§ 62-356. Prohibitions.

(a)

Illicit discharges.

(1)

No person shall throw, drain, drip, leak, or otherwise discharge, cause, or allow others under his control to throw, drain, drip, leak, or otherwise discharge onto surfaces that will allow them to be conveyed into the municipal separate storm sewer system any pollutants or waters containing any pollutants, other than stormwater.

(2)

The commencement, conduct or continuance of any illegal discharges of the following, but not limited to, into the storm drain system is prohibited:

a.

Automobile maintenance and operation sources such as untreated commercial car wash wastewaters, untreated radiator flushing wastewaters, untreated engine degreasing wastes, improper oil, gasoline, transmission fluid, and other automotive fluids disposal, leaking underground storage tanks, and untreated leaking of oils, gasoline and other automotive fluids.

b.

Landscape irrigation sources such as direct spraying of fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides onto impervious surfaces and the over-spraying of fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides onto landscaping.

(3)

The following discharges are exempt from the prohibition provisions of subsections (a)(1) and (2) of this section:

a.

Water line flushing performed by a government agency, other potable water sources, landscape irrigation or lawn watering, diverted stream flows, rising groundwater, groundwater infiltration to storm drains, uncontaminated pumped groundwater, foundation or footing drains (not including active groundwater dewatering systems), crawl space pumps, air conditioning condensation, springs, noncommercial washing of vehicles, natural riparian habitat or wetland flows, swimming pools (only if dechlorinated, typically less than one part per million chlorine), firefighting activities, and any other water source not containing pollutants;

b.

Discharges or flows specified in writing by the state department of environmental management (IDEM) or the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as being necessary to protect public health and safety;

c.

Dye-testing is an allowable discharge, but requires a notification to the department of engineering prior to the event, except as administered by the city utilities sewer maintenance department;

d.

The prohibition provisions in subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to any nonstormwater discharge permitted under an NPDES permit or order issued to the discharger and administered under the authority of the state and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, provided that the discharger is in full compliance with all requirements of the permit, waiver, or order and other applicable laws and regulations, and provided that written approval has been granted for any discharge to the storm drain system.

(b)

Illegal connections. The construction, connection, use, maintenance or continued existence of any illegal connection to the storm drain system is prohibited.

(1)

This prohibition expressly includes, without limitation, illegal connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of connection.

(2)

A person violates this division if the person connects a line conveying sewage to the MS4, or allows such a connection to continue.

(3)

Improper connections in violation of this division must be disconnected and redirected, if necessary, to an approved onsite wastewater management system or the sanitary sewer system upon approval of the department of engineering.

(4)

Any drain or conveyance that has not been documented in plans, maps or equivalent, and which may be connected to the storm sewer system, shall be located by the owner or occupant of that property upon receipt of written notice of violation from the department of engineering requiring that such locating be completed. Such notice will specify a reasonable time period within which the location of the drain or conveyance is to be completed, that the drain or conveyance be identified as storm sewer, sanitary sewer or other, and that the outfall location or point of connection to the storm sewer system, sanitary sewer system or other discharge point be identified. Results of these investigations are to be documented and provided to the department of engineering.

(Ord. No. 5265, § 2, 8-2-2010)