(A) General. Each water user shall be levied a monthly water user fee for the privilege of utilizing water from the city water system. This water user fee shall be levied on all users of the water to cover the actual or estimated cost of operation, maintenance, replacement, and financing of the city’s water system facilities. Billings will be levied regularly after November 1, 1992 at intervals set by the City Council, but no more often than monthly. In the event an owner who has signed a water user agreement fails to connect to the system, he or she will be assessed a monthly user fee representing actual usage which shall be estimated using the actual usage for property of like or similar nature. The actual monthly water user fee to be billed to each property owner or customer shall be determined by the addition of the calculated monthly base rate fee and the calculated monthly water usage fee. A description of the base rate fee and water usage fees to be assessed by this subchapter shall be described in this subchapter below.
(B) Base rate fees. The water base rate fee for each user (or user class) shall be based on the user’s potential water consumption in comparison to a standard equivalent connection defined below. Each user (or user class) shall be assigned a number of equivalent connections to be multiplied by a constant monthly water base rate factor to determine the base monthly fee. Special users who consume a flow of water for which the tabulated equivalent connections below do not apply shall be individually calculated as provided below. The constant monthly water base rate factor per equivalent connection shall be set by a separate ordinance defining water user connection and usage fees. The monthly user base rate fee is, therefore, calculated by multiplying the number of equivalent connections assessed to each property times the constant monthly water base rate factor (set by a separate water user connection and usage fee ordinance).
(1) Definitions. For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
EQUIVALENT CONNECTION. A single-family dwelling unit or a user who will experience equivalent benefits and monthly water usage. It is estimated that an equivalent user or connection in the city will use approximately 12,000 gallons of water per month for household use and 13,500 gallons for commercial use. The basic equivalent connection (a single family-dwelling unit) shall be subject to revision if population, water usage, and/or other information indicates flow rates significantly different from that defined herein. Revisions to the basic EQUIVALENT CONNECTION criteria shall normally only be made upon the recommendation of a registered professional engineer.
SPECIAL USER. For any user whose classification is not detailed on the Equivalent Connection Schedule, the city shall determine his or her equivalent connection on the basis of the average monthly water usage. The number of equivalent connections shall be determined by dividing the total average monthly flow by a factor of 12,000 gallons per month for household use and 13,500 gallons for commercial use. This calculated equivalent number of connections may be adjusted by the city after the city has recorded the actual water usage over the first year. A copy of the list of SPECIAL USERS and the SPECIAL USERS monthly base rate charge shall be kept on file at all times in the office of the City Clerk.
(2) Equivalent connection determination. The number of equivalent connections to be assigned to each user and/or user class, shall be in accordance with the following equivalent connection schedule. Assignment of equivalent connections shall apply for one year until the next annual user charge review. Users so indicated or not included in this schedule shall be considered special users and shall be evaluated separately as provided below. Any of the users in the following schedule may be classified as special users if information on their water usage indicates a need to do so. The number of equivalent connections for a single user having more than one classification of equivalent use shall be calculated by adding the sum of all user classifications to a total number of equivalent connections. The minimum monthly water user charge shall be based on one equivalent connection.
EQUIVALENT CONNECT SCHEDULE (1.0 - Minimum) | ||
Classification | Units | Equivalent Connection
|
EQUIVALENT CONNECT SCHEDULE (1.0 - Minimum) | ||
Classification | Units | Equivalent Connection
|
Convention facilities | ||
Meeting room | Each room | 1.00 |
Dwelling units | ||
Apartment | Per unit | 1.00 |
Condominium | Per unit | 1.00 |
Cottage with bathroom (shower) | Each | 0.46 |
Cottage without bathroom (shower) | Each | 0.33 |
House | Each | 1.00 |
Mobile home | Each | 1.00 |
Education and religion | ||
Churches with kitchen | Each | 3.50 |
Churches without kitchen | Each | 2.50 |
Masonic orders, assembly halls | Each | 1.00 |
Schools | Per student | 0.05 |
Travel trailer | Each | 0.33 |
Food and beverage facility | ||
Bar | Per seat | 0.06 |
Drive-in | Each | 2.00 |
Restaurant | Up to 50 seats | 2.00 |
Each additional seat | 0.06 | |
Lodging | ||
Campground | Per site | 0.20 |
Hotel | Per unit | 0.46 |
Motel | Per unit | 0.46 |
Overnight trailer park (RV park) | Per site | 0.33 |
Rooming house | Per unit | 0.46 |
Sanitary dump station | Each | 1.00 |
Manufacturing facilities | ||
Miscellaneous | Per 8,500 gallons per month | 1.00 |
Open class | ||
Large irrigated areas | Per 8,500 gallons per month | 1.00 |
Larger than 1/2 acre | Per acre | 2.00 |
Professional and medical | ||
Additional for beds | Per bed | 0.50 |
Beauty-barber shop | Per chair | 0.20 |
Doctor’s office | Each | 2.00 |
Medical clinic without beds | Each | 3.00 |
Professional office | Each | 1.00 |
Recreation | ||
Game Rooms | Each | 1.00 |
Health center with showers | Each | 2.00 |
Museums | Each | 2.00 |
Theater | Each | 2.00 |
Retail trade facilities | ||
Laundries | Per machine | 0.30 |
Public shower | Per shower | 0.20 |
Service station | Each | 2.00 |
Walk-in | Each | 2.00 |
Stores, retail | ||
Bank | Each | 2.00 |
Car wash | Per stall | 2.00 |
Garage or maintenance shop | Each | 2.00 |
Large: 1,000 sq. ft. or more | Each | 2.00 |
Small: 1,000 sq. ft. or less | Each | 1.00 |
Store, grocery | Each | 2.00 |
(C) Water usage fees. In addition to the monthly base rate fee as defined above in division (B), each water user shall be charged a monthly water usage rate that will be calculated by multiplying the number of gallons of water used each month from the meter reading times a gallonage charge. The gallonage charge shall be that rate per 1,000 gallons of water used that shall be set, hereafter, by a separate ordinance defining water user connection and usage fees.
(D) Review and revision of rates. The water user connection and usage fees shall, as a minimum, be reviewed annually and when required, updated by resolutions by the city to reflect actual costs of operation, maintenance, replacement, and financing of the water system. Any revisions of the user connection and usage fees shall be based on actual operation, maintenance, replacement, and financing expenses, and/or on significant changes in the total number of equivalent users and/or the total daily flow. Revisions due only to changes in expenses and user class shall be made by the city. Revisions involving user’s base rate or equivalent connection determination shall normally only be made upon the recommendation of a registered professional engineer. All changes in user charges applicable to this subchapter shall be computed by the methods outlined herein.
(E) User request for rate change. Any water user, who feels his or her user charge is unjust and inequitable as applied to his or her premises within the spirit and intent of the foregoing provisions, may make written application to the city requesting a review of his or her user charge. Said written request shall, where necessary, show the actual or estimated average flow water in comparison with the values upon which the charge is based, including how the measurements or estimates were made. Any flow measurements shall be approved in detail by the city and/or its engineer. Review of the request by the city shall determine if it is substantiated or not, including recommended further study of the matter for the city and/or user by a registered professional engineer.
(Ord. 4-3, passed 9-8-1992) Penalty, see § 51.999