Section 24-518.1. Food waste disposals

a. The following terms, as used in
  this section, shall have the following meanings: 1. A "dwelling" is  any
  building  or  structure or portion thereof which is occupied in whole or
  in part as the home, residence or sleeping place of one  or  more  human
  beings.
    2.  A  "private  dwelling"  is  any building or structure designed and
  occupied for residential purposes by not more than two families. Private
  dwellings shall also be deemed to include  a  series  of  one-family  or
  two-family  dwelling  units  each  of  which faces or is accessible to a
  legal street or public thoroughfare,  if  each  such  dwelling  unit  is
  equipped as a separate dwelling unit with all essential services, and if
  each  such  unit  is  arranged  so  that  it  may be approved as a legal
  one-family or two-family dwelling.
    3. A "multiple dwelling" is a dwelling which is either rented, leased,
  let or hired out, to be occupied, or is occupied, as  the  residence  or
  home  of  three  or  more families living independently of each other. A
  multiple dwelling shall also include residential quarters for members of
  personnel of any hospital staff which are not located  in  any  building
  used  primarily  for  hospital  use, but any building which was erected,
  altered or converted prior to July first, nineteen  hundred  fifty-five,
  to  be  occupied  by such members or personnel or is so occupied on such
  date shall not be subject to the requirements of the housing maintenance
  code only so long as it continues to be so occupied if there  are  local
  laws applicable to such building and such building is in compliance with
  such  local  laws.  A multiple dwelling does not include (i) a hospital,
  convent, monastery, asylum or public institution; or  (ii)  a  fireproof
  building  used  wholly  for commercial purposes except for not more than
  one janitor's apartment and not more than one penthouse occupied by  not
  more than two families.
    4.   The  term  "putrescible  solid  waste"  shall  mean  solid  waste
  containing organic matter having the  tendency  to  decompose  with  the
  formation of malodorous by-products.
    b.  Food  waste disposals for the discharge of putrescible food wastes
  from dwelling units may be installed in private dwellings  and  multiple
  dwellings, provided that:
    1.  all putrescible food wastes discharged to a sanitary sewer or to a
  combined storm and sanitary sewer are discharged in fluid form and at  a
  reasonably  uniform  rate  so  as to prevent clogging or stoppage of the
  drain line, sanitary sewer or combined storm and sanitary sewer;
    2. the installation of such food waste disposals is  approved  by  the
  department  of buildings and is in compliance with applicable provisions
  of the administrative code.
    c. 1. The department shall conduct a pilot study of the  use  of  food
  waste  disposals  in  private dwellings and multiple dwellings served by
  combined storm and sanitary sewer systems. The study shall include,  but
  need not be limited to, an analysis of the following:
    i. the impact of grease and food solids on combined sewers;
    ii. the impact on water consumption;
    iii. the impact on the nutrient content of raw and treated effluent;
    iv.  the  impact  of increased pollutant loadings to receiving waters,
  including increases in biological oxygen demand and suspended solids;
    v. the impacts on wastewater treatment processes;
    vi. the impact on sludge treatment processes and management;
    vii. the impact on  the  city's  ability  to  comply  with  applicable
  statutes, rules, regulations, permits and orders;
    viii.  the  impact  on  solid  waste  management  as determined by the
  department of sanitation; and

    ix. any other impacts on the environment, public  health  and  safety,
  and the cost of operating the water and sewer system.
    2.  The  department  may  select  an  appropriate  number  of  private
  dwellings or multiple dwellings within the city served by combined storm
  and sanitary sewer systems to participate in the pilot study. The number
  of food waste disposals that will be installed  as  part  of  the  pilot
  study  shall  be  no  fewer  than  one  hundred and shall not exceed one
  thousand.  The study shall be deemed to have commenced when  food  waste
  disposals  are installed in at least fifty percent of the dwelling units
  in the dwellings  selected  for  the  study  and  the  commissioner  has
  authorized the operation of these disposals; provided, however, that the
  department may deem the study to have commenced upon the installation of
  food  waste  disposals  in less than fifty percent of the dwelling units
  within the dwellings selected for the study if the department finds that
  a  valid  study  may  be  conducted  with  such  lesser  percentage   of
  installations.  In  combined  storm and sanitary sewer areas, food waste
  disposals may be installed only  in  those  dwellings  selected  by  the
  department to participate in the study.
    3.  The  department shall within fifteen months of the commencement of
  the pilot study, but not later than twenty-one months from the effective
  date of this local law submit a report to  the  mayor  and  the  council
  which  shall  include  a detailed analysis of the findings of such study
  and conclusions and recommendations based on such analysis with  respect
  to  the  installation  of  food waste disposals in private dwellings and
  multiple dwellings served by combined storm and sanitary sewer systems.