Point Arena Municipal Code Art. VII Use of Public Sewers

(1) No person shall discharge, or cause to be discharged, any rainwater, storm water, ground water, street drainage, subsurface drainage, yard drainage, water from yard fountains, ponds, lawn sprays, or any other uncontaminated water into any sewerage facility which directly or indirectly discharges to facilities owned by the city.

(2) In the event a violation of subsection (1) of this section is found, the property owner shall be notified of the violation and allowed to correct said violation within 10 working days from the date of notice. Said correction shall be inspected by the designated city representative.

(3) In the event a correction is not made, as herein provided, the violation thus found shall be punished in accordance with PAMC 13.05.040.

(4) In addition, failure to correct said violation shall subject the person violating this chapter to be liable to the city for the full cost of correcting said violation, done at city's expense. If said violator does not voluntarily pay the cost of said correction incurred by city, the property of the violator shall then be subject to the placing of a lien on said real property.

(Ord. 143 § 7.01, 1991; Ord. 160 § 7.01, 1996.)

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following wastes to any public sewer:

(1) Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive solid, liquid or gas.

(2) Any waste containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids, or gasses in sufficient quantity either singly or by interaction with other wastes to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans, or create a public nuisance.

(3) Any waste having a pH lower than 5.5 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, or personnel.

(4) Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the sewerage works, such as, but not limited to, ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, paper dishes, cups, containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.

(Ord. 143 § 7.02, 1991; Ord. 160 § 7.02, 1996.)

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, materials, or wastes if it appears likely in the opinion of the city council that such wastes may harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process, or equipment, or can endanger personnel or property or create a public nuisance. In forming their opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the city council will give consideration to such factors as the quantities of subject wastes in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers to which they discharge, sewer material, treatment process, treatment plant capacity, and other pertinent factors. The substances so subject to prohibition include, but are not limited to:

(1) Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 200 degree Fahrenheit.

(2) Any water or waste which may contain more than 100 milligrams per liter of fat, oil, or grease.

(3) Any garbage that has not been shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle greater than one-half inch in any dimension.

(4) Any waste or wastes having a pH higher than 9.0 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structure, equipment, or personnel.

(5) Any waters or wastes containing suspended solids of such character or quantity that unusual attention or expenses is required to handle such materials in the sewerage system.

(6) Any wastes containing phenols or other taste or odor-producing substances, in concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the director.

(7) Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits set by the commissioner in compliance with state or federal regulations.

(8) Materials which cause excessive discoloration.

(9) Materials which exert BOD in excess of 350 milligrams per liter, or unusual chemical oxygen demand, or chlorine requirements in such quantities as or constitute an extraordinary load on the sewage treatment plant.

(10) Total sulfides in excess of one milligrams per liter.

(11) Wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment by the sewage treatment process employed, or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot practicably meet the requirements of the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

(Ord. 143 § 7.03, 1991; Ord. 160 § 7.03, 1996.)

Upon application to discharge any wastes having any of the characteristics listed in PAMC 13.05.410 and which in the judgment of the city council will have a deleterious effect upon the sewerage works, process, equipment, or receiving water, the city council may do one or more of the following:

(1) Require preparation of a detailed report on expected waste characteristics. The report shall cover physical, chemical and hydraulic characteristics and shall include a projection of future waste characteristics. The report shall be prepared by a licensed civil engineer or chemical engineer.

(2) Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition prior to discharge to a public sewer.

(3) Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge.

(4) Require payment to cover the added cost of testing, handling, and treating the wastes.

(5) Refuse to accept the waste into the public sewer system.

(Ord. 143 § 7.04, 1991; Ord. 160 § 7.04, 1996.)

Where pretreatment facilities are provided for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense and to the satisfaction of the commissioner and plant supervisor.

(Ord. 143 § 7.05, 1991; Ord. 160 § 7.05, 1996.)

When required by the city, the owner of any property served by a side sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install an approved control manhole in the side sewer to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of wastes. Such manholes shall be accessibly and safely located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the city council. The city council may require that a separate side sewer be provided for discharge of sanitary sewage, and may require that a control manhole be installed on each side sewer. The manholes shall be installed by the owner at his expense, and shall be maintained by him so as to be safe and accessible at all times.

(Ord. 143 § 7.06, 1991; Ord. 160 § 7.06, 1996.)

Grease, oil and sand interceptors, pH neutralizing chambers, screens or other control facilities shall be provided when, in the opinion of the commissioner and plant supervisor, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing harmful ingredients. All interceptors shall be of type and capacity approved by the city engineer, and shall be so located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. All control facilities shall be maintained by the owner at his expense, in continuous and efficient operation at all times. No sanitary sewage shall be discharged into control facilities provided for industrial wastes.

(Ord. 143 § 7.07, 1991; Ord. 160 § 7.07, 1996.)

All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in this chapter shall be determined in accordance with the latest edition of "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater," published by the American Public Health Association, and shall be determined at the control manhole provided for in PAMC 13.05.440 or upon suitable samples taken at said control manhole. In the event that no special manhole has been required, the control manhole shall be considered to be the nearest downstream manhole in the public sewer to the point at which the side sewer is connected.

(Ord. 143 § 7.08, 1991; Ord. 160 § 7.08, 1996.)

It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge the contents of a swimming pool into a sanitary sewer.

(Ord. 143 § 7.10, 1991; Ord. 160 § 7.09, 1996.)