New York Consolidated Laws, General Municipal Law - GMU § 451. Definitions

1. “Sewer rents.”  A scale of annual charges established and imposed in a city or village or in a sewer or wastewater disposal district in a county or town pursuant to this article for the use of a sewer system or any part or parts thereof.  Such charges may be based on either (a) the consumption of water on the premises connected with and served by the sewer system or such part or parts thereof, (b) the number and kind of plumbing fixtures on the premises connected with and served by the sewer system or such part or parts thereof, (c) the number of persons served on the premises connected with and served by the sewer system or such part or parts thereof, (d) the volume and character of sewage, industrial waste and other wastes discharged into the sewer system or such part or parts thereof, or (e) upon any other equitable basis determined by the local legislative body, including but not limited to any combination of the foregoing.

2. “Sewer system.”  All sewer pipes and other appurtenances which are used or useful in whole or in part in connection with the collection, treatment or disposal of sewage, industrial waste and other wastes and which are owned, operated or maintained by a city or village or a sewer district in a county or town, including sewage pumping stations and sewage treatment and disposal works and private on-site wastewater disposal systems, if any.

3. “Part.”  As used in relation to the term “sewer system”:  all lateral sewers, or all branch sewers, or all interceptor sewers, or all trunk sewers, and any sewage treatment and disposal works, and private on-site wastewater disposal systems, each part with necessary appurtenances including sewage pumping stations.

4. “Sewage.”  The water-carried human or animal wastes from residences, buildings, industrial establishments, or other places, together with such ground water infiltration and surface water as may be present.  The admixture with sewage as above defined of industrial waste or other wastes as hereafter defined, also shall be considered “sewage” within the meaning of this article.

5. “Industrial waste.”  Any liquid, gaseous, solid or other waste substance or a combination thereof resulting from any process of industry, manufacturing, trade or business or from the development or recovery of any natural resources.

6. “Other wastes.”  Garbage, refuse, decayed wood, sawdust, shavings, bark, sand, lime, cinders, ashes, offal, oil, tar, dye stuffs, acids, chemicals, and all other discarded matter not sewage or industrial waste.

7. “Local legislative body.”  In cities and villages, the body authorized to adopt local laws pursuant to the municipal home rule law;  in counties, the board of supervisors and in towns, the town board.