(1) Purpose of charges and fees. A schedule of charges and fees shall be adopted by the City Council which will enable the Department of Water Quality Control to comply with the revenue requirements of Section 204 of the Clean Water Act. Charges and fees shall be determined in a manner consistent with regulations of the federal grant program to ensure that sufficient revenues are collected to defray the city's cost of operating and maintaining adequate wastewater collection and treatment systems and to provide sufficient funds for capital outlay, bond service costs, capital improvements and depreciation.
(2) Classification of user. All users are to be classified by the Control Authority either by assigning each one to a user classification category according to the principal activity conducted on the user's premises, by analyzing each individual user, or by a combination thereof. The purpose of such collective and/or individual classification is to facilitate the regulation of wastewater discharges based on wastewater constituents and characteristics, to provide an effective means of source control, and to establish a system of charges and fees which will insure an equitable recovery of the city's cost. Any charges and fees not stated in this chapter shall be as determined by the City Manager. A schedule of these fees can be obtained at the City of Cookeville Department of Water Quality Control or on the Department's website.
(3) Type of charges and fees. The charges and fees established by the city may include, but, not be limited to:
(a) User classification charges;
(b) Fees for monitoring, maintenance, and analysis;
(c) Fees for permit applications;
(d) Surcharge fees;
(e) Discharge permit fees; including permits for discharging holding tank waste;
(f) Charges and fees based on wastewater constituents and characteristics;
(g) Fees for garbage grinders;
(h) Fees for holding tank wastes;
(i) Fees for reimbursement of administrative costs related to the pretreatment program;
(j) Fees for reviewing accidental discharge prevention procedures and construction;
(k) Fees for allowing connection of building sewers to the POTW.
(l) Fees for plans review and construction inspection.
(m) Sewer capacity fee to offset the cost of sewer upgrades related to growth within the sewer system.
(4) Computation and assessments. The computation of and assessment of surcharges, monitoring charges, maintenance charges and testing or analysis charges shall be subject to the appeals procedure provided in this chapter.
(5) User rates. (a) Basis of determination of rates. Charges and fees for sewer service are based on normal domestic wastewater with the following characteristics:
BOD5 | 300 mg/l |
COD | 800 mg/l |
TKN | 60 mg/l |
NH3-N | 30 mg/l |
Suspended Solids | 300 mg/l |
Oil and Grease | 100 mg/l
|
The charges and fees for all wastewaters which exceed the concentrations for normal domestic wastewater shall be based upon a surcharge as in § 18-207(6).
(b) User charge system. The user charge system consists of a flat base charge based on an equitable distribution of the administrative costs of providing sewer service to all customers connected to the POTW and to each lot, parcel of land or premise which may now or hereinafter be located within one hundred (100) feet of a sanitary sewer owned by the city, plus an equitable distribution of the cost of operating expenses, debt amortization and depreciation to all customers connected to the POTW based on water usages as determined by the water meters owned by the city. A surcharge will be levied against those users which discharge wastewater that exceeds the strength of "normal wastewater". The owner or occupant of property obtaining water from a source or sources other than through a meter of the city and discharging said water into the POTW shall install, without cost to the city, a meter or meters to measure the quantity of water received from any such source or sources and shall pay the same sewer rate or rates as customers utilizing water provided by the city. No meter shall be installed or used for such purpose without the approval of the Control Authority. The City may use readings from water meters owned by other utilities instead of requiring another meter be installed.
Whenever a property upon which the sewer user charge is imposed uses water for industrial, commercial or air conditioning purposes and does not discharge said water into the POTW but, through agreement with the POTW, discharges it in some other manner, including discharging it into the city's storm sewer system, the quantity of water used and not discharged into the POTW shall, be excluded in determining the sewer service charge for said property. However, the quantity of water used and not discharged into the POTW must be measured by a device or meter approved by the director and installed by the owner or occupant without cost to the city.
(c) Review of rates. The Department shall review annually in conjunction with budget evaluations the wastewater contribution of users and user classes, the total cost of operation and maintenance of the POTW and the user charge system. The City shall revise the charges for users or user classes to accomplish the following:
(i) Maintain the proportionate distribution of operation and maintenance costs among user and user classes as required herein;
(ii) Generate sufficient revenue to pay the total operation and maintenance costs necessary for the proper operation and maintenance of the POTW; and,
(iii) Apply excess revenues collected from a class of user to the cost of operation and maintenance attributable to that class for the next year and adjust the rate accordingly.
(6) Surcharges for high strength wastewater. A surcharge will be assessed for waste containing compatible pollutants in concentrations greater than those for "normal wastewater". The surcharge shall be based on the average analytical results of not less than two (2) unannounced composite samples collected at the monitoring manhole during the month. However, a surcharge for holding tank wastes shall be based on a representative grab sample. Samples shall be collected and analyzed by Department personnel at the POTW treatment plant, or by an authorized independent laboratory when required by the Control Authority. Sample collection and analysis shall be in accordance with 40 CFR Part 136 as amended.
The following formula shall be used to determine the amount of the surcharge:
SURCHARGE = SBOD + SCOD + STSS + STKN + SNH3 + SO&G
where,
SBOD = surcharge for BOD
= MWU * 8.34 * (DC-NC) * $0.15
SCOD = surcharge for COD
= MWU * 8.34 * (DC-F1) * $0.05
STSS = Surcharge for Total Suspended Solids
= MWU * 8.34 * (DC-NC) * $0.15
STKN = Surcharge for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
= MSB * {(DC/NC)- 1}
SNH3 = surcharge for Ammonia Nitrogen
= MSB * {(DC/NC) - 1}
SO&G = Surcharge for Oil and Grease
= MSB * {(DC/NC) - 1}
and where,
F1 = the larger of (DCBOD) * 2.5 or 800 mg/l
MSB = Monthly Sewer Bill (dollars)
MWU = Monthly Water Usage (million gallons)
DC = Concentration of the subject parameter discharged (mg/l)
NC = Concentration of the subject parameter in "normal wastewater" (mg/l)
Only the parameters determined to be present will be included in a pretreatment permit and therefore subject to a surcharge. The surcharge shall be added to the customer's monthly bill.
(7) Sampling and analysis. Users who are required by the Control Authority to have sampling and flow monitoring devices installed (temporary or permanent) shall be charged to compensate the City for operating and maintaining equipment and for performing analytical tests on their discharge. The charge will be assessed in accordance with this chapter.
(8) Recovery for damages. Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall become liable to the City of Cookeville for any expense, loss or damage resulting to the City of Cookeville by reason of such violation including but not limited to labor and material costs resulting from any remedial action required by the city, court costs and reasonable attorney's fees, expert witness expenses, and court reporter fees, or, in addition, any other penalties, fines, charges or assessments.
(Ord. #O17-09-17, October 2017, as amended by Ord. #O22-10-24, November 2022)