Chapter 13.04 DEFINITIONS

A “binding commitment for a limited reservation of water or sewer system capacity” means that, upon the payment of a system participation fee deposit pursuant to BIMC 13.16.040, the city shall reserve water or sewer system capacity, and shall allow connection to the city’s water or sewer system, for a period not to exceed four years from the issuance date of an approved binding commitment letter. (Ord. 2006-06 § 1, 2006)

13.04.007 Binding commitment for an unlimited reservation of water or sewer system capacity.

A “binding commitment for an unlimited reservation of water or sewer system capacity” means that, upon the payment of all applicable system participation fees and charges set forth in BIMC 13.16.040, the city shall reserve water or sewer system capacity, and shall allow connection to the city’s water or sewer system, in perpetuity. (Ord. 2006-06 § 2, 2006)

13.04.010 Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).

“Biochemical oxygen demand,” or abbreviation thereof as “BOD,” means the quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter, as described in the American Public Health Association Publication, “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewaters.” (Ord. 82-20 § A(25), 1982)

13.04.020 City.

Repealed by Ord. 2003-22. (Ord. 82-20 § A(1), 1982)

13.04.030 City engineer.

Repealed by Ord. 2003-22. (Ord. 82-20 § A(2), 1982)

13.04.040 City sewer system.

“Sewer system,” “city sewerage system” or “city system” means all or any part of the sewerage facilities acquired, constructed, or used by the city. (Ord. 82-20 § A(10), 1982)

13.04.050 City water system.

“City water system” means all or any part of any water facilities, acquired, constructed, or used by the city. (Ord. 94-29 § 9, 1995; Ord. 82-20 § A(11), 1982)

13.04.055 Combined disposable income.

“Combined disposable income” means a person’s disposable income, as defined in RCW 84.36.383(6), as amended, plus the disposable income of the person’s spouse and of each cotenant occupying the person’s residence. (Ord. 92-26 § 1, 1992)

13.04.060 Compatible pollutant.

“Compatible pollutant” for wastewater discharges means biochemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, pH, and fecal coliform bacteria, plus additional pollutants identified in a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) wastewater discharge permit if the publicly owned treatment works is designed to treat such pollutants, and in fact does remove such pollutants to a substantial degree. The term “substantial degree” is not subject to precise definition, but generally means contemplated removals in the order of 80 percent or greater. Examples of the additional pollutants which may be considered compatible include:

A. Chemical oxygen demand;

B. Total organic carbon;

C. Phosphorus and phosphorus compounds;

D. Nitrogen and nitrogen compounds;

E. Fats, oils and greases of animal or vegetable origin, except as prohibited where these materials would interfere with the operation of the publicly owned treatment works. (Ord. 2016-28 § 7 (Exh. B), 2016: Ord. 82-20 § A(30), 1982)

13.04.070 Discharge to city sewerage system.

“Discharge to city sewerage system” means any discharge which enters a private side sewer and/or public sewer which is a tributary to the city system and the discharge shall be considered a discharge to the system whether or not specifically identifiable in effluent reaching the municipality’s facilities. (Ord. 82-20 § A(32), 1982)

13.04.080 EPA.

“EPA” means the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. (Ord. 82-20 § A(4), 1982)

13.04.090 Fixtures.

“Fixtures” includes all Uniform Plumbing Code defined fixtures, except water heaters, floor drains used for emergency overflow only, and extra fixtures attached to existing or regular fixtures such as showers over tubs and hose attachments on sinks. (Ord. 82-20 § A(16), 1982)

13.04.100 FWPCA.

“FWPCA” means the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1163). (Ord. 82-20 § A(5), 1982)

13.04.110 Incompatible pollutant.

“Incompatible pollutant” for wastewater discharges means any pollutant which is not a compatible pollutant as defined in “compatible pollutant.” (Ord. 2016-28 § 7 (Exh. B), 2016: Ord. 82-20 § A(31), 1982)

13.04.120 Industrial cost recovery.

“Industrial cost recovery” means the recovery from the users of a treatment works, as defined by federal law and regulations, of the federal grant amount allocable to the treatment of wastes from such users. (Ord. 82-20 § A(33), 1982)

13.04.130 Industrial cost recovery period.

“Industrial cost recovery period” means the period during which the federal grant amount allocable to the treatment of waste from industrial users is recovered from the industrial users of a treatment works as defined by federal law or regulations; this period shall be 30 years or the useful life of the treatment works, whichever is less. (Ord. 82-20 § A(34), 1982)

13.04.140 Industrial user.

“Industrial user,” for the purposes of industrial cost recovery, means any nongovernmental user of publicly owned treatment works as defined by federal regulations, identified in the “Standard Industrial Classification Manual,” latest edition, Federal Office of Management and Budget, as amended, and supplemented under such categories and such other classes of significant waste producers as are established by regulations of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency for the purpose of industrial cost recovery. (Ord. 82-20 § A(22), 1982)

13.04.150 Local public agency.

“Local public agency” means any legally constituted city, town, county, special district or other public agency under whose jurisdiction local sewerage facilities may be constructed or operated. (Ord. 82-20 § A(9), 1982)

13.04.160 Low income senior citizen.

“Low income senior citizen” means a person who is 62 years of age or older and who has a combined disposable income in an amount which would entitle the person to the exemption from all excess state property taxes set forth in RCW 84.36.381(5)(a), as amended. (Ord. 92-26 § 2, 1992: Ord. 82-20 § A(8), 1982)

13.04.170 Maintenance supervisor.

“Maintenance supervisor” means the duly appointed maintenance supervisor of the city, his employee or authorized deputy. (Ord. 82-20 § A(3), 1982)

13.04.173 Maximum rate of intermittent water flow.

“Maximum rate of intermittent water flow” means the maximum rate of flow at which water should be passed through a city water meter for short, intermittent periods as established by the water meter manufacturer’s published maximum intermittent flow rate. (Ord. 2006-06 § 3, 2006)

13.04.175 Maximum rate of continuous water flow.

“Maximum rate of continuous water flow” means the maximum rate of flow at which water should be passed through a city water meter for continuous operation as established by the American Water Works Association or by the meter manufacturer’s published maximum continuous flow rate. (Ord. 2006-06 § 4, 2006)

13.04.177 Nonbinding commitment for water or sewer system capacity.

A “nonbinding commitment for water or sewer system capacity” means the city currently has available water or sewer system capacity but does not guarantee the future availability of water or sewer system capacity. (Ord. 2006-06 § 5, 2006)

13.04.180 Person.

Repealed by Ord. 2003-22. (Ord. 82-20 § A(6), 1982)

13.04.190 pH.

“pH” means the reciprocal of the logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration. The concentration is the weight of hydrogen ions in moles per liter of solution. Neutral water, for example, has a pH of 7 and a hydrogen ion concentration of 10-7. (Ord. 82-20 § A(27), 1982)

13.04.200 Pretreatment.

“Pretreatment” means the private treatment of wastewaters from sources before introduction into the city sewerage system and public sewers tributary thereto. (Ord. 82-20 § A(24), 1982)

13.04.210 Private sewer.

“Private sewer” means a sewer, or combined sewer, exclusive of side sewers, which is not owned or operated by the city. (Ord. 82-20 § A(15), 1982)

13.04.220 Prohibited substance.

“Prohibited substance” means any liquid, solid, or vapor which shall not be discharged into the metropolitan sewerage system or sewers tributary thereto at any time or under any condition. (Ord. 82-20 § A(28), 1982)

13.04.230 Public sewer.

“Public sewer” means a sewer or combined sewer, exclusive of side sewers, owned or operated, or to be owned or operated, by the city. (Ord. 82-20 § A(14), 1982)

13.04.240 Restricted substance or characteristic.

“Restricted substance or characteristic” means any industrial waste which may be discharged into the city sewerage system or sewers tributary thereto in the manner prescribed in Chapter 13.12 BIMC or as prescribed by the engineer. (Ord. 82-20 §A(29), 1982)

13.04.250 Sewer.

“Sewer” means a conduit designed or used to transport wastewater and to which stormwater, surface water and groundwater are not intentionally admitted. (Ord. 82-20 § A(13), 1982)

13.04.260 Shall and may.

“Shall” is mandatory. “May” is permissive. (Ord. 82-20 § A(7), 1982)

13.04.270 Side sewer.

“Side sewer” means a conduit extending from the plumbing system of a building or buildings to and connecting with a public or a private sewer. (Ord. 82-20 § A(17), 1982)

13.04.280 Significant industrial user.

“Significant industrial user” means an industrial user that contributes greater than five percent of the design flow or design pollutant loading of a particular treatment works as defined by federal regulations, or greater than 25,000 gallons per day, or discharges wastes containing toxic pollutants. (Ord. 82-20 § A(23), 1982)

13.04.290 Standards.

“Standards” means limitations and requirements established by federal and state laws and regulations for discharges to the city sewerage system. (Ord. 82-20 § A(18), 1982)

13.04.300 Suspended solids.

“Suspended solids” means total suspended matter that either floats on the surface of, or is in suspension in, water or wastewater and that is removable by laboratory filtering as described in “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewaters,” current edition, or “Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants,” contained in 40 CFR Part 136, as published in the Federal Register, and referred to as nonfilterable residue. (Ord. 82-20 A(26), 1982)

13.04.310 Waste discharge.

“Waste discharge” or “discharge” means the act of discharging or depositing wastes, other than sanitary wastewater, into a public sewer, private sewer or side sewer tributary to the metropolitan sewerage system. (Ord. 82-20 § A(19), 1982)

13.04.320 Waste discharge permit.

“Waste discharge permit” or “permit” means a permit issued pursuant to BIMC 13.12.120 through 13.12.290 for the discharge of waste into a public sewer, private sewer or side sewer tributary to the city sewerage system. Such permits may be granted for a specified period of time up to two years. (Ord. 82-20 § A(20), 1982)

13.04.330 Waste discharge permit holder.

“Waste discharge permit holder” means any person to whom the city shall have issued a waste discharge permit. (Ord. 82-20 § A(21), 1982)

13.04.340 Treatment works.

“Treatment works” means any facility, method or system acquired, constructed or used by the city for the storage, treatment, recycling, or reclamation of sewage or industrial wastes of a liquid nature, including waste from combined sewers. (Ord. 82-20 § A(12), 1982)