Chapter 15.08
DEFINITIONS
Sections:
15.08.010 Definitions.
Except where specifically defined herein, all words used in this article shall carry their customary meanings. Words used in the present tense include the future, and the plural includes the singular; the word “shall” is always mandatory, whereas the word “may” denotes a use of discretion in making a decision.
All references in this chapter to any federal, state, or local law or regulation is to that law or regulation as it exists now or as amended.
The following words and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the following meanings:
“Accessory dwelling unit” (ADU) means a single-family residential structure as defined in LMC Title 19.
“BOD” (denoting biochemical oxygen demand) means the quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days at 20 degrees centigrade, expressed in parts per million by weight.
“Building drain” means that part of the lowest piping of the building sanitary sewer drainage system that receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other sewer drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer beginning two feet outside the building wall.
“Building sewer” means that part of the horizontal piping of the sanitary sewer drainage system that extends from the end of the building drain and that receives the discharge of the building drain and conveys it to the public sewer.
“Capital recovery fees” means charges imposed by the sewer collection utility upon new development to tie into the sewer collection system and use existing sewer capacity that has already been paid for by the existing customer base.
“City” means the city of Longview.
“Connection charges” means charges imposed as a condition of connecting to a city sewer main and covers the cost of city inspection.
“Customer rates” means charges that recover all costs of operating the utility. They include both a monthly base fee and consumptive charges. Except for high strength fees, modified fees, and fees based on unusual discharge patterns all of which are set by resolution; and/or industrial waste surcharges paid to a wastewater treatment provider.
“Dangerous waste” means those solid wastes designated in WAC 173-303-070 through 173-303-100 as dangerous or extremely hazardous or mixed waste, as further defined under WAC 173-303-040.
“Developer” means any person who has development control over property on which development is proposed to occur or is occurring.
“Developer extension” means the development, extension, or expansion of wastewater facilities, mains, or improvements initiated, paid for, and completed by a developer, owner, or any person benefiting therefrom under the supervision of the city.
“Developer extension agreement” means a contract between the city and a property owner, person, and/or developer that sets forth the terms and conditions for a developer extension, including plan review, inspection, construction, costs, conveyance of title, and warranty. Also known as a “contract for extension agreement.”
“Director” means the city of Longview public works director or designee.
“Easement” means a grant of one or more property rights or privileges by a property owner to and/or for use of the property by the city for utility purposes. Easements may be temporary or perpetual.
“Emergency” means any natural or human-caused event or set of circumstances which disrupts or threatens to disrupt or endanger the operation, structural integrity, or safety of the public wastewater system; endangers the health and safety of the public; or otherwise requires immediate action by the city.
“Engineer” means the city of Longview city engineer or designee.
“Engineering Special Provisions and Standard Drawings” means the standards adopted by the Longview engineering department which set forth the processes, design and construction criteria, inspection requirements, standard plans, and technical standards for engineering related to the development of streets, utilities, and improvements within the city.
“Equivalent residential unit” or “ERU” means a measure of wastewater demand that is the basis for calculating monthly wastewater service charges.
“Fee schedule” means that schedule of rates, fees, and charges established by resolution of the city council.
“Finance department” means the city department charged with the financial management of the city.
“Financial policies” means those policies and procedures adopted by the city’s finance department for the financial administration of the utility.
“FOG” means polar and nonpolar fats, oils, and grease.
“Food processing establishment” means a commercial establishment in which food is manufactured or packaged for consumption.
“Food sales establishments” means retail and wholesale grocery stores, retail seafood stores, food processing establishments, bakeries, confectioneries, fruit, nuts and vegetable stores and places of business and similar establishments, mobile or permanent, engaged in the sale of food primarily for consumption off premises.
“Food service establishments” means any nondomestic establishment that prepares and/or serves meals, lunches, short orders, sandwiches, frozen desserts, or other edible products and/or is required to have a food business permit issued by Cowlitz County department of health. This term includes: restaurants, cafeterias, short order cafes, luncheonettes, taverns, lunchrooms, places which manufacture retail sandwiches, soda fountains, institutional cafeterias, catering and home-based food establishments, food vending vehicles, and operations connected therewith; and similar facilities by whatever name called.
“Garbage” means solid waste from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage, and sale of produce.
“General sewer plan” means that plan adopted by city council pursuant to LMC 15.04.050.
“Grease interceptor” means an appurtenance or appliance that is installed in a sanitary drainage system to intercept nonpetroleum fats, oil, and grease (FOG) from wastewater.
“Grinder pump” means the pump, wet well, alarm, panel, valve vault, and appurtenances located on private property for the purpose of grinding and transporting wastewater into the wastewater system used by its owner, public or private.
“Illicit connection” means any artificially constructed conveyance that is connected to the public wastewater system without a permit, or that is not intended for collecting and conveying only wastewater discharge. Examples of illicit connections include storm sewer connections, exterior floor drains, channels, pipelines, conduits, footing drains, downspouts, inlets, or outlets that should be connected directly to the municipal separate storm sewer system.
“Illicit discharge” means any direct or indirect discharge into the public wastewater system that is not composed entirely of wastewater, except discharges pursuant to an NPDES permit, or any discharge prohibited by the Code of Federal Regulations, such as 40 CFR Part 403.5, Cowlitz County Code, and Longview Municipal Code, and any regulation adopted to implement those laws, all as amended from time to time.
“Improved roadways, alleyways, easements, and utility corridors” means roadways, alleyways, easements, or utility corridors with a surface constructed to city standards with either concrete or hot mix asphalt; or city-maintained gravel alleys.
“Industrial waste” means any liquid, solid, or gaseous substances or combination thereof, resulting from any process of industry, manufacturing, commercial food processing, business, agriculture, trade, or research, including, but not limited to, development, recovery, or processing of natural resources, leachate from landfills or disposal sites, decant water, contaminated nonprocess water, and contaminated stormwater or groundwater.
“Interceptor sewer” means a sanitary sewer 12 inches or larger in diameter and the pump station or stations for the same, together with the pressure line or lines necessary to serve such interceptor sewer.
“Latecomer agreement” means a written agreement between the city and one or more developers providing for partial reimbursement of the cost of construction of wastewater system improvements as authorized by Chapter 14.18 LMC.
“LMC” means the city of Longview Municipal Code, as it currently exists and as amended from time to time.
“Local improvement district” means a type of district established by ordinance pursuant to Chapter 14.08 LMC for the purpose of assisting property owners within a defined geographical area in financing capital improvements by the levying of a special assessment.
NPDES. The abbreviated term “NPDES” as used in this chapter means National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
“Nonpolar fats” means fats, oils, or grease organic compounds derived from animal or plant sources that are used in, or are a byproduct of, the cooking or food preparation process, and that turn or may turn viscous or solidify with a change in temperature or other conditions.
“Person” means any natural person, firm, association, joint venture, joint stock company, partnership, organization, club, company, private or public corporation, business trust, political subdivision of the state of Washington or the United States, or any instrumentality thereof.
“pH” means the logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
“Polar fats” means fats, oils, or grease of mineral or petroleum origin.
“Premises” means a continuous tract of land, building or groups of adjacent buildings under a single ownership or control with respect to water or sewer service and responsibility for payment therefor. Subdivisions of such use or responsibility shall constitute a division into separate premises as defined here.
“Pretreatment device” means any approved device, structure, system, or method used and maintained for the purpose of bringing a waste stream within acceptable limits and standards of quality prior to its discharge to the public wastewater system.
“Private sewer” or “private wastewater” means wastewater conveyance facilities which are owned, operated, maintained, and controlled by the property owner served by those facilities.
“Prohibited discharge” means any liquid, solid, or material other than discharge intended from domestic plumbing fixtures, or as permitted by an industrial waste discharge permit, prohibited by the Code of Federal Regulations, such as 40 CFR Part 403.5, Cowlitz County Code, and Longview Municipal Code, and any regulation adopted to implement those laws, all as amended from time to time.
“Property owner” means any individual, company, partnership, joint venture, corporation, association, society, or group that owns or has a contractual interest in the subject property or has been authorized by the owner to act on his/her behalf, including but not limited to an agent, contractor, applicant, or developer.
“RCW” means the Revised Code of Washington, as it currently exists and as amended from time to time.
“Record drawing” means a final record drawing of the actual installation of the structures, materials and equipment as defined in the Engineering Special Provisions and Standard Drawings.
“Redevelopment” means a site that is already substantially developed which is modified as defined by LMC Title 19.
“Repair” means repair or major maintenance of a building sewer, including, but not limited to, lining, or excavation and repair of damage to the building sewer caused by external forces or failure of the pipe or pipe material. Cutting or removal of roots from the building sewer shall be considered repair; responsibility for such maintenance shall be determined by the location at which the roots enter the building sewer.
“Residential structure” means a dwelling unit as defined in LMC Title 19 and includes, but is not limited to, single-family, multifamily, accessory dwelling unit, duplexes, or triplexes.
“Routine maintenance” means operational maintenance of a building sewer, including, but not limited to, cleaning or rodding to clear grease or other internal obstructions or substances that have been discharged or allowed to accumulate in the building sewer that may interfere with the operation of the building sewer.
“Sanitary sewer” means a sewer which carries sewage and to which storm, surface and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.
“Sanitary wastewater system” has the same meaning as “wastewater system.”
“Sewage treatment plant” means any arrangement of devices and/or structures used for treating sewage.
“Sewer main, public” means a pipe designed or used to transport sewage owned by the city, excluding private side sewers.
“Sewer service connection” means the tee, wye, or connection fitting at the point at which the side sewer service stub joins the sewer main.
“Sewer treatment system development charge” or “SDC” means pass-through charges assessed by Rivers Regional Wastewater Authority (TRRWA.) The TRRWA provides all necessary treatment facilities, transmission facilities and wastewater services to receive and treat wastewater collected by its members within the service area.
“Shredded garbage” means the waste from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food that has been shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions nominally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle greater than one-half inch in any dimension.
“Side sewer service, private” means a privately owned and maintained pipe system designed to convey wastewater to the public wastewater system and includes the pipe system up to and including the tee, wye, or connection to the private side sewer.
“Side sewer service stub” means that portion of the side sewer service between the city’s sewer main and the property line, when the sewer main is in an improved roadway, alleyway, easement, or utility corridor. In this case, side sewer service stubs are considered part of the public sewer system. If the sewer main is in an unimproved roadway, alleyway, easement, or utility corridor, then there is no side sewer service stub. The private side sewer service extends to the side sewer tee.
“Standard construction costs” means the cost of the pipe for either the standard trunk sewer or standard lateral sewer, whichever is to be installed, plus the total cost of all wyes and manholes and the total cost of all installation and incidental work necessary to place the sewer pipe in service regardless of its size.
“Standard lateral sewer” means a sanitary lateral sewer eight inches in diameter. In general, side sewers connect to a lateral sewer which will connect to a trunk or sewer main.
“Standard trunk sewer” means a sanitary trunk sewer 10 inches in diameter.
“Storm sewer” means a sewer which carries storm and surface waters and drainage but excludes sewage and polluted industrial wastes.
“Structure” means any improvement which is designed, intended, or suitable for human occupancy, employment, recreation, habitation, or other purpose.
“Surcharge” means an additional charge that may be imposed in addition to the consumer rates charge.
“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.
“System development charges (SDC)” means pass-through charges assessed by Three Rivers Regional Wastewater Authority (TRRWA). SDCs are fee scheduled charges applied to new development to help offset the impact of development, redevelopment, or an intensification of use. The fee is intended to recover a fair share of the costs of existing and planned infrastructure that provide capacity to serve new growth.
“Three Rivers Regional Wastewater Authority” or “TRRWA” means a municipal corporation organized between Cowlitz County, the city of Longview, the city of Kelso, and Beacon Hill Water and Sewer District.
“Unimproved roadways, alleyways, easements, and utility corridors” means roadways, alleyways, easements, or utility corridors without a surface constructed to city standards with either concrete or hot mix asphalt.
“Unit” means any portion of a structure available, suitable, intended or otherwise used as a separate business office or separate suite of business offices, store, or other commercial establishment, except for individual storage spaces in a self-storage building, apartment, condominium, single-family dwelling, duplex, triplex, fourplex, trailer, or an accessory dwelling unit added to a single-family dwelling.
“Unsafe condition” means any condition on any premises, or in any private wastewater system thereon, that is a hazard to public health, safety, welfare, or environment that does or may impair or impede the operation or functioning of any portion of the public wastewater system or that may cause damage thereto.
“User” means any person, firm, or any corporation who discharges any substance into the sanitary sewer system of the city.
“Utility” means the sewer utility of the city of Longview.
“Utility service area” or “service area” means that geographic area defined by the city in the sewer master plan as the area served by the utility and as may be expanded through subsequent interlocal agreements, annexations, and special utility district assumptions.
“Wastewater” means the water-carried waste that is contained in and conveyed by any part of a wastewater system from residential, commercial, or industrial facilities. This term is used interchangeably with the term “sewage.”
“Wastewater conveyance facilities” means facilities such as side sewers, sewer pipes, manholes, grinder pumps, and other facilities.
“Wastewater facility” means any facility for the conveyance or storage of wastewater, whether part of the public wastewater system or a private wastewater system, which is connected to or intended to be connected to the public wastewater system. Also referred to as a “sewer facility.”
“Wastewater pretreatment” means the treatment of industrial waste before discharge to the public wastewater system.
“Wastewater service” means providing for the conveyance of wastewater from a structure into the public wastewater system.
“Wastewater system, public” means the sewer facilities which are operated, maintained, and controlled by the city of Longview’s sewer utility. Such facilities typically include sewer mains, pump or lift stations, and side sewer stubs.
“Wastewater treatment provider” means the public entity that provides treatment and disposal services for the wastewater collected by the city. (Ord. 3533 § 1, 2024).