Rome would find it easier to recoup its expenses for illegal dumping in the city’s stormwater sewer system under a proposed ordinance that goes on first reading at Tuesday’s Rome City Commission meeting.

The illicit discharge detection and elimination ordinance would amend an ordinance already in place.

“We wanted to clean up the language related to the Clean Water Act,” said John Bennett, Rome city manager. “The public works committee and city attorney have approved it, and essentially if a clean-up is required, it makes it easier to recoup expenses, whether it’s industrial, residential or commercial.”

Essentially the ordinance prohibits discharges and illegal connections to the sewer system and aids in allowing for detection and elimination. It also requires notification of accidental discharges and provides for violation enforcement through notices, fines and even imprisonment.

The ordinance would go through a second public hearing at the first commission meeting in February if approved at the 6 p.m. Tuesday meeting.

The commission, which usually meets Mondays, will meet Tuesday because city offices are closed today in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

At the meeting, Bennett also will give a state of the city address, including its financial condition, discuss the accomplishments of 2006, outline plans for 2007 and provide updates on SPLOST projects.

For more on this report, see Monday’s Rome News-Tribune