§ 30-173. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Accidental discharge means a discharge prohibited by this article into the city separate storm sewer system which occurs by chance and without planning or consideration prior to occurrence.

City separate storm sewer system means a conveyance or system of conveyances which is located within city-owned rights-of-way and designed and used only for collecting or conveying stormwater runoff or other approved surface water discharges.

Clean Water Act means the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.).

Conveyance means stormwater features designed for the movement of stormwater through the drainage system, such as concrete or metal pipes, ditches, depressions, swales, catchbasins, curbs, gutters, storm drains, etc.

Development activity means manmade change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavating, drilling operations, or permanent storage of materials or equipment.

Director means the director of the city public works department or his designated representative.

Discharge means the release of treated or untreated storm water runoff or other material to the city separate storm sewer system.

Drainage system means a conveyance or system of conveyances designed and used for collecting or conveying stormwater runoff.

Hazardous material means a flammable, highly corrosive, acidic or toxic material as identified in O.C.G.A. § 12-14-1 in the Oil and Hazardous Materials Spill Reporting requirements.

Illicit discharge means a discharge to the city's separate storm sewer system that is not composed entirely of stormwater runoff except discharges pursuant to a NPDES permit (other than the NPDES permit for discharges from the city's separate storm sewer).

Maximum extent practicable means best management practices, control techniques, system design or engineering methods and any other provisions which can be economically and reasonably implemented to reduce the discharge of pollutants to city's separate storm sewer system.

Pollution means the contamination or other significant alteration of any water's physical, chemical or biological properties, including change in temperature, taste, color, turbidity, or odor of such waters or the discharge of any liquid, gaseous, solid, radioactive, or other substance into any such waters as will or is likely to render such waters harmful, detrimental or injurious to the public health, safety or welfare or to domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other legitimate beneficial uses, or to livestock, wild animals, birds, fish or other aquatic life.

Private means property or facilities owned by individuals, corporations, and other organizations and not by city, county, state, or federal government.

Stormwater management means the collection, conveyance, storage, treatment and disposal of stormwater runoff.

Stormwater management facility means constructed or natural components of a stormwater drainage system, designed to perform a particular function, or multiple functions, including but not limited to, pipes, swales, ditches, culverts, street gutters, detention basins, retention basins, constructed wetlands, infiltration devices, catchbasins, oil/water separators, sediment basins, natural systems and modular pavement.

Stormwater runoff means the direct response of a land surface to precipitation and includes the surface and subsurface runoff, that enters a stormwater conveyance system or other concentrated flow during and following a precipitation event.

Water quality means those characteristics of stormwater runoff that relate to the physical, chemical, biological or radiological integrity of water.

(Ord. No. 95-5, § I(11-69), 4-20-95)

Cross reference

Definitions generally, § 1-2.