Chapter 13.16 SEWER SERVICE SYSTEM*
Section 13.16.250 Enforcement.
A. All dischargers subject to local,
state or federal regulations must retain and preserve for at
least three years, any records books, documents, memoranda, reports, correspondence and any and
all summaries relating to monitoring, sampling and chemical analyses made by or on behalf of a
discharger in connection with its discharge. All records which pertain to matters which are the
subject of any enforcement or litigation activities brought by the city must be retained and
preserved by the discharger until all enforcement activities have concluded and all periods of
limitation concerning any appeals have expired.
1. The city may for good cause shown
suspend the wastewater treatment service to a
discharger when it appears to the city that an actual or threatened discharge presents or threatens
an imminent or substantial danger to the health or welfare of persons, substantial danger to the
health or welfare of persons, substantial danger to the environmental, interfere with the operation
of the POTW, or violate any pretreatment limits imposed by this chapter. In the event such
discharge poses an immediate threat to the collection works, POTW or the health and safety of any
persons, the city shall have the right, as given in the enforcement response procedures, to
immediately terminate service. In the event a discharger does not pose an immediate threat, the city
may, at its discretion, suspend services. Any discharger notified of the suspension of the city's
wastewater treatment service shall within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the city,
cease all discharges. In the event of failure of the discharger to comply voluntarily with the
suspension order within the specified time, the city shall commence judicial proceedings
immediately thereafter to compel the discharger's compliance with such order. The city shall
reinstate the wastewater treatment service and terminate judicial proceedings pending proof by the
discharger of the elimination of the noncomplying discharge or conditions as set forth in this
chapter.
2. The city may seek to terminate
the wastewater treatment services to any discharger which
fails to: (a) factually report the wastewater constituents and characteristics of its discharge; (b)
report significant changes in wastewater constituents or characteristics; (c) refuses reasonable
access to the discharger's premises by representatives of the city for the purpose of inspection or
monitoring; or (d) violates the conditions of this chapter, or any final judicial order entered with
respect thereto.
3. Whenever the city finds that any
discharger has engaged in conduct which justifies
termination of a wastewater treatment service, the city shall serve or cause to be served upon such
discharger, a written notice either personally or by certified or registered mail, return receipt
requested, stating the nature of the alleged violation. Within thirty days of the date of receipt of
the
notice, the discharger shall respond personally or in writing to the city, advising of its position
with
respect to the allegations. Thereafter, the parties shall meet to ascertain the veracity of the
allegations and where necessary, establish a plan for the satisfactory correction thereof.
4. Where the violation of Section
13.16.250(A)(1) is not corrected by timely compliance by
means of administrative adjustment, the city may order any discharger which causes or allows
conduct prohibited by this chapter, to show cause before the city or its duly authorized
representative, why the proposed service termination action should not be taken. A written notice
shall be served on the discharger by personal service, certified or registered, return receipt
requested, specifying the time and place of a hearing to be held by the city or its designee regarding
the violation, the reasons why the enforcement action is to be taken, the proposed enforcement
action, and directing the discharger to show cause before the city or its designee why the proposed
enforcement action should not be taken. The notice of the hearing shall be served no less than ten
days before the hearing. Service may be made on any agent, officer or authorized representative of
a discharger. The proceedings at the hearing shall be considered by the city which shall then enter
appropriate orders with respect to the alleged improper activities of the discharger. Appeal of such
orders may be taken by the discharger in accordance with applicable local or state law.
5. Following the entry of any order
by the city with respect to the conduct of a discharger
contrary to the provisions of this chapter, the attorney for the city may, following the authorization
of such action by the city, commence an action for appropriate legal and/or equitable relief in an
appropriate court.
6. The control authority shall publish
annually, in the largest daily newspaper published in the
municipality in which the city is located, a list of the industrial users which, during the previous
twelve months, were in significant noncompliance with applicable pretreatment standards and
requirements. The term significant noncompliance is defined in the definitions section of this
document.
7. Any discharger or any interested
party shall have the right to request in writing an
interpretation or ruling by the city on matters of performance or compliance with this chapter for
which enforcement activity relating to an alleged violation is the subject; receipt of a discharger's
request, shall stay all enforcement proceedings pending receipt of the aforesaid written reply.
8. Appeal of any final judicial order
entered pursuant to this chapter may be taken in
accordance with applicable local and state law.
9. Any discharger which experiences
an upset in operations which places the discharger in a
temporary state of noncompliance with this chapter shall inform the city thereof within twenty-four
hours of first awareness of the commencement of the upset. Where such information is given
orally, a written follow-up report thereof shall be filed by the discharger with the city within five
days. The report shall specify:
a. Description of the upset, the cause
thereof and the upset's impact on a discharger's
compliance status;
b. Duration of noncompliance, including
exact dates and times of noncompliance, and if the
noncompliance continues, the time by which compliance is reasonably expected to occur;
c. All steps taken or to be taken
to reduce, eliminate and prevent recurrence of such an upset
or other conditions of noncompliance.
10. A documented and verified bonafide
operating upset shall be an affirmative defense to any
enforcement action brought by the city against a discharger for any noncompliance with the chapter
which arises out of violations alleged to have occurred during the period of the upset.
B. Any discharger who is found to
have violated an order of the city or who has failed to
comply with any provision of this chapter, and the regulations, or rules of the city, or orders of any
court of competent jurisdiction or permits issued hereunder shall commit an ordinance violation
and be subject to a civil penalty of up to two thousand five hundred dollars.
C. Any person violating any of the
provisions of this chapter shall become liable to the city for
any expense, loss, or damage occasioned the city or downstream users by reason of such violation.
D. The utility service board shall
have full power to invoke any authorization legal, equitable
or special remedy for the enforcement of this chapter. Further, the utility service board is
authorized to institute proceedings in the Circuit or Superior Court of Bartholomew County for
prohibitory or mandatory injunctive relief to present or discontinue any violations thereof.
E. Any discharger violating any of
the provisions of this chapter, or who discharges or causes
a discharge producing a deposit or obstruction, or causes damage to or impairs the city wastewater
disposal system shall be liable to the city for any expense, loss or damage caused by such violation
or discharge. The city shall bill the discharger for the costs incurred by the city for any cleaning,
repair or replacement work caused by the violation or discharge. Refusal to pay the assessed costs
shall constitute a violation of this chapter enforceable under the provisions of this chapter.
F. Any person who knowingly makes
any false statement, representation or certification in any
application, record, report, plan or other document filed or required to be maintained pursuant to
this chapter or wastewater discharge permit, or who falsifies, tampers with, or knowingly renders
inaccurate any monitoring device or method required under this chapter, shall commit an ordinance
violation and be subject to a civil penalty of up to two thousand five hundred dollars.
G. Any person found to be violating
any provision of Article II of this chapter shall be served
by the city with written notice stating the nature of the violation and be required to formally reply
to this citation.
H. Any person who shall continue any
violation beyond the time limit provided shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be fined in the amount not exceeding two
thousand five hundred dollars each violation. Each day in which any such violation shall continue
shall be deemed a separate offense.
I. Any person violating any of the
provisions of this chapter shall become liable to the city for
any expense, loss or damage occasioned the city or downstream users by reason of such violation.
J. The utility service board shall
have full power to invoke any authorized legal, equitable or
special remedy for the enforcement of this chapter. Further, the utility service board is authorized
to institute proceedings in the Circuit or Superior Court of Bartholomew County for prohibitory or
mandatory injunctive relief of any violation of this chapter.
K. Any discharger violating the maximum
limit given for noncompatible pollutants may be
subject to administrative fines as established by the utility service board. (Ord. 99-16 (part), 1999)