A. Pretreatment Review and User Classification. When a property owner or business owner proposes to change the use, business practices, or ownership of a commercial property, tenant space, or business, they shall first be evaluated to determine in which Industrial User category the business belongs. Each user shall be classified as either an Insignificant, Minor, or Significant Industrial User based on factors affecting the potential of discharge strength. Users determined to be Minor or Significant Industrial Users shall be required to undergo a review of their proposal to determine if pretreatment of their wastewater discharge will be required. Minor and Significant Industrial Users shall submit plans and documents as required by the Manager to determine the likelihood that the wastewater discharged from any existing or proposed uses into the public sewer system will not conform to the standards as prescribed in the most current Industrial Pretreatment Regulations in Chapter 13.06 PCC. The applicant will be notified in writing of any conditions of approval including, but not limited to, required business practices, design and installation of pretreatment devices, testing requirements, installation or repair of sample point(s), and/or payment of additional connection charges. Insignificant Industrial Users shall be exempt from pretreatment review but required to conform to the pretreatment standards prescribed in Chapter 13.06 PCC.

B. Pretreatment Facilities – Approval and Construction. When the Manager determines that the wastewater from any existing or proposed uses into the public sewer system does not conform or is unlikely to conform in the future to the Prohibited Discharge Standards under Chapter 13.06 PCC, the owner of the discharging property shall be required, at the owner's expense, to bring it into conformance through the use of pretreatment facilities. Pretreatment facilities may include grease interceptors, oil/water separators, chemical or biochemical plants, sedimentation chambers, and any devices or equipment which causes a change of any nature in the characteristics of the matter being treated.

Prior to the construction, operation, or modification of any pretreatment facilities, the owner shall obtain approval in writing from the Manager. The pretreatment facilities shall include all necessary features of construction and allow for the testing of material passing through them. Such pretreatment facilities shall be open to the inspection of the Department at any time. Written approval from the Manager of any pretreatment facilities shall not guarantee that the pretreatment facility will operate as designed; the property owner and/or the owner's registered professional engineer will assume this liability and shall be responsible for compliance with all regulations.

The Sewer Facility Plan and other pertinent information relating to proposed pretreatment facilities shall be prepared by a registered professional engineer and shall be submitted for the approval of the Manager and the DOE and/or the DOH when required by law.

Any expenses incurred by the Department in reviewing the Sewer Facility Plan shall be paid by the property owner or the owner's representative before the Manager's approval shall be granted.

C. Pretreatment Facilities – Operation and Maintenance. When pretreatment facilities are provided for any wastewaters, such facilities shall be maintained continuously in satisfactory and effective operation by the property owner and/or user at their own expense. The property owner and/or user shall, at the Manager's discretion, submit to the Department certified monthly operational records and tests to monitor the performance of the pretreatment facilities. The form of such operational records and tests shall be prescribed by the Manager.

D. Determination of Character of Waste Matter. Before any wastewater whose discharge might reasonably be considered a violation of this Sewer Code is discharged into the public sewer system, the controlling characteristics of such matter shall be determined to the satisfaction of the Manager. The responsibility of initiating such determinations and the costs involved with submitting the results of the determinations to the Department shall lie solely with the owner and/or user. Verification of these results and the decision as to whether the matter may be discharged to the public sewer system shall be the responsibility of the Manager. Any previous discharges into the public sewer system do not constitute a valid right to discharge such matter. If at any time the Manager determines that any matter being discharged into the public sewer system does not conform to the requirements of this Sewer Code, the Manager may immediately order the stoppage of the discharge of such matter and/or termination of sewer service to the discharging property.

E. Tests of Wastes and Location of Sampling. All measurements, tests, and analyses of the characteristics of wastewaters referenced in this Section shall be determined by analysis of the samples obtained at a control manhole or other location as approved by the Manager. Such tests and analyses shall be performed by an appropriately certified, independent testing laboratory and shall be conducted at the sole expense of the owner and/or user.

F. Commercial or Industrial Wastes – Sample Point. When required by the Manager, the owner and/or user of any property served by a building sewer carrying commercial or industrial wastes shall install a suitable sample point in the building sewer to facilitate observation, sampling, and measurement of the wastes. When required, the sample point shall be fully accessible, safely located, and constructed in accordance with plans approved by the Manager. Such plans shall be in accordance with the most current Pierce County Sewer Standards. The sample point shall be installed by a registered sewer contractor at the property owner's and/or user's expense and shall be maintained by the property owner and/or user so as to be safe and accessible at all times by the Department.

G. Uncontaminated Wastewater. Whenever any customer of the public sewer system uses water for irrigation, cooling, heating, processing, or any other purpose that produces uncontaminated wastewater satisfactory for direct discharge into storm drains or surface waterways, the property owner shall, at their sole expense, separate this water from other wastewater prior to discharging it into a storm drain or surface waterway as approved by the appropriate county, State and/or federal departments.