Chapter 13.30
SEWER REGULATIONS
Sections:
13.30.020 Use of public sewers required within the town.
13.30.030 Private wastewater disposal.
13.30.040 Sanitary sewers, building sewers and connections.
13.30.050 Use of the public sewers.
13.30.060 Malicious destruction, etc. – Wastewater facilities or parts thereof.
13.30.070 Powers and authority of inspectors.
For state law as to authority of town to establish and regulate, etc., sewers, see WS, 1977, 15-1-103. As to sewerage system public improvements, see WS, 1977, 15-7-430 to 15-7-442. As to constitutional limitation on town debt incurred for sewerage systems, see Wyo. Const., Art. 16, § 5. For state law as to rates to be charged for sewer service generally, see WS, 1977, 15-7-436, 15-7-437. As to fixing rates by board of public utilities, see WS, 1977, 15-7-407.
13.30.010 Definitions.
Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this division shall be as follows:
“Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)” shall mean 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 milligrams per liter.
“Building drain” shall mean 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 building sewer, beginning five feet (1.5 meters) outside the inner face of the building wall.
“Building sewer” shall mean the extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal, also called house connection.
“Combined sewer” shall mean a sewer intended to receive both wastewater and storm or surface water.
“Easement” shall mean an acquired legal right for the specific use of land owned by others.
“Floatable oil” is oil, fat or grease in a physical state such that it will separate by gravity from wastewater by treatment in an approved pretreatment facility. A wastewater shall be considered free of floatable fat if it is properly pretreated and the wastewater does not interfere with the collection system.
“Garbage” shall mean the animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and serving of foods.
“Industrial wastes” shall mean the wastewater from industrial processes, trade or business as distinct from domestic or sanitary wastes.
“Natural outlet” shall mean any outlet, including storm sewers and combined sewer overflows, into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake or other body of surface or groundwater.
“May” is permissive.
“Person” shall mean any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation or group.
“pH” shall mean the logarithm of the reciprocal of the hydrogen-ion concentration. The concentration is the weight of hydrogen ions, in grams, per liter of solution. Neutral water, for example, has a pH value of seven and a hydrogen-ion concentration of 10-7.
“Properly shredded garbage” shall mean the wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food that have been shredded to such a 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 (1.27 centimeters) in any dimension.
“Public sewer” shall mean a common sewer controlled by a governmental agency or public utility.
“Sanitary sewer” shall mean a sewer that carries liquid and water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and institutions together with minor quantities of ground, storm and surface waters that are not admitted intentionally.
“Sewage” is the spent water of a community. The preferred term is “wastewater.” (See definition below.)
“Sewer” shall mean a pipe or conduit that carries wastewater or drainage water.
“Shall” is mandatory.
“Slug” shall mean any discharge of water or wastewater 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 24-hour concentration or flows during normal operation and shall adversely affect the collection system and/or performance of the wastewater treatment works.
“Storm drain” (sometimes termed “storm sewer”) shall mean a drain or sewer for conveying water, groundwater, subsurface water, or unpolluted water from any source.
“Superintendent” shall mean the head of the water and sewer department of the town, or his authorized deputy, agent or representative.
“Suspended solids” shall mean total suspended matter that either floats on the surface of, or is in suspension in, water, wastewater, or other liquids, and that is removable by laboratory filtering as prescribed in “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater” and referred to as nonfilterable residue.
“Town” shall mean the town of Wheatland, Platte County, Wyoming.
“Unpolluted water” is water of quality equal to or better than the effluent criteria in effect or water that would not cause violation of receiving water quality standards and would not be benefited by discharge to the sanitary sewers and wastewater treatment facilities provided.
“Wastewater” shall mean the spent water of a community. From the standpoint of source, it may be a combination of the liquid- and water-carried wastes from residences, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and institutions, together with any groundwater, surface water, and storm water that may be present.
“Wastewater facilities” shall mean the structures, equipment and processes required to collect, carry away and treat domestic and industrial wastes and dispose of the effluent.
“Wastewater treatment works” shall mean an arrangement of devices and structures for treating wastewater, industrial wastes and sludge. Sometimes used as synonymous with “waste treatment plant” or “wastewater treatment plant” or “water pollution control plant.”
“Watercourse” shall mean a natural or artificial channel for the passage of water either continuously or intermittently. [Ord. 606, 1991. 1996 Code § 16-37.]
13.30.020 Use of public sewers required within the town.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit or permit to be deposited in any unsanitary manner on public or private property within the town, or in any area under the jurisdiction of the town, any human or animal excrement, garbage or other objectionable waste.
(b) It shall be unlawful to discharge to any natural outlet within the town, or in any area under the jurisdiction of the town, any sewage or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with subsequent provisions of this chapter.
(c) Except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of wastewater.
(d) The owner of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes, situated within the town and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary or combined sewer of the town, is hereby required at the owner’s expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, within 30 days after date of official notice to do so; provided, that said public sewer is within 100 feet of the property line. [Ord. 606, 1991. 1996 Code § 16-38.]
13.30.030 Private wastewater disposal.
(a) Where a public sanitary or combined sewer is not available under the provisions of WMC 13.30.020(d), the building sewer shall be connected to a private wastewater system complying with the provisions of this section.
(b) Before commencement of construction of private wastewater disposal system the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the town engineer. The application for permit shall be made on a form furnished by the town, which applicant shall supplement by any plans, specifications and other information as are deemed necessary by the town engineer. A permit and inspection fee of $20.00 shall be paid to the town at the time the application is filed.
(c) A permit for a private wastewater disposal system shall not become effective until the installation is completed to the satisfaction of the town engineer. The town engineer shall be allowed to inspect the work at any stage of construction, and, in any event, the applicant for the permit shall notify the town engineer when the work is ready for final inspection, and before any underground portions are covered. The inspection shall be made within 48 hours of the receipt of notice by the town engineer.
(d) The type, capacities, location and layout of a private wastewater disposal system shall comply with all recommendations of the Department of Public Health of the state of Wyoming. No permit shall be issued for any private wastewater disposal system employing subsurface soil absorption facilities where the area of the lot is less than 43,560 square feet. No septic tank or cesspool shall be permitted to discharge to any natural outlet.
(e) At such time as a public sewer becomes available to a property served by a private wastewater disposal system, as provided in subsection (d) of this section, a direct connection shall be made to the public sewer within 60 days in compliance with this chapter, and any septic tanks, cesspools, and similar private wastewater disposal facilities shall be cleaned of sludge and filled with suitable material.
(f) The owner shall operate and maintain the private wastewater disposal facilities in a sanitary manner at all times, at no expense to the town.
(g) No statement contained in this article shall be construed to interfere with any additional requirements that may be imposed by the health officer. [Ord. 606, 1991. 1996 Code § 16-39.]
13.30.040 Sanitary sewers, building sewers and connections.
(a) No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the town engineer.
All work done under any permit shall be by a licensed plumber and shall be under the supervision of the water and sewer commissioner.
No person except one employed by the town shall connect any pipes with any sewer line of the town or any lateral therefrom.
(b) There shall be two classes of building sewer permits: (1) for residential and commercial service, and (2) for service to establishments producing industrial wastes. In either case, the owner or his agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the town. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the town engineer. A permit and inspection fee of $20.00 for a residential or commercial building sewer permit and $20.00 for an industrial building sewer permit shall be paid to the town at the time the application is filed.
(c) All costs and expense incidental to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the town from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.
(d) A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building; except where one building stands at the rear of another on an interior lot and no private sewer is available or can be constructed to the rear building through an adjoining alley, court, yard or driveway, the building sewer from the front building may be extended to the rear building and the whole considered as one building sewer, but the town does not and will not assume any obligation or responsibility for damage caused by or resulting from any such single connection aforementioned.
(e) Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and test by the town engineer, to meet all requirements of this chapter.
(f) The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction of all sanitary sewers including building sewers, and the methods to be used in excavating, placing of the pipe, jointing, testing and backfilling the trench, shall all conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other applicable rules and regulations of the town and the state of Wyoming. In the absence of suitable code provisions or in amplification thereof, the materials and procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM and WPCF Manual of Practice No. 9 shall apply.
(g) Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer.
(h) No person shall make connection of roof downspouts, foundation drains, areaway drains, or other sources of surface runoff or groundwater to a building sewer or building drain which in turn is connected directly or indirectly to a public sanitary sewer unless such connection is approved by the town engineer and the Wyoming State Department of Health for purposes of disposal of polluted surface drainage.
(i) The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other applicable rules and regulations of the town and the state of Wyoming, or the procedures set forth in appropriate specifications of the ASTM and the WPCF Manual of Practice No. 9. All such connections shall be made gastight and watertight and verified by proper testing. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures and materials must be approved by the town engineer before installation.
(j) All excavations for building sewer installation shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the town. [Ord. 606, 1991; amended during August 1984 supplementation; Ord. 527 §§ (b), (c), 1981. 1996 Code § 16-40. Prior Code §§ 14-102, 14-103, 14-301.]
13.30.050 Use of the public sewers.
(a) No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any unpolluted waters such as storm water, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage or cooling water to any sewer, except storm water runoff from limited areas, which storm water may be polluted at times, may be discharged to the sanitary sewer by permission of the town engineer and the Wyoming State Department of Health.
(b) Storm water other than that exempted under subsection (a) of this section and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as combined sewers or storm sewers, or to natural outlets approved by the town engineer and the Wyoming State Department of Health. Unpolluted industrial cooling water or process waters may be discharged, on approval of the town engineer, to a storm sewer, combined sewer, or natural outlet.
(c) No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described water or wastes to any public sewers:
(1) Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas.
(2) Any waters containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids or other wastes, to contaminate the sludge of any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard in or have an adverse effect on the waters receiving any discharge from the works. Each user which discharges any toxic pollutants which cause an increase in the cost of managing the effluent or the sludge of the town’s treatment works shall pay for such increased costs.
(3) Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5, or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and personnel of the wastewater works.
(4) Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the wastewater facilities such as, but not limited to, ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk, containers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.
(d) The following described substances, materials, waters or wastes shall be limited in discharges to municipal systems to concentrations or quantities which will not harm either the sewers, the sludge of any municipal system, the wastewater treatment process or equipment, will not have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or will not otherwise endanger lives, limb, public property, or constitute a nuisance. The town engineer may set limitations lower than the limitations established in the regulations below if, in his opinion, such more severe limitations are necessary to meet the above objectives. In forming his opinion as to the acceptability, the town engineer will give consideration to such factors as the quantity of subject waste in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction of the sewers, the wastewater treatment process employed, capacity of the wastewater treatment plans, and other pertinent factors. The limitations or restrictions on materials or characteristics of waste or wastewaters discharged to the sanitary sewer which shall not be violated without approval of the town engineer are as follows:
(1) Wastewater having a temperature higher than 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius).
(2) Wastewater containing more than 25 milligrams per liter of petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oils, or product of mineral oil origin.
(3) Wastewater from industrial plants containing floatable oils, fat or grease.
(4) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded (see definition of properly shredded garbage in WMC 13.30.010). Garbage grinders may be connected to sanitary sewers from homes, hotels, institutions, restaurants, hospitals, catering establishments, or similar places where garbage originates from the preparation of food in kitchens for the purpose of consumption on the premises or when served by caterers.
(5) Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, copper, zinc and similar objectionable or toxic substances to such degree that any such material received in the composite wastewater at the wastewater treatment works exceeds the limits established by the town engineer for such materials.
(6) Any waters or wastes containing odor-producing substances exceeding limits which may be established by the town engineer.
(7) Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the town engineer in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations.
(8) Quantities of flow, concentrations, or both which constitute a “slug” as defined herein.
(9) Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the wastewater treatment processes employed, or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the wastewater treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.
(10) Any waters or wastes which, by interaction with other water or wastes in the public sewer system, release obnoxious gases, form suspended solids which interfere with the collection system, or create a condition deleterious to structures and treatment processes.
(e) If any waters or wastes are discharged, or are proposed to be discharged to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in subsection (d) of this section, and which in the judgment of the town engineer may have a deleterious effect upon the wastewater facilities, processes, equipment or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the town engineer may:
(1) Reject the wastes;
(2) Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers;
(3) Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge; and/or
(4) Require payment to cover the added cost of handling and treating the wastes not covered by existing taxes or sewer charges under the provisions of WMC 13.45.070.
If the town engineer permits the pretreatment or equalization of waste flows, the design and installation of the plants and equipment shall be subject to the review and approval of the town engineer and the Wyoming State Department of Health.
(f) Grease, oil and sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the town engineer, they are necessary for the proper handling of liquid wastes containing floatable grease in excessive amounts as specified in subsection (d)(3) of this section or any flammable wastes, sand or other harmful ingredients; except that such interceptors shall not be required for private living quarters or dwelling units. All interceptors shall be of a type and capacity approved by the town engineer and the Wyoming State Plumbing Code, and shall be located as to be readily and easily accessible for cleaning and inspection. In the maintaining of these interceptors, the owner shall be responsible for the proper removal and disposal by appropriate means of the captivated material and shall maintain records of the dates and means of disposal which are subject to review by the town engineer. Any removal and hauling of the collected materials not performed by owner’s personnel must be performed by currently licensed waste disposal firms.
(g) Where pretreatment or flow-equalization facilities are provided or required for any waters or wastes, they shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the owner at his expense.
(h) Every fish, fowl and animal slaughterhouse or establishment and every fish, fowl and meat packing or curing establishment and every soap factory, tallow rendering, fat rendering and hide curing establishment, or any other establishment from which considerable amounts of grease are likely to be discharged into any plumbing system, sewer system or private sewage disposal system, shall be connected to and shall drain or discharge into a grease interceptor of an approved design.
(i) Every private or public wash rack and/or floor or slab used for cleaning machinery or machine parts shall be adequately protected against storm or surface water and shall drain or discharge into a sand and grease interceptor of an approved design.
(j) When waste pretreatment is required, an approved-type grease interceptor shall be installed in the waste line leading from sinks, drains and other fixtures or equipment in the following establishments: restaurants, cafes, lunch counters, cafeterias, bars and clubs, hotels, hospitals, sanitariums, factory or school kitchens, or other establishments where grease may be introduced into the drainage or sewerage system in quantities that can effect line stoppage or hinder sewage treatment.
(k) When required by the town engineer, the owner of any property serviced by a building sewer carrying industrial wastes shall install a suitable structure together with such necessary meters and other appurtenances in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling and measurement of the wastes. Such structure, when required, shall be accessibly and safely located, and shall be constructed in accordance with plans approved by the town engineer.
The structure shall be installed by the owner at his expense, and shall be maintained by him so as to be safe and accessible at all times.
(l) The town engineer may require a user of sewer services to provide information needed to determine compliance with this chapter. These requirements may include:
(1) Wastewater’s discharge peak rate and volume over a specified time period.
(2) Chemical analyses of wastewaters.
(3) Information on raw materials, processes, and products affecting wastewater volume and quality.
(4) Quantity and disposition of specific liquid, sludge, oil, solvent, or other materials important to sewer use control.
(5) A plot plan of sewers of the user’s property showing sewer and pretreatment facility location.
(6) Details of wastewater pretreatment facilities.
(7) Details of systems to prevent and control the losses of materials through spills to the municipal sewer.
(m) All measurements, tests and analyses of the characteristics of waters and wastes to which reference is made in WMC 13.15.030 through 13.15.070 and this chapter shall be determined in accordance with the latest edition of “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater,” published by the American Public Health Association. Sampling methods, location, times, durations and frequencies are to be determined on an individual basis subject to approval by the town engineer.
(n) No statement contained in this article shall be construed as preventing any special agreement or arrangement between the town and any industrial concern whereby an industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the town for treatment. [Ord. 606, 1991; Ord. 470 §§ 4 – 6, 1977. 1996 Code § 16-41. Formerly 16-43 – 16-45.]
13.30.060 Malicious destruction, etc. – Wastewater facilities or parts thereof.
No person shall maliciously, willfully or negligently break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface, or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the wastewater facilities. Any person violating this provision shall be subject to immediate arrest under charge of disorderly conduct. [Ord. 606, 1991. 1996 Code § 16-42.]
13.30.070 Powers and authority of inspectors.
(a) The town engineer and other duly authorized employees of the town bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all properties for the purposes of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling and testing pertinent to discharge to the community system in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(b) The town engineer or other duly authorized employees of the town are authorized to obtain information concerning industrial processes which have a direct bearing on the kind and source of discharge to the wastewater collection system.
The industry may withhold information considered confidential. The industry must establish that the revelation to the public of the information in question might result in an advantage to competitors. [Ord. 606, 1991. 1996 Code § 16-43.]