[Adopted 2-7-1978 by Ord. No. 1642 (Ch. 210, Art. I, of the 1979 Code)]
Whenever used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
FLOATABLE OIL
Oil, fat or grease in a physical state such that it will separate by gravity from wastewater by treatment in an approved pretreatment facility. A wastewater shall be considered free of floatable fat if it is properly pretreated and the wastewater does not interfere with the collection system.
INDUSTRIAL COST RECOVERY
A charge to industrial users based on their use of PVSC facilities to repay the capital cost outlay of the federal share given PVSC under the provisions of applicable federal law allocable to the treatment of the wastes from the industrial user.
INDUSTRIAL USER
Any nongovernmental user of PVSC facilities identified in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual 1972, as amended and supplemented, under Division A, B, D, E or I. A user may be excluded if it is determined that it introduces primarily segregated sanitary wastes.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE
The liquid waste from an industrial process, as distinct from sanitary waste. All wastes, except stormwaters and sanitary wastes.
MAJOR INDUSTRY
An industrial user of PVSC facilities that has a flow of 50,000 gallons or more per average workday, or has in its waste a toxic pollutant in toxic amounts, or is found by USEPA, NJDEP or PVSC to have significant impact, either singly or in combination with other contributing industries, in the PVSC treatment works or upon the quality of the effluent from the PVSC treatment works.
NATURAL OUTLET
An outlet, including storm sewers and combined sewer overflows, into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface or ground water, including the Passaic River or any of its tributaries.
NJDEP
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
NPDES
National pollution discharge elimination system.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, company, society, association, corporation (public or private) or group.
pH
The reciprocal of the logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration. The concentration is the weight of hydrogen ions, in grams, per liter of solution. Neutral water has a pH value of seven (a hydrogen concentration of 10-7). Lower pH's are acid; higher pH's are alkaline.
PRETREATMENT
Treatment given to industrial waste prior to its discharge, directly or indirectly, to the PVSC facilities, by the industry, in order to remove illegal and/or undesirable constituents or to reduce the strength of the waste.
PUBLIC SEWER
A common sewer controlled by a governmental agency, public utility or the municipality.
PVSC
Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners.
SANITARY SEWER
A sewer that carries liquid and water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants and institutions, together with minor quantities of ground, storm and surface waters that are not admitted intentionally.
SANITARY WASTE
Waste derived principally from dwellings, office buildings and sanitary conveniences, and when segregated from industrial wastes, may come from industrial plants or commercial enterprises.
SEWAGE
The spent water of a community. The preferred term is "wastewater."
SEWER
A pipe or conduit that carries wastewater or drainage water.
SLUG
Any discharge of water or wastewater which in concentration of any given constituent or in quantity of flow exceeds for any period of duration longer than 15 minutes more than five times the average twenty-four-hour concentration or flows during normal operation.
STORM DRAIN (sometimes called "storm sewer")
A drain or sewer for conveying water, groundwater, subsurface water or unpolluted water from any source.
STRENGTH OF WASTE
A measurement of suspended solids, and/or biochemical oxygen demand and/or chemical oxygen demand and/or any other parameter determined by PVSC as a fair indicator of the relative use, other than volumetric, of PVSC facilities by industrial wastes.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
Total suspended matter that either floats on the surface of or is in suspension in water, wastewater or other liquids and that is removable by laboratory filtering as prescribed in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater and referred to as nonfilterable residue.
TOXIC WASTES IN TOXIC AMOUNTS
Shall be defined by USEPA in 40 CFR 129 (38 F.R. 24342, 9-7-1973) and any superseding revisions.
UNPOLLUTED WATER
Water of quality equal to or better than the effluent criteria in effect, or water that would not cause violation of receiving water quality standards and would not be benefited by discharge to the sanitary sewers and wastewater treatment facilities provided.
USEPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency.
USER CHARGE
A charge to users consisting of two parts: the first part established by PVSC based on volume and, where applicable, on strength and/or flow rate to pay for the use of the PVSC facilities, and the second part established by the municipality to pay for the use of the local sewer system and to pay for administration of the billing and collection of the funds.
WASTEWATER
The spent water of a community. From the standpoint of source, it may be a combination of the liquid and water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants and institutions, together with any groundwater, surface water and stormwater that may be present.
WASTEWATER FACILITIES
The structures, equipment and processes required to collect, carry away and treat domestic and industrial wastes and dispose of the effluent.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT WORKS
The PVSC facilities.
It shall be unlawful to discharge into any natural outlet within the municipality any wastewater or other polluted waters except where suitable treatment has been provided and where a national pollution discharge elimination system permit has been obtained from the appropriate governmental authority, where required.
No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a permit from the appropriate municipal official.
Application for sanitary connections for dwellings, groups of dwellings or industrial or commercial establishments with only sanitary waste shall be made directly to the municipality. A fee shall be paid to the municipality to process the application, as otherwise provided by ordinance of the municipality. The governing body of the municipality shall designate some suitable person to maintain a record of the number of sanitary applications and connections that are added and removed from the system and shall make an annual report to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners no later than February 1 of each year. When a direct connection to a PVSC sewer is requested by the applicant, the request shall first be endorsed with the approval of the governing body of the municipality and then submitted to the PVSC for its action.
A. 
Each existing industrial user which is presently connected directly or indirectly to the wastewater facilities of the municipality shall make application for a permit no later than March 15, 1978, whether the connection is for industrial waste or stormwater. Applications for future connections must be made and approved before a certificate of occupancy may be issued. The application shall be made to the municipality by the industry that generates the waste; however, the application must be signed by the owner of the property whereon the industry is located. After approval of the application by the municipality, the application shall be forwarded to PVSC for classification and issuance of the permit by PVSC.
B. 
Any existing industrial user which proposes to make any change in its facility or its processing which significantly affects the quality or the quantity of its discharge into the system shall submit to the municipality an industrial sewer waste revision application showing the contemplated changes. Any new tenant or occupant of an existing industrial user shall submit an industrial sewer waste revision application. The application, if approved by the municipality, shall be sent to the PVSC, accompanied by the written approval of the municipality. Existing industrial users that have applied for permits may continue their discharge until their application has been processed by PVSC, except for any discharges which constitute prohibited waste as otherwise provided in this article or unless notified by PVSC to cease and desist their discharge. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued for an industrial use until an industrial permit has been issued by the PVSC, and no person shall occupy any building or structure for the purpose of a new industrial use until an industrial permit has been issued by the PVSC.
Industrial users shall be classified by PVSC as follows:
A. 
Category I.
(1) 
Class I-A permit shall not be issued to an industry defined as a major industry, and when issued, shall allow the industry to discharge with no modification or pretreatment of flow.
(2) 
Class I-B permit is one issued to an industry classified as a major industry. This permit shall allow the industry to discharge with no modifications or pretreatment of flow; however, PVSC may require the installation of monitoring equipment.
B. 
Category II.
(1) 
Class II-A permit shall allow an industry to discharge pretreated wastes in accordance with standards established in the permit.
(2) 
Class II-B permit shall allow an industry to continue to discharge, subject to change of characteristics of its waste by pretreatment or other means in accordance with a schedule as established by the PVSC in the permit.
C. 
Category III. The permit is denied and the discharge of prohibited materials must be halted or modified by a date established by the PVSC and in accordance with conditions contained in the permit denial.
The PVSC classification of an application is subject to change by PVSC upon written notification from PVSC to the applicant by certified mail. Any change shall be accompanied by a detailed explanation of the reason for the change.
Any industry aggrieved by a permit classification by the PVSC shall have a right to appeal to the PVSC. Such an administrative appeal shall be taken within 30 days of notification by PVSC to the industry of its decision. The notice of appeal shall be delivered personally to the offices of PVSC at 600 Wilson Avenue, Newark, New Jersey, or shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. The taking of an appeal shall not stay the provisions of a Class III denial. During the time of appeal, however, the Class II permits shall be stayed; however, the staying shall not release any industry from meeting any requirements of any schedule set by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection or the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Upon the filing of an appeal, the PVSC shall set the date and time for a hearing before the Commissioners. The applicant shall have the right to present evidence, shall have the right to be represented by counsel and shall have the right of cross-examination. Upon the conclusion of the hearing, the Commissioners shall make findings of fact and conclusions.
All applications for industrial permits shall be submitted on forms to be supplied by PVSC and shall comply with the instructions on said form.
All costs and expenses incidental to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be home by the applicant, and the applicant shall indemnify the municipality or PVSC from any loss or damage that may be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer. All sewer connections shall be in accordance with the requirements of the municipality as otherwise provided by ordinance. In the case of the connection into PVSC sewer, the connection shall be in accordance with the conditions contained in the approval of the PVSC.
No person shall make connection of roof downspouts, foundation drains, areaway drains or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a building sewer or drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer unless approved by the municipality for purpose of disposal of polluted surface drainage.
In addition to the application for the permit as hereinabove provided, each industrial user must complete an industrial survey form which will be supplied by PVSC and, from time to time, shall update the form when required by the PVSC.
Whenever an industry is classified as a major industry, it shall install an approved, sealed, automatic monitoring system if required by PVSC.
No uncontaminated water shall be discharged into the PVSC system except with the prior written consent of the municipality (and PVSC). [There will be two separate provisions: one for municipalities with separate systems and one for municipalities with combined systems.]
When pretreatment standards are adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for any given class of industries, then any industry within that class must conform to the United States Environmental Protection Agency timetable for adherence to pretreatment requirements as well as all other applicable requirements promulgated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with the provisions of the law. Additionally, such industries shall comply with such more stringent standards necessitated by local conditions as determined from time to time by the PVSC.
All industrial users shall provide immediate access to their facilities at any time during normal working hours or at any other time that there is a discharge into the PVSC system or into any waters under the jurisdiction of the PVSC. Access shall be for the purpose of checking the quality of the discharge, taking samples and making tests of the discharge or for the purpose of permitting enforcement of this article. The access shall be made available to the employees of PVSC, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, United States Environmental Protection Agency and/or the municipality. All users shall provide access to property and premises for inspection for the purpose of determining if there is any violation of the terms or provisions of this article.
The following wastes are prohibited and may never be discharged into wastewater facilities of the municipality and PVSC:
A. 
Wastes that may create a fire or explosion hazard in the sewer or wastewater facility, such as gasoline, fuel off, cleaning solvents, etc.
B. 
Wastes that may impair or cause to impair the hydraulic capacity of the sewer system, such as ashes, sand, metal, precipitates, etc.
C. 
Wastes that may create a hazard to people, the sewer system, the treatment process or the receiving water, such as dangerous levels of toxic materials.
D. 
Wastes at a flow rate which is excessive over a relatively short time period so that there is a treatment process upset and substantial loss of treatment efficiency.
E. 
Wastes below a pH of five unless the line is designed to accommodate such waste.
F. 
Any discharge of radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by PVSC in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations.
The following wastes may not be discharged without special permission from the PVSC upon a determination by the PVSC that the discharge would not be detrimental to the system:
A. 
Any discharge in excess of 150°F (65°C).
B. 
Any discharge containing more than 100 milligrams per liter of mineral oil or grease.
C. 
Any discharge containing floatable oil or grease.
D. 
Any discharge of heavy metals or any other toxic materials in toxic amounts, which amounts are to be established by PVSC.
E. 
Any discharge quantities of flow or concentration which shall constitute a slug.
F. 
Wastes with pH outside the limits of 5.0 to 9.0.
Each major industrial user shall construct or otherwise have available a sampling point for sampling wastewater before it enters the municipal sewer system. Other industrial users may be required to construct such sampling point if ordered so to do by the municipality or the PVSC.
No discharge into the wastewater facilities of PVSC shall be permitted from any source which causes physical damage, interferes with the treatment process or results in a violation of effluent limitations or other conditions contained in the national pollution discharge elimination system permit to discharge issued to the PVSC by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
When required by the municipality, USEPA, NJDEP or the PVSC, the owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable structure, together with such necessary meters and other appurtenances to the building sewer, to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of the wastes. Such structure, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the governmental agency requiring it. The structure shall be installed by the applicant at his expense and shall be maintained by him so as to be safe and accessible at all times.
All persons subject to this article shall be required to provide information to the municipality and PVSC as needed to determine compliance with this article. These requirements may include:
A. 
Wastewaters discharge peak rate and volume over a specified time period.
B. 
Chemical analyses of wastewaters.
C. 
Information on raw materials, processes and products affecting wastewater volume and quality.
D. 
Quantity and disposition of specific liquid, sludge, oil, solvent or other materials important to sewer use control.
E. 
A plot plan of sewers on the user's property, showing sewer and pretreatment facility location.
F. 
Details of wastewater pretreatment facilities.
G. 
Details of systems to prevent and control the losses of materials through spills to the municipal sewer.
All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in this article shall be determined in accordance with the latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, published by the American Public Health Association, or other method or procedure as may be approved by PVSC. Sampling methods, location, times, durations and frequencies are to be determined on an individual basis, subject to the approval of the municipality and/or PVSC.
All users shall be required to comply with the requirement of user charges regulations and industrial costs recovery system regulations to be adopted by the PVSC in accordance with the requirements of the USEPA. The effective date for the implementation of user charges regulations and industrial costs recovery system regulations shall be established by resolution of the PVSC. The effective date shall be certified by the PVSC, and the said written certification shall be filed in the office of the Municipal Clerk.
[Amended 2-6-1996 by Ord. No. 2190; 7-12-2016 by Ord. No. 2746; 10-25-2022 by Ord. No. 2952]
A. 
Before any portion of the building drain outside of the building is connected to the building connection, the owner shall prove to the satisfaction of the City Plumbing Inspector that it is clean and conforms in every respect to the Uniform Construction Code, and before any portion of the building connection is connected to the building sewer lateral, the Plumbing Inspector shall be satisfied that the building connection is in good order and conforms in every respect to the Uniform Construction Code.
B. 
Maintenance of the public sewer and sewer laterals between the main and the curb shall be performed by the City's Department of Public Works or by a contractor selected by the City as a result of open competitive bidding or under the supervision of such other person or department of the City as may hereafter be designated by the Mayor and Council. Said contractor shall be governed by the terms of the ordinances of the City relating to sewer installation and maintenance and shall comply with plans and specifications of the Sewer Department on file with the City Clerk.
C. 
Where there are no existing lateral connections and the installation of a new sewer lateral connection is required, it shall be the sole responsibility of the property owner to install the sewer lateral connection, at the property owner's cost and at no expense to the City of Garfield. The newly installed lateral connection must run from the building to the main line connection in the roadway.
D. 
Where an existing sewer lateral must be replaced due to the construction of a new building or the renovation, remodeling or addition to an existing structure that is greater than 50% of the building's assessed value, it shall be the responsibility of the property owner to install the sewer lateral connection, at the property owner's cost and at no expense to the City of Garfield. The newly installed lateral connection must run from the building to the main line connection in the roadway.
E. 
Where connection is made between the building drain outside of the building and the building connection, a long radius bend shall be appropriately installed at this connection along with a cleanout as required by the Uniform Construction Code. If no cleanout exists, the property owner shall be responsible for the installation and all costs associated therewith. This connection shall be subject to the approval of the Plumbing Inspector, who shall be given ample notice prior to such work.
F. 
Each contractor or other person performing work may be required to post a bond or cash acceptable to the Mayor and Council or such other official or department of the City as may hereafter be designated by the Mayor and Council. All work shall be adequately guarded with barricades, lights and other measures for protection of the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways, curbs and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the Borough.
G. 
The Plumbing Inspector may apply any appropriate test as defined in the Uniform Construction Code to the plumbing, and the plumber and contractor, at his own expense, shall furnish all necessary tools, labor, materials and assistance for such tests and shall remove or repair any defective materials when so ordered by the Inspector.
H. 
Each contractor or other person performing work on private property for the purpose of connecting from the curb or street line onto private property shall be governed by the terms of the ordinances of the City, the Uniform Construction Code and of the Board of Health
I. 
Installation and backfilling.
(1) 
Where there is no building sewer lateral available, the property owner or developer of the property shall, prior to the issuance of a building permit, apply to the City Clerk for a sewer lateral permit and a street opening permit, if necessary. The charge for this sewer connection permit is $100.
(2) 
When installing the building connection, the trenches shall be dug in a careful manner and properly sheathed where required. The excavated materials shall be piled in a compact heap, so placed as to cause the least possible inconvenience to the public. Proper barricades and lights must be maintained around the trench to guard against accidents. Extreme care shall be taken to prevent any dirt, stones or other undesirable material from entering the public sewer system through the building sewer lateral during these operations.
(3) 
In backfilling, the material for the two feet immediately over the pipe shall be selected so it contains no stones. All backfill material for the trench shall be placed by tamping in eight-inch layers so as to avoid any settlement. When the trench has been filled to the proper height, the surface material shall be replaced and heavily tamped and rolled.
(4) 
Where the trench is excavated in rock, the rock must be carefully excavated to a depth of six inches below the grade line of the sewer and the trench brought to the proper elevation with gravel or other material satisfactory to the Plumbing Inspector. The remainder of the trench must be backfilled with suitable material.
(5) 
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as abrogating any of the existing requirements of the Borough relating to the excavation and backfilling of trenches, but the requirements herein contained shall be in addition thereto.
(6) 
Where subsoil conditions are bad, such special precaution must be taken to secure a watertight job as may be directed by the Plumbing Inspector.
J. 
Tampering; cost of repair.
(1) 
No person shall intentionally break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment that is part of the wastewater facilities.
(2) 
The property owner is also responsible for maintenance and/or repairs of all blockages that exist within the property owner's home. In the event that the Department of Public Works or other City agency incurs costs or expenses, including overtime costs, checking, repairing or otherwise addressing blockages which are ultimately determined to be inside the property owner's residence or property, the cost for said expense, including overtime costs, may be charged to the property owner.
(a) 
The determination to charge the cost pursuant to this subsection shall be within the sound discretion of the Superintendent of the Department of Public Works;
(b) 
The amount to be charged to the property owner shall be determined based upon the actual cost incurred by the City, and the Superintendent of the Department of Public Works shall be required to prepare a certification of this cost and submit the same to the property owner within 30 days from the date that the cost is incurred;
(c) 
The amount charged shall be paid by the property owner within 15 days of the date of receipt of the statement from the Superintendent of the Department of Public Works. If the charge remains unpaid for a period of 30 days, the Superintendent shall immediately transmit a copy of the same to the office of the Tax Collector, who shall enter the Superintendent of Department of Public Works certification as a lien on the subject property.
The governing body shall appoint or designate some suitable person to administer this article.
All users of the wastewater facilities shall comply with the requirements of the written rules and regulations of the PVSC which have been adopted and which from time to time shall be adopted, which regulations shall become effective upon the filing of certified copies in the office of the Municipal Clerk after the effective date of this article.
Violations of any of the provisions of this article or any permit issued under the authority thereof may result in the termination of the permit and/or the termination of the authority to discharge into the system.
[Amended 4-25-2006 by Ord. No. 2457]
Any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction, be punished by one or more of the following: a fine not exceeding $2,000; imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days; and/or a period of community service not exceeding 90 days. Each and every day in which a violation of any provision of this article exists shall constitute a separate violation.
No ordinance heretofore adopted by the municipality shall be affected by this article, except that if any provision of any prior ordinance is in conflict with the provisions of this article, the provisions of this article shall control.