Redwood City Municipal Code Art. I General

The purpose of this Chapter is to establish standards, conditions and requirements relating to the use of the sanitary sewerage facilities of, or within, the City. It is further the purpose of this Chapter to establish uniform requirements for discharges into the wastewater collection and treatment system used jointly by the City with other public agencies as party to the joint exercise of powers agreement establishing and providing for the South Bayside System Authority, a public entity. It is further the purpose of this Chapter to enable the City to comply with and meet applicable laws, regulations, standards and conditions established by Federal and State law, or by agencies thereof, in the implementation of such law. The Council of the City hereby finds and declares that the health, safety and welfare of the people of the City require the enactment of the provisions of this Chapter.

(Ord. No. 2065, § 2, 8-16-93; Ord. No. 2091, § 2, 6-12-95)

Words, phrases, or terms not specifically defined in this Chapter, and having a technical or specialized meaning shall be defined as set forth in the latest edition of "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater", published by the American Public Health Association, the American Water Works Association, and the Water Pollution Control Federation.

Waste constituents and characteristics, and measurements thereof, as used herein shall have the meanings and descriptions ascribed thereto in the aforesaid publication, or as established by Federal or State regulatory agencies.

(Ord. No. 2065, § 2, 8-16-93)

The following words or phrases wherever used in this Chapter shall have the meanings respectively ascribed thereto.

ACT OR THE ACT: The Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (Public Law 92-500), and as amended from time to time thereafter (33 USC section 1251 et seq.), commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act.

AUTHORITY: The Joint Exercise of Powers Authority for the South Bayside System Authority, a public entity established by agreement between the Cities of San Carlos, Belmont, and Redwood City, California, and the Menlo Park Sanitary District (now named the West Bay Sanitary District) dated November 13, 1975, and any successor entity thereto.

AUTHORITY'S COMMISSION: The governing body of Authority.

AUTHORITY'S MANAGER: The Manager of the Authority, or his or her designee.

AUTHORITY'S REGULATIONS: Those certain regulations of the Authority entitled, "Regulations of the South Bayside System Authority Establishing Uniform Standards, Conditions and Requirements for the Use of the Sanitary Sewerage Facilities of Said Authority and its Members Agencies" as said regulations exist upon the date of adoption of the Ordinance adding this Chapter 27 to the Code of the City of Redwood City and as from time-to-time amended, revised or superseded.

BENEFICIAL USES: Uses of the waters of the City or the State which may, or do require protection against quality degradation thereof, including, but not necessarily limited to, waters used for domestic, municipal, agricultural, industrial, power generation, recreation, aesthetic enjoyment, or navigation purposes, or for the preservation and enhancement of fish, wildlife or other aquatic resources or reserves, and such other uses, both tangible or intangible, as are or may be specified by Federal or State law as beneficial uses.

BUILDING SEWER: A sewer conveying wastewater from the premises of a user to the sewerage facilities.

CATEGORICAL STANDARDS: National pretreatment standards specifying quantities or concentrations of pollutants or pollutant properties which may be discharged into the sewerage facilities by existing or new industrial users classified in specific industrial subcategories established as separate regulations under the appropriate subpart of 40 Code of Federal Regulations, chapter I, subchapter N. Unless specifically provided otherwise, said standards shall be adhered to in addition to the general prohibitions established in Article II of this Chapter.

CHARGE: A rental or other charge established pursuant to this Chapter or Authority's Regulations for services and facilities furnished by the Authority or the City to any premises in connection with the operation of the sewerage facilities.

CITY: The City of Redwood City, a municipal corporation of the State of California.

CITY'S DIRECTOR OR THE DIRECTOR: City's Public Works Director or their designee.

COMPATIBLE POLLUTANT: Biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, pH and fecal coliform bacteria, additional pollutants identified in the Authority's NPDES permit, and such other pollutants as may be designated by Authority's Manager upon a finding by him or her that such pollutants are substantially treated and removed by the sewerage facilities.

CONTAMINATION: An impairment of the quality of the waters of an agency or the State by wastewater to a degree which creates a hazard to the public health. Contamination shall include any equivalent effect resulting from the disposal of wastewater whether or not waters of the City or State are affected thereby.

DETRIMENTAL DISCHARGE: A discharge which, alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources, does, or may, endanger the health, safety or welfare of persons, or the environment, or threatens to, or reasonably may be deemed to threaten, the operation of the sewerage facilities, or causes, or may reasonably be deemed to cause, a violation of the Authority's NPDES permit, or any applicable Federal, State or local regulation relating to the operation of the sewerage facilities.

ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: The City's Director and their designee, as applicable (or as set forth in this Article).

HAZARDOUS WASTE: Any liquid, semisolid, solid or gaseous wastewater which conforms to the definition of "Hazardous Waste" in Section 25117 of the California Health and Safety Code, as said section may from time to time be amended, revised or recodified.

HOLDING TANK WASTE: Any wastewater from sewage or waste disposal holding tanks as, e.g., those which are associated with vessels, chemical toilets, campers, trailers, septic tanks and vacuum pump tank trucks.

INCOMPATIBLE POLLUTANT: Any pollutant which is not a compatible pollutant.

INTERFERING DISCHARGE: A discharge into the sewerage facilities which, alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from another source or sources, inhibits or disrupts the sewerage facilities, the treatment processes or operations thereof, the sludge processes thereof, or the use or disposal of said sludge, or the disposal of sewage, and which causes or significantly contributes to either a violation of the Authority's NPDES permit or to the inability of the Authority to use or dispose of sewage sludge in compliance with the Federal or State regulations or permits promulgated or issued thereunder.

MASS EMISSION RATE: The weight of material discharged into the sewerage facilities during a specified time interval. Unless otherwise specified, the Mass Emission Rate shall mean pounds per day of a particular waste constituent or combination of constituents.

NEW SOURCE: Any building, structure, facility or installation from which there is or may be a discharge of pollutants, the construction of which commenced after the publication of proposed pretreatment standards under section 307(c) of the Act which will be applicable to such source if such standards are thereafter promulgated in accordance with that section.

NPDES PERMIT or AUTHORITY'S NPDES PERMIT: The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit issued to Authority pursuant to the provisions of the Act, as said permit may from time to time be amended, revised or superseded.

PASS THROUGH: The discharge of pollutants through the sewerage facilities into surface waters in quantities or concentrations which cause or significantly contribute to violation of the Authority's NPDES permit.

PERSON: Any individual, firm, company, partnership, association, private corporation, public corporation or governmental entity, authority or agency, and the officers, agents or employees of such organizations.

POLLUTANT: The human-made or human-induced waste which alters the chemical, physical, biological, or radiological integrity of waters of the City or of the State manifesting pollution.

POLLUTION: An alteration of the chemical, physical, biological, or radiological integrity of waters of the City or of the State by waste made or induced by humans which unreasonably affects such waters for any beneficial use or so affects facilities serving such beneficial use. The term pollution may also include contamination.

PREMISES: A parcel of land, or portion thereof, including any improvements thereon, which is directly or indirectly connected to the sewerage facilities for purposes of receiving, using and paying for service, or other purposes relating to the sewerage facilities, by an individual user. Each dwelling unit of a duplex, apartment or any other multi-family residence shall be deemed separate premises. Subject to the foregoing, City's Director shall determine what constitutes a premises.

PRETREATMENT: The reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination of pollutants, or the alteration of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater to a less harmful state prior to, or in lieu of, discharging or otherwise introducing such pollutants into the sewerage facilities. Such reduction or alteration may be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes, or process changes or other means, except as prohibited by requirements of law.

RECLAIMED WATER: Water which, as a result of treatment of waste, is suitable for direct beneficial use, or a restricted beneficial use, which would not otherwise occur but for such treatment.

REQUIREMENT OF LAW OR OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF LAW: Any pertinent provision of the Act, or of any statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order or directive implementative of the Act, or of Authority's NPDES permit, Authority's regulations, or of any amendments, revisions, or other superseding provisions or requirements of the foregoing authorities.

SEWERAGE FACILITIES: Any or all devices, facilities, equipment, improvements or systems owned or used by the City or the Authority in the collection, storage, treatment, recycling, reclamation or disposal of wastes or wastewater, including interceptor sewers, outfall sewers or lines, sewage collection systems, pumps, power plants, treatment plants, recycling or reclamation plants and other equipment and appurtenances thereto; extensions, improvements, remodeling, modifications, additions or alterations thereof; chemicals, materials or supplies used in connection therewith; or any other facilities, including land and improvements thereon, which are an integral part of the sewage collection, transporting or treatment process of the City or the Authority, or which are used for ultimate disposal of residues, effluent or discharges resulting from such treatment, or any other method or system for preventing, abating, reducing, storing, treating, separating or disposing of wastes or wastewater, including storm water runoff, industrial wastes, domestic wastes or any combination thereof.

SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER: Any user within an industry subject to categorical standards; any user within a user classification listed in division D (Manufacturing) of the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1972 edition, issued by the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, as said manual may from time to time be amended, revised or superseded, who or which discharges one thousand (1,000) gallons or more per day of process wastewater into the sewerage facilities; or any user who or which discharges, or causes or permits a discharge of wastewater which would or does have a significant impact (as determined by the City's Director or Authority's Manager), either individually or in combination with other contributing industries, on the sewerage facilities, or on the quality of effluent from the sewerage facilities.

UNPOLLUTED WATER: Water to which no constituent has been added, either intentionally or accidentally, which would render such water unacceptable to the City or the Authority for disposal to storm or natural drainages, or directly to surface waters.

USER: Any person who or which discharges, causes or permits the discharge of wastewater into the sewerage facilities.

USER CLASSIFICATION: A classification of users based upon classifications set forth in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1972 edition, issued by the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, as said manual may from time to time be amended, revised or superseded.

WASTE: Sewage and any and all waste substances, whether liquid, solid, gaseous or radioactive, associated with human habitation, or of human or animal origin, or from any producing, manufacturing or processing operation of whatever nature, including such waste placed within containers of any nature prior to, and for purposes of, disposal.

WASTEWATER: Waste and water, whether treated or untreated, discharged into, or permitted to enter into the sewerage facilities.

WASTEWATER CONSTITUENTS AND CHARACTERISTICS: The individual chemical, physical, bacteriological and radiological parameters, including volume and flow rate, and such other parameters that serve to define, classify or measure the contents, quality, quantity or strength of wastewater.

WATERS OF THE CITY OR STATE: Any water, whether surface, underground, and whether saline or non-saline, within the boundaries of the City, or within the boundaries of the City flowing into, touching or otherwise combined with waters outside the limits of the City but within the boundaries of the State.

(Ord. No. 2065, § 2, 8-16-93)

(Ord. No. 2478, § 4(Exh. A), 2-24-20)