Chapter 15.60 — SAMPLING AND INSPECTION

The collection of samples of wastewater for the measurement of constituents controlled by federal pretreatment

standards shall be at the end of the industrial process sewer line, or after pretreatment of combined process

Xows, and prior to the addition of diluting waters, if feasible, and shall be determined at the control manhole or

upon suitable samples taken at said control manhole. In the event no special manhole has been required, the

control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest access determined as suitable by the city.

All sampling and analysis to be performed by the industrial users shall be performed in accordance with the

techniques prescribed in 40 CFR 136 and amendments thereto, otherwise approved by the EPA, or as speciWed by

the city. (Ord. 2282 NCS §3, 2007.)

A. Each permitted industrial user, upon determination by the city, shall be required to furnish and install (or, at

the city’s option, reimburse the city for such procurement and installation) on each discharge line to the city’s

collection system:

1. A Xow-weighted, composite sampler with protective enclosure.

2. A Xow-actuated and/or time-actuated grab sampler with protective enclosure.

3. A continuous recording Xow-meter with logger and protective enclosure.

   The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

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B. The city may, when necessary, also require users to install such monitoring and recording devices necessary

to monitor any of the following parameters:

1. pH;

2. Dissolved oxygen (DO);

3. Total carbon (TC);

4. Oxidation/reduction potential (ORP);

5. Temperature;

6. Conductivity.

C. Those industrial users designated by the city shall construct, at their own expense, a wastewater metering

and sampling station, together with the corresponding Xow measuring and sampling equipment. This station shall

be constructed on the building sewer lateral and at a location approved by the city. This station shall be accessible

to the industrial waste inspector at all times. Construction shall be completed prior to discharge into the sewer or

in accordance with an approved schedule. The city may require such installations on each building sewer lateral.

D. The monitoring station should be situated on the user’s premises. The city may, when such a location is

impractical or causes undue hardship on the user, allow the station to be constructed in the public street or

sidewalk area. The station location will not be obstructed by fencing, landscaping or parked vehicles so as to

prevent reasonable access for city inspectors.

In the event that a monitoring facility is allowed to be constructed in the public street or sidewalk area, the user

shall indemnify, hold harmless and defend the city against any claim, cause of action, disability, loss, liability,

damage, cost or expense, which in any way arises out of the monitoring facility or its use.

E. Whether constructed on public or private property, the station shall be built and maintained in accordance

with the city’s requirements and all applicable local construction standards, codes and speciWcations. There shall

be ample room in or near the station to allow accurate sampling and sample preparation. Construction shall be

completed within ninety days following written notiWcation by the city that such monitoring facilities are required,

unless a time extension is granted by the city.

F. The station, sampling and measuring equipment shall be maintained at all times in a safe and proper

operating condition at the expense of the user.

G. The Xow-measuring device may be connected to a data logger when requested by the city which will be able

to interface with the city’s computer.

H. Any person who intentionally or negligently tampers, falsiWes, or knowingly renders inaccurate any

monitoring device shall be punished by a Wne of not more than ten thousand dollars, or imprisonment in a county

jail for not more than six months or both.

The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

Title 15 Water and Sewage | Petaluma Municipal Code Page 116 of 142

I. In the event that the installation of a monitoring facility is not practical, the point of monitoring and inspection

may be other alternatives approved by the city.

(Ord. 2282 NCS §3, 2007.)

A. User charges and fees shall be based on the total amount of wastewater discharged to the sanitary sewer.

Where feasible, the eZuent from signiWcant industrial users and those having the potential to interfere with the

city’s operation of the system shall be metered in a manner approved by the city. These meters shall be installed

and maintained at the user’s expense. Meters shall be calibrated annually by a third party testing Wrm at the user’s

expense, unless otherwise speciWed in user’s permit. SpeciWcation for Xow monitoring installations, maintenance

and calibration shall be designed by a California registered professional engineer and meet all engineering

standards and practices.

B. For users where eZuent metering is not feasible, fees shall be based on the total water used from all sources

unless, in the opinion of the city, signiWcant portions of water received are not discharged to a sanitary sewer. The

total amount of water used from public and private sources will be determined by means of public meters or

private meters, installed and maintained at the expense of the user as approved by the city. Meters shall be

calibrated annually by a third party testing Wrm at the user’s expense. SpeciWcation for Xow monitoring

installations, maintenance and calibration shall be designed by a California registered professional engineer and

meet current engineering standards and practices for similar applications.

C. For minor users where, in the opinion of the city, a signiWcant portion of the water received from any metered

source does not Xow into the sanitary sewer because of the principal activity of the user or removal by other

means, written notiWcation and proof of the diversion of water must be provided by the user, if the user is to avoid

the application of the user charges and fees against the total amount of water used from all sources. Meters shall

be calibrated annually by a third party testing Wrm at the user’s expense. SpeciWcation for Xow monitoring

installations, maintenance and calibration shall be designed by a California registered professional engineer and

meet all engineering standards and practices. The user must install a meter of a type and at a location approved

by the city and at the user’s expense. Such meters may measure either the amount of sewage discharged or the

amount of water diverted.

(Ord. 2282 NCS §3, 2007.)

The city may require any user to self-monitor to determine the characteristics of the discharge to the public sewer

system.

The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

Title 15 Water and Sewage | Petaluma Municipal Code Page 117 of 142

Where self-monitoring is performed, such monitoring shall be provided by the user at the user’s expense.

Sampling shall be performed at the direction of a California registered professional engineer or as otherwise set

forth in user’s permit. Testing shall be performed by a laboratory which has been certiWed by the Department of

Health Services for the analytes tested using the methods speciWed in 40 CFR 136. All self-monitoring results and

chain of custody for samples collected shall be submitted to the city. (Ord. 2282 NCS §3, 2007.)

A. The city or designee may carry out all inspection, surveillance and monitoring procedures necessary to

determine, independent of information supplied by the industrial users, compliance or noncompliance with

applicable pretreatment standards, state regulations, and local regulations by industrial users. Persons or

occupants of premises where wastewater is created or discharged shall allow the city or the city’s designee(s)

ready access at all times to all parts of the premises where pollutants are stored, used, treated or disposed of for

the purpose of inspection, sampling, records examination, records copying or in the performance of any of their

duties. No person shall interfere with, delay, resist or refuse entrance to an authorized designee attempting to

inspect any wastewater generation, conveyance or treatment facility connected directly or indirectly to the city’s

sewerage system.

Where the user has security measures in force which would require proper identiWcation and clearance before

entry into its premises, the user shall make necessary arrangements with its security guards, so that upon

presentation of suitable identiWcation, personnel from the city will be permitted to enter without delay for the

purpose of performing their speciWc responsibilities.

B. The city and approval authority shall have the right to set up on the user’s property such devices as are

necessary to conduct sampling or metering operations and has the right to require installation of permanent

monitoring equipment.

C. The city and approval authority shall have the right to evaluate each permitted industrial user for the need of

a slug control plan. The plan, if required, shall contain, at a minimum, the elements speciWed in 40 CFR

403.8(f)(2)(v).

(Ord. 2282 NCS §3, 2007.)

Any industrial user shall retain for a minimum of three years any records of monitoring activities and results

resulting from all sampling or monitoring performed for analysis of the federal, state or local regulated

contaminates. Such records shall include for all samples:

A. The date, exact place, method, and time of sampling and the name(s) of the person(s) taking the samples.

B. The dates analyses were performed.

The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

Title 15 Water and Sewage | Petaluma Municipal Code Page 118 of 142

C. Who performed the analyses.

D. The analytical techniques and/or methods used.

E. The results of such analyses.

This period of retention shall be extended during the course of any unresolved litigation regarding the discharge

of pollutants by the industrial user or the operation of the POTW pretreatment program, or when requested by

the city, the regional board or any state or federal agency. Records shall be available to the city for inspection and

copying. (Ord. 2282 NCS §3, 2007.)

A. When deemed necessary by the city, the user shall, at his own expense, provide treatment or take such other

measures required in order to reduce any nuisance, characteristics, content, or rate of discharge of wastes being

discharged to the sanitary sewer system so that there is no damage to the sewer system or any undue

interference with its operation.

B. Detailed plans showing the pretreatment facilities and an operation and maintenance manual shall be

submitted to the city for review and shall be acceptable to the city before construction of the facility. The review of

such plans and operating procedures will in no way relieve the user from the responsibility of modifying the facility

as necessary to produce an eZuent acceptable to the city under the provisions of Chapters 15.44 through 15.76.

Any subsequent changes in the pretreatment facilities or method of operation shall be reported to and be

acceptable to the city prior to the user’s initiation of the changes.

C. Bypass of Treatment Facilities.

1. Bypass of an industrial user pretreatment process is prohibited unless it is unavoidable to prevent loss

of life, personal injury, or severe property damage or no feasible alternatives exist.

2. The permittee may allow bypass to occur which does not cause its eZuent limitations to be exceeded,

but only if it is also for essential maintenance to assure eYcient operation.

3. Noti5cation of Bypass.

a. Anticipated Bypass. If the permittee knows in advance of the need for a bypass, it shall submit prior

written notice, at least ten days before the date of the bypass, to the city.

b. Unanticipated Bypass. The permittee shall immediately notify the city and submit a written notice to

the POTW within Wve days. This report shall specify:

(1) A description of the bypass, and its cause, including its duration.

(2) Whether the bypass has been corrected.

The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

Title 15 Water and Sewage | Petaluma Municipal Code Page 119 of 142

(3) The steps being taken or to be taken to reduce, eliminate and prevent a recurrence of the

bypass.

D. All records relating to compliance with the requirements of Chapters 15.44 through 15.76 or other

pretreatment regulation shall be made available to the city for inspection and copying.

(Ord. 2282 NCS §3, 2007.)