The following words and phrases used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT (ADU): A secondary residential unit that is either attached to or located on the same lot as a primary single-family home. An ADU is designed and equipped for independent living, including sleeping, cooking, and sanitary facilities (bathroom). ADUs must comply with Boise's sewer ordinance regulations regarding connection to the city's sewer system, ensuring adherence to capacity limits and environmental standards as specified by Boise City ordinances and guidelines.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT: New construction or adaptive reuse of a property for a multi-family residential development which qualifies for an affordable housing exemption from a Building Permit Fee, Plan Review Fee, or Commercial Grading and Drainage with Utilities Permit Fee, as evaluated on a case-by-case basis in accordance with all applicable City of Boise policies and as determined by the Planning Director or their designee.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNIT: Any dwelling unit within an Affordable Housing Project that is subject both to income and rent restrictions by the terms and conditions of approval for any affordable housing exemption as noted above by determination of the Planning Director or their designee.
AMMONIA NITROGEN (NH3-N): The amount of ammonia as nitrogen units, in a specified volume, usually measured in milligrams per liter or converted to pounds in accordance with procedures set forth in Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 40, Chapter I, Subchapter D, Part 136.
APARTMENT: A room or suite of rooms in a multiple-family structure which is arranged, designed, or used as a single housekeeping unit, with permanently installed complete kitchen and sanitary facilities.
APPLICANT: An owner or operator who applies for a sewer fee deferral.
ASSISTED LIVING/RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY: A retirement facility licensed and regulated by the State of Idaho, with restrictions on the size and occupancy of sleeping areas.
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (or BOD): The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter in five (5) days under standard laboratory procedures set forth in CFR Title 40, Chapter I, Subchapter D, Part 136, expressed in milligrams per liter.
BOISE AREA OF IMPACT: An area mutually agreed upon, including plan and ordinances, between Boise City and Ada County, as provided for by Idaho Code sections 67-6526 and 50-1306. The boundaries and provisions of the area of impact can be found in Title 11, Chapter 1 of this Code.
BOISE CITY (CITY): The Municipal corporation known as the city of Boise City, Idaho.
CHANGE OF USE: Such time as the nature of the business for which a structure is used has changed, or the primary use of the structure has changed.
COMBINED WASTEWATER: Wastewater containing stormwater, infiltration or inflow, which is ordinarily prohibited from entering public sanitary sewers.
COMMERCIAL: Any business, industrial, institutional, or nonprofit enterprise. This shall include, but is not limited by, hotels, motels, assisted living facilities, retirements facilities, schools, shelter homes, churches, and nonresidential condominium units.
CONDOMINIUM: Real estate, portions of which are designated for separate ownership and the remainder of which is designated for common ownership solely by the owners of those portions. Real estate is not a condominium unless the undivided interests in the common elements are vested in the unit owners.
CONTRIBUTOR: Any person who directly or indirectly contributes or discharges wastewater into the City sewer system.
DATE SEWER SYSTEM IS AVAILABLE: The date the public sewer, to which the building or structure is to be connected, is accepted by the City Engineer as ready for use.
DENSITY: Density measures the number of dwelling units per lot size, commonly expressed as units per acre. Density classification influences the sizing and capacity requirements of the wastewater collection system needed to accommodate wastewater flows effectively. Trunk connection fees for residential units are based upon density calculated by the City's adopted methodology.
DEPARTMENT: The Public Works Department of the city of Boise City, Idaho.
DEVELOPER OR SUBDIVIDER: Any person who subdivides and/or improves undeveloped land for industrial, commercial, residential or mixed use, and thereby creates a demand for City sewer services.
DIRECTOR: The Public Works Department Director, or the authorized representative as designated by the Director.
DISCHARGE: The disposal of sewage, holding tank waste, water, or any other substance into the wastewater system of the City.
DOMESTIC (SANITARY) WASTES OR WASTEWATER: Liquid or water carried wastes from the noncommercial preparation and handling of food, or containing human excrement and similar matters from toilets and the sanitary plumbing systems of dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and institutions. When analyzed by methods defined in CFR Title 40, Chapter I, Subchapter D, Part 136, the assumptions are that domestic waste contain approximately two hundred thirty-eight milligarms per liter (237.69 mg/L) of BOD, three hundred forty-four milligrams per liter (343.76 mg/L) of TSS, twenty- four milligrams per liter (23.57 mg/L) of NH3-N, and six milligrams per liter (5.89 mg/L) of TP.
DUPLEX: A detached single building containing two (2) dwelling units on a single lot.
DWELLING UNIT: One or more rooms designed for or used as a residence for not more than one household, constituting a separate and independent housekeeping unit, with permanently installed complete kitchen and sanitary facilities.
FERMENTED BEVERAGE PRODUCER: Any establishment engaged in the production of beverages through the process of fermentation. This shall include, but is not limited by, breweries, wineries, cideries, distilleries, meaderies, kombucha breweries, and any other facility that manufactures beverages by fermenting sugar-containing substrates.
FINANCIAL HARDSHIP: Shall be deemed to exist when a user's annual family gross income is at or below the income level indicated for a family of similar size on the current "Extremely Low Income Guidelines" chart employed by the City in the administration of the Community Development Block Grant Program, and shall be verified by the user's previous year's Federal Tax return.
FLAG LOT: A lot having access to a public or private street via a narrow private driveway, the frontage of which requires a twenty foot (20') minimum width.
FLOW: The volume of wastewater.
GRAVITY FLOW SEWER SYSTEM: That part of the wastewater system which uses gravity, as opposed to lift stations, pumps or pressure lines, to transport sewage to the waste treatment facility.
GROSS ACRE: An acre of ground, including all public rights- of-way and private streets within the development.
HEATING AND/OR COOLING SYSTEM DISCHARGE: The water discharged from any use, such as heating, air conditioning, cooling or refrigeration, or to which the only pollutant added is heat.
INDIVIDUAL (PRIVATE) WASTEWATER DISPOSAL SYSTEM: A septic tank, cesspool or similar self-contained receptacle or facility which collects and/or treats or otherwise disposes of wastewater and which is not connected to the City sewer system.
INDUSTRIAL WASTES OR WASTEWATER: The liquid and water carried wastes from industrial processes or discharged from industrial plants, including wastewater from pretreatment facilities and polluted cooling water, as distinct from domestic wastewater.
LARGE OPEN SPACE LOTS WITH LOW SEWER IMPACT:Lots in excess of five (5) acres with open space use, which have SFDE density, calculated on fixture units, of less than one SFDE per five (5) acres and to which the general public has unrestricted access.
LATERAL SEWER: Those public sewers which are eight inches (8") or less in diameter.
LOW CONSUMPTION USER: A commercial user whose use is comparable in quantity to a residential user, as determined by the use of standard engineering references.
LOW INCOME DISCOUNT: A reduction of thirty percent (30%) in the amount charged for residential sewer service calculated in accordance with section 10-2-7-2 of this chapter.
MOBILE HOME PARK: Any area, tract, plot or parcel of land, developed and designed primarily for placement of mobile homes, located and maintained for dwelling purposes, on lots that are rented on a permanent or semipermanent basis.
MONITORED CONNECTION: A connection having measuring and sampling devices, installed near the discharger's point of connection to the wastewater system, that are used to determine flow, BOD, TSS, NH3-N, and TP values suitable for fee calculations.
MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING: A structure, or portion thereof, containing three (3) or more dwelling units, excluding attached single-family townhouse units located on individual lots.
OPERATOR: A person that engages in or runs a business or enterprise on a property with consent of the owner.
OVERSIZING: The term for the circumstance where the City has required the developer to install a sewer of a size or capacity greater than eight inches (8").
OWNER: The person holding legal or equitable title to the property, or their agent or authorized representative.
PERMANENT LIFT STATION: Sewer pumping facilities which take the place of the gravity flow sewer system on a permanent basis according to the master sewer plan.
PERSON: Any individual, joint venture, partnership, firm, corporation, association, club or organized group, trust, estate, governmental entity or any other legal entity, or their legal representatives, agents, or assigns.
PRIVATE SERVICE LINE: That part of a sewer, connected to the City sewer system located within private property or private sewer service easement, owned by the property owner and not maintained by Boise City.
PRIVATE SEWER: The same as "private service line", as defined in this section.
PUBLIC SERVICE LINE: That part of a sewer constructed from the sewer tap-in of the existing lateral, manhole, trunk sewer or interceptor sewer to the right-of-way line of the public sewer easement. Public service lines are owned by Boise City.
PUBLIC SEWER: The sewer which is part of the City sewer system, subject to the ownership, control, and maintenance of the City.
RESIDENTIAL: A single-family dwelling, ADU, duplex, multi-family dwelling, apartment, townhouse, noncommercial condominium, mobile home, or other approved residences.
RESTAURANT: Any sandwich shop, pizza parlor, full service, fast food, or other similar eating establishment where food is prepared, served, or provided to the public for compensation.
SANITARY SEWER: A public sewer which carries wastewater, and to which storm, surface and ground waters are not generally admitted, including the pipe or conduit system and appurtenances for the collection, transportation, pumping and treatment of wastewater. This definition includes the terms public sewers, sewer systems and public service lines as defined in this section.
SEPTAGE: Any wastewater from holding tanks, such as vessels, chemical toilets, campers, trailers, recreation vehicles, septic tanks, sealed vaults and vacuum pump trucks.
SERVICE BILL: The consolidated bill issued monthly or quarterly by utility billing which itemizes the separate charges for each service provided to the customer.
SEWAGE: Wastewater.
SEWER: A pipe or conduit which collects and carries wastewater to a treatment plant.
SEWER CONNECTION CREDITS: A single-family dwelling equivalent (SFDE) value given for previously paid trunk and treatment sewer capacities permanently removed or demolished to be used as a credit toward future connection fees, subject to the provisions of subsection 10-2-6-6C of this chapter.
SHORT-TERM RENTAL: A dwelling unit, or any portion thereof, which is offered for a fee for the purpose of overnight lodging for a period of time thirty (30) days or less, and may include but is not limited to, any individually or collectively owned single-family house, accessory dwelling unit, apartment, condominium, cooperative, timeshare, vacation home or any portion of such property.
SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING: A residential building designed for use and occupancy by no more than one household. A single-family dwelling may be attached in a townhouse or row house layout (excluding multi-family) or detached from any primary building intended for occupancy by another household or other primary use. A single-family dwelling may also include an ADU.
SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING EQUIVALENT (or SFDE): For the purpose of calculating treatment connection fees, a Single-Family Dwelling Equivalent (SFDE) is defined a having a typical peak month daily average discharge of two hundred five (205) gallons per day of flow, 0.350 pounds per day of BOD, 0.448 pounds per day of TTS, 0.034 pounds per day of TN, and 0.008 pounds per day of TP. An SFDE generates a fixture unit count of twenty one (21), a defined in the Uniform Plumbing Code.
STRENGTH OF WASTEWATER (or WASTE STRENGTH): The quality of wastewater discharged as measured by its elements, including its constituents and characteristics.
STRUCTURE: Anything constructed or erected, except fences, which requires permanent location on the ground, or is attached to something having location on the ground, which is designed or intended for the shelter, enclosure or protection of persons, animals, chattels, or property of any kind, and which is determined by the department to have a potential for impact on the City sewer system.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS OR TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (or TSS): The total suspended matter that floats on the surface of, or is suspended in, water, wastewater, or other liquids, and which is removable by laboratory filtering in accordance with procedures set forth in CFR Title 40, Chapter I, Subchapter D, Part 136, expressed in milligrams per liter.
TAP-IN (or SEWER TAP-IN): A sewer service connection to an existing sewer lateral, trunk, interceptor sewer, or manhole.
TEMPORARY LIFT STATIONS: Sewer pumping facilities which, on an interim basis, take the place of gravity flow sewer systems and are designated as temporary by the master sewer plan.
TOTAL PHOSPHORUS (TP): The concentration of all forms of phosphorus compounds in water, including dissolved, particulate, organic, and inorganic phosphorus species. TP is measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L) and serves as a critical indicator in water quality monitoring, as phosphorus can contribute to eutrophication and algae blooms in aquatic environments. The measure of all recoverable phosphorus found in a sample measured in accordance with CFR Title 40, Chapter I, Subchapter D, Part 136.
TRUNK LINE (or SEWER TRUNK LINE): A gravity sewer larger than eight inches (8") in internal diameter, and must include pressure sewer lines. A trunk sewer line shall be of such size and location by which to serve the projected growth in population and sewer use of any area within Boise City and the Boise area of impact, and to provide an adequate system for the collection, transmission, and disposal of sanitary sewage from residential and commercial users within and without the City.
UNMONITORED CONNECTION: A connection where the discharger's flow is determined by winter water use, and the BOD, TSS, NH3-N, and TP values are set at typical levels for the discharger category.
USER: Generally, the owner, tenant, trustee, mortgage receiver or occupier of premises which is connected to the wastewater system.
WASTEWATER (or SEWAGE): Any liquid or water carried industrial or sanitary wastes, whether treated or untreated, including polluted heating and/or cooling water from dwellings, commercial buildings, industrial facilities and institutions, which is contributed or permitted to enter the public sewer system.
WASTEWATER SYSTEM (or WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM, or WASTEWATER WORKS): Any devices, facilities, structure, equipment or works owned or used by the City for the purpose of the transmission, storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of industrial and domestic wastes from within or without the City, or necessary to recycle or reuse water at the most economical cost over the estimated life of the system (including intercepting sewers, outfall sewers, public service lines, pumping, power, and other equipment and their appurtenances, but excluding private service lines, extensions, improvements, additions, alterations or any remodeling thereof). A wastewater system shall also include elements essential to provide a reliable recycled supply, such as standby treatment units and clear well facilities; and any works, including the land and sites that may be acquired, that will be an integral part of the treatment process or is used for the ultimate disposal of residues resulting from such treatment.
WET LINE SEWER: An operating public sewer capable of serving a structure immediately upon connection.
WINTER WATER USE: The average of the previous winter (i.e., the four (4) months) water consumption as recorded by the user's potable water meter. If the residential user is attached to a private well, water consumption is based on the number of residents in the home. Where internal water use is separately metered, a twelve (12) month average water consumption may be used.
WORKING DAY: The time between the hours of eight o'clock (8:00) A.M. and five o'clock (5:00) P.M. on any day, except Saturday, Sunday and any National, State, or local holidays or days of observation during which the Public Works Department is not open for regular business. (1952 Code § 8-11-02.01; amd. Ord. 23-17, 7-18-2017; Ord. 34-23, 8-29-2023; Ord. 27-24, 9-24-2024)