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Elkhart City Council adopts rewritten wastewater utility use ordinance
Summary
Council adopted Ordinance 25-O-30, repealing prior sewer ordinances and enacting a consolidated wastewater utility use ordinance aligned with EPA pretreatment requirements; council approved on third and final reading, 9-0.
Elkhart City Council on Oct. 6 adopted Ordinance 25-O-30, repealing Ordinances 5746 and 5434 and enacting a consolidated wastewater utility use ordinance that the city says aligns with the latest EPA pretreatment and permit requirements. The council approved the measure on third and final reading by roll call, 9-0.
The ordinance was presented by Tory Urey, City Engineer and Public Works Director, who said the document was rewritten to reflect current federal requirements and to consolidate separate policies into one ordinance. "The EPA has reviewed every word in this document and signed off on it," Urey said. He described the pretreatment section as the largest portion of the rewrite and said the new text removes ambiguity and brings the local program into alignment with EPA regulations.
Urey told the council the rewrite will allow the city to "delist a few of the industrial users and declassify them as SIUs" while maintaining discharge requirements. He also said the fat, oil and grease (FOG) ordinance has been incorporated into the single sewer-use ordinance and that some paperwork requirements were eased "to make it easier on the industry and us as well in enforcing it." Urey added that the ordinance overall is "more business friendly and utility friendly."
Council motioning followed the presentation. Councilman Stein moved to adopt the ordinance on second reading, seconded by Councilman Fish. Later, Councilman Crabtree moved adoption on third and final reading, seconded by Councilman Mishler; the roll-call vote on final adoption recorded all nine members voting in favor.
The council opened a public hearing on the ordinance but received no public comments before returning the item to the council floor for discussion and vote. The ordinance, as presented, updates the city's pretreatment policy and consolidates previously separate wastewater and FOG rules into a single document. Council members did not request further amendments at the meeting.
The ordinance text and a summary memo were provided to council prior to the hearing; Urey said staff has been coordinating with EPA staff to reach the current language.
