Ordinance No. 915: Local Limits

Ordinance No. 915: Local Limits for Industrial Wastewater Discharge

This ordinance, enacted by the Borough Council of Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania, establishes local limits and requirements for users discharging industrial wastes into the municipal sewer system. It aims to protect public health, the environment, and infrastructure while ensuring compliance with state and federal laws.

Purpose & Policy

• Regulates introduction of pollutants into the sewer system.
• Authorizes an Industrial Pretreatment Program to monitor and control discharges.
• Requires permits, reports, plans, schedules, and enforcement activities.
• Establishes fees and penalties for violations.

Key Objectives (Article 2)

The ordinance seeks to:

• Prevent pollutants that interfere with or damage the sewer system.
• Protect workers and the public from toxic substances.
• Prevent damage to the sewer system itself.
• Enable recycling or reclamation of wastewater/sludge.
• Ensure equitable cost distribution for pretreatment operations.
• Comply with all applicable laws, including Clean Water Act and NPDES permits.

Definitions (Section II)

Key terms defined include:

• Authorized Representative: Person with authority to act on behalf of an industrial user.
• Best Management Practices (BMP): Procedures to reduce pollution, as defined under 40 CFR §403.5.
• Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): Measure of organic matter in wastewater, tested over 5 days at 20°C.
• Borough: The Borough of Hollidaysburg, Blair County, PA.
• Building Sewer: Pipe conveying wastewater from a user to the sanitary sewer.
• Bypass: Diversion of wastewater around a pretreatment facility.
• Categorical Industrial User: Industrial user subject to federal categorical standards under 40 CFR Chapter I.
• Chain of Custody: Record tracking sample collection, handling, and analysis.
• Clean Streams Law: Pennsylvania’s primary water pollution control law (35 P.S. §§ 691.1–691.702).
• Color: Measured in platinum-cobalt units after removing suspended matter.
• Combined Sewer: Conveys both sanitary sewage and stormwater.
• Composite Sample: Multiple samples collected over time, proportioned by flow or time.
• Daily Maximum: Highest value allowed in any calendar day or 24-hour period.
• Discharge: Release of water/wastewater into the sewer system via truck, pipe, etc.
• Domestic Wastes: Normal household wastes (kitchens, toilets, laundry).
• Enforcement Response Plan: Plan developed per 40 CFR §403.8(f)(5) for handling noncompliance.
• EPA: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; its standards apply if promulgated under Section 307 of the Clean Water Act.
• Existing Source: Discharge source operating before EPA published applicable categorical standards.
• Garbage: Solid/semi-solid wastes from food preparation, cooking, storage, or sale.
• Grab Sample: Single sample taken within 15 minutes from a waste stream.

Enforcement & Penalties (Sections IV–VII)

• Includes provisions for civil actions, injunctive relief, enforcement response plans, and designation of responsible officials.
• Penalties are established for violations.
• Remedies provided are not exclusive — other legal remedies may also apply.

Structure & Effective Date (Section VIII)

• Article 1: Purpose and Policy
• Article 2: Objectives
• Article 3: Reservation of Rights — Borough retains authority to enforce beyond minimum requirements.
• Effective Date, Repealer clause, and Short Title are included but not specified in visible text.

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This ordinance empowers the Borough to regulate industrial discharges, ensure environmental protection, and maintain sewer system integrity through monitoring, permitting, and enforcement mechanisms aligned with state and federal law.