COMPLIANCE MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT

Fort Worth City Code ch. 12.5, art. VI, div. 7

in effect

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-670 INSPECTION AND SAMPLING.

§ 12.5-670 INSPECTION AND SAMPLING. (a) At least once a year, the director shall inspect and sample each significant industrial user. However, the director may inspect and sample each SIU as frequently as needed during the pretreatment year. The director shall evaluate and determine whether each SIU needs a plan to control slug discharges. The director shall make the determination within a year from the evaluation. (b) Users must allow the director ready access to all parts of the premises for the purposes of inspection, sampling, records examination and copying, and the performance of any additional duties. Users shall also comply with all applicable provisions of federal and state law allowing authorized representatives of the EPA and TCEQ access to all parts of the premises and records for the purposes of inspection, sampling, records examination and copying, and the performance of other authorized functions. (c) User shall provide ample room in or near the monitoring facility to allow accurate sampling and preparation of samples and analysis and whether constructed on public or private property, the monitoring facilities should be provided in accordance with the city’s requirements and all applicable local construction standards and specifications, and such facilities shall be constructed and maintained in such manner so as to enable the city to perform independent monitoring activities. (d) The director shall have the right to set up on the user’s property, or require installation of, such devices as are necessary to conduct sampling and/or metering of the user’s operations. (e) The director may require the user to install monitoring equipment as necessary. The facility’s sampling and monitoring equipment shall be maintained at all times in a safe and proper operating condition at the user’s expense. All devices used to measure wastewater flow and quality shall be calibrated as determined by the director to ensure their accuracy. (f) Any temporary or permanent obstruction to safe and easy access to the facility to be inspected and/or sampled shall be promptly removed by the user at the written or verbal request of the director and shall not be replaced. The costs of clearing such access shall be born by the user. (g) Unreasonable delays in allowing the director, or authorized representatives of the EPA and TCEQ, access to the user’s premises shall be a violation of a wastewater discharge permit and of this article. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995; Ord. 17074, § 10, passed 7-25-2006; Ord. 20043-01-2012, § 12, passed 1-10-2012)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-671 PUBLICATION OF USERS IN SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE FOR FACILITIES DISCHARGING TO THE CITY OF FORT WORTH VILLAGE CREEK WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY.

§ 12.5-671 PUBLICATION OF USERS IN SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE FOR FACILITIES DISCHARGING TO THE CITY OF FORT WORTH VILLAGE CREEK WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY. (a) The Director shall publish annually, in a newspaper of general circulation that provides meaningful public notice within the jurisdictions served by the city a list of the users discharging to the City of Fort Worth Village Water Reclamation Facility which, during the previous 12 months, were in significant noncompliance (SNC) with applicable pretreatment standards and requirements. Significant industrial users are subject to the SNC criteria listed in subsections (b)(1) through (b)(8) below. Group II non-significant industrial users that have been issued a permit shall be subject to SNC criteria listed in subsections (b)(3) through (b)(8) below. Group VI non-significant categorical industrial users shall be subject to SNC criteria listed in subsections (b)(3) through (b)(8) below. All other industrial users are subject to the SNC criteria listed in subsections (b)(3), (b)(4) and (b)(8) of this section. (b) For purposes of this Section, the term SIGNIFICANT NON-COMPLIANCE shall mean: (1) Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined here as those in which 66% or more of wastewater measurements taken for the same pollutant parameter during a six-month period exceed a numeric pretreatment standard or requirement, including instantaneous limits for the same pollutant parameter by any amount; (2) Technical review criteria (TRC) violations, defined here as those in which 33% or more of wastewater measurements taken for each pollutant parameter during a six-month period equals or exceeds the product of the numeric pretreatment standard or requirement including instantaneous limits multiplied by the applicable criteria (1.4 for BOD, TSS, fats, oils and grease, and 1.2 for all other pollutants except pH); (3) Any other discharge violation of a pretreatment standard or requirement as defined by 40 C.F.R. § 403.3(l) (daily maximum, long-term average or a narrative standard) that the director determines has caused, alone or in combination with other discharges, interference or pass through, including endangering the health of POTW personnel or the general public; (4) Any discharge of a pollutant that has caused imminent endangerment to the public or to the environment, or has resulted in the director’s exercise of his or her emergency authority to halt or prevent such a discharge; (5) Failure to meet, within 90 days of the scheduled date, a compliance schedule milestone contained in a wastewater discharge permit or enforcement order for starting construction, completing construction, or attaining final compliance; (6) Failure to provide within 45 days after the due date, any required reports, including baseline monitoring reports, reports on compliance with categorical pretreatment standard deadlines, periodic reports (such as self-monitoring reports), and reports on compliance with compliance schedules; (7) Failure to accurately report noncompliance; or (8) Any other violation(s) which may include a violation of best management practices, which the director determines will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the local pretreatment program. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995; Ord. 20043-01-2012, § 12, passed 1-10-2012; Ord. 27308-11-2024, § 10, passed 11-19-2024, eff. 11-29-2024)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-671.1 PUBLICATION OF USERS IN SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE FOR FACILITIES DISCHARGING TO THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY CENTRAL REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM.

§ 12.5-671.1 PUBLICATION OF USERS IN SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE FOR FACILITIES DISCHARGING TO THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY CENTRAL REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM. (a) The Director shall have published annually, in a newspaper of general circulation that provides meaningful public notice within the jurisdictions served by the city, a list of the users discharging to the City of Fort Worth Village Water Reclamation Facility which, during the previous 12 months, were in significant noncompliance with applicable pretreatment standards and requirements. Significant industrial users are subject to the SNC criteria listed in subsections (b)(1) through (b)(8) below. Group II non-significant industrial users that have been issued a permit shall be subject to SNC criteria listed in subsections (b)(3) through (b)(8) below. Group VI non-significant categorical industrial users shall be subject to SNC criteria listed in subsections (b)(3) through (b)(8) below. All other industrial users are subject to the SNC criteria listed in subsections (b)(3), (b)(4) and (b)(8) of this section. (b) For purposes of this section, the term SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE shall mean: (1) Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined here as those in which 66% or more of wastewater measurements taken during a six-month period exceed the daily maximum limit or average limit for the same pollutant parameter by any amount; (2) Technical review criteria (TRC) violations, defined here as those in which 33% or more of wastewater measurements taken for each pollutant parameter during a six-month period equals or exceeds the product of the daily maximum limit or the average limit multiplied by the applicable criteria (1.4 for BOD, TSS, fats, oils and grease, and 1.2 for all other pollutants except pH); (3) Any other discharge violation of a pretreatment standard or requirement as defined by 40 C.F.R. § 403.3(l) (daily maximum, long-term average or a narrative standard) that the director determines has caused, alone or in combination with other discharges, interference or pass through, including endangering the health of POTW personnel or the general public; (4) Any discharge of pollutants that has caused imminent endangerment to the public or to the environment, or has resulted in the director's exercise of his emergency authority to halt or prevent such a discharge; (5) Failure to meet, within 90 days of the scheduled date, a compliance schedule milestone contained in a wastewater discharge permit or enforcement order for starting construction, completing construction, or attaining final compliance; (6) Failure to provide within 45 days after the due date, any required reports, including baseline monitoring reports, reports on compliance with categorical pretreatment standard deadlines, periodic self-monitoring reports, and reports on compliance with compliance schedules; (7) Failure to accurately report noncompliance; or (8) Any other violation, which may include a violation of Best Management Practices, which the director determines will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the local pretreatment program. (Ord. 20043-01-2012, § 12, passed 1-10-2012; Ord. 27308-11-2024, § 11, passed 11-19-2024, eff. 11-29-2024; Ord. 27966-09-2025, § 4, passed 9-16-2025, eff. 10-1-2025)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-671.2 PUBLICATION OF USERS IN SIGNIFICANT NON-COMPLIANCE FOR FACILITIES DISCHARGING TO THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY DENTON CREEK REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM.

§ 12.5-671.2 PUBLICATION OF USERS IN SIGNIFICANT NON-COMPLIANCE FOR FACILITIES DISCHARGING TO THE TRINITY RIVER AUTHORITY DENTON CREEK REGIONAL WASTEWATER SYSTEM. (a) The Director shall have published annually, in the largest daily newspaper published in the city, a list of the users discharging to the Trinity River Authority Denton Creek Regional Wastewater System which, during the previous 12 months, were in significant noncompliance with applicable pretreatment standards and requirements. (b) For purposes of this section, the term SIGNIFICANT NONCOMPLIANCE shall mean: (1) Chronic violations of wastewater discharge limits, defined here as those in which 66% or more of wastewater measurements taken during a six-month period exceed the daily maximum limit or average limit for the same pollutant parameter by any amount; (2) Technical review criteria (TRC) violations, defined here as those in which 33% or more of wastewater measurements taken for each pollutant parameter during a six-month period equals or exceeds the product of the daily maximum limit or the average limit multiplied by the applicable criteria (1.4 for BOD, TSS, fats, oils and grease, and 1.2 for all other pollutants except pH); (3) Any other discharge violation of a pretreatment standard or requirement as defined by 40 C.F.R. § 403.3(l) (daily maximum, long-term average or a narrative standard) that the director determines has caused, alone or in combination with other discharges, interference or pass through, including endangering the health of POTW personnel or the general public; (4) Any discharge of pollutants that has caused imminent endangerment to the public or to the environment, or has resulted in the director's exercise of his emergency authority to halt or prevent such a discharge; (5) Failure to meet, within 90 days of the scheduled date, a compliance schedule milestone contained in a wastewater discharge permit or enforcement order for starting construction, completing construction, or attaining final compliance; (6) Failure to provide within 45 days after the due date, any required reports, including baseline monitoring reports, reports on compliance with categorical pretreatment standard deadlines, periodic self-monitoring reports, and reports on compliance with compliance schedules; (7) Failure to accurately report noncompliance; or (8) Any other violation, which may include a violation of Best Management Practices, which the director determines will adversely affect the operation or implementation of the local pretreatment program. (Ord. 27308-11-2024, § 12, passed 11-19-2024, eff. 11-29-2024; Ord. 27966-09-2025, § 5, passed 9-16-2025, eff. 10-1-2025)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-672 EMERGENCY SUSPENSION OF WATER SUPPLY AND/OR DISCHARGE.

§ 12.5-672 EMERGENCY SUSPENSION OF WATER SUPPLY AND/OR DISCHARGE. (a) The director may immediately and without hearing suspend a user’s city-provided water supply and/or wastewater discharge when such suspension is necessary in the opinion of the director to stop an actual or threatened discharge which: (1) Presents or may present imminent and substantial danger to the environment or to the health or welfare of persons; (2) Presents or may present imminent and substantial danger to the POTW; or (3) Causes or will cause pass through or interference of the POTW. (b) If time permits, the director should notify the user prior to the suspension. (c) As soon as is practicable after the suspension of the water supply/discharge, the director shall notify the user of the suspension in person or by certified mail, return receipt requested, and shall order the user to cease the discharge immediately. (d) Any user notified of a suspension of its water supply/discharge shall immediately stop or eliminate its contribution. In the event of a user’s failure to comply immediately and voluntarily with the suspension order, the director may take such steps as deemed necessary to prevent or minimize damage to the POTW, its receiving stream, or endangerment to any individuals. Such steps may include immediate severance of the user’s water service and sewer connection. (e) The user shall not recommence its water service/discharge until the director so authorizes and: (1) The user presents proof satisfactory to the director that the noncomplying discharge has ceased; (2) The user presents proof satisfactory to the director that the conditions creating the threat of imminent and substantial danger have been eliminated; (3) The user pays the city for all costs incurred by the city in responding to the discharge or threatened discharge; and (4) The user pays the city for all costs the city will incur in reinstating services. (f) A user may appeal the suspension in accordance with the procedures for reconsideration and hearing set forth in § 12.5-119 of this chapter. (g) The city may obtain a lien against the property to recover its response costs pursuant to the procedures set out in § 12.5-120 of this chapter. (h) The remedies provided by this section are in addition to any other remedies set out in this chapter. Exercise of this remedy shall not be a bar against nor a prerequisite for, taking other action against a violator. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-673 NON-EMERGENCY TERMINATION OF WATER SUPPLY AND/OR DISCHARGE.

§ 12.5-673 NON-EMERGENCY TERMINATION OF WATER SUPPLY AND/OR DISCHARGE. (a) A user who violates the following conditions is subject to the termination of its city-provided water supply and/or its discharge: (1) Violation of wastewater discharge permit conditions; (2) Failure to accurately report the wastewater constituents and characteristics of its discharge; (3) Failure to report significant changes in operations or wastewater volume, constituents and characteristics prior to discharge; (4) Refusal of reasonable access to the user’s premises for the purpose of inspection, monitoring or sampling; or (5) Violation of the pretreatment standards of this article. (b) The user will be notified of the proposed termination of its water supply and/or discharge, and may petition for a reconsideration and hearing pursuant to § 12.5-119 of this chapter. (c) The user shall not recommence its discharge until the director so authorizes and: (1) The user presents proof satisfactory to the director that the noncomplying discharge has ceased; (2) The user presents proof satisfactory to the director that the conditions creating the threat of imminent and substantial danger have been eliminated; and (3) The user pays the city for all costs the city will incur in reinstating services. (d) Exercise of this option by the director shall not be a bar to, nor a prerequisite for, taking any other action against the user. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995; Ord. 15496, § 1, passed 3-25-2003)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-674 PERFORMANCE BONDS.

§ 12.5-674 PERFORMANCE BONDS. The director may decline to issue or reissue a wastewater discharge permit to any user who has failed to comply with any provision of this article, a previous wastewater discharge permit, or order issued pursuant to this chapter, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, unless such user first files a satisfactory bond, payable to the city, in a sum not to exceed a value determined by the director to be necessary to achieve consistent compliance. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-675 LIABILITY INSURANCE.

§ 12.5-675 LIABILITY INSURANCE. The director may decline to issue or reissue a wastewater discharge permit to any user who has failed to comply with any provision of this article, a previous wastewater discharge permit, or order issued pursuant to this chapter, or any other pretreatment standard or requirement, unless the user first submits proof that it has obtained financial assurances sufficient to restore or repair damage to the POTW caused by its discharge. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-676 ADDITIONAL CRIMINAL OFFENSES.

§ 12.5-676 ADDITIONAL CRIMINAL OFFENSES. (a) A person commits an offense if the person owns, operates or is in control of any facility and there occurs a discharge from such facility to the POTW in violation of this article, a permit issued pursuant to this article, or any pretreatment standards. (b) A person commits an offense if the person owns, operates or is in control of any facility and fails to make any report to the director as required by this article or a permit issued pursuant to this article. (c) Other than subsections (a) or (b) above, a person commits an offense if the person owns, operates or is in control of any facility and knowingly violates a provision of this article, a provision of a permit issued pursuant to this article, or any order issued by the director under authority of this chapter. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-677 AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES TO DISCHARGE VIOLATIONS FOR ACTION IN MUNICIPAL OR STATE COURT.

§ 12.5-677 AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES TO DISCHARGE VIOLATIONS FOR ACTION IN MUNICIPAL OR STATE COURT. (a) A person shall be entitled to an affirmative defense to violation of a pretreatment standards or a permit under this article if a cause of action is brought in municipal or state court and that person can establish that an event that would otherwise be a violation of a pretreatment ordinance or a permit issued under article was caused solely by an act of God. (b) To claim an act of God, a user must control production of all discharges to the extent possible until such time as the reduction, loss or failure of it’s treatment facility is restored or an alternative method of treatment is provided. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995; Ord. 15496, § 15, passed 3-25-2003; Ord. 20043-01-2012, § 12, passed 1-10-2012)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-677.1 AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES TO UPSET ONLY IN FEDERAL COURT.

§ 12.5-677.1 AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES TO UPSET ONLY IN FEDERAL COURT. A person shall be entitled to an affirmative defenses for a violation caused by an upset only if a cause of action is brought in federal court and the user demonstrates, through properly signed, contemporaneous operating logs, or other relevant evidence that: (a) The user’s facility was at the time of the upset being operated in a prudent and workman-like manner and in compliance with applicable operation and maintenance procedures; and (b) The user has submitted written notice with the information listed below to the director within 24 hours of becoming aware of the upset. If this notice is provided orally, a written notice must be provided within five days. The written notice must state: (1) A description of the indirect discharge and cause of noncompliance; (2) The period of noncompliance, including exact dates and times or, if not corrected, the anticipated time the noncompliance is expected to continue; and (3) Steps being taken and/or planned to reduce, eliminate and prevent recurrence of the noncompliance. (Ord. 20043-01-2012, § 12, passed 1-10-2012)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-677.2 OTHER AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES TO SPECIFIC PROHIBITED DISCHARGE STANDARDS ONLY IN FEDERAL COURT.

§ 12.5-677.2 OTHER AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES TO SPECIFIC PROHIBITED DISCHARGE STANDARDS ONLY IN FEDERAL COURT. A person shall be entitled to an affirmative defense for a cause of action brought only in federal court for noncompliance with the general prohibition of §§ 12.5-610(a), 12.5-610.1(a) or 12.5-610.2(a) or a specific prohibition of §§ 12.5-610(b)(3), (b)(5), (b)(6), (b)(7) or (b)(8), 12.5-610.1(b)(3), (b)(4), (b)(5), (b)(6) or (b)(7) or 12.5-610.2(b)(3), (b)(4), (b)(5), (b)(6) or (b)(7); or if the user can show that the user did not know, or have reason to know, that its discharge, alone or in conjunction with discharges from other sources, would cause pass through or interference and that either: (a) A local limit exists for each pollutant discharged and the user was in compliance with each limit directly prior to, and during, the pass through or interference; or (b) No local limit exists, but the discharge did not change substantially in nature or constituents from the user’s prior discharge when the city was regularly in compliance with its NPDES permit, and in the case of interference, was in compliance with applicable sludge use or disposal requirements. (Ord. 20043-01-2012, § 12, passed 1-10-2012)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-678 NUISANCE.

§ 12.5-678 NUISANCE. A discharge to the POTW in violation of any provision of this article, a wastewater discharge permit or any other pretreatment standard or requirement is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. (Ord. 12274, § 1, passed 11-28-1995)

Fort Worth City Code § 12.5-679 through 12.5-699 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/0-0-0-15355Fetched: 10/26/2026