Draft chapter 95: Sanitary Sewer System
§ 95.02 Definitions
The 2026 draft's § 95.02 beside the current code's § 95.02: removed words are struck through, added words underlined.
Comparison with a draft: not adopted. The archive holds no public hearing, ordinance or vote adopting the recodified Code through the October 20, 2026 meeting packet. Until one is adopted, every page here compares the consolidated code with a draft that can still change: the revised draft with the October 6 changes is not in the archive.
A comparison with the August 2026 draft recodification prepared by Iowa Codification for the City. The draft has not been adopted and can still change; the current code (unofficial compilation) governs until a recodified Code is adopted. Matches between sections are made by machine from the texts and are reviewed where uncertain.
Wording changed minor wording (98% same words)
Ord. 2019-451 amends this part of the current code in ways not read to its sections: some differences may come from that ordinance, not from the draft.
Notable changes
- Amount or number: …under standard laboratory procedure in 5 days at
20 degrees (20º) C,20℃, expressed in milligrams per liter or parts per…
What changed
1. “B.O.D.” (denoting Biochemical Oxygen Demand) means the quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five
2. “Building drain” means that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a building 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
3. “Building sewer” means that part of the horizontal piping from the building wall to its connection with the main sewer or the primary treatment portion of an on-site wastewater treatment and disposal system conveying the drainage of one building site.
4. “Combined sewer” means a sewer receiving both surface run-off and sewage.
5. “Customer” means any person responsible for the production of domestic, commercial, or industrial waste
6. “Garbage” means solid wastes from the domestic and commercial preparation,
7. “Industrial wastes” means the liquid wastes from industrial manufacturing processes, trade, or business as distinct from sanitary sewage.
8. “Inspector” means the person duly authorized by the Council to inspect and approve the installation of building sewers and their connections to the public sewer system; and to inspect such sewage as may be discharged therefrom.
9. “Natural outlet” means any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake, or other body of surface or groundwater.
10. “On-site wastewater treatment and disposal system” means all equipment and devices necessary for proper conduction, collection, storage, treatment, and disposal of wastewater from four or fewer dwelling units or other facilities serving the equivalent of
11. “pH” means the logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
12. “Public sewer” means a sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal rights, and is controlled by public authority.
13. “Sanitary sewage” means sewage discharging from the sanitary conveniences of dwellings (including apartment houses and hotels), office buildings, factories, or institutions, and free from storm, surface water, and industrial waste.
14. “Sanitary sewer” means a sewer
15. “Sewage” means a combination of the water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments, together with such ground, surface, and
16. “Sewage treatment plant” means any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.
17. “Sewage works” or “sewage system” means all facilities for collecting, pumping, treating, and disposing of sewage.
18. “Sewer” means a pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
19. “Sewer service charges” means any and all charges, rates or fees levied against and payable by customers, as consideration for the servicing of said customers by said sewer system.
20. “Slug” means any discharge of water, sewage, or industrial waste
21. “Storm drain” or “storm sewer” means a sewer
22. “Superintendent” means the Superintendent of sewage works
23. “Suspended solids” means solids that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in water, sewage, or other liquids, and
24. “Watercourse” means a channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.
Word-level comparison of the current text with the draft's; spacing and paragraph breaks come from the documents' text. Footnotes are left out.
Current code
§ 95.02 Definitions
For use in these chapters, unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the following terms are defined:
1. “B.O.D.” (denoting Biochemical Oxygen Demand) means the quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five (5) days at twenty degrees (20º) C, expressed in milligrams per liter or parts per million.
2. “Building drain” means that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a building 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 (5) feet (1.5 meters) outside the inner face of the building wall.
3. “Building sewer” means that part of the horizontal piping from the building wall to its connection with the main sewer or the primary treatment portion of an on-site wastewater treatment and disposal system conveying the drainage of one building site.
4. “Combined sewer” means a sewer receiving both surface run-off and sewage.
5. “Customer” means any person responsible for the production of domestic, commercial, or industrial waste which is directly or indirectly discharged into the public sewer system.
6. “Garbage” means solid wastes from the domestic and commercial preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage, and sale of produce.
7. “Industrial wastes” means the liquid wastes from industrial manufacturing processes, trade, or business as distinct from sanitary sewage.
8. “Inspector” means the person duly authorized by the Council to inspect and approve the installation of building sewers and their connections to the public sewer system; and to inspect such sewage as may be discharged therefrom.
9. “Natural outlet” means any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake, or other body of surface or groundwater.
10. “On-site wastewater treatment and disposal system” means all equipment and devices necessary for proper conduction, collection, storage, treatment, and disposal of wastewater from four or fewer dwelling units or other facilities serving the equivalent of fifteen persons (1500 gpd) or less.
11. “pH” means the logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
12. “Public sewer” means a sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal rights, and is controlled by public authority.
13. “Sanitary sewage” means sewage discharging from the sanitary conveniences of dwellings (including apartment houses and hotels), office buildings, factories, or institutions, and free from storm, surface water, and industrial waste.
14. “Sanitary sewer” means a sewer which carries sewage and to which storm, surface, and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.
15. “Sewage” means a combination of the water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments, together with such ground, surface, and storm waters as may be present.
16. “Sewage treatment plant” means any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.
17. “Sewage works” or “sewage system” means all facilities for collecting, pumping, treating, and disposing of sewage.
18. “Sewer” means a pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
19. “Sewer service charges” means any and all charges, rates or fees levied against and payable by customers, as consideration for the servicing of said customers by said sewer system.
20. “Slug” means any discharge of water, sewage, or industrial waste which in concentration of any given constituent or in quantity of flow exceeds for any period of duration longer than fifteen (15) minutes more than five (5) times the average 24-hour concentration or flows during normal operation.
21. “Storm drain” or “storm sewer” means a sewer which carries storm and surface waters and drainage but excludes sewage and industrial wastes, other than unpolluted cooling water.
22. “Superintendent” means the Superintendent of sewage works and/or of water pollution control of the City or any authorized deputy, agent, or representative.
23. “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.
24. “Watercourse” means a channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.
2026 draft
§ 95.02 Definitions
For use in these chapters, unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the following terms are defined:
1. “B.O.D.” (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℃, expressed in milligrams per liter or parts per million.
2. “Building drain” means that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a building 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 (one and one-half meters) outside the inner face of the building wall.
3. “Building sewer” means that part of the horizontal piping from the building wall to its connection with the main sewer or the primary treatment portion of an on-site wastewater treatment and disposal system conveying the drainage of one building site.
4. “Combined sewer” means a sewer receiving both surface run-off and sewage.
5. “Customer” means any person responsible for the production of domestic, commercial, or industrial waste that is directly or indirectly discharged into the public sewer system.
6. “Garbage” means solid wastes from the domestic and commercial preparation, cooking and dispensing of food, and from the handling, storage, and sale of produce.
7. “Industrial wastes” means the liquid wastes from industrial manufacturing processes, trade, or business as distinct from sanitary sewage.
8. “Inspector” means the person duly authorized by the Council to inspect and approve the installation of building sewers and their connections to the public sewer system; and to inspect such sewage as may be discharged therefrom.
9. “Natural outlet” means any outlet into a watercourse, pond, ditch, lake, or other body of surface or groundwater.
10. “On-site wastewater treatment and disposal system” means all equipment and devices necessary for proper conduction, collection, storage, treatment, and disposal of wastewater from four or fewer dwelling units or other facilities serving the equivalent of 15 persons (1,500 gpd) or less.
11. “pH” means the logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution.
12. “Public sewer” means a sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal rights, and is controlled by public authority.
13. “Sanitary sewage” means sewage discharging from the sanitary conveniences of dwellings (including apartment houses and hotels), office buildings, factories, or institutions, and free from storm, surface water, and industrial waste.
14. “Sanitary sewer” means a sewer that carries sewage and to which storm, surface, and groundwaters are not intentionally admitted.
15. “Sewage” means a combination of the water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial establishments, together with such ground, surface, and stormwaters as may be present.
16. “Sewage treatment plant” means any arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.
17. “Sewage works” or “sewage system” means all facilities for collecting, pumping, treating, and disposing of sewage.
18. “Sewer” means a pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
19. “Sewer service charges” means any and all charges, rates or fees levied against and payable by customers, as consideration for the servicing of said customers by said sewer system.
20. “Slug” means any discharge of water, sewage, or industrial waste that 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.
21. “Storm drain” or “storm sewer” means a sewer that carries storm and surface waters and drainage but excludes sewage and industrial wastes, other than unpolluted cooling water.
22. “Superintendent” means the Superintendent of sewage works or of water pollution control of the City or any authorized deputy, agent, or representative.
23. “Suspended solids” means solids that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in water, sewage, or other liquids, and that are removable by laboratory filtering.
24. “Watercourse” means a channel in which a flow of water occurs, either continuously or intermittently.
Back to draft chapter 95 · All changes
Data last updated October 22, 2026. Built from the archive's documents; see how the data is built.