N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 17-1701: Definition of sewage; discharge of sewage and other matter into certain waters prohibited

* § 17-1701. Definition of sewage; discharge of sewage and other matter

into certain waters prohibited.

1. For the purposes of this title sewage shall be defined as any

substance, solid or liquid that contains any of the waste products or

excrementitious or other wastes or washings from the bodies of human

beings or animals.

2. No person, corporation or municipality, shall place or cause to be

placed, or discharged or cause to be discharged into any of the waters

of this state, in quantities injurious to the public health, or in

violation of standards, criteria, limitations, rules or regulations

promulgated or applied pursuant hereto, any sewage, garbage, offal, or

any decomposable or putrescible matter of any kind or the effluent from

any sewage disposal plant, or any substance, chemical or otherwise, or

any refuse or waste matter, either solid or liquid, from any sewer or

drainage system or from any shop, factory, mill or industrial

establishment; unless express permission to do so shall have been first

given in writing by the commissioner as provided in this article, except

as hereinafter provided.

3. This section shall not prevent the discharge of sewage from any

public sewer system owned and maintained by a municipality until an

order prohibiting same shall be made as hereinafter provided, or the

discharge of refuse or waste matter from any shop, factory, mill or

industrial establishment, if such sewer system was in operation and was

discharging sewage, or such shop, factory, mill or industrial

establishment was in operation and discharging refuse or waste matter,

into any of the waters of this state on or prior to May 7, 1903, and

such municipality or the proprietor of such shop, factory, mill or

industrial establishment secured exemption from this section by filing a

report with the commissioner in accordance with law, nor to any

extension or modification of such shop, factory, mill or industrial

establishment, or reconstruction thereof, provided the refuse or waste

matter discharged therefrom is not materially changed or increased; but

this exception shall not permit any increase in the discharge of such

sewage, or in the discharge of refuse or waste matter from any shop,

factory, mill or industrial establishment, nor shall it permit the

discharge of sewage from a sewer system which shall be extended,

modified or reconstructed subsequent to said date.

* NB Expired September 1, 1973