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Earlier editions: 2026-09

Title 14 — PUBLIC UTILITIES›Chapter 14.12 — DISCHARGE OF WASTES INTO THE PUBLIC SEWER AND POLLUTANTS INTO THE STORM DRAIN SYSTEMS

Riverside Municipal Code Div. II General Provisions

Riverside Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Riverside

Cite as: Riverside Municipal Code Division II · Text as of 2026-10-04

14.12.200 - Administration.

A. Rules. The Director may adopt rules consistent with this chapter for the administration of the wastewater and storm drain systems. Those rules may include, but shall not be limited to, discharge limitations, pretreatment requirements, standards for wastewater, storm drain system, sewer connections, and implementation of Federal Water Pollution Control and Clean Water Act standards.

B. General powers of the Director. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Director shall execute the provisions of this chapter. The Director may delegate powers or duties to persons acting in the beneficial interest or employ of the City, but shall remain responsible. In addition to the authority to prevent or eliminate discharges through enforcement of discharge limitations and prohibitions, the Director shall have the following authorities:

  1. Protect the health or welfare of the community. The Director, after informal notice to the affected user, may immediately and effectively stop or prevent any discharge of pollutants to the POTW, by any means available, including physical disconnection from the wastewater collection system, whenever the discharge reasonably appears to present an imminent danger to the health or welfare of the community;

  2. Protect the environment or the POTW. The Director, after written order to the user, may stop or prevent any discharge of pollutants to the POTW, by any means available, including physical disconnection from the wastewater system, whenever such discharge presents or may present an imminent and substantial danger to the environment or threatens to damage or interfere with the operation of the POTW; and

  3. The discharges referred to in subdivisions 1 and 2 above may be stopped or prevented without regard to the compliance of the user with other provisions of this chapter.

C. Specific powers of the Director. The Director may take any of the following actions to prevent the actual or threatened discharge of polluted wastewater to the POTW, City sewer and/or storm drain system:

  1. Stop or prevent the discharge of such wastewater and/or pollutants;

  2. Require the user to demonstrate that process modifications will reduce or eliminate the pollutant or substance so that the discharge will not violate this chapter;

  3. Require treatment to reduce or eliminate the pollutants so that the discharge will not violate this chapter;

  4. Require the user to pay industrial user permit fees, inspection fees and any additional cost or expense incurred by the City for the excess pollutant loads discharged to the POTW, City sewer and/or storm drain systems, or imposed fines, penalties or legal expenses, and attorneys' fees;

  5. Obtain timely and factual reports from the person responsible for such discharge; and

  6. Take any other action to achieve the purposes of this chapter.

(Ord. 7551 §3, 2021; Ord. 7362 § 6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.205 - Notice.

Notices and orders under this chapter shall be deemed served if given to user as follows:

A. Correctly addressed, postage pre-paid and deposited in the United States mail, or personally delivered; or

B. To user or user's authorized representative at user's address as listed in user's permit, or application for a permit, or user's facility that is subject of the notice or order; and

C. Shall be deemed received on the date personally delivered or on the third day after deposit in the United States mail as provided in this section.

(Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.210 - Confidentiality.

Information submitted by the user to the City pursuant to this chapter may be claimed as confidential by the user. Any such claim must be asserted at the time of submission by placing the words "Confidential Business Information" on each page containing such information. If no claim is made at the time of submission, the City may make the information available to the public without further notice. Sample data obtained by either the user or the City shall not be considered confidential. Production-related information used to calculate mass-based discharge limitations or required to develop an industrial user permit shall not be considered confidential information. Confidential information may be made available, upon request, to governmental agencies for enforcement or judicial purposes related to this chapter, the NPDES Permit or the pretreatment program, and as required by state or federal law. In the event of a conflict between this section and the Public Records Act or Freedom of Information Act, those acts shall prevail.

(Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.215 - Inspection.

A. The Director may inspect any user facilities to ascertain whether the requirements of this chapter are being met. Persons on the premises shall allow the Director ready access at all reasonable times to all parts of the premises for the purpose of inspection, photography, video or electronic image recording, sampling, and records examination of any facility, equipment (including monitoring and pollution control equipment), practices or operations regulated or required by an industrial user permit or other control document, this chapter, or the City's NPDES Storm Water Permit.

B. The user shall ensure that there is always a person on site, during normal business hours, that has knowledge of the user's processes and activities to accompany the Director during the inspection, and can respond within 15 minutes of the Directors arrival, or else the user shall be found in violation of unnecessarily delaying the inspection.

C. The user shall provide immediate access when the Director believes an emergency exists, regardless of the hour of the day.

D. All pretreatment equipment shall be immediately accessible at all times for inspection. At no time shall any material, debris, obstacles or obstructions be placed in such a manner that will prevent immediate access to the pretreatment equipment.

E. No person shall interfere with, delay, resist or refuse entrance to the Director when attempting to inspect any facility involved with a discharge into the City's POTW, sewer, storm drain or stormwater conveyance systems.

F. The user shall make all necessary arrangements with the user's security personnel so that, upon presentation of suitable identification, personnel from the City will be permitted to enter, without delay, for the purpose of performing their specific responsibilities.

G. The user shall make all records required to be kept under the provisions of this chapter available for copying by the Director.

(Ord. 7551 §4, 2021; Ord. 7362 § 6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.220 - Inspection warrants.

If the Director is refused inspection access to a building, structure, or property, or any part thereof, the Director may obtain an inspection warrant pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1822.50 et seq. No warrant is required in the event of an emergency threatening the public health or safety or the City's POTW. If the situation deems it necessary the City may obtain a criminal search warrant.

(Ord. 7362 § 6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.225 - Monitoring.

A. At the direction of the Director, any user discharging wastewater into the POTW may be required to install sampling station(s) or measuring device(s) to measure the quality and quantity of wastewater discharged or to obtain samples. Measuring devices may include, but are not limited to: flow meters and recorders, pH meters and recorders, electrical conductivity meters and recorders, process water meters, and automatic wastewater samplers.

B. The sampling station and/or measuring device shall be provided by the user in compliance with this chapter and all applicable building, plumbing, and construction codes. The City may require access and that the measuring devices have a security closure that can be locked with a City lock and provide a City key. Construction shall be completed within a reasonable time as required in written notification from the Director.

C. The Director may temporarily install upon the user's property devices to conduct wastewater sampling, compliance monitoring or metering operations.

D. No user shall interfere with, delay, resist, or refuse entrance to authorized City personnel installing wastewater monitoring equipment on the user's property. Any permanent or temporary obstruction prohibiting direct access to the sampling station or measuring device shall be immediately removed by the user or property owner at the written or verbal request of the Director and shall not be replaced.

E. The sampling station or measuring devices shall be maintained for continuous sampling or metering. The measuring devices shall be calibrated a minimum of once per year by an outside contractor, or as often as necessary to ensure accurate measurements according to manufacturer's specifications. All maintenance and calibration work shall be performed at the user's expense.

F. All users that self-monitor shall have all samples collected and analyzed according to 40 CFR 403.12(b)(5).

G. All user sampling and analysis must comply with 40 CFR part 403.12(b)(5) and 40 CFR part 136. The laboratory must be certified by the State of California, Department of Health Services as being competent to perform the pollutant analyses requested, shall perform all laboratory analyses and must be acceptable to the Director. All samples must have the following information:

  1. The date, exact place, method, and time of sampling and the names of the person or persons taking the samples;

  2. The dates the analyses were performed;

  3. Who performed the analyses;

  4. The analytical techniques/methods used;

  5. The results of such analyses;

  6. A copy of the laboratory sample analysis sheet;

  7. Chain of custody; and

  8. The user's completed monitoring report form.

H. All users required to install and maintain measuring devices shall immediately report the failure of such devices. The immediate notification shall be by telephone call, telefax transmission, electronic report, email, personal visit, or a hand-delivered notification to the City's Environmental Compliance Office. Within five calendar days after discovery of the failure, the user shall submit a written report to the Director documenting the dates, times, and cause of the failure, and the corrective actions taken.

I. Any wastewater samples taken from a user's approved or designated sampling location shall be considered representative of the wastewater discharged to the POTW. For users that have interceptors, but no approved or designated sampling location, the last chamber of the interceptor shall be the designated sampling location. The user must collect wastewater samples using 24-hour flow-proportional composite sampling techniques, unless time-proportional composite sampling or grab sampling is deemed equally representative and authorized by the Director. Where time-proportional composite sampling or grab sampling is authorized by the City, the samples must be representative of the discharge. Using protocols (including appropriate preservation) specified in 40 CFR Part 136 and appropriate EPA guidance, multiple grab samples collected during a 24-hour period may be composited prior to the analysis as follows: for cyanide, total phenols, and sulfides the samples may be composited in the laboratory or in the field; for volatile organics and oil and grease, the samples must be composited in the laboratory. Composite samples for other parameters unaffected by the compositing procedures as documented in approved EPA methodologies may be authorized by the City, as appropriate. In addition, grab samples may be required to show compliance with applicable instantaneous limits and local limits.

J. All users required to self-monitor shall notify the Director of pollutant violations from any required wastewater sample within 24 hours of becoming aware of the violation. The notification may be by telephone call, telefax transmission, electronic report, or a personal visit to the City's Environmental Compliance Office. The violation report shall contain the date and time of the sample, the daily discharge flow for the sample, possible explanations for the violation, and the date scheduled for the required resample. Failure to report pollutant violations as stated is a violation of this chapter and may subject the user to enforcement actions.

K. All users required to take daily 24-hour readings of their wastewater effluent flow shall notify Director of exceedance of its permitted flow within 24 hours of discovering the exceedance by telephone call, telefax transmission, electronic report, personal visit, or a hand delivered notification, to the City's Environmental Compliance Office or file a monthly report indicating the days of the month when the permitted flow was exceeded and the reason for the exceedance. The monthly report shall be submitted to the City's Environmental Compliance Office by the fifth business day following the end of the preceding month. The flow exceedance notice shall have the total flow, date of the violation, the reason for the flow exceedance, and the name of the person reporting the flow exceedance. Failure to report such flow exceedance is unlawful and may subject the user to enforcement actions.

L. All users with a discovered pollutant violation shall resample their wastewater discharge for that pollutant. This mandatory resampling is independent of any other wastewater sampling requirement. User shall notify the Director within 24 hours of becoming aware of the violation. User shall submit the laboratory results and all required forms from the resamples of the violation to the Director no later than 30 calendar days after the user discovers or becomes aware of the violation and a written explanation detailing the cause(s) and correction action(s) of the violation to the Director no later than ten calendar days after the user discovers or becomes aware of the violation. Failure to submit the laboratory results and all required documents within the 45-day requirement shall result in significant noncompliance for the user and the issuance of a notice of violation to the user.

M. All users whose wastewater discharge is sampled by the City and themselves shall be responsible for all resampling requirements contained in subsection L of this section when a pollutant violation is detected. The City shall notify the user of the resampling requirements by a telephone call, telefax transmission, email, or personal visit within 72 hours of confirming a pollutant violation. The repeat sampling is required to be performed within 30 days of becoming aware of a violation.

N. All users which desire to conduct their own wastewater sampling, or receive samples split from City samples, shall submit a written plan describing the equipment used, equipment cleaning methodology, employee training, sample preservation methods, and chain of custody procedures. The user's wastewater sampling plan must be approved by the Director prior to the implementation of the plan. Any sample taken by a user without an approved plan or from an unapproved laboratory shall not be valid and may subject the user to enforcement actions.

O. All users are required to submit all monitoring results including non-permit required samples according to 40 CFR 403.12(g) sampled at the appropriate sample point within 15 calendar days of receiving the sample or monitoring results.

P. All permitted users that take more than one grab sample in a single calendar day to demonstrate compliance with oil and grease shall also comply with the following conditions:

  1. A minimum of four grab samples separated by a minimum of two hours each shall be taken in a single calendar day;

  2. Each individual oil and grease grab sample shall be analyzed separately and the analytical results from each sample shall be averaged;

  3. No single oil and grease grab sample shall exceed the user's permitted limit by more than 40 percent; and

  4. The average result from all individual oil and grease grab samples taken in a single calendar day shall not exceed the user's permitted limit.

(Ord. 7551 §5, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7099 §2, 2010; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.230 - Record keeping.

All users shall keep records of waste hauling, reclamations, wastewater pretreatment, monitoring device recording charts and calibration reports, effluent flow, and sample analysis data on the site of the wastewater generation. All these records are subject to inspection and copy by the Director. All records must be kept on the site of the wastewater generation for a minimum period of three years. The record retention period may be extended beyond three years in the event criminal or civil action is taken or an extensive user history is required. Records required by company or corporate policy to be kept off-site shall be telefaxed or submitted electronically to the Environmental Compliance Office within 72 hours of the records request. Failure to submit the records as required is a violation of this chapter and may result in enforcement actions.

(Ord. 7551 §6, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7150 §1, 2011; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.235 - Flow measurement.

Any industrial user who discharges 25,000 gallons per day or more of industrial wastewater, or as required by the Director, shall install a continuous monitoring flow meter capable of measuring the industrial user's entire industrial wastewater discharged to the POTW. The user shall record and log the flow on a daily basis. The flow meter shall conform to standards issued by the Director. The user shall report the flow meter type and size to the Director before installation. The flow meter shall be equipped with a non-resetting flow totalizer and a recorder that records the time, day, date and volume of discharge, and can generate daily summaries of instantaneous maximum and total flow for record keeping. All flow meters shall be calibrated as often as necessary to ensure accuracy of the actual flow discharged, within plus or minus five percent. Industries shall perform calibration by an independent company as frequently as is necessary, or at no less than once per year or the minimum manufacturer's recommended time interval if sooner. All flow meter installations shall have the flow meter size, type, totalizer units, and flow multipliers posted in a conspicuous place near the flow meter recorder.

(Ord. 7551 §7, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.240 - Infectious waste disposal.

A. No user that generates liquid infectious waste other than domestic wastewater shall discharge to the POTW without first obtaining written permission from the Director. Such a user shall submit a written request to the Director that shall include:

  1. The source and volume of the infectious waste;

  2. The procedures and equipment used for waste disinfection; and

  3. Employee training procedures for the legal disposal of infectious waste.

B. If the Director believes that the waste would not be completely disinfected, the Director shall issue a written denial to the user and state the reasons for the denial. This denial shall be issued within 30 days from receipt of the written request.

C. If the Director believes that complete disinfection of the waste can be achieved prior to discharge of the waste to the POTW, then a conditional approval may be granted for the disposal of the waste. A letter of approval shall be sent to the user within 30 days of receipt of the written request.

D. If the user is granted permission for disposal, the user:

  1. Shall completely disinfect the liquid waste prior to discharge to the POTW as outlined in the approval letter;

  2. Shall not dispose of solid infectious waste to the POTW, including hypodermic needles, syringes, instruments, utensils or other paper and plastic items of a disposable nature, or any portions of the human or animal anatomy whether whole, part, or ground; and

  3. Shall be subject to periodic inspections to verify that all disinfection methods, procedures, and practices are being performed.

(Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.245 - Water softeners.

A. No commercial or industrial user shall install, replace, enlarge, or use any regenerative-type water softener unless the apparatus complies with the following conditions:

  1. The regeneration is performed at a nonresidential facility separate from the location of the facility where such appliance is used; or

  2. If the apparatus is a self-generating water softener, the regenerative brine solutions generated during the regeneration and backwash cycles of the water softener shall be segregated for disposal to a legal brine disposal site; and

  3. The backwash equipment shall be equipped with an electrical conductivity-controlled discharge valve that controls the wastewater discharge to the POTW. This valve shall be calibrated to control and prevent any discharge of wastewater that exceeds the maximum total dissolved solids concentration established by resolution; and

  4. The user shall maintain the electrical conductivity-controlled discharge valve in proper operating conditions at all times. In the event of a valve failure, the user shall immediately cease the regeneration discharge and immediately notify the Director of the failure by telephone call, telefax transmission, electronic report, personal visit, or a hand delivered notification, to the City's Environmental Compliance Office. Within five calendar days after discovery of the failure, the user shall submit a written report to the Director documenting the dates, times, and cause of the failure, and the corrective actions taken.

B. Pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Sections 116775-116795, no residential water softening or conditioning appliance may be installed except in the following circumstances:

  1. The regeneration is performed at a nonresidential facility separate from the location of the residence where such appliance is used; or

  2. The regeneration discharges to the waste disposal system of the residence where such appliance is used and the following conditions are satisfied:

a. The appliance activates regeneration by demand control;

b. An appliance installed on or after January 1, 2000, shall be certified by a third-party rating organization using industry standards to have a salt efficiency rating of no less than 3,350 grains of hardness removed per pound of salt used in generation. An appliance installed on or after January 1, 2002, shall be certified by a third-party rating organization using industry standards to have a salt efficiency rating of no less than 4,000 grains of hardness removed per pound of salt used in generation;

c. The installation of the appliance is accompanied by the simultaneous installation of the following softened or conditioned water conservation devices on all fixtures using softened or conditioned water, unless such devices are already in place or are prohibited by local and state plumbing and building standards or unless such devices will adversely restrict the normal operation of such fixtures:

i. Faucet flow restrictors.

ii. Shower head restrictors.

iii. Toilet reservoir dams.

iv. A piping system installed so that untreated (unsoftened or unconditioned) supply water is carried to hose bibs and sill cocks which serve water to the outside of the house, except that bypass valves may be installed on homes with slab foundations constructed prior to the date of installation; or condominiums constructed prior to the date of installation; or otherwise, where a piping system is physically inhibited.

C. The certification required under subsection B of this section shall be provided by the new user of the appliance and shall be completed by a contractor having a valid Class C-55 water conditioning contractor's license or Class C-36 plumbing contractor's license and filed with the City's Building Division. The certification form shall contain all of the following information:

  1. Name and address of homeowner;

  2. Manufacturer of the water softening or conditioning appliance, model number of the appliance, pounds of salt used per regeneration, and salt efficiency rating at the time of certification;

  3. Manufacturer of the water-saving devices installed, model number, and number installed; and

  4. Name, address, and the specialty contractor's license number of the C-55 and C-36 licensee making the certification.

D. Any person installing or operating a water conditioning apparatus of any kind shall make such apparatus accessible to the Director for inspection at reasonable times.

E. Notwithstanding subdivision 2 of subsection B. of this section, the City may limit the availability, or prohibit the installation, of residential water softening or conditioning appliances that discharge to the POTW if Director makes all of the following findings:

  1. The POTW is not in compliance with the terms of its NPDES permit;

  2. Limiting the availability or installation of the appliances is the only available means of achieving compliance with waste discharge requirements issued by the Regional Board; and

  3. All nonresidential sources are limited to the volumes and concentrations of saline discharges to the POTW to the extent technologically and economically feasible.

F. Notwithstanding subdivision 2 of subsection B of this section, the City may limit the availability, or prohibit the installation, of residential water softening or conditioning appliances that discharge to the POTW if Director makes all of the following findings:

  1. The POTW is not in compliance with water reclamation requirements, or a master reclamation permit, issued by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with §13520) of Chapter 7 of Division 7 of the Water Code;

  2. Limiting the availability or prohibiting the installation of the appliances is the only available means of achieving compliance with the water reclamation requirements or the master reclamation permit issued by the regional board; and

  3. All nonresidential sources are limited to the volumes and concentrations of saline discharges to the POTW to the extent technologically and economically feasible.

(Ord. 7551 §8, 2021; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.250 - Drain screen requirements.

Any user that has floor drains, floor sinks, drains, mop sinks, or any other drain designed to convey wastewater to the sewer system, shall have a screen in place in said drains with hole sizes of three-eighths of an inch or smaller.

(Ord. 7551 §9, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.255 - Sand/oil gravity separation interceptor.

No user that operates or maintains a facility for the servicing or repair of roadway machinery, industrial transportation equipment, motor vehicles, public or private transportation vehicles, and any other facility as required by the Director, shall discharge wastewater to the POTW without a gravity separation interceptor ("interceptor") that complies with all of the requirements of this chapter pertaining to sand/oil interceptors. Domestic wastewater shall not be allowed to pass through the interceptor. The Director shall determine the interceptor's operational fluid capacity. The interceptor shall have a minimum operational fluid capacity of not less than 100 gallons, and shall be designed to retain any material that will float or any material that will settle and shall meet all the requirements of this chapter. The interceptor shall be equipped with a sample box.

(Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6377 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.260 - Interceptor requirements.

A. The interceptor shall be watertight, structurally sound, durable, and shall have a minimum of two chambers, excluding sample box, with a separate ring and cover for each chamber. The sample box shall also have a separate ring and cover. All rings shall be affixed to the interceptor to ensure a gas and watertight seal.

B. Each grease interceptor cover shall expose and provide access to each chamber's inlet tee, outlet tee, and/or mid-wall tee.

C. All interceptor chambers shall be immediately accessible at all times for inspection, sampling, cleaning, and maintenance. The user shall provide a separate ring and cover for each separate interceptor chamber, including sample box and any additional covers to ensure adequate cleaning and inspection capabilities. All rings shall be affixed to the interceptor to ensure a gas and watertight seal. At no time shall any material, debris, obstacles or other obstructions be placed in such a manner that will prevent immediate access to the interceptor.

D. Any interceptor legally and properly installed before the effective date of this chapter shall be acceptable as an alternative to the interceptor requirements of this chapter providing that the interceptor shall be effective in removing floatable and settleable material and shall be immediately accessible for inspection, sampling, cleaning, and maintenance.

E. All drains and openings connected to an approved gravity separation grease interceptor shall be equipped with screens or devices which will exclude from the wastewater discharge all material and particles greater than three-eighths of an inch in any dimension.

F. All gravity separation grease interceptors shall be equipped with an influent tee extending no more than six inches below the operating fluid level of the interceptor. The interceptor shall also have tees extending to within 12 inches of the bottom at the exit side of each chamber in the interceptor, including the final chamber. In a case where a manufacturer's engineered interceptor design is contrary to this requirement, the Director shall review the design and either approve or deny an exemption to this requirement.

G. All interceptors shall be equipped with a sample box or sample wye as determined by the Director.

H. No user shall install or use any elbows or tees in any interceptor sample box.

I. No user shall install any interceptor, sample box, or sample wye in a confined space or a permit-required confined space.

J. At all times, all drain lines connecting to the interceptor shall be kept free of any debris or material that may cause a drain line blockage and periodically cleaned or maintained as needed.

K. If the Director finds, either by engineering knowledge or by observation, that an interceptor is incapable of adequately retaining floatable and settleable material in the wastewater flow, is structurally inadequate, or is undersized for the facility, the Director may reject such interceptor and declare that the interceptor does not meet the requirements of this section. The user shall thereupon be required to, modify or repair the interceptor, or install an adequate interceptor, acceptable to the Director at the user's expense.

(Ord. 7551 §10, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.265 - Standard interceptor designs.

The Director shall maintain a file, available to the public, of suitable interceptor designs. This file shall be for informational purposes only and is not an endorsement of any kind. Installation of an interceptor of a design shown in this file, or of any design meeting the size requirements set forth in this chapter, shall not subject the City to any liability for the adequacy of the interceptor under actual conditions of use. The user and property owner shall not be relieved of the responsibility for keeping floatable and settleable material out of the POTW.

(Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.270 - Interceptor maintenance.

A. Any person who owns or operates an interceptor shall properly maintain it at all times to ensure the continued operation of the great interceptor, as designed, and to avoid causing a surcharge or overflow. The interceptor shall be cleaned as often as necessary to ensure that sediment and floating materials do not accumulate to impair the efficiency of the interceptor and odors do not cause a public nuisance. An interceptor is not considered to be properly maintained, if for any reason the interceptor is not in good working condition or if the operational fluid capacity has been reduced by more than 25 percent by the accumulation of floating material, sediment, oil or grease, or other liquids that have limited or no solubility in water.

B. The use of chemicals, enzymes, proteins or other materials to emulsify, suspend, or dissolve oil and grease is prohibited. If a user is found using any of these materials, the materials may be confiscated without restitution to the user and the user may be subject to enforcement actions.

C. No user shall use any microbiological product in a grease interceptor that was not specifically designed to use such microbiological agents to metabolize fats, oils, and greases. If a user is found using any of these materials, the materials may be confiscated without restitution to the user and the user may be subject to enforcement actions.

D. When an interceptor is cleaned, the entire contents of the interceptor from all chambers and sample box shall be removed. The removed sediment, solids, liquid and floating material shall not be reintroduced or decanted into the interceptor, sample box, sewer cleanout, other interceptor or other unlawful opening of a collection system or private sewer systems and shall be lawfully disposed of other than to the private sewer systems, POTW or storm drain, and shall not be reintroduced into the interceptor or discharged into another interceptor at another location not designed and permitted to accept such waste.

E. If the interceptor is not maintained adequately, then the interceptor shall be resized and the user shall install one that is effective in accomplishing the intended purpose, or the City may require a mandatory pumping schedule for the interceptor. Failure to pump the interceptor as required is a violation of this chapter and may subject the user to enforcement action.

F. The owner and lessee, sub-lessee, proprietor, operator and superintendent of any facility, required to install an interceptor or use an existing interceptor are individually and severally liable for any failure to properly maintain such interceptor.

(Ord. 7551 §11, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.275 - Restaurants.

A. No person who owns, operates, or maintains a restaurant (restaurant user) shall discharge wastewater from such restaurant to the POTW without first receiving a written determination from Director, and complying with such determination, of the POTW interceptor requirements. Restaurant users shall complete and submit a Wastewater Discharge Survey Form and conditional waiver to the Director for review of interceptor requirements. Within ten business days of receipt of the Wastewater Discharge Survey Form, Director shall notify such restaurant user of Director's determination whether an interceptor is required prior to discharge into the POTW. It is unlawful for any restaurant user notified by the Director as needing an interceptor to discharge restaurant wastewater into the POTW without use of a grease interceptor.

B. The Director shall calculate the size of the interceptor in accordance with the Uniform Plumbing Code, as adopted by the City, provided that any restaurant determined to require an interceptor of more than 100 gallons and less than 750 gallons shall install a minimum 750-gallon interceptor. The Director's determination shall consider the type of restaurant, the condition of the collection system serving the restaurant, and the possible adverse effects caused by the restaurant's wastewater discharge. An under the sink grease trap is not allowed in the City unless the site is considered a zero-lot line business located in the downtown area of the City, meets certain requirements and also gets approved by the County.

C. Any restaurant user required to install an interceptor shall direct all wastewater and waste from floor drains, floor sinks, sinks, waste container wash racks, dishwashers, mop sinks, utility sinks and garbage grinders through an approved interceptor complying with this chapter. The user shall keep all domestic wastewater from restrooms, showers, drinking fountains, condensate (i.e., ice melt, air conditioning condensate), soda machines and bar sinks separate from the restaurant wastewater until the restaurant wastewater has passed through all interceptors, pretreatment equipment, or sampling stations.

D. All restaurant users shall separate, to the maximum extent practicable, all fats, oils, and greases from the restaurant wastewater for off-site disposal. Each restaurant user shall store these separated wastes in accordance with all applicable laws, rules, policies and regulations, including the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health and this chapter. If grease is stored outside in drum or bin the container should be secured from tipping over using a chain or other material and have a secure lid or cover on top. If grease is located in the trash enclosure the restaurant user shall clean-up any spills on the ground. The trash bin must remain closed.

E. All floor sinks and floor drains shall be equipped with screens or devices that exclude all particles larger than three-eighths inch in any dimension.

F. Any restaurant user required to install an interceptor shall maintain the interceptor in accordance with this chapter.

G. If requested, the restaurant (new or with tenant improvements) shall install a stub-out line to interceptor or future interceptor. A new strip mall shall install interceptor(s) sized for future use as determined by the Director.

(Ord. 7551 §12, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7099 §3, 2010; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

Exceptions & meaning →

14.12.280 - Prohibited restaurant surface discharges.

A. No restaurant user shall discharge any wastewater to a storm drain, service dock areas, parking lot, or to the ground. All wastewater generated by restaurants, including trash enclosure wash/rinse water and drive through wash/rinse water, shall be contained, collected, and disposed of to sewer through a mop sink, drain, or gravity separation interceptor as approved or hauled off-site and disposed of at a legal disposal site.

B. If a restaurant has a blocked sewer lateral or a failed sewage pumping device which causes the discharge of wastewater to the storm drain, service dock areas, parking lot, drive through areas, or to the ground, the restaurant user shall immediately cease all activities causing that discharge and immediately contact a plumber to have the discharges collected and, if necessary, have laterals cleared, televised and repaired. Failure to comply with this requirement shall be considered a violation of this chapter and shall subject the restaurant user to enforcement actions. If the City determines that public safety requires immediate action and the restaurant owner is unable to or unwilling to arrange for a pumping company and plumber, or City collections crew, the city may in its discretion contact a pumping company and plumber to mitigate the violation and charge the restaurant user for all associated costs. Any restaurant that does not have a grease interceptor but causes a lateral or sewer blockage due to grease in the line shall have to install a minimum 750-gallon size grease interceptor.

(Ord. 7551 §13, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7099 §4, 2010; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

Exceptions & meaning →

14.12.285 - Conditional waivers.

Notwithstanding Section 14.12.275 subsection B, the Director may conditionally waive the interceptor requirements for any restaurant user determined in the Director's discretion.

  1. Not to pose adverse effects on the POTW;

  2. Lack of space for installation and maintenance, cannot get proper slope for plumbing from kitchen to interceptor, or

  3. Restaurant can justify alternate pretreatment method to control grease. The Director may revoke such conditional waiver and require the installation of an appropriately sized grease interceptor for the following reasons:

A. Changes in menu;

B. Falsification of information submitted in the City's wastewater discharge survey form;

C. Changes in operating hours;

D. Changes in maximum seating capacity;

E. Changes in maximum meals served per peak hour;

F. Changes in equipment used;

G. Changes in the nature of the wastewater discharged as determined by random and scheduled wastewater sampling and analyses; or

H. Any overflows or impairment of the proper function of the collection system or appurtenances caused by the restaurant user's wastewater discharge.

(Ord. 7551 §14, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

Exceptions & meaning →

14.12.290 - Wastewater discharge survey.

The Director may require a nonresidential user that has a sewer connection to the POTW, City sewer or a storm drain connection to the City's storm drain system to complete a Wastewater Discharge Survey. The purpose of the survey is to gather information to determine if an industrial user permit or other control document is necessary and to provide current information about the user. Failure to complete and return a required survey may subject the user to enforcement actions.

(Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

Exceptions & meaning →

14.12.295 - Liquid waste haulers.

A. It is unlawful for any liquid waste hauler to discharge to the City's designated disposal site without a current City Liquid Waste Hauler's permit, a current City business license, liability insurance as required by City of Riverside Risk Management (a copy of which should be included with permit application and sent to City of Riverside, Risk Management, 3900 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92522), Riverside County Department of Environmental Health Liquid Waste Hauler Permit, and decal, or to otherwise fail to comply with the provisions of this chapter. No truck or trailer vacuum tank that exceeds 6,000 gallons in volume shall be permitted unless the truck or trailer has been modified to only contain 6,000 gallons of total volume at all times. The City issues a swipe card for each truck that discharges at the POTW. If the swipe card is lost or stolen a $25.00 replacement fee will be charged to the hauler. All haulers are responsible to clean-up area after their discharge.

B. No person shall violate any term or condition of a City Liquid Waste Hauler Permit, liquid waste hauler permit conditions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Liquid waste hauler's obligation to comply with all permit terms and conditions;

  2. Liquid waste hauler's obligation to comply with the terms of this chapter;

  3. Liquid waste hauler's obligation to comply with the Riverside County Health Department's applicable rules and regulations regarding cleanliness and sanitary conditions;

  4. Restrictions on operating hours for City's designated disposal site;

  5. The revocation, suspension, or placement on probation of the permit and imposition of other enforcement actions against the Liquid Waste Hauler for violation of the permit terms or conditions, or of this chapter;

  6. Record keeping and reporting requirements;

  7. The obligation to notify the Director immediately of any unusual circumstances observed during liquid waste pumping operations;

  8. Compliance with all applicable California Motor Vehicle Codes; and

  9. Other conditions, limitations or prohibitions deemed appropriate by the Director.

C. The City's RWQCP is the only designated liquid waste haulers disposal site.

D. No person shall be issued a City Liquid Waste Hauler Permit without first:

  1. Paying all applicable liquid waste hauler permit fees, established by resolution of the City Council; and

  2. Completing and submitting to the City an application for a City Liquid Waste Hauler Permit signed under penalty of perjury certifying that the following information provided by liquid waste hauler is true and correct:

a. Name, address, and phone number of the liquid waste hauler;

b. Number of vehicles (vehicles include trucks, tankers and trailers), gallon capacity, license plate number, registered owner's name, and make and model, of each vehicle operated by the liquid waste hauler for the purpose of hauling liquid wastes;

c. Name of the liquid waste hauler's authorized representative;

d. Name and policy number of the liquid waste hauler's insurance carrier and bonding company as approved by Risk Management, if applicable;

e. The number of the current permit issued to the liquid waste hauler by the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health for transportation and disposal of liquid wastes; and

f. Such other information as may be required by the Director.

E. City issued liquid waste hauler permits shall be valid for one to three years, and the Director may impose additional terms, or modify or delete permit terms and conditions at any time during the duration of the permit. Fees for new permits are not prorated for being valid less than one year.

F. Liquid wastes disposed at the City's designated disposal site shall be subject to inspection, sampling and analysis to determine compliance with all applicable provisions of this chapter by authorized personnel who may perform or supervise such inspection, sampling and analysis at any time before or during the delivery of the liquid waste. If the City finds the wastes do not comply with this chapter, the liquid waste hauler shall pay the City for all of the City's costs associated with such inspection, sampling, and analysis, and any other fees, charges or penalties assessed by the Director.

G. No liquid waste hauler shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the City's designated disposal site any material defined as hazardous by RCRA.

H. If the City determines the wastes contain hazardous substances, then the liquid waste hauler shall remain at the City's designated disposal site until the hazardous substances are transferred to a waste hauler lawfully authorized to transport and dispose of the hazardous substances. The Director may notify the appropriate law enforcement agency of all violations of this section.

I. All liquid waste manifest forms shall be completed in full and signed by the liquid waste hauler, before connecting to City equipment or discharging into the City's designated disposal site. Amount of gallons actually discharged must match the amount on the receipt and on the manifest trucking transportation document.

J. Providing false information to the City in any permit application, hauler's report or manifest, or correspondence is a violation of this chapter.

K. Liquid waste haulers shall retain all reports and records required to be retained by this chapter for a minimum of three years and shall make such reports and records immediately available to the City upon request.

L. A liquid waste hauler shall pay all fees, charges and penalties imposed by the Director pursuant to this chapter within 30 days of receiving notice to pay such fees, charges, or penalties.

M. Only domestic and commercial liquid wastes, from septic tanks, seepage pits, cesspools, or any other similar receptacles, or expressly permitted wastes such as food wastes or organic diversion wastes, FOG or ADM, shall be disposed of at the City's designated disposal site.

N. Any liquid waste hauler that hauls both industrial wastes and permitted non-industrial wastes shall remove all industrial waste contamination from the interior of the vacuum tank prior to loading any permitted non-industrial wastes into such tank.

O. Liquid waste haulers are prohibited from discharging industrial waste into the POTW Septage Receiving Station. No liquid waste hauler shall mix industrial waste and permitted non-industrial wastes to discharge the mixture to the City's designated disposal site.

P. Any liquid waste hauler seeking to discharge to the City's designated disposal site shall first certify under penalty of perjury as to the origin of the wastes and shall provide documentation as to the address of any location(s) where the liquid waste hauler obtained the wastes.

Q. If the wastes hauled by a liquid waste hauler are found unacceptable for discharge into the POTW, the liquid waste hauler shall immediately cease discharge. The hauler must dispose of the wastes at a legal disposal site. The liquid waste hauler shall provide the City with a true and correct copy of the waste hauler's manifest documenting the legal disposal of the rejected wastes within 14 calendar days from the date the wastes were rejected by the City.

R. No liquid waste hauler shall mix or dilute any rejected load in order to achieve compliance with this chapter without prior written authorization from the Director.

S. No liquid waste hauler shall dispose of any rejected load into any septic tank, cesspool, seepage pit or similar devices, any grease interceptor or trap, any storm drain, or the POTW except as authorized in writing by the Director.

T. The Director may deny or revoke a liquid waste hauler permit for any of the following reasons:

  1. The applicant knowingly falsified information on the application or any document required by the application;

  2. The applicant's previous liquid waste hauler permit was suspended or otherwise revoked and the condition upon which such action was taken still exists; or

  3. The applicant is not current on all disposal and permit-related reports and charges.

U. If an application is denied, then the Director shall notify the applicant in writing of such denial and the appeal procedures. The notification shall state the grounds for such denial and any actions required for the applicant to obtain a permit.

V. All liquid waste hauler permits issued may be revoked, suspended or placed on probation up to one year upon a finding by the Director that any of the following facts exist:

  1. The permittee failed to display the authorization document upon request;

  2. The permittee has changed, altered or otherwise modified the face of a permit or authorization document without the permission of the Director;

  3. The permittee has violated any term or condition of the permit;

  4. The permittee has falsified any application, record, report or monitoring results required to be maintained, has failed to make them immediately available to the Director upon request, or has withheld required information;

  5. The permittee failed to stop immediately the discharge from his or her truck into the designated disposal facilities of the City when equipment alarmed, or upon the order of any authorized Public Works Department employee;

  6. The permittee discharged or attempted to discharge hazardous substances into the designated disposal site;

  7. The permittee failed to comply with the terms of subsection H of this section;

  8. The permittee discharged or attempted to discharge industrial waste into the Septage Receiving Station;

  9. The permittee has repeatedly filed documents with falsified or incorrect information;

  10. The permittee has discharged or attempted to discharge waste to the City's designated disposal site, that has been previously rejected by another regulatory agency, municipality, or entity having authority to grant permission for the disposal of the waste, and has failed to notify the Director of the rejected status of the waste;

  11. The permittee has done physical violence or harm to any City employee;

  12. The permittee has made threatening remarks or threatening acts toward any City employee;

  13. The permittee tampered with or attempted to tamper, manipulate, alter, misuse, or remove the City's equipment at the septic dump station or has bypassed monitoring equipment; or

  14. The permittee has had repeated waste loads rejected where the load was picked up from the same source.

  15. The Permittee has an unpaid balance related to its permit that has been referred to a collections agency for collection.

W. Any liquid waste hauler permit which has been revoked, suspended or placed on probation pursuant to this section may be reinstated upon a finding by the Director that the condition which resulted in such revocation, suspension or probation no longer exists.

X. Upon Director's determination of a violation of this chapter, the liquid waste hauler shall be subject to the enforcement actions set forth in this section and Part IV of this chapter, and to such enforcement actions contained in the liquid waste hauler permit as necessary to protect the POTW, the public, the environment or City employees.

Y. Any authorized POTW employee can order a liquid waste hauler to immediately stop their discharge. The order shall be based on the employee's professional judgment that the discharge may violate this chapter, threaten or harm the POTW, its employees, the public, or the environment.

Z. Liquid waste hauler permits are exclusive to that permittee. Transfer or assignment of a permit is prohibited and will void the current permittee's permit. Permittees must also comply with any applicable federal, state regulations or requirements and this Code.

(Ord. 7692, §1, 2024; Ord. 7551 §15, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

Exceptions & meaning →

14.12.300 - Mobile wash businesses.

A. No person shall engage in, conduct, or carry on any mobile wash business in the City without first demonstrating to the Public Works Director proper containment and recovery of wash water and wastes and obtaining a permit from the Public Works Director.

B. It is unlawful for any mobile wash business to discharge wastewaters to the storm drain and to operate within the City without a mobile wash business certificate issued by the environmental compliance section.

C. Users required to obtain a mobile wash business certificate shall complete and file with the Director an application form provided by the Director and shall pay all applicable fees within 30 days of invoicing by the City. The application form may require applicant's submission of any or all of the following:

  1. Name, address, and location (if different from the mailing address);

  2. NAICS number under the Federal North American Industry Classification System, Office of Management and Budget, 1997, as amended;

  3. Liquid capacity of tanks on their trailer or vehicle;

  4. A list of all environmental control permits held;

  5. A written description of operations

D. Mobile wash businesses must demonstrate that they utilize BMPs and can recover all wash waters and cause no discharge of wash waters to the environment in order to obtain a certificate from the City. Wash waters must be disposed of legally. BMPS must be used at each wash event. Certificate must be carried with the vehicle and made available to City staff upon request.

E. Operating a mobile wash business within the City without a certificate can result in enforcement actions, including, but not limited to, fines.

F. Within 14 days after receiving the completed application and all required supporting information, and giving a demonstration of BMP implementation, the Director shall evaluate the application and information furnished by the applicant. The Director shall issue the certificate, if the Director believes that sufficient and accurate information has been provided by the applicant in the application and the Director finds that all of the following conditions are met:

  1. The proposed discharge of the applicant is in compliance with the prohibitions and limitations of this chapter;

  2. The proposed operation and discharge of the applicant would not cause a discharge to a storm drain or MS4;

  3. The proposed discharge, operation or business activity of the applicant shall not result in a violation by the City of the terms and conditions of its NPDES permit or cause a pass through of any pollutants to the environment; and

  4. The applicant has paid all applicable mobile wash business fees.

G. The Director may suspend or revoke the certificate at any time.

H. If the Director determines that the proposed discharge will not be acceptable, the Director shall disapprove the application and shall notify the applicant in writing, specifying the reason(s) for denial.

I. Mobile wash business certificates shall be subject to all provisions of this chapter and all other applicable regulations, charges and fees established by the City Council of the City of Riverside or the Riverside County Board of Supervisors by resolution.

J. Duty to comply. All users that have been issued a mobile wash business certificate, have a duty to comply with all conditions and limitations in this chapter and any conditions within the certificate and shall be subject to administrative, civil or criminal enforcement actions in accordance with this chapter.

K. Modifications. The Director may modify the certificate terms and conditions as the Director deems necessary.

L. Certificate transfer. Each mobile wash business certificate is issued to a specific user for a specific operation for a specified time. Any assignment, transfer or sale of any certificate to a new owner, new user, different premises, or different use is prohibited and is a violation of this chapter.

M. Fees and charges. The City is authorized to impose fees and charges to recover the costs of its storm water and environmental compliance programs. These fees and charges are exclusive to this chapter and are separate from all other fees or costs.

N. Unless otherwise specified, all fees, charges and penalties imposed pursuant to this chapter are due and payable within 30 calendar days after the date of the notice or invoice from the City. Users who fail to pay any required fee, charge or penalty by the due date shall pay a 50 percent surcharge in addition to the original fee, charge or penalty. The City shall give notice to a user of any certificate termination associated with the unpaid amounts and such certificate will be automatically revoked on the 30th day after the date of such notice if the amount due is not paid in full. The Director shall refer the unpaid amount to the City's Finance Department for collection.

O. All mobile wash businesses shall obtain a City business license and an authorization certificate and/or permit from the City before conducting business within the City's jurisdiction. Failure to obtain authorizations and/or a permit from the City prior to operating in the POTW service area is a violation of this chapter and may subject the user to enforcement actions including fines. The City shall mail-out a letter to any new pressure washer who has received a business license informing them of the rules and regulations for working in the City.

P. Contaminated wash water shall not be disposed of into storm drains, gutters, or waters of the State or US. Discharges shall be recovered and disposed of at the place of business where feasible (clean-out or other device which leads to sewer).

Q. Any mobile wash business observed doing business in the City shall have required documentation with them at all times. Mobile washers can be stopped by an inspector and asked for required documentation. If no documentation is presented, information will be recorded concerning the pressure washer company, the business where the washing is occurring, and a written warning may be issued.

(Ord. 7551 §16, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

Exceptions & meaning →

14.12.305 - Use of or damage to City equipment or facilities.

A. No person shall use, enter, break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any temporary or permanent structure, equipment, or appurtenance which is part of the POTW, City sewer and/or storm drain system without prior written approval by the Director.

B. Any person who discharges or causes the discharge of any wastewater or pollutant which detrimentally effects the POTW, City sewer and/or storm drain system, sludge, or causes any other damage, including subjecting the City to any fines or penalties, shall be liable to the City for all damages and costs incurred by the City, including administrative expenses. The City shall calculate its administrative expenses as 90 percent of the cost of repairs and personnel time expended by the City to remedy such damages and costs. All charges shall be payable to the City within 30 days of invoicing by the City.

(Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; §2 Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

Exceptions & meaning →

14.12.310 - Spill notification.

All users shall notify the City immediately upon occurrence of an accidental discharge of substances prohibited by this chapter (a "spill") or any slug discharges that may enter the POTW, City sewer or storm drain system, storm water channel, or natural water course. During normal business hours, M—F 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the City shall be notified by telephone at (951) 351-6145. After 4:30 p.m. M—F, on all holidays and weekends, the City shall be notified by telephone at (951) 351-6280 or (951) 351-6140, or (951) 826-5311. The notification shall include the date, time and location of the discharge, type of waste, including concentration and volume, and corrective actions taken. This notification does not relieve the user from any other reporting requirements of any other laws. Within five calendar days following a spill or slug discharge, the user shall submit a detailed written report to the Director including:

A. A description and cause of the event, and the impact on the user's compliance status;

B. The location, type, concentration, and volume of the spill or slug discharge;

C. The duration of the event including exact dates and time of noncompliance, and if noncompliance continues, the time by which compliance is reasonably expected to be achieved;

D. The description of the remediation or cleanup methods and disposal; and

E. All steps taken or to be taken to reduce, eliminate, and prevent recurrence of such upset, slug load, accidental, negligent, or intentional spill or other conditions of noncompliance.

(Ord. 7551 §17, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

Exceptions & meaning →

14.12.315 - Surface and stormwater discharge prohibitions.

A. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the storm drainage system, whether currently carrying water or not, any pollutant or non-storm water.

B. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged to the storm drainage system or waterway, whether currently carrying water or not, any substance or pollutant which could:

  1. Impair the useful function of the storm drain system;

  2. Cause undue storm drain maintenance expense to the City or other public agency;

  3. Contain sewage;

  4. Containing pollutants that cause or threaten to cause a condition of pollution, contamination, nuisance or public hazard;

  5. Pollute natural surface or subsurface waters; or

  6. Violate any federal state or local regulation, code, permit or requirement.

C. Any person violating subsection A or B of this section shall be liable to the City for all damages and costs incurred by the City, including administrative expenses and fines. The City shall calculate its administrative expenses as 90 percent of the cost of repairs and personnel time expended by the City to remedy such damages and costs. All charges shall be payable to the City within 30 days of invoicing by the City.

D. Any person who has violated subsection A or B of this section shall submit a written report of the incident within five business days to the Director. The written report shall include a description of the circumstances causing the discharge, the quantity and qualities of the pollutant(s) discharged the methods of cleanup and disposal, and the corrective measures taken to prevent a reoccurrence.

E. No person or business shall allow for automatic or manual pumps to pump out sump contents to the storm drain system, street conveyance, or waterway.

F. No chemicals, green waste, or pet waste may be discharged to the storm drain system or waterway.

G. No person or business shall allow wash water to enter the storm drain from the following activities:

  1. Hosing or cleaning gas stations, vehicle maintenance facilities, or other related services;

  2. Hosing, cleaning, repairing, or maintaining motorized equipment or machinery;

  3. Mobile operations such as automotive detailing, window washing, carpet and drape cleaning, pet services, power washing, etc.; or

  4. Runoff from hosing or cleaning parking lots, streets, alleys, gutters, sidewalks, driveways, patios, plazas, work yards, and outdoor eating or drinking areas and their associated trash enclosures, etc.

H. No person or business shall allow runoff containing pollutants associated with construction sites, activities, materials, or waste.

I. Industrial storm water discharges and authorized non-storm water discharges regulated by a State or Regional Water Quality Control Board Permit containing hazardous substances. Should such a release occur, the facility must make notifications in accordance with 40 C.F.R. Section 110.6, 117.21, and 302.6.

J. Plastic materials or pellets may not be deposited on the ground of a facility and may not enter a facility's storm drain conveyances, MS4 or water bodies adjacent to the facility.

K. It is a violation of this ordinance to establish, use, maintain, or continue illicit connections to the storm drain system, or to commence or continue any illicit discharges to the storm drain system. This prohibition against illicit connections and discharges is expressly retroactive and applies to connections and discharges made in the past, regardless of whether permissible under the law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of the connection or discharge.

L. A violation of the provisions of this ordinance shall occur irrespective of the negligence or intent of the violator to construct, maintain, operate or utilize an illicit connection or to cause, have the potential to cause, allow or facilitate any prohibited discharge.

M. Prohibited discharges from commercial and restaurant businesses also include any surface discharges from trash compactors, trash enclosures, grease bins, restaurant discharges to outside surfaces and debris found in trash enclosures. Good housekeeping BMP's shall be utilized to deal with prevention and clean-up of such discharges. If discharge contaminates soil the contaminated soil shall be removed. Surface discharges must be cleaned up within the time noted on the inspection report.

(Ord. 7551 §18, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017; Ord. 7150 §2, 2011; Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2, 2002; Ord. 6398 §2 (part), 1997; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

Exceptions & meaning →

14.12.316 - Reduction of pollutants in stormwater.

A. General. It is a violation of this chapter to throw, deposit, leave, maintain, keep, or permit to be thrown, deposited, placed, left or maintained, any pollutant in or upon any street, alley, sidewalk, storm drain, inlet, catch basin, conduit or other drainage structures, business place, or upon any public or private plot of land in the City. The only exception being where such pollutant is temporarily placed in an appropriate container with a spill containment system for later collection and removal. It is a violation of this chapter to cause or permit any dumpster, solid waste bin, or similar container to leak such that any pollutant is discharged into any street, alley, sidewalk, storm drain, inlet, catch basin, conduit or other drainage structures, business place, or upon any public or private plot of land in the city.

B. New development and redevelopment. New development or redevelopment projects shall control stormwater runoff so as to prevent any deterioration of water quality that would impair subsequent or competing uses of the water. The director of building and safety shall identify the BMPs that may be implemented to prevent such deterioration and shall identify the manner of implementation. A Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) and installation of BMPs and/or post-construction BMPs for certain types of projects is required by the City. For construction sites, any person performing construction work in the county shall comply with the regulatory requirements of the State Water Resources Control Board and its regional offices. The BMPs may, among other things, require new developments or redevelopments to do any of the following:

  1. Increase permeable areas, by leaving highly porous soil and low-lying areas undisturbed; by incorporating landscaping and open space into the project design; by using porous materials for or near driveways and walkways; and by incorporating detention ponds and infiltration pits into the project design;

  2. Direct runoff to permeable areas, by orienting it away from impermeable areas to swales, berms, green strip filters, gravel beds, and French drains; by installing rain-gutters oriented towards permeable areas; by modifying the grade of the property to divert flow to permeable areas and minimize the amount of stormwater runoff leaving the property; and by designing curbs, berms or other structures such that they do not isolate permeable or landscaped areas;

  3. Maximize stormwater storage for reuse, by using retention structures, subsurface areas, cisterns, or other structures to store stormwater runoff for reuse or slow release.

C. The City may elect to divert Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System dry weather flows to the sanitary sewer for treatment in accordance with the City's guidelines on dry weather diversion BMP's as adopted by the Director.

D. Existing development. Existing development shall control stormwater runoff so as to prevent any deterioration of water quality that would impair subsequent or competing uses of the water. The director of building and safety shall identify the BMPs that may be implemented to prevent such deterioration and shall identify the manner of implementation.

E. Commercial and industrial facilities. Any person or entity that owns or operates a commercial and/or industrial facility(s) shall comply with the provisions of this chapter. All such facilities shall be subject to a regular program of inspection.

F. It is a violation of this chapter to establish, use, maintain, or continue illicit connections to the storm drain system, or to commence or continue any illicit discharges to the storm drain system. This prohibition against illicit connections and discharges is expressly retroactive and applies to connections and discharges made in the past, regardless of whether permissible under the law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of the connection or discharge.

G. The discharge of non-stormwater into the storm drain system is a violation of this chapter except as specified in this section.

  1. The discharge prohibition shall not apply to any discharge regulated under an NPDES permit or waiver issued to the discharger and administered by the State of California under the authority of the EPA, provided that the discharger is in full compliance with all requirements of the permit or waiver and other applicable laws or regulations.

  2. Discharges from the following activities will not be considered a violation of this chapter when properly managed: water line flushing and other discharges from potable water sources, landscape irrigation and lawn watering, irrigation water, diverted stream flows, rising groundwaters, infiltration to separate storm drains, uncontaminated pumped groundwater, foundation and footing drains, water from crawl space pumps, air conditioning condensation, springs, individual residential car washing, flows from riparian habitats and wetlands, or flows from firefighting.

H. Municipal NPDES permit. Any discharge that would result in or contribute to a violation of an existing or future municipal NPDES permit(s) or any amendment or revision thereto or reissuance thereof, either separately considered or when combined with other discharges, is a violation of this chapter and is prohibited. Liability for any such discharge shall be the responsibility of the person(s) causing or responsible for the discharge, and such persons shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the City in any administrative or judicial enforcement action relating to such discharge.

I. NPDES permit for industrial/commercial and construction activity. Any industrial discharger, discharger associated with construction activity, or other discharger subject to any NPDES permit issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, shall comply with all requirements of such permit. Such dischargers shall specifically comply with the following permits: the industrial stormwater general permit, the construction activity stormwater general permit, and the dewatering general permit. Proof of compliance with such NPDES general permits may be required in a form acceptable to the director prior to issuance of any county grading, building, or occupancy permits.

J. An inspector employed by the city may enter free of charge, at any time, any premises, grounds, facilities or structures for which compliance is required by this chapter and inspect the premises, grounds, facilities and structures located therein for compliance with water quality requirements imposed by this chapter, any Riverside Municipal Code, California Water Code Sections 13000 et seq. (Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act), Title 33 U.S.C. Sections 1251 et seq. (Clean Water Act) and any applicable state or federal regulations promulgated thereto, and any related administrative orders or permits issued in connection therewith.

(Ord. 7551 §19, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017)

Exceptions & meaning →

14.12.317 - Authorized non-storm water discharges (NSWDs)

A. The following NSWDs are authorized provided they do not introduce or carry pollutants into a storm drain:

  1. Fire-hydrant and fire prevention or response system flushing; potable water sources; including potable water related to the operation, maintenance, or testing of potable water systems;

  2. Drinking fountain water; atmospheric condensate, including refrigeration, air conditioning, and compressor condensate;

  3. Irrigation drainage and landscape watering; and

  4. Natural springs, ground water, or foundation and footing drainage.

B. The NSWDs identified in A above are authorized by if the discharger is not in violation of any Regional Water Board or City ordinance or requirement.

(Ord. 7551 §20, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017)

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14.12.318 - Good housekeeping requirements and best management practices.

A. The following good housekeeping requirements shall be adhered to by all persons within the City:

  1. Surface cleaning including mopping, rinsing, washing, pressure washing, steam cleaning, and floor mat washing shall only be performed with appropriate BMPs with no discharge of any liquid, material, or waste to the storm drainage system and in conformance with this chapter.

  2. Exterior areas with waste oil, grease, tallow, and other restaurant or food service containers and the surfaces surrounding such containers shall, at all times, be kept clean of residual oil, grease, and other substances. Any spills shall be cleaned up as soon as possible.

  3. Trash, recyclable, and waste disposal container covers shall be kept closed.

  4. Equipment, parts, and materials stored outside which may contribute to storm water pollution shall be covered and stored in a manner in which contact with precipitation, directly or from runoff is prevented.

  5. Machinery and equipment, including motor vehicles, which are leaking significant amounts of oil or fluid must be repaired, and the leaking oil must be cleaned up appropriately. Machinery that is outside shall be protected from contact with any precipitation.

  6. Production pollutants shall be cleaned up in a timely manner.

B. Any person undertaking any activity or operation in the city that could potentially cause or contribute to storm water pollution or a discharge of non-storm water to the city's MS4 shall employ effective BMPs to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants to the storm drain. The City may require the installation or implementation of structural control, erosion control or sediment control BMPs. The City may require documentation on the effectiveness of BMPs implemented to reduce the discharge of pollutants to the storm drain.

(Ord. 7551 §21, 2021; Ord. 7362 §6, 2017)

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14.12.319 - Post construction requirements.

A. All structural site design, source control, or treatment control BMPs shall be inspected, operated, and maintained in accordance with inspection, operation, and maintenance procedures outlined in the approved WQMP. The land owner is responsible for implementing the maintenance and ensuring the WQMP post-construction BMPs are built as planned. Maintenance responsibility of post-construction BMPs transfer from old land owner to new land owner and must be maintained to operate as designed. Additional changes to the WQMP may be required by City inspectors.

B. Inspection, operation, and maintenance data and information of all structural site design, source control, or treatment control BMPs shall be recorded and made available to the Public Works Director upon request. The Public Works Director has the right to request that changes be made to the site to add, replace, and maintain BMPs. Failure to implement, or maintain BMPs, or to comply with City requirements may be subject to enforcement actions.

C. Inspection of post construction BMPs can occur at any time. Any variations from the WQMP may be required to be changed to match the WQMP, and maintenance of the BMPs may be required if the inspection reveals any irregularities or issues.

(Ord. 7362 §6, 2017)

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14.12.320 - Point of discharge limitation.

No person shall discharge any wastewater directly into a manhole or other opening in a collection system other than through an approved building sewer connection without prior written permission from the Director. This prohibition shall not apply to authorized City personnel carrying out their duties.

(Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.325 - Time limits.

Any time limit provided in any written notice or any provision of this chapter may be extended only by a written directive of the Director and upon a showing of good cause from the user.

(Ord. 7032 §2, 2009; Ord. 6637 §2 (part), 2002; Ord. 6232 §2 (part), 1995)

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14.12.326—14.12.329. - Reserved.

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