Article 5.5. Waste Water Control of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 6. >> Chapter 8. >> Article 5.5.

The board shall supervise and regulate sewage disposal within a special district, including the fixing of standards, contracts, issuance of licenses or permits, practices and schedules for or in connection with waste water control and sewage disposal functions of such special district.

Without limiting in any way the provisions of this division, and in addition to the powers granted therein, the board may make and enforce such regulations for the control of quantity, quality and flow of waste water within the boundaries of a special district as are not in conflict with the general laws of the state. "Waste water" shall include all sewage, industrial and other wastes and waters, whether treated or untreated, discharged into or permitted to enter a community sewer system connected to or directly into a district interceptor for treatment in sewage disposal facilities of a special district.

Rules and regulations pertaining to the control of quantity, quality or flow of waste water may provide for any or all of the following:
  (a) Periodic technical reports to the district from contributors or dischargers into the district's system.
  (b) The issuance of permits or licenses by the district as a condition of discharging waste water for treatment in sewage disposal facilities of a special district.
  (c) The installation by the contributor or discharger of pretreatment works or facilities.
  (d) The installation by the contributor or discharger of waste water sampling and inspection facilities.
  (e) Procedures for enforcement of waste water standards and regulations adopted by the district and remedies for violation thereof.
  (f) Entry by the district upon private property to make surveys, inspections or samplings.
  (g) Such other provisions as are necessary to effectuate the control of the quantity, quality and flow of waste water within a special district.

No person shall discharge waste water into a community sewer system connected to or directly into a district interceptor which will result in contamination, pollution or a nuisance. All discharges of waste water which are, or could be, harmful to or unreasonably affect the sewage disposal facilities of a district, or which impair or unreasonably affect the operation and maintenance of such facilities, or which violate quantity, quality and flow standards adopted by the district, and all waste water discharges which unreasonably affect, or could unreasonably affect, the quality of the district's treatment plant effluent in such a manner that receiving water quality requirements established by law cannot be met by the district, shall constitute a nuisance for the purposes of this article.

Whenever a discharge of waste water is in violation of the district's regulations or otherwise causes or threatens to cause a condition of contamination, pollution or nuisance, as defined in this article, the district may petition the superior court for the issuance of a preliminary or permanent injunction, or both, as may be appropriate, restraining the continuance of such discharge. In any civil action brought under this section, it shall not be necessary to allege or prove at any stage of the proceedings that irreparable damage will occur should the temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction or permanent injunction not be issued or that the remedy at law is inadequate and the temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction or permanent injunction shall issue without such allegations and without such proof.

(a) Any person who fails to comply with any order issued by the district, shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each day in which the discharge, violation, or refusal occurs.
  (b) Any person who intentionally or negligently violates any order issued by the district for violation of rules regulating or prohibiting discharge of waste water which causes or threatens to cause a condition of contamination, pollution or nuisance, as defined in this article, may be liable civilly in a sum not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for each day in which the violation occurs.
  (c) The attorney of the district, upon request of the board, shall petition the superior court to impose, assess and recover the sums provided for in subdivisions (a) and (b). In determining the amount of the fine the court shall take into consideration all relevant circumstances, including, but not limited to, the extent of harm caused by the violation, the nature and persistence of the violation, the length of time over which the violation occurs and corrective action, if any, attempted or taken by the discharger.
  (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all civil fines imposed by the court for a violation of this section shall be distributed as follows:
  (1) Fifty percent shall be transferred into the general fund of the county in which the action to recover the fine was brought.
  (2) Fifty percent shall be transferred once a month to the treasurer of any municipal utility district in the county for deposit in the funds of the district.
  (e) Remedies under this section are in addition to and do not supersede or limit any and all other remedies, civil or criminal, but no liability shall be recoverable under this section for any violation for which liability is recovered under Section 13575.5.

(a) The district may issue a complaint to any person on whom civil liability may be imposed pursuant to this article. The complaint shall allege the act or failure to act that constitutes a violation of law, the provision of law authorizing civil liability to be imposed pursuant to this article, and the proposed civil liability.
  (b) The complaint shall be served by personal notice or certified mail on the person subject to the district's discharge and reporting requirements, and shall inform the party served that a hearing shall be conducted within 60 days after the party has been served. The hearing shall be before a hearing officer designated by the board. The person who has been issued a complaint may waive the right to a hearing, in which case the district shall not conduct a hearing. A person dissatisfied with the decision of the hearing officer may appeal to the board of directors within 30 days of notice of the hearing officer's decision.
  (c) If after the hearing, or appeal, if any, it is found that the person has violated reporting or discharge requirements, the hearing officer or board may assess a fine against that person. In determining the amount of the fine the hearing officer or board shall take into consideration all relevant circumstances, including, but not limited to, the extent of harm caused by the violation, the nature and persistence of the violation, the length of time over which the violation occurs and corrective action, if any, attempted or taken by the discharger.
  (d) Civil liability may be imposed by the district as follows:
  (1) In an amount which does not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each day for knowingly or willfully failing or refusing to furnish technical or monitoring reports.
  (2) In an amount which does not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each day of intentionally or negligently discharging hazardous waste, as defined in Section 25117 of the Health and Safety Code, knowingly falsifying any information provided in any furnished technical or monitoring report.
  (3) In an amount which does not exceed ten dollars ($10) per gallon for discharges in violation of any of the district's cease and desist or other orders, or prohibitions issued, reissued, or adopted by the district.
  (e) All moneys collected under this section shall be deposited in a special district account and shall be made available for the monitoring, treatment, and control of discharges into district facilities.
  (f) Unless appealed, orders setting administrative civil liability shall become effective and final upon issuance thereof, and payment shall be made within 30 days. Copies of these orders shall be served by personal service or by registered mail upon the party served with the complaint and upon other persons who appeared at the hearing and requested a copy.
  (g) No liability shall be recoverable under this section for any violation for which liability is recovered under Section 13575.

Any party aggrieved by a final order issued by the board under Section 13575.5, after granting review of a hearing officer order, may obtain review of the order of the board in the superior court by filing in the court a petition for writ of mandate within 30 days following the issuance of the order by the board. Any party aggrieved by a final order of a hearing officer issued under Section 13575.5 for which the board denies review may obtain review of the order of the hearing officer in the superior court by filing in the court a petition of writ of mandate within 30 days following the denial of review by the board. If no aggrieved party petitions for writ of mandate within the time provided by this section, an order of the board or a hearing officer shall not be subject to review by any court or agency, except that the board may grant review on its own motion of an order issued under Section 13575.5 after the expiration of the time limits set by that section.

(a) Within 30 days after service of a copy of a decision and order issued by the board pursuant to Section 13575.5, any aggrieved party may file with the superior court a petition for writ of mandate for review thereof. Failure to file a petition shall not preclude a party from challenging the reasonableness and validity of a decision or order of a hearing officer or the board in any judicial proceedings brought to enforce that decision or order or for other civil remedies.
  (b) The evidence before the court shall consist of the record before the board, including the hearing officer's record, and any other relevant evidence which, in the judgment of the court, should be considered to effectuate and implement the policies of this division. In every such case, the court shall exercise its independent judgment on the evidence.
  (c) Except as otherwise provided in this section, subdivisions (e) and (f) of Section 1094.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall govern proceedings pursuant to this section.

Any person who intentionally discharges waste water in any manner, in violation of any order issued by the district, which results in contamination, pollution or a nuisance, as defined in this article, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Any person who knowingly makes any false statement or representation in any record, report, plan, or other document filed with the district, or who falsifies, tampers with, or knowingly renders inaccurate any monitoring device or method required by the district, shall be punished by a fine of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months, or by both.

Any abatement actions taken pursuant to the foregoing sections with respect to contamination, pollution or nuisance, as defined in this article, created by the discharge of waste water into a community sewer system shall be taken against the agent or agency operating such system and the contributor or contributors whose waste creates the contamination, pollution or nuisance.

The district may enter upon private property of any person and sample at, inspect or survey the waste water sampling installation or pretreatment facilities or processes of any contributor or discharger to ascertain whether district regulations for control of quantity, quality and flow of waste water are being complied with. Such inspections shall be made with the consent of the owner or possessor of such facilities or, if such consent is refused, with a warrant duly issued pursuant to the procedure set forth in Title 13 (commencing with Section 1822.50) of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure. However, in the event of an emergency affecting the public health or safety, such inspection may be made without the consent or the issuance of a warrant. The district may terminate or cause to be terminated sewage disposal or water services to such property if a violation of any rule or regulation pertaining to control of waste water is found to exist or if a discharge of waste water causes or threatens to cause a condition of contamination, pollution or nuisance, as defined in this article.