§ 36-19. Definitions.  


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  • The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

    Ammonia nitrogen means the total ammonia nitrogen, commonly expressed as NH3-N.

    Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) means the quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days at 20½ degrees Celsius, expressed in parts per million.

    Building sewer means 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 sewer connection, beginning five feet outside the inner face of the building wall.

    Categorical pretreatment standards means national pretreatment standards which specify quantities or concentrations of pollutants or pollutant properties which may be discharged or introduced into the sewage works by any person (USEPA 40 CFR 403).

    Clear water means water from building footing drains containing groundwater.

    Combined sewer means a sewer which carries stormwaters and surface waters and drainage and includes sewage and polluted industrial wastes.

    Dilution means the use of potable or process water for the purpose of making sewage wastes less concentrated.

    DPW means the city department of public works.

    Garbage means solid wastes from the preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.

    Industrial discharger means any nonresidential user who discharges sewage into the sewage works.

    Industrial wastes means the liquid and/or solid waste from industrial processes as distinct from sanitary sewage.

    Natural outlet means any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, river or other body of surface water or groundwater.

    Normal domestic strengths means wastewater discharged at concentration levels typical of normal human activity. These levels are 250 mg/l for BOD, and 200 mg/l for SS, 30 mg/l for NH-N and 10 mg/l for P.

    NPDES permit means the national pollution discharge elimination system permit which is issued periodically by the Environmental Protection Agency, through the state department of natural resources.

    pH means the logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.

    Properly shredded garbage means the wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food that have been shredded to such degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle greater than one-half inch in any dimension.

    Public sewer means a sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal rights, and is controlled by public authority.

    Sanitary sewer means a sewer which carries sewage and to which stormwaters, surface waters, and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.

    Sewage means a combination of the water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments, together with such groundwaters as may be present.

    Sewage treatment plant means any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.

    Sewer means a pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.

    Sewer connection means the extension from the building sewer to the public sewer or other place of disposal.

    Sewer connection charge means a lump sum fee to be established yearly by the city council for the installation of the sewer connection from the sanitary sewer in the street to the property line of abutting property.

    Slug load means any substance released at a rate and/or concentration which causes interference with the sewage works.

    Storm sewer or storm drain means a sewer which carries stormwaters and surface waters and drainage, but excludes sewage and polluted industrial wastes.

    Superintendent means the superintendent of the sewage works or in each instance the authorized deputy, agent or representative.

    Suspended solids means 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.

    Total phosphorous means all phosphorous including phosphates (P).

    Treatment works means all facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing of sewage.

    Watercourse means a channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.

(Code 1992, § 21-51; Ord. No. 267, § 1, 2-2-1989)