§ 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.