[Adopted 8-24-1992 by Ord. No. 577 (Ch. XVIII, Part 1D, of the 1975 Borough Code)]
A. 
General prohibitions. No user shall discharge or cause to be discharged, directly or indirectly, any pollutant or wastewater which will interfere with the operation or performance of the sewer system. These general prohibitions apply to all users, whether or not the users are subject to any other pretreatment requirements or discharge limitations.
B. 
Specific prohibitions. No user may discharge the following substances to the sewer system:
(1) 
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 sewer system or to the operation of the sewer system. 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 be over 10% of the lower explosive limit (LEL) of the meter. At no time shall the closed-cup flashpoint of the wastewater be less than 104° F. Prohibited materials include, but are not limited to, the following substances: gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, benzene, ethers, alcohols, peroxides, perchlorates, bromates and carbides.
(2) 
Solid or viscous substances which may cause obstruction of the flow in a sewer or other interference with the operation of the sewer system, such as but not limited to animal guts or tissues, paunch manure, bones, hair, hides or fleshings, entrails, whole blood, feathers, ashes, cinders, sand, spent lime, stone or marble dust, metal, glass, straw, shavings, grass clippings, rags, spent grains, spent hops, wastepaper, wood, plastics, gas, tar, asphalt residues, residues from refining or processing of fuel or lubricating oil, mud or glass grinding or polishing wastes.
(3) 
Any wastewater having a pH of less than 6.0 or higher than 9.0 or wastewater having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and/or personnel of the sewer system.
(4) 
Any wastewater containing toxic pollutants in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other constituents of the wastewater, to injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals or create a toxic effect in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant.
(5) 
Any noxious or malodorous liquids, gases or solids which, either singly or by interaction with other substances normally present in the sewer system, are sufficient to create a public nuisance or hazard to life or are sufficient to prevent entry into the sewer system for maintenance and repair.
(6) 
Any substance which results in the formation or release of toxic gases, vapors or fumes in a quantity that may cause acute worker health and safety problems.
(7) 
Any petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil or products of mineral oil origin in amounts that will cause interference or pass through, but in no case exceeding 20 milligrams per liter.
(8) 
Fats, oils, greases or waxes of animal or vegetable origin in amounts which exceed 100 milligrams per liter.
(9) 
Any substance which may cause the sewage treatment plant's effluent or any other product of the sewage treatment plant, such as residues, sludges or scums, to be unsuitable for reclamation and reuse or to interfere with the reclamation process. In no case shall a substance discharged to the sewer system cause the sewage treatment plant to be in noncompliance with sludge use or disposal criteria, guidelines or regulations affecting sludge use or disposal developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act or state or federal criteria applicable to the sludge management method being used.
(10) 
Any substance which will cause the Borough to violate its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and/or state water quality management permit or applicable receiving water quality standards.
(11) 
Any wastewater with objectionable color which will pass through the treatment plant, such as but not limited to dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions.
(12) 
Any wastewater having a temperature which will inhibit biological activity in the sewage treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case wastewater with a temperature at the point of discharge into the sewer system which exceeds 140° F. [60° C.].
(13) 
Any pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.) released at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which will cause interference with the sewage treatment plant or interfere with the operation of the sewer system. In no case shall a slug load be discharged.
(14) 
Any wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Borough or applicable state or federal regulations.
(15) 
Any trucked or hauled wastewater or pollutants except those discharged at points designated by the Borough.
(16) 
Any wastewater which is incompatible with treatment processes in use at the sewage treatment plant or which may cause interference or pass through.
(17) 
Any wastewater containing any compounds or salts of aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, lindane, methoxychlor, toxaphene, dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, trichlorophenoxyproprionic acid or other persistent herbicides, pesticides or rodenticides.
(18) 
Any garbage, except properly chopped garbage from private residences only. Such garbage from private residences shall not contain particles greater than 1/2 inch in length and width or 1/2 inch in diameter. "Garbage" shall not be construed to mean industrial waste.
The Borough reserves the right to develop local limits regulating the discharge of pollutants to the sewer system. These local limits will apply to all users of the sewer system, whether or not the users are subject to any other pretreatment standards or discharge limits.
A. 
Notification of violation. Whenever the Borough finds that any user has violated or is violating any prohibition, limitation or requirement contained in this article, the Borough shall serve upon such user a written notice stating the nature of the violation. Within 30 days of the date of the notice, a plan for the satisfactory correction therefor shall be submitted to the Borough by the user, provided that this provision shall not affect or limit the Borough's rights and powers to immediately suspend service.
B. 
Suspension of services.
(1) 
The Borough may suspend services provided by the sewage treatment plant when such suspension is necessary, in the opinion of the Borough, in order to stop an actual or threatened discharge which presents or may present an imminent or substantial endangerment to the health or welfare of persons or to the environment, causes interference with the sewer system or causes the Borough to violate any condition of its NPDES permit.
(2) 
Any user notified of a suspension of the services provided by the sewage treatment plant shall immediately stop or eliminate the discharge. In the event of a failure of the user to comply voluntarily with the suspension order, the Borough shall take such steps as it may deem necessary, including, without limitation, immediate severance of the sewer connection, to prevent or minimize damage to the sewer system or endangerment to any individuals.
(3) 
The Borough shall reinstate the service provided by the sewage treatment plant upon proof of the elimination of the noncomplying discharge. A detailed written statement submitted by the IU describing the cause of the noncomplying discharge and the measures taken to prevent any future occurrence shall be submitted to the Borough within 15 days of the date of the occurrence.
C. 
Civil penalties. Any user who is found to have failed to comply with any provision of this article may be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 for each offense. Each day during which a violation shall occur or continue shall be deemed a separate and distinct offense. In addition to the penalties provided herein, the Borough may recover reasonable attorneys' fees, court costs, court reporters' fees and other expenses of litigation by appropriate suit at law against the user who is found to have violated this article.
D. 
Falsifying information. Any person who knowingly makes any false statements, representation or certification in any application, record, report, plan or other document produced, filed or required to be maintained pursuant to this article, or who falsifies, tampers with or knowingly renders inaccurate any monitoring device or method required under this article, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both.
E. 
Administrative appeals. Any user of the sewer system may file an appeal with the Borough to reconsider an enforcement action taken by the Borough against that user. Such appeal shall be made within 30 days of the date of the issuance of the enforcement action and shall be directed to the Sanitation Committee of the Borough Council for its review. Upon consideration of the petition, the Committee shall make its recommendations to the Borough Council, whose decision regarding the appeal will be final.
(1) 
Failure to submit a timely petition for review shall be deemed to be a waiver of the administrative appeal.
(2) 
In its petition, the appealing party must indicate the enforcement action(s) objected to, the reasons for this objection and the alternative condition, if any, it seeks.
(3) 
The provisions and requirements of this article shall not be stayed pending the appeal.
(4) 
If the Borough fails to act within 60 days following presentation of the petition to the Sanitation Committee, a request for reconsideration shall be deemed to be denied. Decisions not to reconsider an enforcement action shall be considered final administrative action for purposes of judicial review.
(5) 
Aggrieved parties seeking judicial review of the final administrative decision must do so by filing a complaint with the court of competent jurisdiction.