§ 34-309. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this division, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

BOD (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 milligrams per liter.

Collection system means the system of public sewer facilities operated by the city and designed for the collection of sanitary sewage.

Commercial user means any premises used for commercial or business purposes which is not an industry as defined in this chapter.

Domestic waste means any wastewater emanating from dwellings or from domestic activities which are performed outside the home in lieu of a home activity directly by or for private citizens, including but not limited to floor drains in an accessory building, RV cleanouts.

Equivalent residential unit (ERU) means a volume of wastewater for which the city incurs the same costs for operations and maintenance of the public sewer system as it would for the average volume of domestic waste discharged from an average residential dwelling unit in the treatment works service area. For the purpose of making this determination the city shall utilize available records or accurate indicators of water use. The city shall have the right to require, as a condition of using the public sewer system, the submission of any and all records or other information necessary to determine the rate of water consumption by the user. Where a user believes the person's wastewater discharge to the sewer system is substantially different than the person's water consumption, an appropriate adjustment shall be made providing the user demonstrates the user's actual wastewater discharge to the satisfaction of the city. The volume attributed to an ERU where the BOD, suspended solids or other characteristic of the wastewater discharged by a user is significantly greater than a domestic waste shall be adjusted to account for the difference in the costs of treatment.

Industrial user means any nongovernmental, nonresidential user of the public treatment works discharging more than the equivalent of 25,000 gallons per day of wastewater and identified in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), under the following sectors:

(1)

11 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting;

(2)

21 Mining, Quarrying and Oil and Gas Extraction;

(3)

22 Utilities;

(4)

31-33 Manufacturing;

(5)

48-49 Transportation and Warehousing;

(6)

56 Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services;

(7)

62 Health Care and Social Assistance;

(8)

81 Other Services (Except Public Administration).

A user in these divisions may be excluded from the industrial category if it is determined that the user will only introduce domestic wastes and wastes from sanitary conveniences into the sewer system.

Industrial waste means that portion of the wastewater emanating from an industrial user which is not domestic waste or waste from sanitary conveniences, including but not limited to toilets, lavatories, or showers.

Operation and maintenance means all activities, goods and services which are necessary to maintain the proper capacity and performance of the treatment works. The term "operation and maintenance" includes replacement as defined in this section.

Person means any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation or group.

Premises means a tract of land, including its buildings.

Public treatment works means a treatment works owned and operated by the city.

Replacement means acquisition and installation of equipment, accessories or appurtenances which are necessary during the service life of the treatment works to maintain the capacity and performance for which such works are designed and constructed.

Service area means all the area served by the treatment works and for which there is one uniform user charge system.

Sewage treatment plant means an arrangement of devices and structures used for treating sewage.

Suspended solids means solids that either float on the surface or are in suspension in water, sewage or other liquids, and which are removable by laboratory filtering.

Treatment works means all facilities for collecting, pumping, treating and disposing of sewage. The terms "treatment system" and "sewer system" shall be equivalent terms for "treatment works."

User means the owner, occupant or other person authorized to request services or responsible for the payment therefor for any property or facility inside or outside the city using any part of the public treatment works of the city.

User charge means the monthly charge levied on all users of the public treatment works, and shall, at a minimum, cover each user's proportionate share of the cost of operation and maintenance (including replacement).

Wastewater means water-carried human, animal or industrial waste, together with such groundwaters, surface waters and stormwaters as may be present. The term "sewage" means wastewater.

(Prior Code, § 71.210; Code 2006, § 13.12.1; Ord. No. 1495, § 2(13.12.1), 1-25-2011)