# Subtitle 2 – Control of Sanitary and Storm Sewers

Current through 2026-07-17. Source: City of Balt., Md., Ord. 26-129. Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference.

## § 2-1 Definitions.

Balt., Md., Code art. 25, § 2-1 (2026)

(a) In this subtitle, the following terms have the meanings indicated.

(b) “Free-floating oil” means oil that can be removed in adequate facilities for gravity separation.

(c) “Slug” means any discharge of significant quantities of water, sewage, or industrial waste which, in concentration of any given constituent or quantity of flow, could:

  (1) cause interference of the treatment works;

  (2) pass-through the POTW;

  (3) endanger sewer worker safety;

  (4) contaminate the sludge; or

  (5) cause a violation of any permit issued to the treatment plant.

*History: Ord. 75-914*

*History: Ord. 84-129*

*History: Ord. 91-775*

## § 2-2 Scope of subtitle.

Balt., Md., Code art. 25, § 2-2 (2026)

The following restrictions are applicable to users of all sewers which are part of or tributary to the Baltimore City sewer system.

*History: Ord. 84-129*

*History: Ord. 91-775*

## § 2-3 Prohibited discharges into sanitary sewers.

Balt., Md., Code art. 25, § 2-3 (2026)

(a) No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, ground water, roof run-off, subsurface drainage, uncontaminated cooling water, or unpolluted water in any sanitary sewer.

(b)

  (1) Stormwater runoff from limited areas which is likely to be polluted at times may be admitted to the system by a permit from the Director of Public Works.

  (2) Where storm sewers or drains are not or cannot be made available, limited quantities of approved water from installations such as swimming pools may be admitted to the sanitary sewers by a permit from the Director of Public Works.

*History: Ord. 75-914*

*History: Ord. 84-129*

*History: Ord. 91-775*

## § 2-4 Prohibited discharges into sanitary or storm sewers.

Balt., Md., Code art. 25, § 2-4 (2026)

(a) No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into any sanitary or storm sewer any of the following described substances, materials, liquids, or wastes.

(b)

  (1) No person may discharge or cause to be discharged any flammable or explosive liquid, solid, or gaseous material or other substance which may be injurious to the system, including but not limited to any pollutant causing the wastestream to have a closed cup flashpoint of less than 140°F. or 60°C., using the test methods specified in the 40 CFR 261.21.

  (2) However, segregated solvents or quantities of solvents which can be separated from the wastestream through best management practices are strictly prohibited from discharge to the sanitary sewerage system.  These materials are to be strictly controlled, and industries discharging detectable levels of these materials must have a solvent management plan, approved by the Director, in full force and effect.  At no time shall the reading on an explosion hazard meter, at the point of the user’s discharge into the system, be greater than the level established by the Director.

(c) No person may discharge or cause to be discharged liquids or vapors having a temperature sufficiently high:

  (1) to cause damage to the public sewers;

  (2) to cause vapors hazardous to personnel working in the sewers; or

  (3) causing the temperature of the influent at a wastewater treatment plant to exceed 104°F. or 40°C.;
such temperatures unless otherwise noted to be 150°F. or 65°C.

(d)

  (1) No person may discharge or cause to be discharged any solid or viscous substance in quantities capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or interference with the option of the sewer system.

  (2) Such materials include, but are not limited to, ashes, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, paunch manure, hair, fleshings, entrails, lime slurries, concentrated distillery slops, chemical or plant residues, paraffins, bulk solids, and free floating oil.

(e) No person may discharge or cause to be discharged any noxious or malodorous solid, liquid, or gas which, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, is capable of creating a public nuisance or hazard to life or of preventing entrance into sewers for their maintenance and repair.

(f) No person may discharge or cause to be discharged 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.

(g)

  (1) Radioactive materials shall be discharged only after a permit is issued by the City of Baltimore.

  (2) The issuance of said permit shall be contingent upon the person being authorized to use radioactive materials by the State Department of the Environment, its successor, or other governmental agency empowered to regulate the use of radioactive materials.

  (3) In addition, the waste shall be discharged in strict conformity with current state and federal regulations and recommendations for safe disposal.

(h)

  (1) In this subsection, “flow back” and “hydraulic fracturing” have the meanings stated in City Health Article § 7-501.

  (2) No person may discharge or cause to be discharged into any sanitary or storm sewer any flow back or other wastewater resulting from hydraulic fracturing.

*History: Ord. 84-129*

*History: Ord. 91-775*

*History: Ord. 13-113*

*History: Ord. 13-175*

## § 2-5 Limitations on discharges into sanitary sewers.

Balt., Md., Code art. 25, § 2-5 (2026)

(a) No discharge of the following materials shall be made into the sanitary sewers beyond the limits or conditions hereafter stipulated, or to be established by the Director of Public Works.

(b)

  (1) No discharge may be made of petroleum oil, non-biodegradable cutting oil, or products of mineral oil origin in amounts that will cause interference or pass-through.  These materials shall be limited on analysis to the concentration set by the wastewater discharge permit.

  (2) Where oils or greases, including those of animal and vegetable origin, are of the nature that they will solidify at temperatures of normal sewage and it is probable that they will collect in the sewer lines and contribute to clogging or, if non-petroleum oils and greases, can overload skimming and grease handling equipment or interfere with the treatment process, restrictions on discharge concentrations may be required.

(c)

  (1) “Garbage” means solid waste:

    (i) from domestic and commercial preparation, cooking, and dispensing of food; and

    (ii) from the handling, storage, and sale of food products.

  (2) No discharge may be made of any garbage that has not been properly comminuted or shredded, as determined by the Director of Public Works.

(d)

  (1) “pH” means the logarithm of the reciprocal of the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution.  It indicates the intensity of acidity and alkalinity on a scale running from 0 to 14.  A pH of 7.0 represents neutrality, values above 7.0 alkalinity, and below 7.0 acidity.

  (2) No discharge may be made of acids or alkalies:

    (i) having pH values, upon dilution in the immediate public sewer, lower than 6.0 or higher than 12.0; or

    (ii) which would in any way attack or corrode sewers or waste treatment equipment.

  (3) At no time shall the pH measured at the point of discharge be less than 5.0.  Where concrete sewers without special protection are involved, a more neutral discharge may be required.

(e) No discharge may be made of any wastewater containing toxic pollutants in sufficient quantity which, either alone or by interaction with other pollutants:

  (1) injure or interfere with any wastewater treatment process;

  (2) constitute a hazard to humans or animals;

  (3) create a toxic effect in the receiving waters of the system; or

  (4) cause the system to violate:

    (i) its national pollutant discharge elimination system permit or the state disposal system permit or both; or

    (ii) the receiving water quality standards.

(f) No discharge may be made of any substance which may:

  (1) cause the treatment plant’s effluent or any other product of the treatment plant to be unsuitable for reclamation and reuse; or

  (2) interfere with reclamation process where the system is pursuing a reuse and reclamation program.

(g) No discharge may be made of concentrated dye waste or other wastes high in color which are sufficiently strong to affect the color of the treatment plant effluent.

(h) No discharge may be made of any wastes requiring an excessive quantity of chlorine or other chemical compound used for disinfection purposes or for neutralizing said wastes.

(i)

  (1) No discharge may be made of any excessive amounts of :

    (i) deionized water;

    (ii) steam condensate;

    (iii) distilled water; or

    (iv) single pass cooling water.

  (2) “Excess amounts” will be determined by the hydraulic loading on the sewer and POTW and the ability of each to handle the discharge.

(j) No discharge may be made of any trucked or hauled pollutants, except at discharge points designated by the POTW.

*History: Ord. 75-914*

*History: Ord. 84-129*

*History: Ord. 91-775*

## § 2-6 Prohibited discharges into storm drains.

Balt., Md., Code art. 25, § 2-6 (2026)

No person shall discharge into any storm drain any of the following materials:

(1) free floating oil or emulsified oils which:

  (i) will accumulate in the drains or along banks of streams into which discharge is made; and

  (ii) will result in a readily discernable film on the receiving water or will accumulate on facilities or structures alongside or in the receiving waters;

(2) acids or alkalies in concentrations sufficient to damage the drainage system or the waters into which the drains discharge; or

(3) organic, chemical, or other pollutants that will deleteriously affect the water quality, as defined by the State Water Quality Standards, of the waters into which the drain will ultimately discharge.

*History: Ord. 75-914*

*History: Ord. 84-129*

*History: Ord. 91-775*

## § 2-7 Excessive concentrations.

Balt., Md., Code art. 25, § 2-7 (2026)

Wastes containing permissible constituents, with BOD, suspended solids, total phosphorus, and, if so established, other concentrations greater than that set by the Director of Public Works:

(1) will be subject to a sewer service surcharge, which is to be based upon the unit cost of handling and of treating the wastes at the receiving treatment plant; and

(2) may be subject to discharge limitations.

*History: Ord. 75-914*

*History: Ord. 84-129*

*History: Ord. 91-775*

## § 2-8 Special approval required for certain flows.

Balt., Md., Code art. 25, § 2-8 (2026)

Where average daily flows into the sanitary sewers are greater than 2% of the average daily flow at the wastewater treatment plant, or where flow occurs in slugs, the discharge shall be subject to review and special regulation or approval of the Director of Public Works before discharge is permitted.

*History: Ord. 91-775*

## § 2-9 Required notices.

Balt., Md., Code art. 25, § 2-9 (2026)

(a) All users of the municipal sewer system shall immediately notify the Director and the POTW of all discharges that could cause problems within the sewer system or POTW, including any slug loadings that would violate any of the specific prohibitions of this subtitle or 40 CFR 403.5(b).

(b) All industrial users shall promptly notify the POTW in advance of any substantial change in the volume or character of pollutants in their discharge, including the listed or characteristic hazardous wastes for which the industrial user has submitted initial notification under 40 CFR 403.12(p).

*History: Ord. 91-775*

## § 2-10 Measurement of discharges to sanitary sewers.

Balt., Md., Code art. 25, § 2-10 (2026)

(a) All persons who:

  (1) discharge or desire to discharge to the sanitary sewers, industrial wastes or wastewaters other than sanitary, or

  (2) store, use, or generate toxic or prohibited substances and have access to the sewer system,
shall furnish the City with data covering quantity and variations of flow and concentrations of constituents to be discharged, including averages and peaks or slugs, and volumes of toxic or prohibited substances stored and/or generated.

(b) After the Director of Public Works has satisfied himself of the accuracy and completeness of the information provided, he shall determine what regulation of discharge is required and what permits, if any, are necessary.

(c) Where the required data and information cannot be provided, the Director of Public Works:

  (1) may require installation of facilities for measuring flow and concentration of the discharge, at the expense of the user; and

  (2) will establish regulations, agreements, and charges based upon the results of these measurements.

(d)

  (1) Upon request of the City, any discharger or potential discharger of industrial wastes into the treatment plant may be required to submit plans, reports, questionnaires, notices, or analytical data to evaluate waste discharge characteristics and ensure compliance with <cite data-path="|25">this article</cite>.

  (2) These required documents may include baseline monitoring reports, compliance reports, periodic self-monitoring reports, compliance schedule progress reports, violation reports, and notice of slug loadings, upset, bypass, or any other reporting requirement specified in 40 CFR 403.12.

*History: Ord. 75-914*

*History: Ord. 84-129*

*History: Ord. 91-775*