Article III — Maintenance and Operation

Except as otherwise provided by this section, it is 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 manner that the same will be permitted to run into any such public sewer or house sewer, any of the following substances:

A.

Any oil, petroleum, naphtha, liquid asphaltum or petroleum product, or any fatty matter, rags, sand, earth or stone dust;

B.

Dead animals, fish, fruit or vegetable matter in any form except garbage deposited into the sanitary sewer system by means of garbage grinders as in this chapter provided;

C.

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 said system or said plant, or cause a potential hazard or objectionable odor;

D.

Any chemicals or waste destructive to masonry;

E.

Grease except in quantities commonly contained in domestic sewage;

F.

Any effluent of a temperature exceeding 140 degrees Fahrenheit;

G.

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

H.

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.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.01(a), 1950)

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 control the pH to the extent which the city engineer finds adequate taking all circumstances into consideration.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.01(b), 1950)

Except as provided in Section 13.24.400, it is 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 objectionable substances mentioned in this section.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.01(c), 1950)

A.

Whenever any person desires 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 objectionable substances, such person shall apply to the city engineer for a permit for said purpose. The permit shall be issued only when the city engineer is satisfied that an adequate intercepting appliance has been provided to prevent such objectionable substance or substances from entering the public sewer. The permit shall be issued only upon payment to the city engineer of the sum of $7.50 and shall expire 1 year after the date of its issuance.

B.

The permit shall be revocable whenever it appears to the city engineer that the holder thereof has violated any provision of this chapter or when such intercepting appliance does not prevent such objectionable substance or substances from entering the public sewer. The permit shall be revoked by registered mail to the permittee at the address set forth in the permit. The permit shall be deemed revoked as of the 5th day after receipt of said notice.

C.

It is unlawful for the holder of any permit issued pursuant to this chapter to fail to maintain such appliance in a satisfactory working condition.

D.

Permits issued under this chapter shall be nontransferable.

E.

Before granting a permit to any applicant to discharge any industrial liquid waste or industrial sewage into the public sewer, the city engineer 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 by pretreatment.

(Ord. 5368 § 25, 1978; Ord. 4170 § 3.01(d), 1950)

The provisions of this chapter requiring the installation of adequate intercepting appliances and the obtaining of permits shall not apply to any person, firm or corporation maintaining a connection with the public sewer upon the effective date of the ordinance codified herein until the expiration of 60 days from said effective date.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.01(e), 1950)

No person shall connect or cause or permit to be connected any roof drain, yard drain or other conduit used for carrying off rain or surface water, with any public sewer or house sewer leading thereto. No person shall cause or permit any indirect connection to the public sewer or house sewer leading thereto by means of which rain or surface waters are permitted to enter the public sewer.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.02, 1950)

A.

Unpolluted waters from refrigeration systems, air conditioning systems or industrial cooling operation shall be discharged into a storm sewer or dry well, except as provided in Ordinance No. 3881 (Plumbing Code).

B.

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.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.03, 1950)

Whenever it comes to the attention of the city engineer that sewage is overflowing from any plumbing fixture which is below manhole grade in street or right-of-way due to the backing up of sewage in the public sewer, or due to pressure in the public sewer, or due to any cause whatsoever, except a temporary stoppage in any such plumbing fixture, the city engineer may order and require such plumbing fixture to be plugged up, or capped, or may require that a backwater trap or backwater sewer valve, required by Section 13.24.300 be installed to prevent such overflow.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.04, 1950)

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 discharged into the public sewer upon approval of the city engineer and the superintendent 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:

Not less than 40% shall pass a No. 8 sieve;

Not less than 65% shall pass a No. 3 sieve;

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 city engineer may limit the permissible quantity of garbage to be disposed

of through garbage grinders.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.05, 1950)

No person engaged in washing motor vehicles 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 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.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.06, 1950)

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 sewer leading thereto. When necessary, in the opinion of the city engineer or the superintendent such appurtenances shall be equipped with an approved interceptor.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.07, 1950)

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 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.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.08, 1950)

A.

Any person owning, using or controlling any premises to which a public sewer is available shall connect to such sewer before the expiration of 12 months after such sewer becomes available to him.

B.

This section shall not apply to persons owning, using or controlling premises which are located in territories which become annexed to the city on or after the effective date of the ordinance codified herein. Such persons, so long as they have a private sewage disposal system, must connect to such sewer before the expiration of 7 years after such sewer becomes available, or when the health department declares any such private sewage disposal system to be a health problem, whichever occurs sooner. In no case shall a new cesspool or other private sewage disposal system be constructed.

C.

For the purpose of this section a public sewer shall be deemed available to any premises if it lies in the street, alley or easement abutting the premises. In the application of this section any rear portion of any lot, regardless of the matter of ownership, shall be deemed to be a part of the premises included within the lot as shown by the recorded subdivision of which it is a part. Should any sewer in front of any premises be of insufficient depth to serve the rear portion of such lot by gravity, any person desiring to install plumbing thereon shall make provision for conveying sewage therefrom to the public sewer by pumping or by transmission to some other public sewer, it being the intent hereof that when any portion of the city has been sewered, cesspools therein shall be prohibited, even though it may not be physically possible to provide gravity sewer service.

D.

Failure to comply with the provisions of this section constitutes a public nuisance.

(Ord. 4810 § 1, 1967: Ord. 4170 § 3.09, 1950)

It is declared to be a nuisance and it is unlawful for any person to keep or maintain, or suffer or permit to be kept or maintained at or upon any premises in the city owned, occupied or controlled by him or it, any privy or dry closet for the reception of human excrement or fecal matter.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.10, 1950)

It is declared to be a nuisance, and it is 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 is connected with a public sewer, or to convey or suffer or permit to be conveyed any slops, wash water or refuse substance from any laundry or washhouse within the city into any sink, cesspool, pit or on the ground, or in any manner disposing of the same except by conducting the same into a public sewer provided such sewer is available as stated in Section 13.24.490. Where no such public sewer is available, such wastes shall be discharged into a cesspool constructed according to Ordinance No. 3881.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.11, 1950)

Every industrial waste pretreatment plant shall be equipped with an adequate fresh water supply easily available for diluting and flushing, and all sewer connections shall be thoroughly flushed after discharge of each batch of industrial liquid wastes.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.12, 1950)

Every industrial waste pretreatment facility shall be adequately maintained to accomplish its intended purpose. Abandonment or failure to properly maintain such equipment shall be cause for immediate revocation of the industrial connection sewer permit and disconnection from the public sewer.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.13, 1950)

Every interceptor shall be cleaned by the operator thereof as often as necessary to prevent objectionable materials from entering the public sewer.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.14, 1950)

The city engineer, the superintendent or the chief engineer may make inspections at any reasonable time of all interceptors or other installations on any premises, and shall require that any such interceptor or other installation be used and maintained as required by this chapter, and be kept in a clean and sanitary condition, and may prosecute any person managing, operating or having control of any such premises, or portion thereof, for failing, refusing or neglecting to comply with the provisions of this chapter, using the penal provisions of this chapter for any such prosecution.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.15, 1950)

The city engineer, the superintendent, or the chief engineer may inspect as often as he deems necessary, every sewage pumping plant, sewage treatment plant, industrial liquid waste pretreatment plant, house sewer, interceptor, dilution basin, neutralization basin, backwater trap or valve, or other similar appurtenances to ascertain whether such facilities are

maintained and operated in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. All persons shall permit the city engineer, the superintendent or the chief engineer to have access to all such facilities at all reasonable times.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.16, 1950)

No person shall remove or cause to be removed, or damage or cause to be damaged, any portion of any public sewer, or any house sewer in a public easement, or use or cause to be used, or cause to be taken, any water from any sewer or flushing apparatus for any use whatever.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.17, 1950)

No person shall open or enter, or cause to be opened or entered, any manhole in any public sewer, to dispose of garbage or other deleterious substances, or storm or surface waters, or for any other like purpose.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.18, 1950)

Cesspool effluent which does not contain concentrations of industrial liquid wastes, oil, greases or other deleterious substances, may be dumped into certain specific manholes when permission in writing is secured from the city engineer. No person shall dump cesspool effluent in any manholes other than those designated by the city engineer, or do so without permission in writing. Such permission may be granted only upon application in writing by a person engaged in the business of disposing of such effluent. Such application shall state the street address of each location from which such effluent is to be obtained. The permit shall give the date and location of the manhole to be used. The city engineer may refuse to grant such permission to any person who fails to comply with provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.19, 1950)

When cesspool effluent is dumped into a specified manhole under permission from the city engineer, it shall be discharged through a pipe or hose in such a manner that none of the effluent shall be left adhering to the sides or shelf of the manhole, and if any such effluent is inadvertently allowed to adhere to the sides or shelf of the manhole, the manhole shall be thoroughly cleaned with clear water.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.20, 1950)

All house sewers and appurtenances thereto, now existing or hereafter constructed, shall be maintained by the owner of the property served in a safe and sanitary condition, and all devices or safeguards which are required by this chapter for the operation thereof shall be maintained in good working order.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.21, 1950)

A.

The requirements contained in this chapter, covering the maintenance of sanitary sewage treatment plants, sewage pumping plants, industrial liquid waste pretreatment plants, dairy screen chambers, interceptors or other appurtenances, shall apply to all such facilities now existing or hereafter constructed. All such facilities shall be maintained by the owner thereof in a safe and sanitary condition, and all devices or safeguards which are required by this chapter for the operation of such facilities shall be maintained in good working order.

B.

This section shall not be construed as permitting the removal or nonmaintenance of any devices or safeguards on existing facilities unless authorized in writing by the superintendent.

(Ord. 4170 § 3.22, 1950)