Spokane Municipal Code

Title 13 Public Utilities and Services

Chapter 13.03A Pretreatment

Article II. General Requirements

1. General Prohibition.

No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW any pollutant or wastewater which causes pass through or interference. This requirement applies to all users of the POTW, whether or not they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any other federal, state or local pretreatment standards or requirements.

2. Specific Prohibitions.

No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW anything listed hereafter. Where two or more items apply, the more stringent governs:

1. 1. Pollutants which either alone or by interaction may create a fire or explosive hazard in the POTW or any part thereof, a public nuisance or hazard to life, or prevent entry into the sewers for maintenance and repair or which are in any way injurious to the operation of the system or operating personnel. This includes wastestreams with a closed cup flashpoint of less than one hundred forty degrees F (sixty degrees C) using the test methods specified in 40 CFR §261.21.

1. 2. Wastewater having a pH less than 5.0 or more than 12.0, or otherwise having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, or personnel. (Cross Reference: SMC 13.03A.0204(A))

1. 3. Solid or viscous substances in amounts which will cause obstruction of the flow in the POTW. In general, the cutting up or reducing to smaller pieces of any solid materials as a means to enable their introduction into the POTW is prohibited. In addition, in no case shall solids greater than one-quarter inch (0.64 cm) in any dimension be discharged.

1. 4. Pollutants, including oxygen demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released at a flow rate and/or concentration which, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, will cause interference with the POTW.

1. 5. Wastewater having a temperature which will inhibit biological activity in the treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case, wastewater which causes the temperature at the point of introduction into the treatment plant to exceed one hundred four degrees F (forty degrees C) unless the approval authority, upon request of the Plant Manager, approves alternative temperature limits.

1. 6. Wastewater which causes the temperature at the point of introduction into the sanitary sewer to exceed one hundred thirty degrees F (fifty-four degrees C).

1. 7. Petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin, in amounts that will cause obstruction of the POTW, interference or pass through.

1. 8. Pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors, or fumes within the POTW in a quantity that may cause risk to worker health and safety, in the Plant Manager’s judgment and/or substances identified as toxic pollutants or any wastewater containing any pollutant, including oxygen demanding pollutants, in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction, to injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, or be in violation of any applicable statute, rule, regulation, or ordinance of any public agency, including the EPA.

1. 9. Trucked or hauled pollutants, wastewater or other materials (hauled wastewater), except at discharge points designated by the Plant Manager in accordance with SMC 13.03A.0212.

1. 10. The following are prohibited unless approved by the Plant Manager under special circumstances, such as lack of direct discharge alternatives due to combined sewer service or need to augment domestic wastewater flows due to septic conditions as required under WAC 173-216-050:

1. 1. 1. Non-contact cooling water in volumes deemed significant by the Plant Manager because of adverse effects of consequences.

1. 1. 2. Stormwater, or other direct inflow sources.

1. 1. 3. Wastewater significantly affecting POTW hydraulic loading, which does not require treatment or would not be afforded a significant degree of treatment by the POTW.

1. 11. Wastewater which imparts color which cannot be removed by the treatment process, such as dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions, which imparts color to the treatment plant effluent causing violation of the City’s NPDES permit. Color (in combination with turbidity) shall not cause the treatment plant effluent to reduce the depth of the compensation point for photosynthetic activity by more than ten percent from the seasonably established norm for aquatic life, as determined by the Plant Manager.

1. 12. Noxious or malodorous liquids, gases, solids, or other wastewater which, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, are sufficient to create a public nuisance or a hazard to life, or to prevent entry into the sewers for maintenance or repair.

1. 13. Wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes except in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations and approved by the Plant Manager.

1. 14. Stormwater, surface water, ground water, artesian well water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, swimming pool drainage, condensate, deionized water, non-contact cooling water, and unpolluted wastewater, unless specifically authorized by the Plant Manager.

1. 15. Sludges, screenings, or other residues from the pretreatment of industrial wastewaters, or from industrial processes unless authorized by the Plant Manager.

1. 16. Medical wastes, except as specifically authorized by the Plant Manager through a discharge permit issued under Article 3.

1. 17. Wastewater causing, alone or in conjunction with other sources, the treatment plant’s effluent to fail toxicity tests from applicable regulations. (Cross Reference: WAC 173-205-020, 40 C.F.R. § 122.21 (5))

1. 18. Detergents, surface active agents, or other substances that might cause excessive foaming or interfere with effective function of the POTW.

1. 19. Fats, oils, or greases or any other materials of animal (including human) or vegetable origin in quantities which could cause obstruction of the POTW or interference with conveyance or treatment

1. 20. Animal guts or tissues, paunch manure, bones, hair, hides or fleshings, entrails, whole blood, feathers, ashes, cinders, sand, spent lime, stone or marble dust, metal, glass, straw, shavings, grass clippings, rags, spent grains, spent hops, waste paper, wood, plastics, gas, tar asphalt residues, residues from refining or processing of fuel or lubricating oil, mud, or glass grinding or polishing wastes.

1. 21. Liquids, solids, or gas, which by reason of their nature or quantity may be sufficient, alone or by interaction with other materials, to cause fire or explosion, which might cause obstruction or interference or be injurious in any other way to the POTW, its operations, staff or the environment. At no time shall two successive readings on an explosion hazard meter at the point of discharge into the POTW system, or at any point in the POTW system, exceed five percent or any single reading exceed ten percent of the lower explosive limit based on an explosivity meter reading.

1. 22. Anything which in the opinion of the Plant Manager may cause harm either to the sewers, sewage treatment process, or equipment, have an adverse effect on the receiving waters or outside environment, or otherwise endanger life, limb or property, or constitute a nuisance, unless allowed under special agreement, except that no special waiver shall be given from categorical pretreatment standards.

1. 23. Any dangerous wastes as defined in WAC 173-216-030 or hazardous wastes as defined in 40 CFR Part 261.

1. 24. Hazardous waste pharmaceuticals as listed in 40 CFR 261 subparts C, D generated from healthcare facilities or reverse distributors, pursuant to 40 CFR 266.505.

1. 25. Bulk, expired, outdated, or concentrated prescription or non-prescription drugs.

1. 26. Persistent pesticides and/or pesticides regulated by FIFRA (Federal Insecticide Fungicide Rodenticide Act).

1. 27. The contents of any tank or other vessel owned or used by any person in the business of collecting or pumping sewage, effluent, septic tank waste, or other wastewater unless said person has first obtained testing and approval as may be generally required by the City of Spokane and paid all fees assessed for the privilege of said discharge.

1. 28. Anything else not authorized by the Plant Manager.

1. 29. Any substance which will cause the POTW to violate its NPDES and/or other disposal system permits.

3. Supplementing subsections (A) and (B) of this section, no industrial user shall violate the provisions of 40 CFR §403.5(a) and (b) or WAC 173-216-060 or any statute or regulation referenced therein. Such provisions are all fully incorporated herein.

4. Pollutants, substances, or wastewater prohibited by this section shall not be processed or stored in such a manner that they could be discharged to the POTW.

NOTE: Bracketed enumerations reference the numbering in the EPA Region 10 Model Ordinance of March 27, 2012

Date Passed: Monday, November 9, 2020

Effective Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2020

ORD C35961 Section 10