A. 
Notice to disconnect. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any unpolluted water to any sanitary sewer. All unpolluted water shall be discharged to storm sewers or to any natural watercourse approved by the Town and may be subject to an SPDES permit issued by NYSDEC. All existing connections to a sanitary sewer of any unpolluted water shall be removed from the sanitary sewer within 120 days from the effective date of this chapter.
B. 
Failure to disconnect, authority of town.
(1) 
If the owner of any property receiving a notice to disconnect from the sanitary sewer, pursuant to § 59-14A hereof, does not disconnect within 60 days from the receipt of such notice, the Town shall have the right and power and shall cause the same to be removed at the expense of the property owner and shall charge the total expense of such disconnection to the property so affected.
(2) 
The total expense incurred by the Town to perform such work shall be paid by a special assessment upon the real estate so affected, which expense shall be a lien thereon and which lien shall be superior and have priority to any mortgage, judgment or other lien of any nature affecting said premises.
(3) 
The Town shall also have the power to collect by civil action in the name of the Town any expense it may incur for making such removal; but any civil action so brought shall not impair or affect the lien created under this chapter for such expense or be held to constitute a bar to any proceedings for the sale of lands under which said lien exists.
No persons shall discharge directly or indirectly into the Town sewer system or into any private sewer drain emptying into the Town sewer system any substances, materials, waters or wastes in such quantities or concentrations which cause or are capable of causing, either alone or by interaction with other substances, interference with the operation or performance of the treatment works or which pass through the treatment works inadequately treated. No persons shall discharge the following into the Town sewer system:
A. 
Any liquids, solids or gases which, by reason of their nature or quantity, are or may be sufficient, either alone or by interaction with other substances, to cause fire or explosion or be injurious in any other way to the treatment works or to the operation of the treatment works. At no time shall two successive readings on an explosion hazard meter, at the point of discharge into the system or at any point in the system, be more than 5% nor any single reading over 10% of the lower explosive limit (LEL) of the meter. Prohibited materials include but are not limited to gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, fuel oil, benzene and any other substances which the town, the Joint Sewer Board, the DEC or EPA has notified the user constitute a fire or explosion hazard to the system.
B. 
Solid or viscous substances in such quantities or concentrations which may cause obstruction to the flow in a sewer or other interference with the operation of the wastewater treatment facilities, such as but not limited to shredded garbage with particles greater than 1/2 inch in any dimension, animal guts or tissues, paunch manure, bone, entrails, lime, stone or marble dust, metal, glass, straw, solvents, grass clippings, rags, wastepaper, wood, plastics, tar, asphalt residues, residues from refining or processing of fuel or lubricating oil, mud or glass grinding or polishing wastes, snow, ice, any other solid objects, materials, refuse, debris or industrial treatment residue.
C. 
Any wastewater having a pH less than 6.0 SU, or greater than 12 SU. Wastewater having a pH greater than 10 SU, but in no case greater than 12.4 SU, may be discharged to the POTW only if authorized upon application and issuance of a wastewater discharge permit, and if the Manager of the Wastewater Programs makes a determination that the wastewater will not pose a hazard to or harm the POTW or treatment plant workers, will not cause pass-through or interference, and will not raise the costs of operating the POTW. The Manager of the Wastewater Programs may revoke, at any time, authorization for pH discharges from 10 to 12.4 SU if they prove to be detrimental to the POTW.
[Amended 2-28-2005 by L.L. No. 1-2005]
D. 
Any wastewater containing toxic pollutants in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, to injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a toxic effect in the receiving waters of the treatment works or to exceed the limitation set forth in a categorical pretreatment standard. A toxic pollutant shall include but not be limited to any pollutant identified pursuant to Section 307(a) of the Federal Act.
E. 
Any noxious or malodorous liquids, gases or solids which, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, are sufficient to create a public nuisance or hazard to life or are sufficient to prevent entry into the sewers for their maintenance and repair.
F. 
Any substance in such quantities or concentrations which may cause the treatment works effluent or any other product of the treatment works, such as sludges or scums, to be unsuitable for reclamation and reuse or to interfere with the reclamation process where the treatment works is pursuing a reuse and reclamation program. In no case shall a substance discharged to the treatment works cause the treatment works to be in noncompliance with sludge use or disposal criteria, guidelines or regulations developed under Section 405 of the Federal Act; any criteria, guidelines or regulations affecting sludge use or disposal developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended (42 U.S.C § 6905 et seq.); or DEC criteria applicable to the sludge management method being used.
G. 
Any substance in such quantity or concentration which will cause the treatment works to violate its SPDES permit.
H. 
Any wastewater with objectionable color. A color is objectionable if the Joint Sewer Board determines that it cannot be adequately removed in the treatment process.
I. 
Any wastewater having a temperature which will inhibit biological activity in the treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case heated wastewater having a temperature in excess of 150° F. (65.5° C.) or in such quantities that the temperature at the introduction into the treatment plant exceeds 104° F. (40° C.).
J. 
Any pollutant, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released in a discharge at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which will cause interference with the POTW. In no case shall a slug load have a flow rate or contain concentrations or quantities of pollutants that exceed, for any time period longer than 15 minutes more than five times the average twenty-four-hour concentration, quantities or flow during normal operation.
K. 
Any wastewater which causes a hazard to human life or creates a public nuisance.
L. 
Foam or other substances in amounts which interfere with the accuracy or proper functioning of flow measuring or sampling equipment employed by the city and/or town, Joint Sewer Board, DEC or EPA. The Joint Sewer Board may direct any person discharging into the Town sewer system to add a defoaming agent to their wastewater prior to discharge through a monitoring facility employed by the Joint Sewer Board. The defoaming agent shall be added at the furthest point upstream of the monitoring facility as is necessary and practical to achieve the defoaming effect.
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any radioactive materials or wastes into the sanitary sewer system, except when:
A. 
The person is authorized to use radioactive materials by the DEC or other governmental agency empowered to regulate the use of radioactive materials;
B. 
The person is in compliance with all rules and regulations of all other applicable regulatory agencies; and
C. 
The person holds a valid industrial wastewater discharge permit which has been issued in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Board and which expressly permits the introduction of radioactive materials into the sanitary sewer system.
No person shall discharge substances directly into a manhole or other opening in a sanitary sewer other than through an approved building sewer.
A. 
All holding tank waste shall be discharged, subject to Board approval, at a Joint Sewer Board facility at locations designated by the Joint Sewer Board. Each separate load of holding tank wastes shall be registered with the operator of the treatment facility.
B. 
The user shall meet such other conditions as required by the Joint Sewer Board.
C. 
The Board shall have the right to inquire about the type of waste, the approximate volumes and the origin of holding tank wastes.
D. 
The transporter of such wastes shall also have a waste hauler's permit issued by the DEC.
E. 
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged to the Town sewer system or jointly owned facilities holding tank wastes which are hazardous wastes as defined in Section 371.1(d) of Title 6 of New York State Codes, Rules and Regulations.
F. 
The Joint Sewer Board may establish a schedule of charges or fees for discharge of holding tank wastes to jointly owned facilities. The user shall pay the applicable charges or fees prior to discharging the user's holding tank wastes.
G. 
The Joint Sewer Board may establish rules and regulations governing the admission of holding tank wastes into the jointly owned facilities.
A. 
All places of business engaged in any form of wet handling of skins, leather, fabrics, textiles or similar material or any other industry that the Board may require, shall provide a permanently installed, unbypassable screen or equivalent with bar spacing of no greater than 1/2 inch for continuous screening of all wastewater prior to discharge to the sanitary sewer.
B. 
Material removed by the screens shall not be reintroduced into the public sewer.
C. 
Screens shall be periodically cleaned and maintained so as to prevent obstruction to the flow of wastewater in the building sewer.
No discharger into the Town sewer system shall augment the use of process water or otherwise intentionally dilute the discharge as a partial or complete substitute for adequate treatment to achieve compliance with this chapter or the rules and regulations of the Joint Sewer Board.
[Amended 2-28-2005 by L.L. No. 1-2005]
A. 
No person shall discharge directly or indirectly into the city sewer system wastewater containing any of the following substances in concentrations exceeding those specified below on either a daily or instantaneous basis. Concentration limits are applicable to wastewater effluents at a point just prior to discharge into the city and/or Town sewer system.
Parameter
Daily Allowable Effluent Concentration Limit*
(milligrams per liter)
Instantaneous Allowable Effluent Concentration Limit*
(milligrams per liter)
Benzene
—
0.014
Chloroform
—
0.41
Ethylbenzene
—
1.6
1, 1, 2, 2-tetracholoroethane
—
0.04
Tetrachloroethene
—
0.27
Toluene
—
1.38
Mercury
0.03
—
Oil and grease
—
150
Aldrin
0.00005
—
BHC isomers sum
0.0002
—
NOTES:
All concentrations listed for metallic substances shall be a "total metal," which shall be defined as the value measured in a sample acidified to a pH value of less than two SU without prior filtration.
* As determined by a composite sample taken of the user's daily discharge over any twenty-four-hour period.
** As determined by a grab sample taken of the user's discharge at any time flow is present.
B. 
The Joint Sewer Board shall allocate quantities of the following substances, on a concentration basis, to industrial users. All allocations shall be made at the maximum permitted flow of each industrial user to ensure the maximum allowable industrial loading for each parameter is cumulatively not exceeded. The maximum allowable industrial loading to the wastewater treatment facility, as identified on the following table for each parameter, shall not be exceeded through cumulative allocation.
Parameter
Maximum Allowable Industrial Loading to the Wastewater Treatment Facility
(pounds per day)
Sample Type
Benzene
5.83
Grab**
Chloroform
168.22
Grab**
Ethylbenzene
12.40
Grab**
1, 1, 2, 2-tetrachloroethane
14.65
Grab**
Tetrachloroethylene
0.35
Grab**
Toluene
33.28
Grab**
Phenols (total)
51.55
Grab**
Napthalene
5.43
Composite*
Antimony
25.12
Composite*
Arsenic
2.44
Composite*
Cadmium
0.34
Composite*
Chromium (total)
137.66
Composite*
Chromium (hexavalent)
2.07
Composite*
Copper
6.04
Composite*
Lead
1.93
Composite*
Nickel
8.33
Composite*
Selenium
0.73
Composite*
Silver
0.75
Composite*
Thallium
0.91
Composite*
Zinc
22.96
Composite*
Cyanide (total)
1.55
Grab**
Pentachlorophenol
0.20
Composite*
Chlorinated phenols
0.32
Composite*
All concentrations listed, in individual industrial user permits, for metallic substances shall be as "total metal," which shall be defined as the value measured in a sample acidified to a pH value of less than two SU without prior filtration.
* As determined by a composite sample taken of the user's daily discharge over any twenty-four-hour period.
** As determined by a grab sample taken of the user's discharge at any time flow is present.
C. 
The maximum allowable industrial loading for each parameter identified in Subsection B of this section shall be distributed by the Joint Sewer Board to industrial users or authorized dischargers by the following protocol:
(1) 
At a minimum, each permitted industrial user shall be guaranteed the de minimus concentration for each parameter. Industrial users cannot discharge above the de minimus concentration without permit authorization.
(2) 
The Joint Sewer Board may distribute the remaining 75% of the maximum allowable industrial loading to permitted industrial users or authorized dischargers, as a concentration limit based at the Joint Sewer Board's discretion. All concentration limits allocated, in excess of the de minimus concentration, shall be allocated at the industrial user's maximum permitted flow. In its discretion the Joint Sewer Board shall consider:
(a) 
The need(s) of the industrial user;
(b) 
Historical discharge trends;
(c) 
Past pollution control efforts of each industrial user as compared to other industrial users discharging the same substance;
(d) 
Potential for growth in the POTW service area;
(e) 
The potential for more restrictive regulatory requirements to be placed on the POTW discharge on sludge disposal method;
(f) 
Treatability of the substance.
(3) 
At no time may the Joint Sewer Board distribute a total cumulative amount of any parameter identified in Subsection B of this section greater than the maximum allowable industrial loading. All allocations shall be made on a concentration basis. No mass-based limits will be granted by the Joint Sewer Board.
(4) 
To assure that the maximum allowable industrial loading for each parameter is not violated, the Joint Sewer Board shall reissue industrial wastewater discharge permits to industrial users annually, during the month of January. At a minimum of every three years industrial wastewater discharge permits will be issued containing discharge limit concentrations (mg/l) for all parameters listed in Town of Johnstown § 59-21A and § 59-21B. If an industrial wastewater discharge permit does not contain all parameters, industrial users will be notified in writing that they cannot discharge above the de minimus concentration without permit authorization. All permits will indicate the maximum daily flow allowed to be discharged to the city sewer system.
D. 
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to relieve any industrial user from its obligation to comply with applicable pretreatment standards established pursuant to Section 307 of the Water Pollution Control Act.
E. 
Limitations on wastewater strength outlined in Town of Johnstown § 59-21A through § 59-21C may be supplemented with more stringent limitations when, in the opinion of the Joint Sewer Board:
(1) 
The limitations in Town of Johnstown § 59-21A through § 59-21C of this chapter are not sufficient to protect the operation of the jointly owned wastewater treatment facility, or to protect the treatment works structures or sewers, or to provide adequate safety to the POTW or city employees.
(2) 
The limitations in Town of Johnstown § 59-21A through § 59-21C of this chapter are not sufficient to enable the treatment facility to comply with the water quality standards or effluent limitations specified in the POTW's state pollutant discharge elimination system permit (SPDES permit).
(3) 
In the event more stringent limitations are required, all permit holders shall be notified in writing a minimum of 30 days in advance of the effective date. Permits shall be re-issued at this time with the more stringent limitations.
F. 
No person shall discharge directly or indirectly into the city sewer system wastewater of unusual strength or character, as not defined as normal wastewater, unless authorized by the Joint Sewer Board.
No person shall break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is part of the city and/or Town public sewer system. No person shall tamper with or render inaccurate any measuring device or mechanism installed pursuant to any requirement under this chapter.
No person shall knowingly make any false statement in any application, report or other document required to be filed pursuant to any provision of this chapter.