[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the City of Taneytown
1-14-1980 by Ord. No. 5-79 as Title 5, Ch. 2 of the 1980 Code. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Amended 6-11-1984 by Ord.
No. 4-84]
A.
This chapter sets forth uniform requirements for direct
and indirect contributors to the sewerage facilities of the City of Taneytown
and enables the city to comply with all applicable state and federal laws
required by the Clean Water Act of 1977 and the general pretreatment regulations
(40 CFR Part 403).
B.
The objectives of this chapter are:
(1)
To prevent the introduction of pollutants into the sewerage
system which will interfere with the operation of the system or contaminate
the resulting sludge.
(2)
To prevent the introduction of pollutants into the sewerage
system which will pass through the system inadequately treated into receiving
waters or the atmosphere or otherwise be incompatible with the system.
(3)
To improve the opportunity to recycle and reclaim wastewaters
and sludges from the system.
(4)
To provide for equitable distribution of the cost of
the sewerage system.
The short title of this chapter shall be the "City of Taneytown Sewer
Use Code."
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall
have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context
clearly indicates a different meaning. Words, terms and phrases are as follows:
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the "Clean
Water Act," as amended, 33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.
The quantity of oxygen, expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/l),
utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory
procedure in five days at 20º C.
The City of Taneytown, Maryland, or its authorized deputy, agent
or representative.
Solid waste resulting from the domestic and commercial preparation,
cooking and dispensing of food and from handling, storage and sale of produce.
Any property upon which there is erected a structure intended for
continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy or use by human beings or animals
and from which structure sewage and/or industrial wastes shall be or may be
discharged.
Any room, group of rooms, building or other enclosure used or intended
for use, in whole or in part, in the operation of one business enterprise
for manufacturing, fabricating, processing, cleaning, laundering or assembling
any product, commodity or article or from which any process waste, as distinct
from sewage, shall be discharged.
Solid, liquid or gaseous substances, waterborne waste or form of
energy discharged or escaping in the course of any industrial, manufacturing,
trade or business process or in the course of development, recovering or processing
of natural resources, but not sewage.
As set forth in § 167-5 of this chapter.
The inhibition or disruption of the sewage treatment plant processes
or operations which contributes to a violation of any requirement of the city's
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The term includes
prevention of sewage sludge use or disposal by the city in accordance with
Section 405 of the Act (33 U.S.C. § 1345) or any criteria, guidelines
or regulations developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA),
the Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act or more stringent state
criteria (including those contained in any state sludge management plan prepared
pursuant to Title IV of SWDA) applicable to the method of disposal or use
employed by the city.
Milligrams per liter.
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole or partial,
of an improved property.
Any individual, partnership, copartnership, firm, company, corporation,
association, joint-stock company, trust, estate, governmental entity or any
other legal entity or their legal representatives, agents or assigns. The
masculine gender shall include the feminine, and the singular shall include
the plural where indicated by the context.
The logarithm of the reciprocal of the concentration of hydrogen
ions, expressed in gram equivalent per liter of solution, indicating the degree
of acidity or alkalinity of a substance.
The reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination of pollutants
or the alteration of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater to a
less harmful state prior to or in lieu of discharging or otherwise introducing
such pollutants into the sewerage facilities. The reduction or alteration
can be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes or process changes
or by other means, except as prohibited by federal regulations.
Any substantive or procedural requirement related to pretreatment,
other than a national pretreatment standard imposed on an industrial user.
Any person holding an undergraduate degree in chemistry or in a closely
allied field (e.g., biology or sanitary engineering); or
Any other person who has demonstrated competency in wastewater analysis
by having analyzed satisfactorily a minimum of three reference wastewater
samples as supplied upon request by the city.
The normal water-carried household and toilet waste from any improved
property, excluding, however, the effluent from septic tanks or cesspools,
rain, stormwater and groundwater, as well as roof or surface water, drainage
or percolating or seeping waters or accumulation thereof, whether underground
or in cellars or basements.
That portion of the sewerage system designed to provide treatment
to wastewater, including, but not necessarily limited to, any arrangement
of devices and structures used for treating sewage and authorized industrial
waste.
Any sanitary sewers that convey wastewater to the sewage treatment
plant, but not including pipes, sewers or other conveyances not connected
to a facility providing treatment. For the purposes of this chapter, "sewerage
system" shall also include any sewers that convey wastewaters to the sewerage
system from persons who are, by contract or agreement with the city, users
of the city's sewerage system.
Any discharge of water, sewage or industrial waste 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 flow during normal operation.
An abbreviated expression used to denote Standard Methods for the
Examination of Water and Wastewater, a manual published by the American Public
Health Association specifying official analytical procedures for the measurement
of wastewater parameters.
Solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension in
water, sewage or other liquids and which are removable by laboratory filtering.
The sum of dissolved and undissolved constituents in water or wastewater.
Any substance or combination of substances that is listed as toxic
in regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency or is present in sufficient
quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injure or
interfere with any sewage treatment process, to constitute a hazard to humans
or animals, to create a public nuisance or to create any hazard in the sewerage
system or in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant.
Any waste which is not in compliance with the provisions of this
chapter or which is discharged into the sewerage system by a person in violation
of any provision contained in this chapter.
Garbage that has not been shredded to such a degree that all its
particles will be carried freely under normal sewer flow conditions, with
no particle greater than 1/2 inch in any dimension.
Any person who contributes or causes or permits the contribution
of wastewater into the city's sewerage system.
The liquid and water-carried industrial or domestic wastes from dwellings,
commercial buildings, industrial facilities and institutions, whether treated
or untreated, which is contributed into or permitted to enter the sewerage
system.
A.
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any
stormwater, surface water, spring water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface
drainage, building foundation drainage, cellar drainage or drainage from roof
leader connections into the sewerage system.
B.
The city reserves the right to refuse permission to connect
to the sewerage system, to compel discontinuance of use of the sewerage system
or to compel pretreatment of industrial wastes by any industrial establishment
in order to comply with treatment discharge criteria and to prevent discharges
deemed harmful or to have a deleterious effect upon any sewer, the sewerage
system or the sewage treatment plant.
C.
Except as otherwise provided, no person shall discharge
or cause to be discharged into the sewerage system any sewage, industrial
wastes or other matter or substance:
(1)
Having a temperature higher than 120º F. or less
than 32º F.
(2)
Containing more than 80 mg/l of fat, oil or grease.
(3)
Containing any gasoline, benzene, naptha, fuel, oil,
paint products, acid or other inflammable or explosive liquids, solids or
gases.
(4)
Containing unground garbage.
(5)
Containing, but not limited to, any ashes, cinders, sand,
mud, straw, shavings, metals, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood,
whole blood, paunch manure, bentonite, lye, building materials, rubber, hair,
bones, leather, porcelain, china, ceramic wastes or other solid or viscous
substances capable of causing obstruction or other interference with the operation
of the sewerage system or sewage treatment plant.
(6)
Having a pH, stabilized, lower than 6.5 or higher than
9.0 or having any other corrosive or scale-forming property capable of causing
damage or hazard to structures, equipment, bacterial action or personnel of
the sewerage system or the sewage treatment plant.
(7)
Containing a toxic substance in sufficient quantity to
injure or cause interference with any sewage treatment process, to constitute
a hazard to humans or animals or to create any hazard in the receiving waters
of the sewage treatment plant.
(8)
Containing total solids greater than 2,000 parts per
million or of such character and quantity that unusual attention or expense
is required to handle such material in the sewage treatment plant.
(9)
Containing a noxious or malodorous gas or substance which
creates a public nuisance.
(10)
Containing dye from any source that will not have an
effluent the equivalent of that produced by alum coagulation and chlorination
to remove suspended or collodial matter and bleach the dissolved dyes.
(11)
Containing radioactive substances and/or isotopes of
such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits in compliance with applicable
state or federal regulations.
(12)
Having a chlorine demand in excess of 12 mg/l at a detention
time of 20 minutes.
(13)
Prohibited by any permit issued by the State of Maryland
or the Environmental Protection Agency.
(14)
Containing wastes which are not amenable to biological
treatment or reduction in existing treatment facilities, specifically nonbiodegradable
complex carbon compounds.
(15)
Having BOD greater than 250 mg/l.
(16)
Having a content of suspended solids greater than 250
mg/l.
(17)
Containing slugs having an average daily flow greater
than 5% of the average daily sewage flow at the sewage treatment plant.
(18)
Containing toxic or poisonous substances in excess of
the following limits, measured at the point of discharge to the sewerage system;
provided, however, that deviations from the schedule may be authorized by
the city, in its sole discretion, upon an affirmative showing by the person
requesting the same that such deviation will not be harmful to the sewerage
system or sewage treatment plant:
|
Substance
|
Maximum Concentration
(mg/l)
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Arsenic
|
0.01
| |
|
Cadmium (as Cd)
|
0.01
| |
|
Chromium (trivalent)
|
0.5
| |
|
Chromium (hexavalent)
|
0.3
| |
|
Copper (as Cu)
|
1.0
| |
|
Cyanides
|
0.1
| |
|
Lead
|
0.05
| |
|
Mercury
|
0.1
| |
|
Nickel (as Ni)
|
0.5
| |
|
Phenol
|
0.005
| |
|
Silver
|
0.05
| |
|
Zinc (as Zn)
|
2.5
|
(19)
Containing any toxic substance not mentioned in the foregoing
list that will pass through the treatment works and exceed the maximum permitted
levels for such substance under the requirements of the state or other governmental
agencies.
D.
Drainage of swimming pools. Filter backwash lines shall
be discharged to the sewerage system as follows:
(1)
Sand filter backwash shall be discharged to the sewerage
system.
(2)
Diatomaceous earth filter backwash shall be connected
to the sewerage system through settling tanks with three months' storage capacity
of spent diatomaceous earth, which tanks shall be readily accessible for removing
solid waste for disposal.
E.
Removal, transportation and disposal of sewage and industrial
waste.
(1)
The industrial wastes discharged by tank trucks into
the sewerage system shall not contain industrial waste, chemicals or other
matter, with or without pretreatment, that does not conform to the requirements
of this chapter.
(2)
Any industrial waste to be discharged from tank trucks
shall be disposed at the location designated at the sewage treatment plant
at the time or times and at a rate or rates of discharge fixed by the city.
G.
Whenever a person is authorized by the city and the appropriate governmental agencies to discharge any polluted water, sewage or industrial waste containing any of the substances or possessing any of the characteristics referred to in Subsection C, such discharge shall be subject to the continuing approval, inspection and review of the city. If, in the opinion of the city, such discharge is causing or will cause damage to the sewerage system and/or sewage treatment plant, the city shall order the person causing such discharge to cease doing so forthwith or to take other appropriate action, as may be required by the city, to eliminate the harmful discharge.
H.
Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed
as prohibiting any special agreement or arrangement between the city and any
person whereby industrial wastes of unusual strength or character may be admitted
into the sewerage system by the city, either before or after pretreatment.
A.
Industrial waste questionnaire. Any person proposing
a connection to the sewerage system through which industrial wastes will be
discharged shall file with the city an industrial waste questionnaire, to
be furnished by the city, which will supply the city with pertinent data with
respect to the industrial wastes proposed to be discharged into the sewerage
system. The cost of obtaining all such data shall be borne by the person,
hereinafter referred to as the "applicant," proposing to make or use a connection
to the sewage system.
B.
Review of questionnaire. Within 30 days of receipt of
the industrial waste questionnaire in proper form with all required data by
the city, it shall notify the applicant, in writing, as follows:
(1)
That the wastewater proposed to be discharged is acceptable
and permission will be given by the city;
(2)
That the wastewater proposed to be discharged is unacceptable;
(3)
That the wastewater proposed to be discharged will be
acceptable, provided that certain action is taken and maintained by the applicant,
specifying the terms and conditions thereof; or
(4)
That it requires further information, studies and tests,
specifying the requirements thereof, before it can determine whether the proposed
discharge is, is not or will be acceptable.
C.
Waste characteristic change. Any person who is discharging
industrial waste into the sewerage system and who contemplates a change in
the method of operation or in the pretreatment facilities which will alter
the type of industrial waste then being discharged into the sewerage system
shall file a revised industrial waste questionnaire at least 30 days prior
to such change. Approval or disapproval of the modified industrial waste shall
be regulated by the procedures established hereunder for the industrial waste
questionnaire.
D.
Industrial waste contribution reports. Ten days prior
to the first day of March, June, September and December, each contributor
of industrial waste shall file with the city a report on the quality and quantity
of its discharge. The report forms shall be supplied by the city and shall
be similar to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Form 7550-22, page IV-1.
E.
Sampling, flow measurement, testing and inspection.
(1)
When required by the city, a person who is discharging
industrial wastes into the sewerage system shall install, at his or her expense,
a suitable control manhole, subject to approval by the city, together with
such necessary meters and other appurtenances to facilitate observation, sampling
and measurement of the wastewater. Construction shall be completed within
90 days following written notification by the city.
(2)
Each industrial establishment shall provide the city
the opportunity of access at any time to any part of any improved property
served by the sewerage system as shall be required for purposes of inspection,
measurement, sampling, testing and records examination for ascertainment of
whether the purpose of this chapter is being met.
(3)
All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics
of wastes to which reference is made in this chapter shall be made in accordance
with the latest edition of Standard Methods and shall be determined by a qualified
analyst.
(4)
The costs of all sampling, testing, inspection and other
monitoring activities incurred by the city while enforcing the provisions
of this chapter shall be reimbursable from the respective user.
(5)
The city shall annually prepare and make available to
the public, upon request, a report listing those users which were not in compliance
with any pretreatment requirements or any other provision of this chapter
at least once during the 12 previous months. The report shall also summarize
any enforcement actions taken against the user(s) during the same 12 months.
(6)
Both the users and the city shall maintain all records
relating to compliance with pretreatment requirements for a period of three
years, and all such records shall be made available to officials of the EPA
upon request.
(7)
Information and data on a user obtained from questionnaires,
monitoring programs and inspections shall be available to the public or other
governmental agency without restriction, unless the user specifically requests
and is able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the city that the release
of such information would divulge information entitled to protection as trade
secrets of the user.
F.
Interceptors. Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall
be provided by the owner of any industrial establishment, when required by
the city, for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing grease in excessive
amounts or any inflammable wastes, sand or other harmful ingredients. Any
interceptor, when required by the city, shall be of a type and capacity approved
by the city and constructed or installed at an accessible, safe, suitable
and satisfactory location in accordance with plans approved by the city prior
to installation or commencement of construction.
G.
Flow equalizers. The city reserves the right to require
industrial establishments having large variations in rates of waste discharge
to install suitable regulating devices for equalizing waste flows to the sewerage
system.
H.
State and federal requirements. Where state or federal
requirements and limitations on discharges exist and are more stringent than
the requirements and limitations contained in this chapter, then the most
stringent requirements and limitations shall apply.
I.
Separation of wastes. In the case of complete separation
of domestic sewage from industrial wastes within an industrial establishment,
with the domestic wastes only discharged to the sewerage system, an industrial
waste questionnaire will not be required.
A.
Whenever a person requests permission from the city to discharge any polluted water, sewage or industrial waste containing any of the substances or possessing any of the characteristics referred to in § 167-4C, the city may, in its sole discretion, require as a condition to its granting approval for such discharge that said person provide, at his or her own expense, pretreatment of such waters or wastes to reduce or eliminate objectionable substances or characteristics prior to discharge into the sewerage system or to control the quantities or rates of discharge of such waters or wastes.
B.
Whenever a person is required by the city to provide
pretreatment facilities, no construction of such facilities shall be commenced
until:
C.
Whenever pretreatment facilities are approved by the
city and are placed in operation, said facilities shall be continuously maintained
in satisfactory and effective operation by the person who installed them or
by the owner thereof, at his or her own expense. The city shall have the right
to inspect said facilities at any reasonable time to ensure such are being
properly maintained and operated in accordance with the then-current rules
and regulations of the city.
A.
Any person who discharges or causes to be discharged any polluted water, sewage or industrial waste containing any of the substances or possessing any of the characteristics referred to in § 167-4 of this chapter, upon written notice from the city, shall immediately cease and desist from such violation. If such person fails to cease such violation after notice has been given, then the city shall have the right to order the same to disconnect from the sewerage system.
B.
Any person who causes harm or damage to the sewerage
system and/or sewage treatment plant as a result of a violation of this chapter
shall be liable to the city for the full cost of such harm or damage.
The owner of each improved property connected to the sewerage system
shall be responsible for all acts of tenants or other occupants of such improved
property insofar as such acts shall be governed by provisions of this chapter.
The owner of any improved property required by this chapter to have
sanitary facilities for sewage disposal shall be responsible for the proper
installation of such facilities. The occupant or person having immediate use
and control of such property shall be responsible for maintaining the facilities
in sanitary and usable condition, unless by contractual arrangement between
the parties the owner expressly agrees to retain such responsibility.
[Added 10-8-2001 by Ord.
No. 11-2001]
A.
The property owner will furnish and install, at the property
owner's sole expense, all such piping and equipment that is necessary to connect
from the property owner's property line to the City's sewer main. All such
equipment and materials shall be approved by the City prior to installation
and shall be installed by a licensed master plumber who shall be approved
by the City prior to any such work being performed.
B.
Title to all sewer lines and laterals from the sewer
main to the property line is vested in and shall at all times remain the sole
property of the City and shall not be trespassed upon or interfered with in
any respect. This property and equipment shall be maintained by the City after
completion of the work.
C.
The sewer lateral from the property line to the building
shall be installed at the expense of the property owner. For this installation,
the property owner shall employ a licensed master plumber to do the work.
Materials and methods of construction shall be in accordance with established
codes adopted by the City and shall be subject to the approval of the City.
The sewer lateral between the property line and the building and all fixtures
on or in the building of the property owner or applicant shall be maintained
by the property owner and the work shall be performed by a licensed master
plumber in a manner satisfactory to the City.
D.
All sewer house connections shall be six-inch PVC (polyvinyl
chloride) pipe, with a cleanout at or near the property line.
E.
No sewer lateral shall be laid in the same trench with
any gas, water, or any other utility or facility of a public service company
or within three feet of any other excavation or fault.
F.
In the event of a complaint regarding a sewer stoppage,
the Director of Utilities for the City will promptly determine whether the
main sewer line is clear and, if not, the stoppage will be cleared as soon
as possible. If the main-line sewer is found to be clear, the complainant
will be so informed and he/she shall then, at his or her own expense, employ
a licensed master plumber to determine the location of the stoppage, to relieve
the stoppage and to clean out the lateral line. If, upon investigation by
City officials or their representatives or agents, the pipe between the property
line and the main line sewer is found to be damaged, then the City, at its
sole expense, will have the option either to repair or replace the damaged
pipe.
Where this chapter requires a particular type of sewage disposal facility,
the use of any other type, or disposal by any other means, is hereby expressly
prohibited unless approved by the Council. The Council approves exceptions
to the provisions of this chapter only when the lot size, soil composition,
lay of the land or other unusual circumstances make the installation and use
of the prescribed facilities unfeasible, and provided that conditions favor
those installations as adequate for protection of the public health.
It shall be unlawful for any person willfully or maliciously to deposit
any material in any toilet, bathtub, sink or other plumbing fixture which
may result in the obstruction of any sanitary sewer. This liability on the
part of occupant shall not relieve the owner of the responsibility of cleaning
any resultant chokage which shall subject the occupant to the penalties of
this chapter upon proper proof of such willful malicious act.[1]
Any extension of the city's sanitary sewer system shall be made at the
expense of the developer or property owner unless and until it is deemed to
be in the best interests of the health, safety, economics or community development
of the city that the Council, by affirmative vote, allow other means of financing
such extension of the city's sanitary sewer system, including but not limited
to city participation in bearing any portion of the cost of the same.
[Amended 8-9-1999 by Ord.
No. 8-99]
The city shall not provide sewer services outside the corporate limits
of the city.
[Amended 8-9-1999 by Ord.
No. 8-99]
The violation by any person or persons who individually, collectively
or through others violate any provision of this chapter or of the rules and
regulations of the Council is declared a municipal infraction. The penalty
for violation shall, unless otherwise specified herein, be $50 for each initial
offense and $100 for each day any violations continue.
The city reserves the right to adopt, from time to time, such additional
rules, regulations, fees and penalties as it shall deem necessary and proper
in connection with use and operation of the sewerage system, which rules,
regulations, fees and penalties shall be, shall become and shall be construed
as part of this chapter.
All improved properties within the corporate limits of the city shall
be connected to the sanitary sewage system of the city.
In the event of a failure of any property owner to so connect to the
sanitary sewage system, the Council shall have the power and authority to
order the connection made by any competent contractor of its choice and shall
have the right to impose the costs thereof as a charge against and a lien
upon that property, which costs shall be due, payable and collectible in the
same manner as are the ad valorem taxes of the city.
[Amended 8-9-1999 by Ord.
No. 8-99]
It shall be unlawful for any person, persons, firm or corporation to
have or maintain within the corporate limits of the city any outdoor toilet
or privy. Any violation of this section is declared to be a municipal infraction.
The penalty for violation shall be $50 for each initial offense and $100 for
each day the violation continues.
The schedule of rates and charges for sewer services furnished by the
city shall be as established by the Mayor and Council from time to time by
resolution.
The sewage charge hereby imposed and levied shall be collected by the
Clerk at the same time and in the same manner as the charge for water furnished
and supplied is collected. Upon the failure of any user of the sanitary sewage
system to pay the charge levied and imposed within 30 days after the statement
of the charges due, the city, or its agents or employees, after five days'
written notice, may discontinue the supply of water to or for the property
or premises owned or occupied by any delinquent user. Any unpaid bills shall
be and remain a lien upon the premises served until paid and may be collected
in the same manner as taxes levied upon real estate by the city, and bills
for any service shall be directed to the owner or owners of the premises served.
[Added 11-9-1992 by Ord.
No. 9-92]
A.
Any property owner, developer or individual seeking site
plan approval or subdivision approval must obtain sewer allocation for any
part of a proposed project that is to be recorded in the land records of Carroll
County before final approval by the city. Sewer allocation will be based upon
approved Maryland Department of the Environment (MDOE) regulations.
B.
Sewer allocations will be assigned and held in reserve
at no charge for one year following the effective date of approval. The sewer
allocation can be renewed once for a one-year period only upon payment of
a sewer allocation reservation fee (SARF). The sewer allocation reservation
fee is $250 per lot or dwelling unit that does not possess a valid building
permit. The fee set forth herein is in addition to any fee or charge which
may now or hereafter be made by the city.
C.
A sewer allocation shall be effective for a period of
one year from the date of allocation. If actual construction on the proposed
project has not commenced by the end of that period, as evidenced by the possession
of a valid building permit, the allocation shall expire unless renewed for
the additional year.
D.
After the allocation has expired, the owner, developer
or individual must reapply for sewer allocation.
E.
Notification of the passage of this section is to be
made to the current owner of the property for which the allocation was granted
by certified mail.
