks, pot and pan sinks, soup kettles, automatic vent cleaning devices, and floor drains located in areas where FOG-containing materials may exist, shall be drained into the sanitary waste system through a FOG disposal system approved by the Director. Multiple FOG disposal systems may be required to satisfy the requirements of this section. The Director may waive this requirement for specific fixtures upon determination that compliance may create a health hazard and/or impeded by a physical constraint that is impractical to overcome when retrofitting an existing facility.

(Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

The Director may authorize the installation of a rainwater diversion system in lieu of roofing to prevent the discharge of storm waters to the sewer system where roofing is impractical, in conflict with existing laws or regulations, may create a hazardous or unsafe working condition, or may cause undue hardship on the applicant, providing the Director finds that:

• (A) The applicant has applied for an industrial waste disposal permit and has submitted all plans and specifications of the proposed system;

• (B) The system provides for continuous 24-hour protection to the public sewer system;

• (C) The system meets minimum operational and component standards as may be established pursuant to PMC § 13.11.450; and

• (D) Pollution of underground or surface waters, or damage to any streets, gutters, storm drains, channels or any public or private property will not be caused by the diverted storm flows.

• (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

No person shall place, throw or deposit, or cause or permit to be placed, thrown, discharged or deposited in any public sewer or mainline sewer:

• (A) Any dead animal, offal, or garbage, fish, fruit or vegetable waste, or other solid matters, or materials or obstructions of any kind whatever of such nature as shall clog, obstruct or fill such sewer, or which shall interfere with or prevent the effective use or operation thereof.

• (B) Any water or sewage, or liquid waste of any kind containing chemicals, fats, greases, oils, tars or other matters in solution or suspension, which may clog, obstruct or fill the same, or which may in any way damage or interfere with or prevent the effective use thereof, or

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City of Palmdale, CA

PALMDALE CODE

§ 13.11.480

§ 13.11.510

which may necessitate or require frequent repair, cleaning out or flushing of such sewer to render the same operative.

• (C) Any discharge or effluent which may obstruct or cause an unwarranted increase in the cost of treatment of the sewage, or which may introduce into a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) any pollutant(s) which creates a fire or explosive hazard in the sewer or POTW, pollutants which will cause corrosive structural damage to the POTW, but in no case discharges with a pH lower than specified in PMC § 13.11.530, pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes within the POTW, or which may introduce into a POTW any pollutant(s) which may cause pass through or interference.

(D) Stormwater runoff shall not be discharged into a sanitary sewer.

(Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

Upon the promulgation of mandatory NCPS for any industrial subcategory, the NCPS, if more restrictive than limitations imposed by this chapter, shall apply. The Director may impose a phased compliance schedule to ensure that affected industries meet the NCPS. Failure to meet the phased compliance schedule may result in permit suspension or revocation. Those dischargers subject to NCPS shall comply with all reporting requirements in accordance with the General Pretreatment Regulations for Existing and New Sources of Pollution (40 CFR 403). Facilities subject to this chapter and regulated by joint permits issued in conjunction with other agencies may meet the requirements of this chapter as set forth in such joint permit and by furnishing such evidence of compliance as may be required by the Director. (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

No person shall introduce or cause to be introduced wastewater to the public sewer system or a POTW that exceeds specific local limits which have been developed by the receiving POTW. Said local limits shall not apply where more restrictive limitations are imposed by permit or national categorical pretreatment standards.

(Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

A slug discharge control plan shall be prepared, implemented and maintained by SIUs discharging to the public sewer system unless determined to be unnecessary by the Director. Such plan shall be submitted in conjunction with an application to discharge industrial waste to a public sewer or within one year of being designated an SIU, whichever comes first. An SIU shall immediately notify the Director of any changes at its facility affecting potential for a slug discharge. At a minimum, the plan shall contain the following elements:

(A) Description of discharge practices, including nonroutine batch discharges;

• (B) Description of stored chemicals;

• (C) Procedures for immediately notifying the Director of slug discharges, including any discharge that would violate a prohibition under PMC § 13.11.480 with procedures for follow-up written notification within five days;

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City of Palmdale, CA

SANITARY SEWERS AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE

§ 13.11.510

§ 13.11.560

• (D) When appropriate, procedures to prevent adverse impact from accidental spills, including maintenance and inspection of storage areas, handling and transfer of materials, loading and unloading operations, control of plant site runoff, worker training, building of containment structures or equipment, measures for containing toxic organic pollutants (including solvents), and/or measures and equipment for emergency response.

• (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

All toxic chemical substances shall be retained or rendered acceptable before discharge into the public sewer.

• (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

No person shall discharge acids or alkali materials into the public sewer until the pH has been controlled to a level not less than 6.0 nor at or higher than a level which the Director finds excessive. No discharge shall have any corrosive or detrimental characteristics that may cause injury to wastewater treatment, inspection or maintenance personnel or may cause damage to structures, equipment or other physical facilities of the public sewer system. (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

A person shall not discharge into the public sewer effluent exceeding a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or which will exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit at the point of entry into the POTW treatment plant.

(Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

No uncontaminated cooling water shall be discharged into a public sewer. (Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

Garbage resulting from the preparation of food may be discharged into the public sewer if ground to a fineness sufficient to pass through a three-eighths-inch screen. Ground garbage, dishwasher effluent or other ground food wastes shall not be discharged into a FOG disposal system. Excessive or unnecessarily large quantities of water shall not be used to flush ground garbage into the sewer.

(Ord. 1376 § 4 (Exh. A), 2009)

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City of Palmdale, CA

SANITARY SEWERS AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE

§ 13.11.570

§ 13.11.620