DISCHARGE PROHIBITIONS AND LIMITATIONS

Fort Worth City Code ch. 12.5, art. VI, div. 2

in effect

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-610 DISCHARGES TO THE CITY OF FORT WORTH VILLAGE CREEK WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY.

§ 12.5-610 DISCHARGES TO THE CITY OF FORT WORTH VILLAGE CREEK WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY. (a) General prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW any pollutant or wastewater which causes pass through or interference. These general prohibitions apply to all users of the POTW regardless of whether they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any other national, state or local pretreatment standards or requirements. (b) Specific prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW the following pollutants, substances or wastewater: (1) Pollutants which create a fire or explosive hazard in the POTW, including, but not limited to, waste streams with a closed-cup flashpoint of less than 140°F (60°C) using the test methods specified in 40 C.F.R. § 261.21; (2) Wastewater having a pH less than 5.0 or more than 12.0, or otherwise causing corrosive or structural damage to the POTW or equipment; (3) Solid or viscous substances in amounts which will cause obstruction of the flow in the POTW resulting in interference but in no case solids greater than one-half inch in any dimension; (4) Oil and grease. a. Petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oil or non polar products of mineral oil origin in concentrations greater than 200 mg/l; b. Visible free floatable polar oils, fats or grease or a concentration greater than 250 mg/l in wastewater discharged from industrial or commercial facilities into the POTW; and c. In no case shall discharges in amounts that cause interference or operational problems with the POTW be allowed; (5) Pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released in a discharge at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, will cause interference with the POTW; (6) Wastewater having a temperature greater than 150°F (65°C), or which will inhibit biological activity in the treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case wastewater which causes the temperature at the introduction into the treatment plant to exceed 104°F (40°C); (7) Petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil or products of mineral oil origin, in amounts that will cause interference or pass through; (8) Pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors or fumes within the POTW in a quantity that may cause acute worker health and safety problems; (9) Industrial waste. a. Trucked or hauled industrial waste, except as approved in writing by the director; or b. Trucked or hauled waste from any industrial activities/processes regulated by any specific category listed in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR) Parts 405 - 471 with detectable quantities of PFAS; (10) 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; (11) Hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide or nitrous oxide in excess of ten parts per million in water. (12) Wastewater which imparts color which cannot be removed by the treatment process, such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions; (13) Wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes except in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations; (14) Stormwater, surface water, ground water, artesian well water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, condensate, deionized water, noncontact cooling water and unpolluted wastewater, unless specifically authorized by the director; (15) Sludges, screenings or other residues from the pretreatment of industrial wastes; (16) Medical wastes, except as specifically authorized by the director in a wastewater discharge permit; (17) Wastewater causing, alone or in conjunction with other sources, the treatment plant’s effluent to fail a toxicity test; (18) Detergents, surface-active agents or other substances which may cause excessive foaming in the POTW; (19) Swimming pool drainage from private residential pools. Swimming pool drainage from public and semi-public swimming pools may be discharged to the POTW with the prior consent of the director. Swimming pool filter backwash may be discharged to the POTW; (20) BTEX concentration greater than 1.0 mg/l; or (21) Any PFAS or PFAS-related substances above baseline collection system concentrations of 25 ng/L without an approved plan of correction, as defined in the dischargers permit, which employs “Best Management Practices” (BMPs) to reduce or eliminate the pollutants within one year of detection/notification. (c) Categorical pretreatment. The categorical pretreatment standards found at 40 C.F.R. Chapter I, Subchapter N, Parts 405-471 are hereby incorporated into this article. A user shall not discharge in violation of categorical pretreatment standards. (1) Where a categorical pretreatment standard is expressed only in terms of either the mass or the concentration of a pollutant in wastewater, the director may impose equivalent concentration or mass limits in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 403.6(c). (2) When wastewater subject to a categorical pretreatment standard is mixed with wastewater not regulated by the same standard, the director shall impose an alternate limit in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 403.6(e). (3) A user may obtain a variance from a categorical pretreatment standard if the user can demonstrate, pursuant to the procedural and substantive provisions in 40 C.F.R. § 403.13, that factors relating to its discharge are fundamentally different from the factors considered by the EPA when developing the categorical pretreatment standard. (4) A user may obtain a net/gross adjustment to a categorical standard in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 403.15. (d) Local limits. (1) The following local pollutant limits are established to protect against pass through and interference. The limits apply at the point where the wastewater is discharged to the POTW. The director may impose mass limitations in addition to, or in place of, the concentration-based limitations. All concentrations for metallic substances are for total metal unless indicated otherwise. (2) No person shall discharge wastewater containing the following. Pollutants in the form of compounds or elements with total concentrations exceeding the following: Pollutant | Maximum Allowable Discharge Limit mg/l Pollutant | Maximum Allowable Discharge Limit mg/l Arsenic | 0.25 Cadmium | 0.15 Chromium | 5.0 Copper | 4.0 Lead | 2.9 Mercury | 0.01 Nickel | 2.0 Silver | 1.0 Zinc | 5.0 Cyanide or cyanogens compounds (expressed as total CN-) | 1.0 (e) The director may develop best management practices by ordinance approved by the city council, or in individual wastewater discharge permits to help implement local limits and other pretreatment standards and the requirements of this section. (f) A person commits an offense if with criminal negligence the person processes or stores pollutants, substances or wastewater prohibited by this section in such a manner that they could be discharged to the POTW. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995; Ord. 15496, § 6, passed 3-25-2003; Ord. 17074, § 5, passed 7-25-2006; Ord. 18428-01-2009, § 1, passed 1-6-2009; Ord. 20043-01-2012, § 4, passed 1-10-2012; Ord. 26888-04-2024, § 2, passed 4-23-2024, eff. 5-3-2024; Ord. 27308-11-2024, § 2, passed 11-19-2024, eff. 11-29-2024)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-610.1 DISCHARGES TO THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY CENTRAL REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM.

§ 12.5-610.1 DISCHARGES TO THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY CENTRAL REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM. (a) General prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW any pollutant or wastewater which causes pass through or interference. These general prohibitions apply to all users of the POTW regardless of whether they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any other national, state or local pretreatment standards or requirements. (b) Specific prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW the following pollutants, substances or wastewater: (1) Pollutants which create a fire or explosive hazard in the POTW, including, but not limited to, waste streams with a closed-cup flashpoint of less than 140°F (60°C) using the test methods specified in 40 C.F.R. § 261.21; (2) Wastewater having a pH less than 5.5 or more than 11.0, or otherwise causing corrosive or structural damage to the POTW or equipment; (3) Solid or viscous substances in amounts which will cause obstruction of the flow in the POTW resulting in interference but in no case solids greater than one-half inch in any dimension or fats, oil and grease measured as total oil and grease in excess of 200 mg/l; (4) Pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released in a discharge at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, will cause interference with the POTW; (5) Wastewater having a temperature greater than 150°F (65°C), or which will inhibit biological activity in the treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case wastewater which causes the temperature at the introduction into the treatment plant to exceed 104°F (40°C); (6) Petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin, in amounts that will cause interference or pass through; (7) Pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors or fumes within the POTW in a quantity that may cause acute worker health and safety problems; (8) Trucked or hauled waste except at discharge points designated by the director; (9) 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; hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide or nitrous oxide in excess of ten parts per million. (10) Wastewater which imparts color which cannot be removed by the treatment process, such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions; (11) Wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes except in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations; (12) Stormwater, surface water, ground water, artesian well water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, condensate, deionized water, noncontact cooling water and unpolluted wastewater, unless specifically authorized by the director; (13) Sludges, screenings or other residues from the pretreatment of industrial wastes; (14) Medical wastes, except as specifically authorized by the director in a wastewater discharge permit; (15) Detergents, surface-active agents or other substances which may cause excessive foaming in the POTW; or (16) Swimming pool drainage from private residential pools. Swimming pool drainage from public and semi-public swimming pools may be discharged to the POTW with the prior consent of the director. Swimming pool filter backwash may be discharged to the POTW. (c) Categorical pretreatment. The categorical pretreatment standards found at 40 C.F.R. Chapter I, Subchapter N, Parts 405 through 471 are hereby incorporated into this article. A user shall not discharge in violation of categorical pretreatment standards. (1) Where a categorical pretreatment standard is expressed only in terms of either the mass or the concentration of a pollutant in wastewater, the director may impose equivalent concentration or mass limits in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 403.6(c). (2) When regulated, process wastewater subject to a categorical pretreatment standard is mixed with non-regulated wastewaters prior to treatment, the director or the industrial user with the written concurrence of the director, shall derive fixed alternative discharge limits in accordance with procedures and the combined wastestream formula found in 40 C.F.R. § 403.6(e) or by a flow weighted average. (3) A user may obtain a variance from a categorical pretreatment standard if the user can prove, pursuant to the procedural and substantive provisions in 40 C.F.R. § 403.13, that factors relating to its discharge are fundamentally different from the factors considered by the EPA when developing the categorical pretreatment standard. (4) A user may obtain a net gross adjustment to a categorical standard in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 403.15. (d) Local limits. (1) The following local pollutant limits are established to protect against pass through and interference. The limits apply at the point where the wastewater is discharged to the POTW. The director may impose mass limitations in addition to, or in place of, the concentration-based limitations. All concentrations for metallic substances are for total metal unless indicated otherwise. (2) No person shall discharge wastewater containing the following. Pollutants in the form of compounds or elements with total concentrations exceeding the following: Pollutant | Instantaneous Maximum Allowable Discharge Limit mg/l Pollutant | Instantaneous Maximum Allowable Discharge Limit mg/l Arsenic | 0.2 Cadmium | 0.1 Chromium, total | 2.1 Copper | 1.8 Cyanide, total | 0.4 Lead | 1.2 Mercury | 0.06 Molybdenum | 0.5 Nickel | 3.3 Selenium | 0.2 Silver | 0.8 Zinc | 6.1 (e) Best management practices. The director may develop best management practices by ordinance approved by the city council, or in individual wastewater discharge permits to help implement local limits and other pretreatment standards and the requirements of this section. (f) Offense. A person commits an offense if with criminal negligence the person processes or stores pollutants, substances or wastewater prohibited by this section in such a manner that they could be discharged to the POTW. (Ord. 15496, § 7, passed 3-25-2003; Ord. 17074, § 6, passed 7-25-2006; Ord. 18428-01-2009, § 2, passed 1-6-2009; Ord. 20043-01-2012, § 5, passed 1-10-2012; Ord. 27308-11-2024, §§ 3, 5, 6, passed 11-19-2024, eff. 11-29-2024)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-610.2 DISCHARGES TO THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY DENTON CREEK REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM.

§ 12.5-610.2 DISCHARGES TO THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY DENTON CREEK REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM. (a) General prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW any pollutant or wastewater which causes pass through or interference. These general prohibitions apply to all users of the POTW regardless of whether they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any other national, state or local pretreatment standards or requirements. (b) Specific prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW the following pollutants, substances or wastewater: (1) Pollutants which create a fire or explosive hazard in the POTW, including, but not limited to, waste streams with a closed-cup flashpoint of less than 140°F (60°C) using the test methods specified in 40 C.F.R. § 261.21; (2) Wastewater having a pH less than 5.5 or more than 11.0, or otherwise causing corrosive or structural damage to the POTW or equipment; (3) Solid or viscous substances in amounts which will cause obstruction of the flow in the POTW resulting in interference but in no case solids greater than one-half inch in any dimension or fats, oil and grease measured as total oil and grease in excess of 200 mg/l; (4) Pollutants, including oxygen-demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.), released in a discharge at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, will cause interference with the POTW; (5) Wastewater having a temperature greater than 150°F (65°C), or which will inhibit biological activity in the treatment plant resulting in interference, but in no case wastewater which causes the temperature at the introduction into the treatment plant to exceed 104°F (40°C); (6) Petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil or products of mineral oil origin, in amounts that will cause interference or pass through; (7) Pollutants which result in the presence of toxic gases, vapors or fumes within the POTW in a quantity that may cause acute worker health and safety problems; (8) Trucked or hauled waste except at discharge points designated by the director; (9) 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; hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide or nitrous oxide in excess of ten one-hundredths mg/l; (10) Wastewater which imparts color which cannot be removed by the treatment process, such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions; (11) Wastewater containing any radioactive wastes or isotopes except in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations; (12) Stormwater, surface water, ground water, artesian well water, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, condensate, deionized water, noncontact cooling water and unpolluted wastewater, unless specifically authorized by the director; (13) Sludges, screenings or other residues from the pretreatment of industrial wastes; (14) Medical wastes, except as specifically authorized by the director in a wastewater discharge permit; (15) Wastewater causing, alone or in conjunction with other sources, the treatment plant’s effluent to fail a toxicity test; (16) Detergents, surface-active agents or other substances which may cause excessive foaming in the POTW; or (17) Swimming pool drainage from private residential pools. Swimming pool drainage from public and semi-public swimming pools may be discharged to the POTW with the prior consent of the director. Swimming pool filter backwash may be discharged to the POTW. (c) Categorical pretreatment. The categorical pretreatment standards found at 40 C.F.R. Chapter I, Subchapter N, Parts 405-471 are hereby incorporated into this article. A user shall not discharge in violation of categorical pretreatment standards. (1) Where a categorical pretreatment standard is expressed only in terms of either the mass or the concentration of a pollutant in wastewater, the director may impose equivalent concentration or mass limits in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 403.6(c). (2) When regulated, process wastewater subject to a categorical pretreatment standard is mixed with non-regulated wastewaters prior to treatment, the director or the industrial user with the written concurrence of the director, shall derive fixed alternative discharge limits in accordance with procedures and the combined wastestream formula found in 40 C.F.R. § 403.6(e) or by a flow weighted average. (3) A user may obtain a variance from a categorical pretreatment standard if the user can prove, pursuant to the procedural and substantive provisions in 40 C.F.R. § 403.13, that factors relating to its discharge are fundamentally different from the factors considered by the EPA when developing the categorical pretreatment standard. (4) A user may obtain a net gross adjustment to a categorical standard in accordance with 40 C.F.R. § 403.15. (d) Local limits. (1) The following local pollutant limits are established to protect against pass through and interference. The limits apply at the point where the wastewater is discharged to the POTW. The director may impose mass limitations in addition to, or in place of, the concentration-based limitations. All concentrations for metallic substances are for total metal unless indicated otherwise. (2) No person shall discharge wastewater containing the following. Pollutants in the form of compounds or elements with total concentrations exceeding the following: Pollutant | Instantaneous Maximum Allowable Discharge Limit mg/l Pollutant | Instantaneous Maximum Allowable Discharge Limit mg/l Cadmium | 0.047 Chromium, total | 10.0 Copper | 3.51 Lead | 0.22 Mercury | 0.005 Nickel | 2.98 Zinc | 2.99 Cyanide, total | 1.0 (e) The director may develop best management practices by ordinance approved by the city council, or in individual wastewater discharge permits to help implement local limits and other pretreatment standards and the requirements of this section. (f) A person commits an offense if with criminal negligence the person processes or stores pollutants, substances or wastewater prohibited by this section in such a manner that they could be discharged to the POTW. (Ord. 15496, § 8, passed 3-25-2003; Ord. 17074, § 7, passed 7-25-2006; Ord. 20043-01-2012, § 6, passed 1-10-2012; Ord. 27308-11-2024, § 4, passed 11-19-2024, eff. 11-29-2024; Ord. 27966-09-2025, §§ 2, 3, passed 9-16-2025, eff. 10-1-2025)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-611 CITY’S RIGHT OF REVISION.

§ 12.5-611 CITY’S RIGHT OF REVISION. The city reserves the right to establish, by ordinance or in wastewater discharge permits, more stringent standards or requirements on discharges to the POTW than those set forth above. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-612 DILUTION.

§ 12.5-612 DILUTION. (a) No user shall ever increase the use of process water, or in any way attempt to dilute a discharge, as a partial or complete substitute for adequate treatment to achieve compliance with a discharge limitation unless expressly authorized by an applicable pretreatment standard or requirement. (b) The director may impose mass limitations on users who are using dilution to meet applicable pretreatment standards or requirements, or in other cases when the imposition of mass limitations is appropriate. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-613 UPSET.

§ 12.5-613 UPSET. When an upset occurs, a user shall control production of all discharges to the extent necessary to maintain compliance with categorical pretreatment standards upon reduction, loss or failure of its treatment equipment until the equipment is restored or an alternative method of treatment is provided. The user must also report the upset in accordance with § 12.5-656. This requirement applies in the situation where, among other things, the primary source of power of the treatment equipment is reduced, lost or fails. A user may have an affirmative defense to upset under § 12.5-677.1 of this article only if the cause of action is brought in a federal court. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995; Ord. 20043-01-2012, § 7, passed 1-10-2012)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-614 BYPASS.

§ 12.5-614 BYPASS. (a) A user may allow any bypass to occur which does not cause pretreatment standards or requirements to be violated, but only if it is for essential maintenance to assure efficient operation. These bypasses are not subject to the provision of subsections (b) and (c) of this section. (b) (1) If a user knows in advance of the need for a bypass, it shall submit prior notice to the director, at least ten days before the date of the bypass, if possible. (2) A user shall submit oral notice to the director of an unanticipated bypass that exceeds applicable pretreatment standards within 24 hours from the time it becomes aware of the bypass. A written submission shall also be provided within five days of the time the user becomes aware of the bypass. The written submission shall contain a description of the bypass and its cause; the duration of the bypass, including exact dates and times, and, if the bypass has not been corrected, the anticipated time it is expected to continue; and steps taken or planned to reduce, eliminate and prevent reoccurrence of the bypass. The director may waive the written report on a case-by-case basis if the oral report has been received within 24 hours. (c) (1) Bypass is prohibited, and the director may take an enforcement action against a user for a bypass, unless: a. Bypass was unavoidable to prevent loss of life, personal injury or severe property damage; b. There were no feasible alternatives to the bypass, such as the use of auxiliary treatment facilities, retention of untreated wastes, or maintenance during normal periods of equipment downtime. This condition is not satisfied if adequate back-up equipment should have been installed in the exercise of reasonable engineering judgment to prevent a bypass which occurred during normal periods of equipment downtime or preventive maintenance; and c. The user submitted notices as required under subsection (b) of this section. (2) The director may approve an anticipated bypass, after considering its adverse effects, if the director determines that it will meet the three conditions listed in subsection (c)(1) of this section. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-615 through 12.5-619 RESERVED.

Source: City of Fort Worth, Code of Ordinances, City Charter and Zoning Ordinance (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/ftworth/latest/ftworth_tx/0-0-0-14960Fetched: 10/26/2026