Regulations.
San Antonio City Code § 34-472
in effectSec. 34-472. - Regulations.
(1) General discharge 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 whether or not they are subject to categorical pretreatment standards or any other national, state, or local pretreatment standards or requirements.
(2) Specific discharge prohibitions. No user shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the POTW the following pollutants, substances, or wastewater:
(a) There shall be no discharge of pollutants in amounts which would cause the discharge from a facility to have a closed cup flashpoint of less than 60° centigrade or 140° Fahrenheit using the test methods specified in 40 CFR 261.21;
(b) Any wastewater having a pH less than 5.5 or greater than 10.5 standard units, or wastewater having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and/or personnel of the POTW. (Any wastewater having a pH less than or equal to 2.0 or greater than or equal to 12.5 standard units is considered hazardous under 40 CFR 261.22);
(c) Solid or viscous substances in such quantities and/or qualities which may cause obstruction to the flow in a sewer or other interference with the operation of the wastewater treatment facilities such as, but not limited to: grease, solids or solids accumulation greater than one-half (½) inch in any dimension, animal guts or tissues, paunch manure, bones, hair, hides or fleshings, entrails, whole blood, asbestos, 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, paint or chemical residues, tar, asphalt residues, residues from refining or processing of fuel or lubricating oil, mud or glass grinding or polishing wastes, fatty acids or esters of fatty acids, or food and vegetable wastes, sharps, regulated medical waste or used health care product (as defined in 49 CFR 173.134 Class 6, Division 6.2 cleaning wipes, articles of clothing, or bedding), or any material which can be disposed of as trash;
(d) Any pollutants, including oxygen demanding pollutants (BOD, etc.) released at a flow rate and/or pollutant concentration which contributes, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, to interference to the POTW. In no case shall a slug load have a flow rate or contain concentrations or quantities of pollutants that exceed, for any time period longer than fifteen (15) minutes, more than five (5) times the average daily concentration, quantities, or flow produced during normal operations;
(e) Any wastewater having a temperature which will inhibit biological activity in the POTW plant contributing to interference, but in no case wastewater with a temperature at the introduction into the POTW treatment plant which exceeds 40° centigrade (104° Fahrenheit) unless the POTW treatment plant is designed to accommodate such temperature;
(f) Wastewater entering the regional collection system cannot exceed 65.5° centigrade (150° Fahrenheit) unless the quantity of heated discharge is of such volume that the total wastewater temperature at the nearest downstream manhole does not exceed 40° centigrade (104° Fahrenheit);
(g) There shall be no discharge of any petroleum oil, nonbiodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin in amounts that may contribute, either singly or by interaction with other products, to interference or pass through;
(h) In accordance with 40 CFR 403.5(b)(7) there shall be no discharge of any 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. Prohibited materials include, but are not limited to, gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, benzene, toluene, xylene, ethers, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, peroxides, chlorates, perchlorates, bromates, carbides, hydrides and sulfides, asbestos, and any other substances which the control authority, the state or EPA has notified the user is a fire or explosion hazard to the system, or presents an imminent threat to the health and safety of persons operating the system;
(i) Any trucked or hauled pollutants, except at discharge points designated by the control authority, and in accordance with the Liquid Waste Transportation and Disposal Regulations (article V, division 4 of this chapter), as amended or replaced, and section 34-476 of this division;
(j) Any 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 hazard to life or are sufficient to physically prevent reasonably safe entry of humans and/or equipment into the sewers for inspection, maintenance and repair purposes;
(k) Any wastewater with any objectionable color not removed in the treatment process, such as, but not limited to, dye wastes, ink or printer waste, and vegetable tanning solutions;
(l) Any stormwaters, surface water, groundwater, or subsurface drainage, except as specifically authorized by the control authority;
(m) Sludges, screenings, or other residues from the pretreatment of industrial wastes;
(n) Any substance which will cause the control authority to violate its NPDES/TPDES and/or state disposal system permit or the receiving water effluent quality standards, or fail a toxicity test;
(o) Any agent, including but not limited to emulsifiers, surface active agents, detergents, etc. added to sand traps, grease traps, or the like, capable of passing the solid or semi-solid contents of the trap to the sewer system or any substance that may cause excessive foaming in the POTW;
(p) Fats, oils, or greases of animal, mineral or vegetable origin in concentrations greater than two hundred (200) mg/L;
(q) Any liquids, solids or gases, which by reason of their nature or quantity are, or may be sufficient, either alone or by interaction with other substances, to cause fire or explosion or be injurious in any other way to the POTW or to the operation of the POTW. At no time shall two successive readings on an explosion hazard meter, at the point of discharge into the system, or at any other point in the system, be more than five (5) percent, nor any single reading be over ten (10) percent of the lower explosive limit (LEL) of the meter. In accordance with 40 CFR 403.5(b)(1);
(r) Any wastewater containing toxic pollutants in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other pollutants, which may injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a toxic effect in the receiving waters at the effluent end of the POTW, or which exceeds the limitations set forth in a categorical pretreatment standard. A toxic pollutant shall include, but not be limited to spent antifreeze or any pollutant identified pursuant to Section 307(a) of the Act;
(s) Wastewaters or leachates generated from the remediation of hazardous or non-hazardous waste sites, except as specifically authorized by the control authority;
(t) Any substance which may cause the POTW's effluent or any other product of the POTW such as residues, sludges, or scums, to be unsuitable for normal landfill disposal, land application, reclamation or reuse, or which may interfere with the reclamation process where the POTW is pursuing a reuse and reclamation program. In no case shall a substance discharged to the POTW cause the POTW to be in noncompliance with sludge use or disposal criteria, guidelines, or regulations developed under Section 405 or 503 of the Clean Water Act, or with any criteria, guidelines, or regulations affecting sludge use or disposal developed pursuant to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or state criteria applicable to sludge management and/or disposal methods being used;
(u) Hazardous waste other than that allowed under the domestic sewage exemption, as provided for under 40 CFR 261.4(a)(1)(ii). Notwithstanding that exemption, there shall be no discharge of what would otherwise be considered hazardous waste unless a user can certify the following:
(i) The volume and toxicity of such waste has been minimized to the fullest extent possible by utilizing the best available technology and pretreatment practices.
(ii) The discharge of such waste is not a substitute for disposal and reporting thereof otherwise necessary under RCRA, CERCLA, SARA, TSCA, CAA, EPA, or TCEQ regulations.
(iii) Any wastewater containing antibiotics or any organism including viruses, considered pathogenic and/or detrimental to process organisms.
(iv) Wastewater containing any radioactive waste or isotopes except in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations. Greater than or in allowable concentrations by TDH regulations or other agencies.
Pesticides.
Bulk food processing wastes.
Discharge of slugs or flows which exceed the carrying capacity of the part of the collection system through which it is discharged.
Waste amalgam including, but not limited to, dental amalgam from chair-side traps, screens, vacuum pump filter, dental tools, cuspidors, or other collection devices, must not discharge to the POTW except as described in 40 CFR § 441.
The above 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. This division may be amended to regulate specific types and sources of such discharges in order to minimize or eliminate hazardous waste loadings into the POTW. When the control authority determines that a user is indirectly discharging to the POTW any of the above mentioned substances in such quantities or concentrations which may interfere with the operation or performance of the POTW, the control authority shall advise the user of the impact of the indirect discharge on the POTW and impose upon the user a schedule for termination of the discharge causing the interference.
(3) National categorical pretreatment standards. The National Categorical Pretreatment Standards found at 40 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter N, Parts 405—471 are hereby fully incorporated into this division.
(a) Where a categorical pretreatment standard is expressed only in terms of either the mass or the concentration of a pollutant in wastewater, the control authority may impose equivalent concentration or mass limits in accordance with 40 CFR 403.6(e). The more stringent national categorical pretreatment standards shall supersede the limitations imposed under section 34-472(5) of this division for that particular category.
(b) When wastewater subject to a categorical pretreatment standard is mixed with wastewater not regulated by the same standard, the control authority shall impose an alternate limit using the combined wastestream formula in 40 CFR 403.6(e).
(4) Technically based local limits.
(a) Significant industrial users regulated by permit for identified specific pollutants and non-permitted users not regulated under BMPs yet identified as potential contributors of certain pollutants shall not discharge or allow the discharge to the regional system, wastewaters containing individually identified specific pollutants in concentrations, in solution or suspension, in excess of the limits below. Compliance with these limits shall be determined based on the analysis of a grab sample or a combination of grab samples, time composite samples, or flow composite samples.
(b) All samples shall be collected and analyzed in a manner consistent with the requirements of 40 CFR 136. No user as prescribed above shall discharge or allow the discharge of wastewater to the regional system having a pH less than 5.5 or greater than 10.5 standard units, and all concentrations and/or quality criteria shall apply where the effluent is discharged to the POTW. Wastewater entering the regional collection system shall not exceed 65.5 degrees Centigrade (150 degrees Fahrenheit). The following pollutant limits are established to protect against pass through and interference at the POTW. No person shall discharge wastewater containing in excess of the following:
Industrial user local limits:
(a) 0.7 Arsenic
(b) 0.7 Cadmium
(c) 5.0 Chromium
(d) 1.50 Copper
(e) 0.17 Total Cyanide
(f) 0.7 Lead
(g) 0.05 Mercury
(h) 5.5 Nickel
(i) 0.02 Selenium
(j) 0.50 Silver
(k) 2.50 Zinc
(l) 200 Fats Oil & Grease
(m) 5.5—10.5 pH
(n) 150 degrees Fahrenheit
Note that the above mentioned limits are reflected in units of mg/L, with the exception of pH and temperature. All limits with the exception of TSS represent the total concentration of the substance, both suspended and dissolved.
(c) Best Management Practices (BMPs)/Pollution Prevention (P2). Users not regulated under local limits shall be regulated under the following guidelines relating to Best Management Practices and pollution prevention. Narrative BMPs may also be incorporated into individual permits.
The methodology involved in the application of Best Management Practices/Pollution Prevention may include but not be limited to the following:
(i) Source reduction
Operating practices
Inventory control
Employee training
Spill control
Input Material Substitutions
Product Changes
Technology Changes
Process changes
Equipment changes
(ii) Recycling
Reuse
Closed loop recycling
Other recycling
Reclamation
There are existing non-permitted and/or unregistered industrial dischargers who typically have reasonable potential for violating a pretreatment standard or requirement. Therefore, the implementation of best management practices, as stipulated by the control authority, is required to control and reduce specific pollutants. The reduction of these specific pollutants at many facilities may have a significant impact on the total contribution based on the number of facilities involved. Upon determination by the control authority that it is necessary to regulate an individual user or group of industrial users based on potential for pollutants of concern, the following minimum requirements will be established to accomplish this goal:
- Industrial users within the identified grouping must either be regulated by the BMP guidelines and/or pretreatment standards (local limits).
- Users may be required to submit letters of authorization indicating the facility's intent to comply with the BMP guidelines.
- Users may register with the control authority using an online format when provided.
- The control authority may require periodic reporting by these users demonstrating compliance with the BMP guidelines such as copies of equipment maintenance records or manifest records for waste disposal, or records demonstrating employee training.
- The control authority may conduct random inspections to determine compliance independent of the information supplied by an industrial user.
(d) Best management practices for DIU. Implementation of BMP for DIU are required by 40 CFR § 441. These include, but are not limited to the following controls for waste amalgam.
- Waste amalgam must be discharged to a separator with ninety-five (95) percent efficiency.
- Dental unit water lines, chair side traps, and vacuum lines must not be cleaned with oxidizing or acidic cleaners, including but not limited to, bleach, chlorine, iodine and peroxide that have a pH lower than 6.0 or greater than 8.0.
(5) State requirements. Specific pollutant requirements and limitations which have or may be enacted by the state on indirect discharges shall immediately supersede and replace the requirements and limitations imposed by this division when the state requirements are more stringent than either the federal or the control authority's standards or requirements.
(6) Control authority's right of revision. The control authority reserves the right to amend this division at any time to establish more stringent specific pollutant limitations or requirements on indirect discharges to the regional system if deemed necessary to protect the POTW processes or to correct or prevent an effluent quality problem in treated wastewater and/or resulting sludges. The control authority also reserves the right to amend this division to comply with the general objectives and purposes presented in section 34-471 of this division.
(7) Prohibition of dilution. No user shall ever increase the use of process water, unpolluted water, surface water or storm water or in any other way attempt to dilute either a direct or indirect discharge as a partial or complete substitute for adequate treatment to achieve compliance with the specific pollutant limitations contained in the national categorical pretreatment standards, or in any other specific pollutant limitations promulgated by the control authority and/or state and incorporated in this division. The control authority 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.
(8) Reserved.
(9) Bypass.
(a) A user may allow a bypass to occur which does not cause pretreatment standards or requirements to be violated, but only if it also is for essential maintenance to assure efficient operation. These bypasses are not subject to the provision of paragraphs (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 control authority, at least ten (10) calendar days before the date of the bypass, if possible.
(2) A user shall submit oral notice to the control authority of an unanticipated bypass that exceeds applicable pretreatment standards within twenty-four (24) hours from the time it becomes aware of the bypass. A written submission shall also be provided within five (5) calendar 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 control authority may waive the written report on a case by case basis if the oral report has been received within twenty-four (24) hours.
(c) (1)
Bypass is prohibited, and the control authority 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 in this section.
(2) The control authority may approve an anticipated bypass, after considering its adverse effects, if the control authority determines that it will meet the conditions listed in this section.
(10) Act of God.
If a person can establish that an event that would otherwise be a violation of a statute within the commission's jurisdiction or a rule adopted or an order or a permit issued under such a statute was caused solely by an act of God, war, strike, riot, or other catastrophe, the event is not a violation of that statute, rule, order, or permit.
(Ord. No. 81771, § 2(App. I), 3-2-95; Ord. No. 85765, § 1, 3-20-97; Ord. No. 99480, § 1(Exh. 1), 7-22-04; Ord. No. 100030, § 1(Att. 1), 11-18-04; Ord. No. 101725, § 1, 11-17-05; Ord. No. 2014-06-19-0472, § 1(Exh. A), 6-19-14; Ord. No. 2019-02-14-0123, § 1(Att. I), 2-14-19; Ord. No. 2021-04-29-0283, § 1(Att. I), 4-29-21)
Source: City of San Antonio, City Code, City Charter and Unified Development Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/san_antonio/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH34WASE_ARTVSETRTRDI_DIV3INWA_S34-472REFetched: 10/27/2026