(A) The sanitary sewer system of the City shall, as far as possible, be operated and maintained on a public utility basis as authorized by law. Each premises within the City connected to and using facilities of the system shall pay user rates and charges as fixed and established from time to time by the City. The City shall annually renew the user rates and charges as required by Public Law 92-500.
(B) Commencing on the effective date of this chapter, the user rates and charges for wastewater treatment shall be fixed by the City by ordinance or resolution. Charges for wastewater treatment furnished to premises outside the corporation limits of the City shall be fixed by the City by ordinance or resolution prior to the rendering of such services.
(C) Where sewage disposal service is furnished to users not connected to the water system or in cases where users make use of large quantities of water which may be discharged into storm sewers or approved outlets other than the sanitary sewer system, or for other miscellaneous users of water for which special consideration would be given, special rates may be fixed by the City, and the City may require nonresidential users to install metering equipment to accurately determine the flow. Residential users shall be charged on the bases of average residential metered charges on the system.
(D) Bills shall be payable periodically and simultaneously with payments made for water consumed and/or used and shall be subject to such penalties as may apply to bills for water service.
(E) No free service shall be furnished by the system to the City or to any person, firm, or corporation, public or private, or to any public agency or instrumentality.
(F) At the discretion of the City, all users outside the corporate limits of the City of Big Rapids may be charged for all flows at the point of entry into the City’s publicly owned collection system. The decision to charge, based on flows, at the point of entry may be recommended by the Superintendent, or Department, subject to the approval of the City Manager.
(Ord. 311-3-92, passed 3-16-92; Am. Ord. 492-05-02, passed 5-20-02)