Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this article shall be as follows:
ACT or THE ACT
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.
[Added 11-10-2020]
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Schedule of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices to implement the prohibitions listed under § 200-3A and § 200-16C(1) and (3) [40 CFR 403.5(a)(1) and (b)]. BMPs include treatment requirements, operating procedures to control plant site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste disposal, or drainage from raw materials storage.
[Added 11-10-2020]
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedures in five days at 20° C., expressed in milligrams per liter.
BUILDING DRAIN
That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer, beginning five feet (1.5 meters) outside the inner face of the building wall.
BYPASS
The intentional diversion of waste streams from any portion of an industrial User's pretreatment facility.
CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARD or CATEGORICAL STANDARD
Any regulation containing pollutant discharge limits promulgated by EPA in accordance with Section 307(b) and (c) of the Act (33 U.S.C. § 1317) that apply to a specific category of the Users and that appear in 40 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter N, Parts 405 through 471.
[Added 11-10-2020]
CATEGORICAL INDUSTRIAL USER (CIU)
An industrial User subject to a Categorical Pretreatment Standard or Categorical Standard.
[Added 11-10-2020]
COMBINED SEWER
A sewer intended to receive both wastewater and stormwater or surface water.
COMMISSIONER
The Commissioner of Public Works or his/her designee. See § 7-18A of the City Code.
[Amended 3-5-2019]
DOMESTIC WASTEWATER or SANITARY SEWAGE
Normal water-carried household and toilet waste or waste from sanitary conveniences, excluding groundwater, surface water, or stormwater.
EASEMENT
An acquired legal right for specific use of land owned by others.
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 oil if it is properly pretreated and the wastewater does not interfere with the collection system.
[Amended 3-5-2019]
GARBAGE
The animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking, and serving of foods.
GREASE
Includes the fats, oils, waxes and other related constituents found in wastewater.
GRIT
Sand, gravel, cinders, or other heavy solid materials that have subsiding velocities or specific gravities substantially greater than those of the organic putrescible solids in wastewater. Grit also includes eggshells, bone chips, seeds, coffee grounds, and large organic particles, such as food or wastes.
INDUSTRIAL USER
A source of the introduction of pollutants into the POTW from any non-domestic source regulated under Section 307(b), (c) or (d) of the Federal Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
The wastewater from industrial processes, trade, or business as distinct from domestic or sanitary wastes.
INTERFERENCE
A discharge which, alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges by other sources, inhibits or disrupts the POTW, its treatment processes or operations, or its sludge processes, use or disposal and therefore causes a violation of the City's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit or prevents sewage sludge use or disposal in compliance with applicable federal, state or local statutes, or with regulations or permits issued thereunder.
MAXIMUM DAILY DISCHARGE LIMITATION
The highest allowable discharge of a pollutant measured during a calendar day or any twenty-four-hour period that reasonably represents a calendar day.
MAY
Is permissive (see "shall").
MONTHLY AVERAGE DISCHARGE LIMITATION
The highest allowable average of daily discharges over a calendar month, calculated as the sum of all daily discharges measured during a calendar month divided by the number of daily discharges measured during that month.
NATIONAL CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARD
Any regulation effective as of the date of discharge containing pollutant discharge limits promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in accordance with Section 307(b) and (c) of the Federal Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq., which apply to a specific category of industrial Users and which appear in 40 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter N, Parts 405 through 471.
NATIONAL PRETREATMENT STANDARD
Any regulation effective as of the date of discharge containing pollutant discharge limits promulgated by the EPA under Section 307(b) and (c) of the Federal Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1317, applicable to industrial Users.
NATURAL OUTLET
Any outlet, including storm sewers and combined sewer overflows, into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake, or other body of surface water or groundwater.
NEW SOURCE
Any facility from which there is or may be a discharge of pollutants, construction of which began after the publication of proposed pretreatment standards under Section 307(c) of the Federal Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq., which will apply to such source if such standards are thereafter promulgated, provided that:
A. 
The facility is constructed at a site at which no other source is located;
B. 
The facility totally replaces the process or production equipment that causes the discharge of pollutants at an existing source; or
C. 
The production or wastewater generating processes of the facility are substantially independent of an existing source at the same site.
PASS-THROUGH
A discharge which exits the POTW into waters of the United States in quantities or concentrations which, alone or in conjunction with a discharge or discharges from other sources, cause a violation of the City's NPDES permit.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation, or group, including all federal, state, and/or local government entities and any other legal entity.
pH
The logarithm of the reciprocal of the hydrogen-ion concentration. The concentration is the weight of hydrogen-ions, in grams, per liter of solution. Neutral water, for example, has a pH value of 7 and a hydrogen-ion concentration of 10-7.
POTW or PUBLICLY OWNED TREATMENT WORKS
A wastewater treatment works which is owned by a state or municipality. This definition includes any devices and systems used in the storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of municipal sewage or industrial waste of a liquid nature. It also includes sewers, pipes and other conveyances only if they convey wastewater to a POTW wastewater treatment works. The term also means the municipality which has jurisdiction over discharges to and the discharges from such a treatment works.
PRETREATMENT REQUIREMENT
Any substantive or procedural requirement related to pretreatment, other than a National Pretreatment Standard, imposed on an industrial User.
PRIVATE SEWER
That portion of the sewer defined as the "building drain."
PROCESS WASTEWATER
Wastewater that excludes sanitary, non-contact cooling and boiler blowdown wastewaters.
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE
The wastes from the preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food that have been shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle greater than 1/2 inch (1.27 centimeters) in any dimension.
PUBLIC SEWER
A common sewer controlled by a governmental agency or public utility.
SANITARY SEWER
A sewer that carries liquid and water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and institutions together with minor quantities of groundwater, stormwater, and surface water that are not admitted intentionally.
SCREENING LEVEL
That concentration of a pollutant which under baseline conditions would cause a threat to personnel exposed to the pollutant or would cause a threat to structures of wastewater facilities. To be administered as limits applicable to a particular discharge, the screening levels must be adjusted to account for conditions at the point of discharge which differ from baseline conditions.
SEWAGE
The spent water of a community. The preferred term is "wastewater."
SEWER
A pipe or conduit that carries wastewater or drainage water.
SEWER SERVICE
The extension from the building drain to the public sewer; also called "house connection," "building sewer," or "sewer lateral."
SHALL
Is mandatory (see "may").
SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIAL USER (SIU)
Any industrial User subject to a National Categorical Pretreatment Standard and any other industrial User that discharges 25,000 gallons per day or more of process wastewater to the POTW, contributes a process waste stream which makes up 5% or more of the average dry weather hydraulic or organic capacity of the POTW, or is designated by the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of New Hampshire or the City on the basis that the industrial User has a reasonable potential to adversely affect the POTW's operation or to violate a pretreatment standard or requirement.
SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE
Any industrial User who violates one or more of the criteria outlined at 40 CFR 403.8(f)(2)(viii)(A) to (H).
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 and shall adversely affect the collection system and/or performance of the wastewater treatment works.
STORM DRAIN (sometimes termed "storm sewer")
A drain or sewer for conveying water, groundwater, subsurface water, or unpolluted water from any source.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS)
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."
UNPOLLUTED WATER
Water of quality equal to or better than the effluent criteria in effect or water that would not cause a violation of receiving water quality standards and would not be benefited by discharge to the sanitary sewers and wastewater treatment facilities provided.
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 RATES AND CHARGES
A separate listing of all deposits, water rates, charges, and fees and can be obtained from the Department of Public Works or the Business Office.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT WORKS
An arrangement of devices and structures for treating wastewater, industrial wastes, and sludge. Sometimes used as synonymous with "waste treatment plant" or "wastewater treatment plant" or "water pollution control plant."
WATERCOURSE
A natural or artificial channel for the passage of water either continuously or intermittently.
It shall be the duty of the Commissioner to keep a chart or plan upon which shall be represented the streets and places in and through which the sewer pipes are laid, and upon which chart shall be designated, by appropriate figures and characters, the exact size and length of the pipes, the precise location in such streets, and places of each pipe and each connection therewith, each branch Y, T, manhole and flush tank.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit or permit to be deposited any human or animal excrement, garbage, or objectionable waste in any unsanitary manner on public or private property within the City of Rochester, or in any area under the jurisdiction of said City.
B. 
It shall be unlawful to discharge to any natural outlet within the City of Rochester, or in any area under the jurisdiction of said City, any wastewater or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with federal, state and local requirements.
C. 
Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of wastewater within the sewer service area. When a private wastewater disposal system is found to be in failure, it is the duty of the owner and/or his/her agent to contact the City to determine if the property falls within the sewer service area.
[Amended 3-5-2019]
D. 
The owner(s) of all houses, buildings, or property used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes, situated within the City and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary sewer of the City, is hereby required at the owner's expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article, within 90 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within 100 feet of the building.
[Amended 6-6-2017]
E. 
Structures within 100 feet of the public sewer and currently served by private wastewater disposal facilities shall connect to the public sewer within 90 days after an official notice to do so. The City may grant a waiver to this requirement for properties with existing adequate sewage disposal systems which can be proven by the property owner to comply with applicable state and local regulations, to have been designed by a designer licensed in New Hampshire and to have been approved for construction by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services after January 1, 1985. The cost of connection to the public sewer shall be borne by the property owner; however, if a sewer stub exists the cost of the portion of the connection within the public right-of-way shall be borne by the Rochester Sewer Enterprise Fund. For the purpose of this subsection, "structures" shall mean houses, buildings, or property used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes.
[Amended 2-14-2017; 6-6-2017]
F. 
No User shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW any pollutant or wastewater which 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 national, state, or local pretreatment standards or requirements.
[Added 11-10-2020]
A. 
Where a public sanitary sewer is not available under the provisions of § 200-3D, the building sewer shall be connected to a private wastewater disposal system complying with the provisions of state law.
B. 
The type, capacities, location, layout and installation (including inspection) of a private wastewater disposal system shall comply with all requirements of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES). No permit shall be issued for any new private wastewater disposal system employing subsurface soil absorption facilities where the lot area is less than is required by subdivision lot size requirements of DES. No septic tank or cesspool shall be permitted to discharge to any natural outlet.
C. 
At such time as public sewer becomes available to a property served by a private wastewater disposal system, as provided in § 200-3D, after connection to the public sewer any septic tanks, cesspools, and similar private wastewater disposal facilities shall be cleaned of sludge and filled with suitable material.
[Amended 6-6-2017]
D. 
The owners shall operate and maintain the private wastewater disposal facilities in a sanitary manner at all times, at no expense to the City. All sludge removal from private disposal systems shall be performed by licensed operators and disposed of at state-licensed facilities. At no time should any quantity of industrial waste be discharged to a private wastewater disposal facility.
E. 
No building permits or any final Planning Board approvals shall be issued without prior state approvals and permits being issued.
F. 
No statement contained in this article shall be construed to interfere with any additional requirements that may be imposed by the Health Officer pursuant to RSA 147:8.
A. 
All applications for sewer service must be made at the Department of Public Works office on a work order form, stating fully and truly the character of the wastewater to be discharged into the sewer system. The customer or his/her duly authorized agent must sign such application. All applications shall be accompanied by payment of the permit and inspection fee set forth in § 200-33, Wastewater Rate and Fee Schedule.
B. 
If any installation or repair work is to be performed by the Department of Public Works or its agent, an estimate of the cost of the work will be prepared by the Department of Public Works.
C. 
A deposit equal to the estimated cost or a payment agreement shall be made with the Business Office before work is begun on a new service, or a repair to existing service, to be applied against the cost of the work necessary to successfully serve the property. Actual costs will be determined upon completion of the work and the customer charged or refunded as the case may be.
D. 
All financial obligations involved in such transactions shall be adjusted immediately upon the completion of the work in the interests of all parties involved.
E. 
The Commissioner may waive the deposit for emergency repair purposes.
F. 
Applicants may enter into agreements, at the discretion of the City of Rochester, to pay all costs in equal installments over a period of time. Late payments shall accrue interest at the same rate charged by the City for overdue property tax bills. Such agreements shall be recorded with the Strafford County Register of Deeds at the expense of the applicant. In the event property is conveyed, all monies owed to the City of Rochester shall be remitted in full.
[Amended 3-5-2019]
A. 
The Department of Public Works or its agent or the developer's or property owner's contractor shall install all new sewer services.
B. 
The property owner is responsible for the costs incurred for the repair and maintenance of all existing sewer services from the property line to the building or structure.
C. 
If a developer or property owner installs new services, the Department of Public Works must approve all materials and inspect the installation. All charges incurred during this work are the responsibility of the developer or property owner. If a developer's or property owner's contractor's installation is found to be incorrect, it shall be the developer's or property owner's responsibility to have it corrected.
D. 
Annually, before any contractor or company shall install or repair any portion of a wastewater system within the City of Rochester, such contractor or company shall obtain an installation and repair license from the Department of Public Works authorizing such entity to perform installations or repairs to such system. Licenses shall be valid from January 1 through December 31 for any given year. The Department of Public Works shall issue such license only to contractors or companies which demonstrate the ability to perform wastewater system installation and repairs in a workmanlike manner, consistent with standards maintained by the Department of Public Works. All applicants shall be required to submit evidence of general liability insurance. The City Manager shall establish an annual fee for such license. This fee shall be listed in § 200-33, Wastewater Rate and Fee Schedule.
[Amended 3-5-2019]
E. 
Any contractor or company installing or repairing any portion of the wastewater system must receive written authorization from the Department of Public Works and may be required to provide a performance bond or escrow account in the name of the City for the total (100%) of the estimated cost of work.
F. 
The Department of Public Works shall have an easement 10 feet on each side of the sewer service for its entire length for installation or repairs to the service.
G. 
The customer shall be charged for all materials and labor associated with initial installation or subsequent repairs due to the negligence of the customer. The Department of Public Works shall do its best to return the easement to its prior condition; however, it will be the customer's responsibility to repair and replace any damaged property within the aforementioned easement.
H. 
Ordinarily, no new service pipes or extensions of mains will be installed between December 1 and March 31. An additional charge shall be applied to the customer for road maintenance during these winter conditions if service or extension is allowed, consisting of the minimum charge listed in § 200-33, Wastewater Rate and Fee Schedule, or the actual cost associated with such road maintenance, if greater.
A. 
No unauthorized person(s) shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter, or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a license pursuant to § 200-6D and written authorization pursuant to § 200-6E.
B. 
There shall be two classes of sewer permits: for residential service and for service to establishments producing commercial and/or industrial wastes. In either case, the owner(s) or his/her agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the City. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the Commissioner. A permit and inspection fee as listed in § 200-33, Wastewater Rate and Fee Schedule, for a sewer permit shall be paid to the City at the time the application is filed. This fee shall be paid regardless of whether the installation is to be accomplished by the Department of Public Works or the developer or property owner.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
C. 
In addition to the permit requirements of Subsection B above, any new construction or use other than a single-family home which exceeds 500 gallons per day of discharge, as estimated by New Hampshire Administrative Rules Section Env-Wq 1008.03, Table 1008-1, shall be required to also obtain a wastewater discharge permit and pay the reserve capacity assessment. Application for such permit shall be made to the Department of Public Works together with the wastewater discharge permit fee as listed in § 200-33, Wastewater Rate and Fee Schedule. All such requests for a wastewater discharge permit are subject to the approval of the Commissioner based on the existing sewer line's ability to handle the increased discharge.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
D. 
All costs and expenses incidental to the installation and connection of a new sewer service shall be borne by the owner(s). The owner(s) shall indemnify the City from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the sewer service. If installation and connection are accomplished at a location where the City has previously installed a sewer stub, the Sewer Enterprise Fund will bear the cost of installation of the sewer stub.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
E. 
A separate and independent sewer service shall be provided for every building, except that where one building stands at the rear of another or can be connected to the rear building through an adjoining alley, courtyard, or driveway, the front building sewer may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer. This exception shall be allowed only when no other reasonable alternative exists to provide a separate and independent sewer service for each building. The City does not and will not assume any obligation or responsibility for damage caused by or resulting from any such single connection aforementioned.
F. 
Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the Commissioner, to meet all requirements of this article.
G. 
The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction of a sewer service, and the methods to be used in excavating, placing of the pipe, jointing, testing, and backfilling the trench shall all conform to the requirements of the Building and Plumbing Code or other applicable rules and regulations of the City.
H. 
Whenever possible, the sewer service shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the sewer service.
I. 
No person(s) shall make connection of roof downspouts, foundation drains, areaway drains, or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a sewer service or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer.
J. 
The connection of the sewer service into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the Building and Plumbing Code or other applicable rules and regulations of the City or the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Water Environment Federation Manual of Practice No. 9. All such connections shall be made gastight and watertight and verified by proper testing. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved by the Commissioner before installation.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
K. 
All public sewers shall be laid by the Commissioner or his/her employees or by a licensed contractor, but the Commissioner shall have authority to prescribe rules as to such other material to be used as is not herein specified, and all work shall be done as directed by him/her and subject to his/her inspection, and the pipe trench shall be kept open until the work has been so inspected.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
L. 
The applicant for the sewer permit shall notify the Commissioner when the sewer service is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection and testing shall be made under the supervision of the Commissioner or his/her representative. A minimum of 24 hours' notice is required. If the sewer service is buried prior to inspection, the applicant may be required to uncover the sewer service and connection.
M. 
No private sewer shall pass under another house or within four feet of the wall thereof except by written permission of the Commissioner.
N. 
In addition to the afore-described permit, the Commissioner may also require, prior to commencing construction work for any private sewer, a like certificate evidencing the deposit of any amount equal to the estimated cost of such construction and/or a satisfactory guarantee that the actual cost of such construction will be paid in full upon completion of the work.
O. 
The Commissioner shall keep a written report of his/her inspection of all such private sewer lines.
P. 
All excavations for sewer installation shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways, and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the City at the expense of the owner.
Q. 
Any person proposing a new discharge into the system, or a discharge of listed or characteristic waste, or an increase in the volume or in the strength or character of pollutants that are discharged into the system, shall notify the Commissioner at least 60 days prior to the proposed change or connection. Proposed new discharges from residential or commercial sources involving loading exceeding 50 population equivalents (5,000 gallons per day), any new industrial discharge, or any alteration in either flow or waste characteristics in industrial discharge must be approved by the New Hampshire DES.
R. 
The Department of Public Works will approve plans for new systems, extensions, or replacement sewers. No plans will be approved which allow rainwater from roofs, streets, and other areas and groundwater from foundation drains to enter into the sanitary sewer system. Separate storm drain systems must be provided.
S. 
Whenever any sewer service shall become clogged, broken, or obstructed, out of order, or detrimental to the use of any public sewer, or unfit for sewerage purposes in that part situated outside of any street or private way in which public sewers are laid, the owner, agent, occupant or person having charge of any building or premises in which such sewer service is located shall, when directed by the Commissioner, remove, reconstruct, alter, cleanse, or repair said sewer, as the condition thereof may require. In case of neglect or refusal to comply with such notice within five days after the same is given, the Commissioner may cause such sewer to be removed, reconstructed, repaired, altered, or cleansed, as he/she may deem expedient, at the expense of such owner, agent, occupant or other person so notified, who shall also be liable for a penalty in accordance with § 200-20, Violations and penalties.[1]
[Amended 3-5-2019]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection T, Reserve capacity assessments, amended 3-5-2019, which immediately followed this subsection, was removed from this section with the 9-6-2022 adoption of the sewer development connection fee set forth in Art. III of this chapter.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
A. 
Sewer only properties may be metered via the private water supply line. A common meter will be provided for rented units or lots. All meters will be maintained by the Department of Public Works, but the customer will be charged for any damage to meters caused by abnormal conditions, i.e., freezing, fire, tampering, etc. The Department of Public Works will set only one meter for any one service and the owner of the premises shall be liable for the entire amount of wastewater generated on the premises irrespective of leases of individual customers.
B. 
Meters are installed for measurement of all water used by the consumer. Customers shall provide a clean, dry, warm, safe, and accessible place (always free from debris) for installation of a meter. The location shall be easily accessible by a person in the upright position for reading, maintaining, and changing.
C. 
All customers billed for wastewater must keep their own fixtures, and service pipes within their property lines, in good repair and fully protected from injury by frost, and all such pipes and connections shall conform to the Rochester Plumbing Code.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
Upon application and approval by the Department of Public Works, a customer may install a meter to measure water that will not be disposed of in the City’s sewer system. The purpose of the meter would be to meter uses including, but not limited to, in-ground sprinkler systems, outside spigots, and commercial air-conditioning systems. The cost of the meter, inspection, and installation by the City is entirely the responsibility of the customer. The meter will fully meet the requirements of § 200-8 of this article.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
A. 
All meters shall be kept in repair by the Department of Public Works except when damaged by the customer or by his/her negligence, including freezing. In case of any such damage, the cost of repairs shall be charged to the owner of the premises.
B. 
If the reader is out of repair or fails to register, the customer will be charged at the average daily consumption as shown by the reader when in order or the flat rate structure, whichever is less. Subsequently, if the actual amount of water metered is determined to be different than the amount previously estimated, the charge will be on the subsequent billing by the difference between the two.
C. 
If a customer, after being so notified, does not allow the Department of Public Works access in order to test and/or correct a faulty meter or reader, the customer's subsequent bill will be 1.5 times the average daily consumption as historically shown on the meter.
D. 
No person, except the duly authorized agent of the Department of Public Works, shall be allowed to reset, take off, or repair a meter.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
A. 
Only the Department of Public Works shall replace or remove and test all meters. No meter shall be placed in service or permitted to remain in service if the error of registration exceeds 2% or as established by the latest American Water Works Association (AWWA) meter standards, whichever is less.
B. 
The Department of Public Works may test a meter for accuracy in registration upon complaint of the sewer consumer. There shall be a minimum service charge for any complaint-driven service call. The minimum service charge shall be as listed in § 200-33, Wastewater Rate and Fee Schedule. Any meter found to be accurate in accordance with this article will not be replaced by the Department of Public Works due to a complaint.
C. 
Should the meter in question be found to be within the accuracy limits established by the latest AWWA meter standards, all applicable fees associated with testing shall be paid by the customer. If the meter in question is found to be inaccurate, all fees will be waived.
D. 
The percent of error of registration shall be taken as the average of the error at the intermediate and maximum rates of test flow. Any determination of charges shall be based on this average error.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
Upon completion of adjustment and test of any meter under the provisions of these rules, the Department of Public Works shall affix thereto a suitable seal in such a manner that the adjustment of registration of the meter cannot be tampered with without breaking the seal. Disruption of the seal will be cause for discontinuance of service.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
A. 
No customer or his/her agent shall perform a tampering event with regard to a meter without having first received written consent and authorization of the Commissioner of Public Works or his/her designee to take such action. In the event that the Commissioner of Public Works and/or his/her designee shall determine that a customer and/or his/her agent has performed a tampering event with respect to a meter, such customer shall be subject to the following charges:
(1) 
A charge in an amount based upon the actual metered usage to such meter prior to the tampering event, if determinable.
(2) 
A charge in an amount based upon twice the estimated usage for the premises serviced by the meter in question during the preceding billing period(s) or the corresponding billing period(s) during the year immediately preceding such tampering event, whichever is greater.
(3) 
A charge for all costs associated with the repair and/or replacement of such meter.
(4) 
A reconnection fee as listed in § 200-33, Wastewater Rate and Fee Schedule.
B. 
Anything in Subsection A above to the contrary notwithstanding, should a customer or his/her agent, as a result of an emergency or other circumstances beyond his/her control, perform a tampering event with respect to a meter, without having received the prior written consent and authorization of the Commissioner of Public Works or his/her designee, such customer may, upon appeal to the Utility Advisory Board in accordance with the provisions of § 200-30 and within its discretion, be relieved of any and all of the charges listed in Subsection A(1) through (4) above, provided that such customer shall have notified the Department of Public Works, in writing, of the tampering event in question within three business days of the occurrence of such event.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
All customers shall be required to have an outside reader with radio read capability for their meter. The outside reader shall be installed at a place on the premises acceptable to the City and according to the specifications available at the Department of Public Works. The customer shall be responsible for repairs or replacement of damaged outside readers and associated wiring when damage is due to abuse, neglect, and/or negligence of the customer. The City shall render a bill for labor, equipment, and materials for all such repairs or replacement. The outside reader and appurtenances shall be the property of the City. The customer shall be responsible for providing safe access to City personnel for reading. The customer shall remove potential hazards and nuisances such as snow, ice, vegetation, and dogs from the outside reader's access. Exceptions may be granted by the Commissioner of Public Works, in which case reasonable access shall be granted to Department of Public Works personnel for the purposes of reading and maintenance. If satisfactory access is not provided, the City reserves the right to produce an estimated bill.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
The Department of Public Works employees or its agents shall be allowed access to the customer's premises between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. for examination of pipes, fixtures, connections, the quality of water used, and manner of use.
A. 
No person(s) shall discharge or cause to be discharged any unpolluted waters such as stormwater, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, or cooling water to any sewer.
B. 
Stormwater and unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers or a natural outlet approved by the Commissioner. Industrial cooling water or process waters require an NPDES permit prior to discharge to a storm sewer or natural outlet.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
C. 
No person(s) shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to any public sewers:
(1) 
Any gasoline, benzene, naptha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid, or gas, including, but not limited to, waste streams with a closed-cup flashpoint of less than 140° F. or 60° C. using the test methods specified in 40 CFR 261.21.
(2) 
Any waters containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids, or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any waste treatment processes, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance, or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the wastewater treatment plant.
(3) 
Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or higher than 9.0 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and personnel of the wastewater works.
(4) 
Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or other interference with the proper operation of the wastewater facilities, such as, but not limited to, ashes, bones, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails, and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.
(5) 
Any pollutant(s) released in a discharge at a flow rate or pollutant concentration which will cause pass-through or interference.
(6) 
Wastewater containing petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oils, or products of mineral oil in concentrations of more than 25 milligrams per liter or in such other amounts that will cause interference or pass-through.
(7) 
Wastewater sufficiently hot to inhibit biological activity in the POTW resulting in interference or to cause the influent at the wastewater treatment facilities to exceed 104° F. (40° C.), unless the EPA Regional Administrator, at the request of the Commissioner, approves alternate temperature limits.
(8) 
Any waters or wastes containing fats, wax, grease or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of 100 milligrams per liter, or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 0° C. (32° F.) and 16° C. (60° F.).
(9) 
If the person is a significant industrial User, wastewater containing any pollutant specified in Schedule A, annexed hereto and incorporated herein by reference, in excess of the limitations for each of said pollutants as specified in Schedule A (Local Discharge Limitations).[1] These limitations may be applied on a mass basis to allow for a reduction in water use.
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
(10) 
Any trucked or hauled wastes, except at discharge points designated by the POTW.
(11) 
Any medical wastes except as specifically authorized in a discharge permit.
D. 
The following described substances, materials, waters, or wastes shall be limited in discharges to municipal systems to concentrations or quantities which will not harm either the sewers, wastewater treatment process or equipment, will not have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or will not otherwise endanger lives, limb, or public property, or constitute a nuisance. The Commissioner may set limitations lower than the limitations established in the regulations below if in his/her opinion such more severe limitations are necessary to meet the above objectives. In forming his/her opinion as to the acceptability, the Commissioner will give consideration to such factors as the quantity of subject waste in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, the wastewater treatment process employed, capacity of the wastewater treatment plant, degree of treatability of the waste in the wastewater plant, and other pertinent factors. The limitations or restrictions on materials or characteristics of waste or wastewater discharged to the sanitary sewer which shall not be violated without approval of the Commissioner are as follows:
(1) 
Any garbage that has not been properly shredded. Garbage grinders may be connected to sanitary sewers from homes, hotels, institutions, restaurants, hospitals, catering establishments, or similar places where garbage originates from the preparation of food in kitchens for the purpose of consumption on the premises or when served by caterers.
(2) 
Any waters or wastes containing heavy metals, solvents, and similar objectionable or toxic substances to such degree that any such material discharged to the public sewer exceeds the limits established by the Commissioner, the New Hampshire DES or EPA for such materials.
(3) 
Any waters or wastes containing odor-producing substances exceeding limits which may be established by the Commissioner.
(4) 
Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Commissioner in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations.
(5) 
Quantities of flow, concentrations, or both which constitute a "slug" as defined herein.
(6) 
Any waters or wastes which, by interaction with other waters or wastes in the public sewer system, release obnoxious gases, form suspended solids which interfere with the collection system, or create a condition deleterious to structures and treatment processes.
E. 
If any waters or wastes are discharged or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or posses the characteristics enumerated in Subsection D, and which in the judgment of the Commissioner may have a deleterious effect upon the wastewater facilities, processes, equipment, or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the Commissioner may:
(1) 
Reject the wastes;
(2) 
Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers;
(3) 
Require control over the quantities and rates for discharge; and/or
(4) 
Require payment to cover added cost of handling and treating the wastes.
F. 
If the City permits the pretreatment or equalization of waste flows, the design and installation of the pretreatment facilities shall be subject to the review and approval of the City and New Hampshire DES and subject to the requirements of all applicable codes, ordinances and laws. Such facilities shall not be connected until said approval is obtained in writing.
G. 
Plans and specifications for a proposed treatment facility shall be the result of the design of a professional engineer. Such approval shall not relieve the owner of the responsibility of discharging treated waste meeting the requirements of this article.
H. 
Grease, oil, and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the Commissioner, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing floatable grease in excessive amounts, or any flammable wastes, sand, or other harmful ingredients, except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the Commissioner and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. In maintaining these interceptors, the owner shall be responsible for the proper removal and disposal by appropriate means of the captured material and shall maintain records of the dates and means of disposal which are subject to review by the Commissioner. Any removal and hauling of the collected materials not performed by the owner's personnel must be performed by currently licensed waste disposal firms.
I. 
All industrial waste shall be pretreated in accordance with federal and state regulations and this article to the extent required by applicable National Categorical Pretreatment Standards, National Pretreatment Standards or pretreatment standards established by the New Hampshire DES or by the Commissioner, whichever is more stringent. The National Categorical Pretreatment Standards, found in 40 CFR Chapter 1, Subchapter N, Parts 405 to 471, are hereby incorporated into this article by reference. Where pretreatment or flow-equalizing facilities are provided or required for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner(s) at his/her expense.
J. 
When required by the Commissioner, 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 in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling, and measurement of the wastes.
(1) 
Such structure, when required, shall be accessible and safely located and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Commissioner. The structure shall be installed by the owner at his/her expense and shall be maintained by him/her so as to be safe and accessible at all times.
(2) 
All industrial Users discharging into a public sewer shall perform such monitoring as the Commissioner or duly authorized employees of the City may reasonably require, including installation, use and maintenance of monitoring equipment, keeping records and reporting the results of such monitoring to the Commissioner.
(3) 
Such records shall be made available upon request by the Commissioner. Such records shall be made available upon request of the Commissioner to other agencies having jurisdiction over discharges to the receiving waters.
K. 
The Commissioner may require an industrial User of sewer services to provide information needed to determine compliance with this article. These requirements may include:
(1) 
Wastewater discharge peak rate and volume over a specified time period.
(2) 
Chemical analyses of wastewaters.
(3) 
Information on raw materials, processes, and products affecting wastewater volume and quantity.
(4) 
Quantity and disposition of specific liquid, sludge, oil, solvent, or other materials important to sewer use control.
(5) 
A plot plan of sewers on the User's property showing sewer and pretreatment facility location.
(6) 
Details of wastewater pretreatment facilities.
(7) 
Details of systems to prevent and control the losses of materials through spills to the municipal sewer.
L. 
The Commissioner may require any significant industrial User to develop a plan to control slug discharges. If the Commissioner determines that such a plan is needed the plan shall include at a minimum:
(1) 
A description of discharge practices, including non-routine batch discharges;
(2) 
A description of stored chemicals;
(3) 
Procedures for notifying the POTW of slug discharges; and
(4) 
If necessary, procedures to prevent adverse impact from accidental spills.
M. 
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 EPA-approved methods published in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40, Part 136 (40 CFR 136), or alternate test procedures approved by EPA. Sampling methods, location, times, durations, and frequencies are to be determined on an individual basis subject to approval by the Commissioner.
N. 
No statement contained in this chapter shall be construed as preventing any special agreement or arrangements between the City and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the City for treatment, provided that such agreements do not contravene any requirements of existing federal or state laws and/or regulations promulgated thereunder, are compatible with any User charge system in effect, and do not waive applicable pretreatment standards and requirements, including local limits and National Categorical Pretreatment Standards.
O. 
Septic tank waste (septage) will be accepted into the sewer system at a designated receiving structure within the treatment plant area, provided that such wastes do not contain toxic pollutants or materials, and provided that such discharge does not violate any other special requirements established by the City. Permits to use such facilities shall be under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner or his/her duly authorized representatives. The discharge of industrial wastes as "industrial septage" requires prior approval of the New Hampshire DES. Fees for dumping septage will be established as part of the User charge system. The sewage treatment plant operator acting in behalf of the City and its Commissioner shall have authority to limit the disposal of such wastes, if such disposal would interfere with the treatment plant operation. Procedures for the disposal of such wastes shall be in conformance with the operating policy of the City's sewage treatment plant supervisor unless specifically permitted otherwise.
P. 
It shall be illegal to meet requirements of this article by diluting wastes in lieu of proper pretreatment.
Q. 
A dental practice or any other similar practice or business that handles or manages dental amalgams shall install and maintain an amalgam separator and institute a management program in accordance with federal and state regulations.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
A. 
Applicability. All industrial Users shall comply with applicable requirements of federal and state industrial pretreatment regulations (as amended), in addition to the requirements of these industrial pretreatment rules.
B. 
Industrial discharge agreement (IDA).
(1) 
IDA required. Effective 180 calendar days after this provision is adopted by the City, the discharge of any industrial process waste to the City's wastewater works or to a public or private sewer connected to the City's wastewater works is prohibited without a valid industrial discharge agreement (IDA).
(2) 
IDA application. Within 60 days after the effective date of these industrial pretreatment rules, industrial Users subject to these rules shall submit an application for an IDA containing information required under applicable federal and state industrial pretreatment reporting regulations. Such information, as a minimum, shall include:
(a) 
The name and address of the facility, including the name of the operators and owners.
(b) 
A list of all environmental permits held by or for the facility.
(c) 
A brief description of the nature, average rate of production, and Standard Industrial Classification of the operations carried out at such facility.
(d) 
An identification of the categorical pretreatment standards applicable to each regulated process.
(e) 
An analysis identifying the nature and concentration of pollutants in the discharge.
(f) 
Information showing the measured average daily and maximum daily flow, in gallons per day, to the public sewer from regulated process streams and from other streams.
(g) 
A schedule of actions to be taken to comply with discharge limitations.
(h) 
Additional information as determined by the City may also be required.
(3) 
Provisions. The IDA issued by the City to each industrial User will outline the general and specific conditions under which the industrial process waste is accepted for treatment at the City's wastewater treatment plant. Specifically included in the agreement are the following:
(a) 
Pretreatment and self-monitoring facilities required.
(b) 
Type and number of samples and sampling frequency required.
(c) 
Effluent limitation on the industrial process waste.
(d) 
Reporting requirements.
[1] 
Periodic reports. Industrial Users shall submit periodic reports as required indicating the nature and concentration of pollutants in the discharge from the regulated processes governed by pretreatment standards and the average and maximum daily flow for these process units. The reports shall be certified by a qualified professional and shall state whether the applicable categorical pretreatment standards and effluent limitations are being met on a consistent basis and, if not, what additional operation and maintenance practices and/or pretreatment is necessary. Additional requirements for such reports may be imposed by the City.
[2] 
Notification of violation/resampling. If sampling performed by an industrial User indicates a violation of any National Pretreatment Standard, National Categorical Pretreatment Standard, or any pretreatment standard established by the Commissioner, the industrial User shall notify the City within 24 hours of becoming aware of the violation and shall repeat the sampling and analysis and submit the results of the report analysis to the City within 30 days of becoming aware of the violation.
[3] 
Notification of discharge of hazardous wastes. Industrial Users shall notify the City, the EPA Regional Waste Management Division Director and the state hazardous waste authorities in writing of any discharge into the POTW of a substance which, if otherwise disposed, would be a hazardous waste under 40 CFR Part 261.
[4] 
Signature for reports. Reports submitted under this section shall be signed by an authorized representative. An authorized representative may be:
[a] 
A principal executive officer of at least the level of vice president, if the industrial User is a corporation;
[b] 
A general partner or the proprietor, if the industrial User is a partnership or sole proprietorship; or
[c] 
A duly authorized representative of either of the individuals designated above, if such representative is responsible for the overall operation of the subject facility.
(e) 
Monitoring records.
[1] 
Industrial Users subject to the reporting requirements under this section shall maintain records of information resulting from monitoring activities required to prepare such reports. Such records include for each sample:
[a] 
The date, exact place, method and time of sampling and the name of the person or persons taking the sample.
[b] 
The dates analyses were performed.
[c] 
The laboratory performing the analyses.
[d] 
The analytical techniques and methods used.
[e] 
The results of such analyses.
[2] 
Such records shall be maintained for a minimum of five years and shall be made available for inspection and copying by the City. This period shall be extended during the course of any unresolved litigation, or upon request by the EPA or the Commissioner.
(f) 
Additional conditions.
[1] 
The agreement will be in effect for five years. At the expiration of the five-year period, the industrial User must apply for and be issued a new IDA.
[2] 
The agreement may not be transferred without the written consent of the Commissioner and may be revoked by the City for noncompliance or modified so as to conform to discharge limitation requirements that are enacted by federal or state rules and/or regulations.
[3] 
An industrial User proposing a new discharge or a change in volume or character of its existing discharge must submit a completed IDA application to the City at least 60 days prior to the commencement of such discharge. The submitted application must include plans and engineering drawings, stamped by a registered professional engineer, of the proposed pretreatment facilities. Upon approval of the application by the City, a discharge permit request is submitted by the community to the New Hampshire DES on behalf of the industry. Upon approval of the discharge permit request by the DES, the City will issue to the industrial User a new or amended IDA in accordance with the procedure outlined in this section.
(g) 
Annual fee. Each industrial User shall be assessed a fee to cover the administration costs of the Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP), plus the costs of sample collection and laboratory analysis. The fee will be billed on a quarterly basis and assessed as follows:
[1] 
All costs associated with self-monitoring shall be borne directly by each industrial User.
[2] 
All costs associated with municipal monitoring of each industrial User (sample collection and laboratory analysis) shall be billed directly to that industrial User.
[3] 
All administrative costs associated with operation of the IPP (labor costs for City staff, equipment purchase and maintenance, consulting fees, etc.) shall be paid by the industrial Users on a pro rata basis.
(h) 
Penalties and cost of enforcement. Any industrial User which violates any provision of this article or any National Pretreatment Standard, National Categorical Pretreatment Standard, or any pretreatment standard established by the Commissioner shall be subject to applicable civil and/or criminal penalties as set forth in said IDA and shall pay all costs incurred by the City in enforcing or assuring compliance with such provision or standard and in responding to or investigating such violation in accordance with 40 CFR 403.8(f)(1)(iii)(B)(5).
[Amended 11-10-2020]
C. 
Local discharge limitation. Significant industrial Users shall be prohibited from discharging wastewater containing any pollutant specified in Schedule A , annexed hereto and incorporated herein by reference, in excess of the limitations for each of said pollutants as specified in Schedule A (Local Discharge Limitations).[1] Compliance with these limitations shall be assessed on the basis of samples of the industrial User's process wastewater discharge, not to include sanitary or any other dilution wastewater flows. If a National Categorical Pretreatment Standard, a National Pretreatment Standard, or the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services establishes limitations for industrial Users in a particular industrial subcategory which are more stringent than the limitations specified in Schedule A, those more stringent limitations shall immediately apply to those industrial Users subject to such limitations.
[Amended 10-4-2005; 5-6-2008; 3-5-2019]
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
D. 
National Categorical Pretreatment Standards.
(1) 
Notification. The City shall provide timely notification to appropriate industries of applicable categorical pretreatment standards.
(2) 
Compliance date for categorical standards. Compliance with categorical pretreatment standards shall be achieved within three years of the date such standards are effective, unless a shorter compliance time is specified in the standards. The National Categorical Pretreatment Standards, found in 40 CFR Chapter 1, Subchapter N, Parts 405 to 471, are hereby incorporated into this article by reference.
(3) 
Amendment to IDA required. An industrial User subject to categorical pretreatment standards shall not discharge wastewater directly or indirectly to City wastewater works after the compliance date of such standards unless an amendment to its IDA has been issued by the City.
(4) 
Application for IDA amendment. Within 120 days after the effective date of a categorical pretreatment standard, an industrial User subject to such standards shall submit an application for IDA amendment. The application shall contain the information noted under Subsection B(2) of this section.
(5) 
Baseline monitoring report. Within 180 days after the effective date of a categorical pretreatment standard, existing industrial Users shall submit to the City a report setting forth the information required in 40 CFR 403.12(b). At least 90 days prior to the commencement of discharge, new sources or sources that become industrial Users subsequent to the promulgation of an applicable categorical standard shall submit to the City a report setting forth the information required in 40 CFR 403.12(b).
(6) 
Categorical compliance report. Within 90 days following the date for final compliance with an applicable categorical pretreatment standard or, in the case of a new source, following commencement of the introduction of wastewater into the POTW, any industrial User subject to National Categorical Pretreatment Standards shall submit a report on compliance with categorical pretreatment standards deadlines in accordance with 40 CFR 403.12(d). If a compliance schedule is established, the City may require compliance schedule progress reports in accordance with 40 CFR 403.12(c).
(7) 
Compliance determination. Compliance with National Categorical Pretreatment Standards shall be assessed in accordance with the requirements set forth at 40 CFR 403.12(b)(5).
[Amended 5-6-2008]
(8) 
Periodic compliance reports. Any industrial User subject to National Categorical Pretreatment Standards shall submit to the City, during the months of June and December, unless required more frequently by the pretreatment standard or by the City, periodic compliance reports in accordance with 40 CFR 403.12(e).
(9) 
The City may authorize an industrial User (IU) or significant industrial User (SIU) subject to a categorical Pretreatment Standard to forgo sampling of a pollutant by a categorical Pretreatment Standard if the industrial User has demonstrated through sampling and other technical factors that the pollutant is neither present nor expected to be present in the discharge, or is present only at background levels from intake water and without any increase in the pollutant due to activities of the industrial User. [See 40 CFR 403.8(f)(1)(iii)(B)(4) and 40 CFR 403.12(e)(2)].
[Added 11-10-2020]
E. 
Slug discharge notification and control plan.
(1) 
Industrial Users shall immediately notify the City of any discharges that could cause problems to the POTW, including any slug, as defined under § 200-1, of process waste discharged by such User to the City system.
[Amended 5-6-2008]
(2) 
The Commissioner may require any User to develop and implement an accidental discharge/slug control plan. The Commissioner shall evaluate whether each significant industrial User needs such a plan during the initial permit application or during permit renewal. Any User required to develop and implement an accidental discharge/slug control plan shall submit a plan which addresses, at a minimum, the following:
(a) 
Description of discharge practices, including non-routine batch discharges;
(b) 
Description of stored chemicals;
(c) 
Procedures for immediately notifying the POTW of any accidental or slug discharge; and
(d) 
Procedures to prevent adverse impact from any accidental or slug discharge. Such procedures include but are not limited to inspection and maintenance of storage areas, handling and transfer of materials, loading and unloading operations, control of plant site runoff, worker training, building of containment structures or equipment, measures for containing toxic organic pollutants (including solvents), and/or measures and equipment for emergency response.
F. 
Imminent endangerment. The City may, after informal notice to the industry discharging wastewater to the public sewer, immediately halt or prevent any such discharge reasonably appearing to present an imminent endangerment to the health and welfare of person, or any discharge presenting, or which may present, an endangerment to the environment, or which threatens to interfere with operation of the public sewer or wastewater treatment facilities. Actions which may be taken by the City include ex parte temporary judicial injunctive relief, entry on private property to halt such discharge, blockage of a public sewer to halt such discharge, or demand of specific action by the industry.
G. 
Monitoring and surveillance. The City shall as necessary sample and analyze the wastewater discharges of contributing industrial Users and conduct surveillance and inspection activities to identify, independently of information supplied by such industries, occasional and continuing noncompliance with industrial pretreatment standards. All industries discharging to the City system shall allow unrestricted access to City, DES, and EPA personnel for the purposes of investigating and sampling discharges from the industries. Each industry will be billed directly for costs incurred for analysis of its wastewater.
[Amended 5-6-2008]
H. 
Investigations. The City shall investigate instances of noncompliance with industrial pretreatment standards and requirements.
I. 
Public information. Information and data submitted to the City under this section relating to wastewater discharge characteristics shall be available to the public without restriction. Other such information shall be available to the public at least to the extent provided by 40 CFR 2.302. The City shall comply with the maintenance and records requirements of 40 CFR 2.302 and 40 CFR 403.14.
[Amended 5-6-2008; 3-5-2019; 11-10-2020]
J. 
Public participation. The City shall comply with the public participation requirements of 40 CFR Part 25 in the enforcement of industrial pretreatment standards and requirements, which shall include annual public notification, in the largest daily newspaper published in the City, of all industrial Users which were in significant noncompliance with applicable pretreatment requirements.
K. 
Bypass.
[Added 11-10-2020]
(1) 
For the purpose of this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
(a) 
BYPASS — The intentional diversion of waste streams from any portion of a User's treatment facility.
(b) 
SEVERE PROPERTY DAMAGE — Substantial physical damage to property, damage to the treatment facilities which causes them to become inoperable, or substantial and permanent loss of natural resources which can reasonably be expected to occur in the absence of a bypass. "Severe property damage" does not mean an economic loss caused by delays in production.
(2) 
A User may allow any bypass to occur which does not cause Pretreatment Standards, local limits or requirements to be violated, but only if it is also essential maintenance to assure efficient operation. These bypasses are not subject to the provisions of Subsection K(3) and (4) of this section.
(3) 
Bypass notifications.
(a) 
If the User knows in advance of the need for a bypass, it shall submit prior notice to the Commissioner, at least five days before the date of bypass, if possible.
(b) 
A User shall submit oral notice to the Commissioner of any unanticipated bypass that exceeds applicable Pretreatment Standards, local limits or requirements within twenty-four (24) hours from the time it becomes aware of the bypass. A written submission shall also be provided within five days of the time the User becomes aware of the bypass. The written submission shall contain a description of the bypass and its cause, the duration of the bypass, including exact dates and times, and, if the bypass has not been corrected, the anticipated time it is expected to continue, and steps taken or planned to reduce, eliminate, and prevent reoccurrence of the bypass. The Commissioner may waive the written report on a case-by-case basis if the oral report has been received within twenty-four (24) hours.
(4) 
Bypass.
(a) 
Bypass is prohibited and the Commissioner 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 was 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 preventive maintenance; and
[3] 
The User submitted notices as required under Subsection K(3) of this section.
(b) 
The Commissioner may approve an anticipated bypass, after considering its adverse effects, if the Commissioner determines that it will meet the three conditions listed in Subsection K(4)(a) of this section.
No person(s) shall maliciously, willfully, or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface, or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the wastewater facilities. Any person(s) violating this provision shall be subject to immediate arrest under charge of disorderly conduct.
A. 
The Commissioner and other duly authorized employees of the City bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all properties for the purposes of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, and testing pertinent to discharge to the community system in accordance with the provisions of this article.
B. 
The Commissioner and other duly authorized employees are authorized to obtain information concerning industrial processes which have a bearing on the kind and source of discharge to the public sewer. The industrial User may request that the Commissioner withhold from public disclosure any information deemed confidential in accordance with 40 CFR 403.14. The industrial User must establish that the revelation to the public of the information in question might result in an advantage to competitors.
C. 
While performing the necessary work on private properties referred to in Subsection A, the Commissioner or duly authorized employees of the City shall observe all safety rules applicable to the premises established by the company, and the company shall be held harmless for injury or death to the City employees, and the City shall indemnify the company against loss or damage to its property by the City employees and against liability claims and demands for personal injury or property damage asserted against the company and growing out of the gauging and sampling operation, except as such may be caused by negligence or failure of the company to maintain safe conditions as required in § 200-16J.
[Amended 6-26-2007]
D. 
The Commissioner and other duly authorized employees of the City bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all private properties through which the City holds a duly negotiated easement for the purposes of, but not limited to, inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, repair and maintenance of any portion of the wastewater facilities lying within said easement. All entry and subsequent work, if any, on said easement shall be done in full accordance with the terms of the duly negotiated easement pertaining to the private property involved.
A. 
Any person found to be violating any provisions of this article except § 200-18, Arrest provision, including any National Pretreatment Standard, National Categorical Pretreatment Standard, or other pretreatment requirement shall be served by the City with written notice stating the nature of the violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. Violation of more than one standard or requirement shall be deemed a separate violation for each standard or requirement. The offender shall, within the period of time stated in such notice, permanently cease all violations. The City may, after informal notice to the person discharging wastewater to the public sewer, immediately halt or prevent any such discharge reasonably appearing to present an imminent endangerment to the health and welfare of person, or any discharge presenting, or that may present, an endangerment to the environment, or which threatens to interfere with the operation of the public sewer or wastewater treatment facilities. Actions which may be taken by the City include ex parte temporary judicial injunctive relief, entry on private property to halt such discharge, blockage of a public sewer to halt such discharge, or demand of specific action by the person. In addition, the City may terminate the sewer service and/or revoke the industrial discharge agreement of any person who violates any provision of this article, in accordance with 40 CFR 403.8(f)(1)(iii)(B)(5).
[Amended 11-10-2020]
(1) 
A User who willfully or negligently violates any provisions of this chapter, an individual wastewater discharge permit, or issued hereunder, any other Pretreatment Standard or requirement shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable up to the maximum fine and/or imprisonment allowable under local, state, and/or federal law, per violation, per day.
(2) 
A User who willfully or negligently introduces any substance into the POTW which cause personal injury or property damage shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable up to the maximum fine and/or imprisonment allowable under local, state, and/or federal law, per violation, per day. This penalty shall be in addition to any other cause of action for personal injury or property damage available under local, state, and/or federal law, per violation, per day.
(3) 
A User who knowingly makes any false statements, representations, or certifications in any application, record, report, plan or other documentation filed, or required to be maintained, pursuant to this chapter, individual wastewater discharge permit, or order issued herein, or who falsifies, tampers with, or knowingly renders inaccurate monitoring device or method required under this chapter shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable up to the maximum fine and/or imprisonment allowable under local, state, and/or federal law, per violation, per day.
B. 
Any person who violates any provision of this article, including any National Pretreatment Standard, National Categorical Pretreatment Standard, or other pretreatment requirement, may be fined in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.) for each violation, even if he/she corrects such violation within the time period set forth in the notice issued pursuant to Subsection A. Each day in which any such violation shall continue shall be deemed a separate offense. Reference: RSA 31:39, I(f); RSA 47:17; RSA 149-I:6.
C. 
In addition to the foregoing, any person who violates any provisions of this article which results in an increase in costs to the wastewater facility or wastewater treatment works, or which interferes with or harms treatment plant personnel, equipment, processes, or operation, shall be liable to the City in an amount equal to the additional costs incurred by the City as a result of such violation, including but not limited to court costs, attorneys' fees and fees related to sampling and analysis to assure compliance with applicable limitations. Such liability exists even if the person corrects such violation within the time set forth in the notice issued pursuant to Subsection A.
A. 
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
B. 
The invalidity of any section, clause, sentence, or provision of this article shall not affect the validity of any other part of this article which can be given effect without such invalid part or parts.
This article shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage, approval, recording and publication as provided by law.