Simi Valley Municipal Code Art. 5 Prohibitions and Discharge Limitations

No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW any pollutant or wastewater that causes pass through or interference. These general prohibitions apply to all users of the POTW whether or not they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any other federal, state, or local pretreatment standards or pretreatment requirements. Except as expressly allowed in a permit, no person shall discharge the following to the City's sewerage facilities, the stormdrain system, or waters of the United States:

(a) Pollutants which create a fire or explosion hazard in the POTW or its collection system, or wastestreams with a closed cup flashpoint of less than 140º Fahrenheit (sixty (60º) degrees Celsius) using the test methods specified in 40 CFR 261.21;

(b) Any wastewater having a pH less than five (5) or more than ten (10) or wastewater having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to persons, structures, or equipment;

(c) Any solid or viscous substances in amounts that will cause obstruction to the flow or cause interference to the operation of the POTW and in no case solids greater than one-half-inch in any dimension;

(d) Any pollutants, including oxygen demanding pollutants, released at a flow rate or pollutant concentration which will cause or contribute to interference with the POTW;

(e) Wastewater having a temperature greater than 104º Fahrenheit (forty (40º) Celsius), or which will inhibit biological activity in the publicly owned treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case shall wastewater which causes the temperature at the introduction into the publicly owned treatment plant to exceed 104º F (forty (40º) Celsius);

(f) Petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin in amounts that will cause interference or pass through;

(g) Any pollutants or substances that result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes within the POTW in a quantity that may cause health or safety problems;

(h) Noxious or malodorous liquids, gases, solids, or other wastewater which, either individually or by interaction with other materials, are sufficient to create a public nuisance, hazard to life, or prevents entry by any person to the sewers for maintenance and repair;

(i) Any trucked or hauled pollutants, except at discharge points designated by the POTW;

(j) Any wastewater containing pigment or color that alters the color of the receiving waters or creates a visual contrast with the natural appearance of the receiving waters causing the POTW to violate its NPDES Permit;

(k) At no time shall two (2) successive readings on an explosion hazard meter at any point in the system be more than five (5%) percent nor any single reading over ten (10%) percent of the lower explosive limit of the meter;

(l) Any liquids, solids, or gases that by reason of their nature or quantity are flammable, reactive, explosive, or corrosive, or by interaction with other materials could result in fire, explosion, or injury;

(m) Wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes except in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations;

(n) Fat, wax, grease, or oil concentration of animal or vegetable origin of more than 300 mg/L, whether emulsified or not, or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous;

(o) Any water added for the purpose of diluting wastes that would otherwise exceed applicable maximum concentration limitations;

(p) Any toxic pollutants that interfere with any wastewater treatment process, or constitute a hazard or cause injury to human, animal, or plant life, or exceed any limitation set forth in this chapter;

(q) Any substance that interferes with any POTW process which renders any product of the POTW unsuitable for reclamation or reuse;

(r) Any substance which causes the POTW to be in noncompliance with sludge use or disposal criteria, guidelines, or regulations in any federal, state, or local criteria applicable to the sludge management method being used;

(s) Any substance which may cause or threaten to cause the POTW to violate its NPDES Permit, applicable federal, state, or local statutes, rules or regulations;

(t) Wax, grease, or oil concentration of mineral or petroleum origin of more than 100 mg/L whether emulsified or not;

(u) Single pass cooling water;

(v) Recognizable portions of the human or animal anatomy;

(w) Floatable material that is removable;

(x) Any regeneration wastes from unpermitted water softeners and deionizers;

(y) Any sharps, biohazardous waste, pharmaceuticals, or medical waste;

(z) Any direct connection of a septic tank or cesspool with a public sewer;

(aa) Any industrial waste which does not comply with all applicable federal, state, or local pretreatment standards, local limits, and any applicable regulations called for by 40 CFR 403.

The Director is authorized to establish local limits pursuant to 40 CFR 403.5(c).

The following pollutant limits are established to protect against pass through and interference. Except where more restrictive limitations are imposed by permit or federal pretreatment standards, no person shall discharge wastewater containing in excess of the following instantaneous limits:

The above limits apply at the point where the wastewater is discharged to the POTW. Local limits shall be enforced by the use of grab samples. All concentrations for metallic substances are for total metal unless indicated otherwise. The Director may impose mass-based limitations in addition to the concentration-based limitations above when necessary to comply with applicable pretreatment standards or pretreatment regulations.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

Users must comply with the categorical pretreatment standards. When wastewater subject to a categorical pretreatment standard is mixed with wastewater not regulated by the same standard, the Director shall impose the combined wastestream formula in accordance with 40 CFR 403.6(e).

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

Any unauthorized entering, breaking, damaging, destroying, uncovering, defacing, or tampering with any structure, equipment, or appurtenance which is a part of the City sewerage system shall be a violation of this chapter and subject to prosecution under any applicable laws.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

Any user who allows or causes the discharge of any prohibited sanitary sewage, liquid waste, or industrial waste which enters the public sewer and such discharge causes damage to City facilities or causes detrimental effects on City treatment processes shall be liable to the City for all damages.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

No user shall discharge, or cause to be discharged, to a public sewer any waste that creates a stoppage, a blockage, any significant reduction in sewer capacity, or any damage to sewers or sewerage facilities of the City. Any excessive sewer or sewerage maintenance expenses or any expenses attributable thereto will be charged to the offending user.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

The owner is responsible for all costs, maintenance and repair of the sewer lines in the facility or building and the sewer lateral line that connects the property to the public sewer. It is a violation of this chapter if the owner does not maintain these systems in proper working order.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any rainwater, stormwater, groundwater, street drainage, subsurface drainage, roof drainage, swimming pool drainage, spa drainage, yard drainage, water from yard fountains, ponds, or lawn sprays, or any other uncontaminated water other than air conditioning condensate into any sewerage facility owned by the City. Every private or public wash rack, or floor or slab drain, used must be adequately protected against storm or surface inflow. Pursuant to this chapter, the City may approve the discharge of such water on a temporary basis only when no alternate method of disposal is reasonably available. Approval may also be given to mitigate an environmental or health hazard with the installation of appropriate rainwater diversion devices or facilities. If a permit is granted for the discharge of such water into a public sewer, the user must pay the established applicable charges and must meet such other conditions as required.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

(a) No user shall discharge garbage or food wastes to a public sewer except after suitable grinding. The fineness of grind requirements for all types of grinders must pass a one-half-inch screen at all times.

(b) Such grinders must shred the waste to a degree that all particles will be carried freely under normal flow conditions prevailing in the public sewer. Grinders must only be used to grind food products.

(c) No garbage grinder shall be installed with a motor of one and one-half (1½) horsepower or greater without the approval of the Director.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

A waste hauler proposing to discharge septic tank, cesspool wastes, or other biodegradable material into a City facility must have a City permit as required by this chapter. Such wastewaters must be discharged only at a location specified by the City. No person shall discharge pollutants in excess of those specified in their respective permit.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

No person shall discharge any wastewater or waste directly into a manhole unless approved by the Director upon written application.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

The blowdown or bleed off from cooling towers or other evaporative coolers may be accepted in the sewerage facilities after a minimum of three (3) passes through the system and when it is expressly authorized in the user's permit.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

The City reserves the right to establish, in individual permits, more stringent pretreatment standards or pretreatment requirements on discharges to the POTW consistent with the purpose of this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

(a) If a user plans for a bypass, the user must submit prior notice to the Director at least ten (10) days before the date of the bypass.

(b) A user shall submit a verbal notice of an unanticipated bypass that exceeds applicable pretreatment standards or permit limits to the Director within one hour from the time the user becomes aware of the bypass. A written submission shall also be provided within five (5) days of the time the user becomes aware of the bypass. The written submission must contain a description of the bypass and its cause, and the duration of the bypass, including exact dates and times. If the bypass has not been corrected, the anticipated length of time it is expected to continue; and the steps taken or planned to reduce, eliminate, and prevent reoccurrence of the bypass.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)

(a) Bypass is prohibited. The Director may take enforcement action against a user for a bypass unless:

(1) Bypass was unavoidable to prevent loss of life, personal injury, or severe property damage;

(2) There were no feasible alternatives to the bypass, such as the use of auxiliary treatment facilities, retention of untreated wastes, or maintenance during normal periods of equipment downtime. This condition is not satisfied if adequate back-up equipment should have been installed in the exercise of reasonable engineering judgment to prevent a bypass which occurred during normal periods of equipment downtime or preventative maintenance; and

(3) The user obtains written approval from the Director prior to the bypass.

(b) A user may allow a bypass to occur only if it does not cause violations of pretreatment standards, user permit, or the City's NPDES Permit and is for essential maintenance to assure efficient operation. The Director may approve a planned bypass after considering its potential adverse effects.

(§ 1, Ord. 1170, eff. April 21, 2011)