§ 14-3. Definitions.

Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this chapter shall be as follows:

BOD (biochemical oxygen demand).\ The quantity of oxygen, expressed in mg/l, utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure for five days at twenty degrees centigrade. The standard laboratory procedure shall be that found in the latest edition of the "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Sewage," published by the American Public Health Association.

Building\ or dwelling unit.

(1)

Any single-family residential structure; or

(2)

Any combination of structures owned by one person, or jointly by a number of persons as cotenants, joint tenants or tenants-by-the-entireties and occupied as a residence or farm by a single-family; or

(3)

Each separately owned, leased or occupied part of structures physically connected in a series, whether the series be vertical or horizontal, such as row houses, townhouses, duplex houses, twin houses, condominiums, row or stores or physically connected commercial or industrial structures, etc.; or

(4)

Each apartment in, or each separately leased or occupied part of or to be separately leased or occupied part of any multiple-occupancy structure; or

(5)

Any single and separate structure owned by one person, or jointly by a number of persons as cotenants, joint tenants or tenants-by-the-entireties and used by the owner or single lessee or occupant thereof, only for agricultural, commercial, governmental, or industrial purposes; or

(6)

Any other land or separate structure not classified herein as a building. The county reserves the right to determine the classification and use of any structure.

Building drain.\ That part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system which receives sewer waste inside the walls of a building and conveys it to the building sewer.

Building service\ or building sewer. The pipe for conveying waste from the building drain to the public sewer system or other place of disposal.

Chlorine demand.\ The quantity of chlorine absorbed in water, sewage or other liquids, allowing a residual of one tenth ppm, after fifteen minutes of contact.

Color of an industrial waste.\ The color of the light transmitted by the waste solution after removing the suspended material, including the pseudocolloidal particles.

Consumer\ or customer. The person legally or equitably responsible for the payment of charges for sewer services rendered by the county.

Development.\ The improvement of zoned residential, commercial, industrial or public property in accordance with county land use, comprehensive and facilities planning.

Dissolved solids.\ The anhydrous residues of the dissolved constituents in water or wastewater.

Domestic waste.\ The normal water-carried household and toilet wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions and industrial establishments.

Equivalent dwelling unit (EDU).\ The conversion, with respect to water consumption of multi-residential, commercial, industrial and institutional connectors into their residential equivalents on the basis of water use established for a living unit consisting of three and five-tenths persons.

Ground garbage.\ Garbage that has been shredded to such a degree that all its particles will be carried freely under normal sewer flow conditions, with no particle greater than one-half inch in any dimension.

HRSD.\ H.R.S.D.: Acronym for Hampton Roads Sanitation District which is the regional agency that provides regional transmission and treatment facilities for wastewater.

Improved property.\ Any property within the county upon which there is erected a structure intended for continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy or use by human beings or animals, and from which sanitary sewage or industrial wastes shall be or may be discharged.

Industrial establishment.\ Any improved property used, in whole or in part, for manufacturing, processing, cleaning, laundering or assembling any product, commodity or article, or from which any process waste, as distinct from domestic waste, shall be discharged.

Industrial wastes.\ Any liquid or gaseous substance, whether or not solids are contained therein, discharge from any industrial establishment during the course of any industrial, manufacturing, trade, or business process, or in the course of the development, recovery, or processing of natural resources, as distinct from domestic waste.

New premises, building or dwelling unit.\ Any premises, building or dwelling unit constructed on property abutting a county sewer line; provided, however, that such construction occurs after the installation of such sewer line.

Manhole.\ A shaft or chamber leading from the surface of the ground to a sewer, large enough to enable human access to the latter.

Official connection notice.\ A notice in letter form sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, from the county to the owner of premises, buildings or dwelling units abutting a county sewer line giving notice to the owner that the sewer line is available for connection thereto.

Owner.\ Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole or partial, of any property located in the county.

pH.\ The logarithm of the reciprocal of the weight of hydrogen ions in grams per liter of solution, indicating the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a substance. A stabilized "pH" will be considered as a "pH" which does not change beyond the specific limits when the waste is subjected to aeration. It shall be determined by one of the accepted methods described in the latest edition of "Standard Methods for Examination of Water and Sewage" published by the American Public Health Association.

Plumbing Code.\ The most current edition of the International Plumbing Code, published by the International Code Council Inc., as amended and referenced in the most current edition of the Virginia Statewide Building Code.

Sanitary sewer or main.\ Any pipe or conduit extending within public right-of-way parallel or nearly parallel to the line of property abutting thereon and usable for sewage collection purposes, and to which storm, surface and ground waters are not admitted.

Service connection or lateral.\ That portion of the individual property service line wholly contained within public right-of-way.

Sewage.\ The water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions and industrial establishments.

Sewer system.\ All facilities, as of any particular time, for collecting, pumping, treating or disposing of domestic waste or industrial wastes on public-owned property or right-of-way.

Suspended solids.\ Solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension in water, sewage or other liquids, and which are removable by laboratory filtration.

Toxic substance.\ Any noxious or deleterious substance in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, to constitute a hazard to humans or animals, to create a public nuisance, or to create any hazard in any sewer system. (5-21-09; 9-19-19.)