Chapter 13.04 DEFINITIONS

Words and phrases used within this title, unless the same shall be contrary to or inconsistent with the context, shall mean as set out in this chapter. (Ord. 1263 § 1, 1999; Ord. 699 § 1.01, 1972)

13.04.020 B.O.D.

“B.O.D.” (denoting biochemical oxygen demand) means the quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five days at twenty degrees Centigrade expressed in parts per million by weight. (Ord. 699 § 1.02, 1972)

13.04.030 Building drain.

“Building drain” means that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives the discharge from soil, waste and other drainage pipes inside the walls of the building and conveys it to the building sewer. (Ord. 699 § 1.03, 1972)

13.04.040 Building sewer.

“Building sewer” (or side sewer) means the extension from the building drain to the public sewer or other place of disposal, beginning two and one-half feet outside the foundation wall. (Ord. 699 § 1.04, 1972)

13.04.050 City.

“City” means the city of Sumas, Whatcom County, Washington. (Ord. 699 § 1.29, 1972)

13.04.060 City council.

“City council” means the city council of the city of Sumas. (Ord. 699 § 1.30, 1972)

13.04.070 Clerk.

“Clerk” means the city clerk of the city of Sumas, Whatcom County, Washington. (Ord. 699 § 1.05, 1972)

13.04.075 Composite sample.

“Composite sample” means, unless otherwise specified by the superintendent, a sample which is composed of equal portions of a specified number of grab samples collected at the same sampling point at specified time intervals during a specified sampling period. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999)

13.04.076 Cooling water.

“Cooling water” means the water discharged from any use such as air conditioning, cooling or refrigeration, during which the only pollutant added to the water is heat. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999)

13.04.080 Cover.

“Cover” means the depth of material lying between the top of the sewer and the finished grade immediately above it. (Ord. 699 § 1.06, 1972)

13.04.085 Domestic waste.

“Domestic waste” means the water discharged from the sanitary conveniences of dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial facilities and institutions, excluding commercial food-preparation, industrial waste and cooling water. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999)

13.04.090 Downspout.

“Downspout” means the leader or pipe above ground which is installed to conduct water from the roof gutter. (Ord. 699 § 1.07, 1972)

13.04.100 Duplex.

“Duplex” means a two family dwelling, namely, a building containing not more than two kitchens, designated and/or used to house not more than two families living independently of each other and including all necessary household employees of each family. (Ord. 699 § 1.08, 1972)

13.04.110 Garbage.

“Garbage” means solid waste from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and from the handling, sale and storing of produce. (Ord. 699 § 1.09, 1972)

13.04.115 Grab sample.

“Grab sample” means an aliquot of a sampled wastewater stream or discharge collected at one time and one place. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999)

13.04.120 Health officer.

“Health officer” means the official responsible for the public health or his authorized representative. (Ord. 699 § 1.10, 1972)

13.04.130 Industrial waste.

“Industrial waste,” as distinguished from domestic waste, means the water discharged from industrial processes, including cooling water to which stormwater, treatment agents and/or corrosion inhibitors have been added. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999; Ord. 699 § 1.11, 1972)

13.04.140 Licensed side sewer contractor.

“Licensed side sewer contractor” means any person, partnership, corporation or association duly qualified to do work of construction or repair of side sewers under permits issued under this title and who have been duly licensed by the city of Sumas. (Ord. 699 § 1.12, 1972)

13.04.150 Occupant.

“Occupant” means any person or owner in physical possession of the building or structure to which sewer service is available. (Ord. 699 § 1.13, 1972)

13.04.155 Oil and grease.

“Oil and grease” means an organic substance recover able by procedures set out in standard methods and includes, but is not limited to, hydrocarbons, esters, fats, oils, waxes and high-molecular weight carboxylic acids originating from vegetable, animal or petroleum sources. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999)

13.04.160 Permit card.

“Permit card” means a card issued in conjunction with any permit and such card shall be posted on the premises and shall be readily and safely accessible to the superintendent. (Ord. 699 § 1.14, 1972)

13.04.170 Person or owner.

“Person or owner” means any individual, firm, company, association, society, corporation or group. (Ord. 699 § 1.15, 1972)

13.04.180 pH.

“pH” means the logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution. (Ord. 699 § 1.16, 1972)

13.04.190 Private sewer.

“Private sewer” means the sewer line and disposal system constructed, installed or maintained where connection with the public sewer system is not required herein. (Ord. 699 § 1.17, 1972)

13.04.195 Prohibited waste.

“Prohibited waste” means any wastewater which contains compounds or characteristics whose presence in the sewer at discharged concentrations would be hazardous to the public, or would prevent the proper operation of the collection or treatment facilities. “Prohibited waste” is further defined in Chapter 13.43, and includes flammable or explosive waste, odorous waste, waste causing obstruction or interference, high temperature creating waste, corrosive waste and radioactive waste. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999)

13.04.200 Properly shredded garbage.

“Properly shredded garbage” means garbage that has been shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particles greater than 0.5 centimeters (approximately three-eighths inch) in any dimension. (Ord. 1263 § 2, 1999; Ord. 699 § 1.18, 1972)

13.04.210 Public place or public area.

“Public place” or “public area” means any space dedicated to or acquired for the use of the general public. (Ord. 699 § 1.19, 1972)

13.04.215 Restricted waste.

“Restricted waste” means any nondomestic waste which may only be discharged to the sewer after prior authorization of city council and the superintendent, and which is regulated by Chapter 13.45. “Restricted waste” includes the following categories: improperly comminuted garbage, pH waste, oil and grease waste, suspended solids and BOD waste, and special waste. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999)

13.04.220 Public sewer.

“Public sewer” means a sewer in which all owners of abutting properties have equal rights, and is controlled by public authority. (Ord. 699 § 1.20, 1972)

13.04.230 Sewage.

“Sewage” means the combination of the water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, industrial establishments, and other sewer users. (Ord. 699 § 1.21, 1972)

13.04.235 Sewage facility.

“Sewage facility” means works owned by the city of Sumas, city of Abbotsford, or the Fraser Valley Regional District or otherwise under the control of these jurisdictions, that gather, treat, transport, store, utilize or discharge wastewater from the city of Sumas. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999)

13.04.240 Sewer.

“Sewer” means a pipe or conduit for carrying sewage. (Ord. 699 § 1.22, 1972)

13.04.250 Sewer plat.

“Sewer plat” means a plat issued by the superintendent in conjunction with any permit and the plat shall serve as his record of all matters pertaining to the permit. (Ord. 699 § 1.23, 1972)

13.04.260 Shall and may.

“Shall” is mandatory; “may” is permissive. (Ord. 699, 1.24, 1972)

13.04.270 Side sewer.

“Side sewer” means the extension from the public sewer to the house or building drain. (Ord. 699 § 1.25, 1972)

13.04.275 Standard methods.

“Standard methods” means the latest edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater as jointly prepared and published front time to time by the American Public Health Association, the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999)

13.04.280 Stormwater.

“Stormwater” means waters on the surface of the ground or underground resulting from rainfall or other natural precipitation. (Ord. 699 § 1.26, 1972)

13.04.290 Superintendent.

“Superintendent” means the superintendent of the sewer system in the city of Sumas or his authorized deputy, agent or representative. (Ord. 699 § 1.27, 1972)

13.04.300 Suspended solids.

“Suspended solids” means solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension in water, sewage or other liquids, and which are removable by filtering. (Ord. 699 § 1.28, 1972)

13.04.305 Trucked waste.

“Trucked waste” means any waste that is collected and transported off-site by means other than discharge to a sewer, including, but not limited to, septic tank waste, oil and grease from interceptors, and other sludges of organic origin. (Ord. 1263 § 3 (part), 1999)