Chapter 3.45
ENFORCEMENT
Sections:
3.45.010 Enforcement mechanisms.
3.45.020 Informal administrative actions.
3.45.030 Administrative orders and compliance schedules.
3.45.040 Noncompliance fees – Wastewater discharge.
3.45.050 Private sewer lateral noncompliance.
3.45.060 Assessment of charges for obstructing or damage to WCW facilities or operations.
3.45.070 Suspension or termination of service.
3.45.080 Administrative civil penalties for pretreatment violations.
3.45.110 Notification procedures.
3.45.130 Responding to significant noncompliance.
3.45.010 Enforcement mechanisms.
It is the intent of this chapter to provide adequate mechanisms to achieve a maximum degree of compliance with this title by all users. These enforcement provisions apply to all persons and classes of users to the extent such person or user violates any provision of this title or administrative order of WCW. In order to achieve the maximum degree of compliance desired, WCW may use a variety of enforcement mechanisms. The enforcement mechanisms set forth range from informal administrative action to formal criminal prosecution. WCW may, in its discretion, implement the use of any mechanism or the concurrent use of several mechanisms in order to enforce the provisions of this title. The enforcement mechanisms provided herein may be cumulative in respect to such other enforcement mechanisms or civil and criminal penalties as may be otherwise available under the laws of the state of California and the United States of America. Nothing in this chapter is intended to prevent state and/or federal regulatory agencies from undertaking enforcement actions as may otherwise be available due to a violation of this title which also constitutes a violation of federal or state statutes and regulations.
The enforcement mechanisms available to WCW for violations of the provisions of this title, applicable WCW resolutions and permit provisions are the following:
A. Informal administrative action (including NOVs and warning notices).
B. Administrative orders, compliance schedules, and other reports.
C. Imposition of fines and fees for noncompliance with permit requirements.
D. Imposition of penalties for noncompliance with administrative orders.
E. Assessment of charges for obstruction or damage to WCW facilities or operations.
F. Suspension or termination of services.
G. Civil action.
H. Criminal action. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.010]
3.45.020 Informal administrative actions.
WCW staff may, on an informal basis, take action against a discharger for minor violations of the title or technical or clerical shortcomings of a user or a user’s compliance submittals. These informal administrative actions may include informal notices (i.e., telephone calls or emails to the user’s representative), notices of violation (NOVs), informal meetings or warning letters. Such action will not prevent a subsequent or concurrent imposition of noncompliance fees or other enforcement mechanisms. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.020]
3.45.030 Administrative orders and compliance schedules.
When WCW finds that a person or user has violated the prohibitions or requirements of this title, or the provisions of a wastewater discharge permit, WCW may issue an administrative order directed at those users not complying with such prohibitions, limitations, requirements or provisions to (1) cease to discharge immediately (suspension of service); (2) comply with requirements immediately; or (3) make such changes to their private sewer lateral or pretreatment facility and procedures immediately as to ensure full compliance.
WCW may also issue, under the circumstances set forth above, an order containing a compliance schedule or a time schedule setting forth dates by which specific corrective actions must be completed. Any user subject to a compliance schedule shall submit to WCW, for each compliance step in the schedule, a report stating whether or not compliance was achieved. Where compliance is not achieved, the report must state the reasons for noncompliance, steps being taken to comply with the schedule, and the date when compliance with the increment in question is expected. Each report must be submitted not later than 14 days after the date of the compliance step specified in the compliance schedule.
All users shall submit to WCW any other reports as deemed reasonable and necessary by WCW, in addition to those described above, to demonstrate compliance with this chapter, their wastewater discharge permit, or any applicable state or federal regulations. Such reports include, but are not limited to, any reports or plans required by state, federal or local laws or regulations. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.030]
3.45.040 Noncompliance fees – Wastewater discharge.
A. Noncompliance Fees for Pollutant Limitation Violations. If a periodic compliance sampling performed by the user or WCW reveals noncompliance by the discharger with the prohibitions or specific pollutant limitations contained in this chapter, the permit, resolutions by the WCW board, or which violates specific national pretreatment standards or state standards on discharges, then the user may be liable for fees of at least $1,000 for each day of violation per violation. The purpose of these fees is to compensate WCW for additional costs of sampling, monitoring, laboratory analysis, treatment, disposal and administrative processing incurred as a result of the noncompliance. These fees will be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any penalties as may be assessed pursuant to WCWDC 3.45.080, 3.45.090, and 3.45.100.
1. For the purpose of this section, a fee of $1,000 may be imposed for each violation of the constituent limit for the first violation of that constituent limit during the term of the permit.
2. Second or subsequent violations of this same constituent limit during the term of the permit may result in increased fees for each violation of the constituent limit resulting from a single day’s sample.
3. Whenever periodic compliance samples or WCW’s unannounced samples indicate a significant noncompliance (SNC), WCW may undertake a sampling and evaluation program. This program will consist of WCW sampling of the discharger’s wastewater at the first opportunity convenient to the WCW. Daily samples may be taken each day for up to five days. WCW or an outside laboratory will analyze these samples for the violating constituents and provide notice to the user in regard to the results of said sampling. Violations that may occur during the sampling and evaluation program shall constitute subsequent violations under this chapter or under any applicable law.
4. In the event a sampling and evaluation program indicates a need for corrective actions to be undertaken, WCW may place the discharger on a compliance schedule or undertake another sampling and evaluation program. A compliance schedule shall provide for minimum required actions to be undertaken by the discharger to alleviate the violation and a schedule for completion of said actions. This compliance schedule may include interim constituent level maximums. All violations of constituent maximums or other requirements set forth in the compliance schedule, including failure to meet schedule dates, may subject the violator to a fee of $1,000 per violation. Each day in which the discharger fails to meet a schedule date may, in the discretion of WCW, constitute a separate violation. Any violation of a constituent limit during the compliance schedule period may also result in the implementation of an additional sampling and evaluation program.
B. In addition to the penalty fees set forth in subsection (A) of this section, a “significant” violation of the discharge standard may result in the immediate termination of the discharger’s permission to discharge, at the discretion of WCW. The termination of permission to discharge may be for a set period or for the entire remaining term of the permit, at the discretion of WCW. Any violation of the discharge standards where a constituent concentration is determined to be five times the concentration standard set forth in Appendix A1 shall be determined to be a “significant” violation. Any series of three or more violations of the same constituent within a one-year period shall constitute a “significant” violation.
C. Preliminary Determination of Noncompliance with Permit Requirements. Noncompliance with permit discharge requirements may be determined by an analysis of a sample of the effluent of a user for a constituent or condition specified in the user’s permit. If the effluent of a user is found by the analysis of the sample to be in excess of the concentrations or conditions specified in the permit, or concentrations or conditions incorporated by reference therein, noncompliance fees as set forth in subsection (A) of this section shall be levied. The user shall notify WCW, as specified in WCWDC 3.45.110(B), of the violation and shall collect a second sample of the effluent for analysis. The user shall provide WCW with the results of the second sample within 30 days of the date the violation was discovered. If the second sample reveals noncompliance, then the sampling and evaluation program may be initiated by WCW.
D. Sampling and Evaluation Program.
1. If the sampling and evaluation program (SEP) reveals noncompliance by the user with the prohibitions or specific pollutant limitations specified in this chapter or in the user’s permit, the user shall pay fees as specified above and may be assessed all other costs incurred during the SEP for sampling and analysis, including labor, equipment, materials, outside services and overhead.
2. If noncompliance by the user with the prohibitions or limitations of this chapter or of the user’s permit is determined following the initiation of an SEP, WCW may implement one of the following enforcement actions:
a. Amend the existing permit through an enforcement compliance schedule agreement (ECSA). This may be done after consultation with the user and when the user has shown good faith in trying to comply but requires additional time for construction and/or acquisition of equipment related to pretreatment. The permit may be amended with the ECSA for a period up to 180 days; however, this period may be extended for a period not to exceed an additional 180 days upon determination by the general manager that good cause exists for an additional period. No further extensions shall be granted except upon approval of the WCW board.
b. If a discharger remains in noncompliance because corrective action is not taken within a reasonable time after completion of the SEP or the expiration of the ECSA, then an administrative order may be issued. Additionally, any of the other enforcement actions as outlined in this chapter may also be commenced. The payment of noncompliance fees will not bar WCW from undertaking such enforcement procedures as are otherwise set forth herein. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.040]
3.45.050 Private sewer lateral noncompliance.
A. In addition to other enforcement remedies described in this chapter, WCW may exercise one or more of the following remedies in response to a user maintaining a private sewer lateral in a manner that constitutes a violation of this title, as described in Chapter 3.20 WCWDC.
1. If a private sewer lateral is maintained in a defective condition as described in WCWDC 3.20.010(C)(1) for a period of five days after notice of violation by WCW, then WCW may impose a fee of up to $1,000 per day for each day that the violation or the defective condition continues after the fifth day.
2. WCW may record a notice of defective condition on record title for the subject property providing record notice of the defective lateral.
3. WCW may perform work using district staff or contractors to fix the lateral and place any costs incurred to perform that work on the tax roll pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 6523.3.
4. WCW may place a lien on the property for work performed by the district over a period not to exceed 30 years, pursuant to Health and Safety Code Sections 5463 and 5474.
5. WCW may enter upon private property for the purpose of inspection and maintenance of sanitary facilities, including private sewer laterals.
6. WCW may terminate service and disconnect the private lateral at the connection to the main and plug the lateral. Prior to reconnection of the lateral, the user shall pay a reconnection fee to recover all WCW staff and administrative costs and expenses, costs or construction associated to disconnecting the lateral, and costs of construction if any associated to reconnecting the lateral to the sewer main. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.050]
3.45.060 Assessment of charges for obstructing or damage to WCW facilities or operations.
When a person’s discharge, whether due to negligence, accident, spill or otherwise, causes an obstruction, damage or any other impairment to WCW’s operation or facilities, WCW may impose a charge on the person for the cost to clean or repair the facility, or costs incurred to resume normal operations. An administrative service fee of 25 percent of WCW’s costs may be added to these charges. The total amount shall be paid within 45 days of invoicing by WCW. If it can be shown that that person’s discharge caused or significantly contributed to WCW violating its discharge requirements or incurring additional expenses or suffering loss or damage to the operation or facilities, then that person shall be responsible for any costs or expenses, or a prorated portion of such expenses, including assessments or penalties imposed by other agencies or the court on WCW. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.060]
3.45.070 Suspension or termination of service.
A. Suspension of Service. WCW may suspend the wastewater collection or treatment service and/or a wastewater discharge permit by issuance of a cease and desist order when WCW makes the determination that such suspension is necessary. A suspension shall be justified in order to prevent an actual or threatened discharge which presents, or may present, an imminent or substantial endangerment to the health or welfare of individuals or the environment, causes or may cause interference to the treatment plant or other WCW operations, or causes or may cause WCW to violate any condition of its NPDES permit. Additionally, a permit may be suspended for any of the conditions justifying revocation of permit as set forth in subsection (D) of this section. Nothing in this subsection shall limit the rights of WCW to suspend or terminate service pursuant to specific permit conditions, which may be more stringent. WCW may take steps to immediately halt or prevent a discharge that threatens the health and welfare of individuals.
B. Any person notified of a suspension of service and/or the wastewater discharge permit shall immediately stop or eliminate the discharge. In the event of a failure of the user to comply voluntarily with the administrative order, WCW will take such steps as deemed necessary to prevent or minimize damage to WCW’s facilities or endangerment to persons or the environment. WCW may reinstate the wastewater discharge permit, and/or the wastewater treatment service upon proof of the elimination of the noncomplying discharge.
C. Immediate Termination of Discharge. In the case of an actual or threatened discharge which reasonably appears to present an imminent danger to the health or welfare of persons, WCW may, after reasonably attempting to informally notify the user, take all necessary steps to halt or prevent such discharge including, but not limited to, plugging or physically disconnecting the user’s access to WCW’s facilities. Reconnection of service shall require payment of all staff and administrative costs and expenses, costs or construction associated with terminating service, costs of construction if any associated to reconnecting a lateral to the sewer main, and a payment of any applicable fees and charges.
D. Revocation of Permit. Any user who violates the following conditions is subject to having its permit revoked:
1. Any user who knowingly gives or provides a false statement, representation, record, report, plan or other document to WCW or falsifies, tampers with or knowingly renders inaccurate any monitoring device or method required by this title;
2. Failure to factually and completely report the wastewater constituents and characteristics of his discharge;
3. Failure to report significant changes in operations, or wastewater constituents and characteristics;
4. Refusal of reasonable access to the user’s premises for the purpose of inspection or monitoring;
5. Failure to notify WCW immediately of accidental discharge and/or take appropriate corrective action to prevent a recurrence;
6. Failure to file a periodic compliance report or periodic compliance report in such time and in such manner as is required by this chapter;
7. Significant violation(s) of the permit requirements or conditions and/or violation of this chapter. Any violation of discharge standards where a constituent concentration is determined to be five times the limit for that constituent or any series of three or more violations of the same constituent within a one-year period shall constitute a significant violation;
8. Failure to pay fees and charges, including noncompliance fees or other penalties established pursuant to this chapter. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.070]
3.45.080 Administrative civil penalties for pretreatment violations.
Pursuant to the authority of California Government Code Sections 54739 through 54740.6, WCW or WCW staff may issue administrative complaints, conduct administrative hearings, and/or impose civil penalties in accordance with the procedures set forth in these sections for violation of WCW’s requirements relating to pretreatment of industrial waste, or the prevention of the entry of industrial waste into WCW’s collection system or treatment works.
These penalties shall be as follows:
A. In an amount which shall not exceed $2,000 for each day for failing or refusing to furnish technical or monitoring reports.
B. In an amount which shall not exceed $3,000 for each day for failing or refusing to timely comply with any compliance schedule established by WCW.
C. In an amount which shall not exceed $5,000 per violation for each day for discharges in violation of any waste discharge limitation, permit condition, or requirement issued, reissued, or adopted by WCW.
D. In an amount which shall not exceed $10.00 per gallon for discharges in violation of any suspension, cease and desist order or other orders, or prohibition issued, reissued, or adopted by WCW.
Unless appealed, orders setting administrative civil penalties shall become effective and final upon issuance thereof, and payment shall be made within 30 days.
As to court actions authorized by the above-referenced sections, WCW counsel, or other special counsel designated by the WCW board, will institute appropriate actions to effect statutory authorized remedies, upon order of the WCW board. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.080]
3.45.090 Civil action.
The WCW board may direct WCW counsel or other special counsel to bring such civil actions as may be available at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of this title and to recover such charges, fees, penalties and/or damages as may be assessed or may be incurred under the provisions of this chapter.
A. Injunction. Whenever a discharge of wastewater is in violation of or has the reasonable potential to violate any provision of this chapter, permit condition, or any federal pretreatment standard and requirement as set forth in 40 CFR Section 403.8 et seq., or user fails to submit required reports, or refuses to allow WCW entry to inspect or monitor the user’s discharge, WCW may petition the superior court for the issuance of a preliminary or permanent injunction, or both, as may be appropriate to restrain the continued violation or to prevent threatened violations by the user.
B. Civil Actions for Penalties. Any user who violates any provision of this chapter, permit condition, cease and desist order, prohibition or effluent limitation, shall be liable civilly for a penalty not to exceed $25,000 for each day in which such violation occurs pursuant to California Government Code Section 54740. WCW counsel, or other special counsel designated by the board, upon order of the WCW board, will institute such actions as may be appropriate in the superior court to impose, assess and recover such sums.
C. Other Civil Actions. WCW may require compliance with permit conditions or limitations by issuing administrative orders, including cease and desist orders, and compliance schedules. Said orders are enforceable in a California court of general jurisdiction. WCW, however, may directly undertake any court action available at law or equity, including but not limited to a civil action for penalties without first seeking an administrative order or making use of a compliance schedule, and it may concurrently undertake such administrative and court actions as deemed appropriate. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.090]
3.45.100 Criminal action.
A. General Criminal Penalties. Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, permit, administrative order, prohibition or effluent limitation, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction is punishable by a fine of $1,000 per day per violation or imprisonment of up to 30 days in the county jail, or both. Each day a violation occurs may constitute a new and separate offense and may subject the violator to an additional full measure of penalties as set forth herein.
B. Falsifying Information. Any person who knowingly makes any false statements, representations, or certification in any application, record, report, plan or other document filed or required to be maintained pursuant to this chapter, or wastewater discharge permit, or who falsifies, tampers with, or knowingly renders inaccurate any monitoring device or method required under this chapter, shall upon conviction be punished by a fine of at least $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days in the county jail, or both. Each separate act of falsification, tampering, or knowingly rendering inaccurate shall constitute a new and separate offense and shall be subject to the penalties contained herein.
Nothing in this section is intended to exclude the potential for prosecution under the applicable perjury statutes of the state of California to the extent such falsification was incorporated in a document signed under the penalty of perjury. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.100]
3.45.110 Notification procedures.
A. Notification to User. Whenever WCW finds that any user has violated or is violating the provisions of this chapter, a wastewater discharge permit, or any prohibition, limitation or requirements contained herein, WCW may serve upon such person a written notice stating the nature of the violation. Within 30 days of the date of this notice, a plan for the satisfactory correction of the violation shall be submitted to WCW by the user. Failure to respond to the violation shall be considered a separate violation.
Whenever WCW assesses a noncompliance fee, penalty or other form of enforcement action under the provisions of this chapter, WCW will serve upon such person or user a written notice stating the nature of the enforcement action being taken.
B. Notification to WCW. When a user discovers that it has violated or is violating a provision of this chapter, wastewater discharge permit, or any prohibition, limitation or requirement contained therein, including a violation as may be caused by accidental discharge or spill, the person or user shall immediately notify WCW upon discovery of such violation. Thereafter, within five days following the accidental discharge or discovery of a violation, the person or user shall submit to WCW a detailed, written report, describing the accidental discharge or violation, and the measures taken by the user to prevent similar future occurrences. This written report regarding the violation may be included as a part of a periodic compliance report, or other report as may be required under this chapter, as long as the written report is provided within the five days of discovery, which notification shall not relieve the person or user of any expense, penalty, fee or other liability which may be incurred as a result of the violation. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.110]
3.45.120 Costs.
All costs associated with WCW’s undertaking of enforcement actions pursuant to this chapter, including attorney’s fees for civil actions undertaken, shall be paid by the user. These costs may include, but not be limited to, the costs for termination of service, reinstatement of service, compliance sampling and analysis and administrative activities undertaken by WCW. However, if the user prevails in an appeal to the WCW board or a civil action taken to nullify an enforcement action pursued by WCW under this chapter, the user shall not be responsible for the costs incurred by WCW in pursuing said enforcement action. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.120]
3.45.130 Responding to significant noncompliance.
Any violation of pretreatment requirements, including limits, sampling, analysis, reporting, meeting compliance schedules, and regulatory deadlines, is an instance of noncompliance for which the industrial user is liable for enforcement including penalties. WCW is required to identify violations or patterns of violations by industrial users that are deemed to be instances of significant noncompliance (SNC). To the extent that a violation or pattern of violations is determined to be significant noncompliance, WCW will give additional priority to enforcement actions with regard to that industrial user. Additionally, the determination of significant noncompliance will be used as the basis for reporting same to the regulatory authorities and the publishing of the list of users who are in significant noncompliance as is required of WCW by law. The following are criteria for significant noncompliance, which will be used in determining instances of SNC.
A. Violations of Wastewater Discharge Limits.
1. Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined here as those in which 66 percent or more of all the measurements taken for the same pollutant parameter during a six-month period exceed (by any magnitude) a numeric pretreatment standard or pretreatment requirement, including instantaneous limits, as defined by 40 CFR 403.3(l);
2. Technical review criteria (TRC) violations, defined here as those in which 33 percent or more of all of the measurements taken for the same pollutant parameter during a six-month period equal or exceed the product of the numeric pretreatment standard or pretreatment requirement including instantaneous limits, as defined by 40 CFR 403.3(l), multiplied by the applicable TRC (TRC equals 1.4 for BOD, TSS, fats, oil and grease, and 1.2 for all other pollutants except pH);
3. Other Effluent Limit Violations. Any other violation of a pretreatment standard or pretreatment requirement as defined by 40 CFR 403.3(l) (daily maximum, long-term average, instantaneous limit, or narrative standard) that WCW determines has caused, alone or in combination with other discharges, interference or pass-through (including endangering the health of POTW personnel or the general public);
4. Danger to Human Health or Welfare. Any discharge of a pollutant that has caused imminent endangerment to human health, welfare, or the environment, or has resulted in WCW’s exercise of its emergency authorities under 40 CFR 403.8(f)(1)(vi)(B) to halt or prevent such a discharge;
B. Violation of Compliance Milestones. Failure to meet, within 90 days after the schedule date, a compliance schedule milestone contained in a local control mechanism or enforcement order for starting construction, completing construction, or attaining final compliance;
C. Failure to Provide Proper Data. Failure to provide, within 30 days after the due date, required reports such as baseline monitoring reports, 90-day compliance reports, periodic self-monitoring reports, and reports on compliance with compliance schedules;
D. Failure to Accurately Report. Failure to accurately and promptly report any noncompliance, and any attempt to circumvent the reporting requirements or otherwise withhold noncompliance data from the district; and
E. Other Violations. Any other violation or group of violations, which may include a violation of best management practices, which WCW determines will adversely affect the operation or implementation of its pretreatment program. [Ord. 2023-003 § 9.130]
The appendix referenced herein is available at the district office for review.