As used in this chapter unless otherwise noted, the following are to mean:
BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD): The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter in a specified time and at a specified temperature, usually at five (5) days and twenty degrees Centigrade (20°C).
BOARD: Utilities board of the city of Ely.
CAPITAL ASSETS: Permanent property such as land, buildings, sewer collections, pipelines, tanks, etc., intended for long-term use, and initially funded by capital outlays from the capitalization fund.
CAPITAL COSTS: Costs of major rehabilitation, expansion or upgrading required as facilities reach the end of their useful life.
CAPITAL OUTLAYS: Expenditures which result in the acquisition of, or additions to, capital assets.
CAPITALIZATION CHARGE: The charge to sewer system customers to produce revenues to retire outstanding indebtedness and maintain reserve accounts for capital improvements to the sewer system, and other such nonoperating, maintenance and replacement items as the board may specify.
CAPITALIZATION FUND: The reserve account to which capitalization charges accrue and from which capital costs are met. The fund may be used to meet debt service, depreciation and such other expenses as the board determines (except OM&R).
CITY SEWER SYSTEM: The system of conduits, pumps, treatment plants and structures used for the purpose of conveying from their source, treating in any manner and conveying to final points of disposal all wastes of any nature permitted by this chapter to enter said system. Specifically included as integral parts of the system are all conduits of any nature forming a network of conduits or connected directly or indirectly to said network; all pumps, treatment plants and structures of any kind used in connection with the collection, treatment and disposal of the wastes handled by the system; and all appurtenances to any of the above, either physically or functionally connected therewith. "Sanitary sewers", as defined herein, are all included as parts of the city sewer system.
CONNECTION CHARGE (SYSTEM OBLIGATION FEE): A fee charged in order to equalize the investment in sewer plant equipment and related facilities made by the city. The charge is applied to all new users of sewer facilities in approximate proportion to their anticipated usage and is for the right of service in the system. All system charges and fees collected are deposited in the capitalization fund.
DEPARTMENT: The division of city government empowered by the utilities board and the city council with responsibility for and authority over the operations and policies of the wastewater treatment facilities of the city.
DIRECTOR: The city engineer or any of his designated duly authorized representatives.
EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT (ERU): The three hundred fifty (350) gallon allowance of domestic strength wastewater the average residential user is estimated to contribute daily to the total wastewater flow including the user's proportionate share of infiltration and inflow. Equivalent to one hundred twenty six thousand (126,000) gallons per year.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: The accounting and budgetary procedures utilized in the development and application of the user charge system, following generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and those of the governmental accounting standards board (GASB).
FIXTURE UNIT: The arbitrary value assigned to various plumbing fixtures based upon the fixtures' typical discharge loading contribution to the sewer system. Utilized in the development and application of connection charges and user charge rates which are proportional to usage (derived from uniform plumbing code). See definition of Sewerage Fixtures.
INFILTRATION: Water other than wastewater that enters a sewerage system (including sewer service connections) from the ground, through such means as defective pipes, pipe joint connections, or manholes, etc.
INFLOW: Water other than wastewater that enters a sewerage system through such sources as roof, yard and cellar drains, catch basins, surface runoff, street wastewaters or drainage.
OM&R FUND: The fiscal account to which all user charge system revenues shall accrue and through which funds are disbursed to meet only OM&R expenses.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE (OM&R): Those functions that result in expenditures during the useful life of the treatment works for materials, labor, utilities, and other items which are necessary for managing and maintaining the sewage works to achieve the capacity and performance for which such works were designed and constructed. The term "operation and maintenance" includes "replacement" as defined in this section. The term shall exclude expenditures for capital assets, debt service, and depreciation.
PREMISES: A continuous tract of land, building or group of adjacent buildings under a single control with respect to use of sewer and responsibility for payment thereof. Subdivision of such use or responsibility shall constitute a division into separate premises as herein defined; except that where more than one dwelling is being served through the same sewer service, in which case each of said dwellings shall constitute separate premises and shall be subject to the same separate charges as if separate single-family dwellings.
REPLACEMENT: Expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories, or appurtenances which are necessary during the useful life of the treatment works to maintain the capacity and performance for which such works were designed and constructed. The term "operation and maintenance" includes "replacement". The term excludes replacement of any capital asset.
SANITARY SEWER: A sewer intended to carry only sanitary or sanitary and industrial wastewaters from residences, commercial buildings, plants and institutions.
SEWER USE ORDINANCE: Legally binding document which establishes parameters controlling connecting to, and wastes contributed to a wastewater treatment system, including a mandate that all residences shall be connected; all connections shall be properly designed and constructed; the introduction of hazardous or toxic wastes which may threaten public safety or the plant's physical integrity shall be prohibited; new sources of inflow shall be prohibited.
SEWERAGE FIXTURES: Approved receptacles, devices or appliances which are supplied with water or which receive liquid or liquid- borne wastes, and discharge such wastes into the drainage system to which they may be directly or indirectly connected. Industrial or commercial tanks, vats and similar processing equipment are not sewerage fixtures, but may be connected to or discharged into approved sewerage fixtures.
SHALL: Is an imperative; "may" is permissive.
STORM DRAIN: A drain (sewer line) intended to carry only storm waters, surface runoff, street wash waters, and drainage.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS (SS): Solids that either float on the surface of, or are in suspension in water, sewage, or other liquids and which are removable by laboratory filtering.
TREATMENT WORKS, TREATMENT FACILITY, SEWER PLANT, SEWER SYSTEM: Any devices and systems for the storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of city sewage, domestic sewage or liquid industrial wastes. These include intercepting sewers, outfall sewers, sewage collection systems, pumping, power, and other equipment and their appurtenances; extensions, improvement, remodeling, additions and alterations thereof; elements essential to provide a reliable recycled supply and any works, that will be an integral part of the treatment process or is used for ultimate disposal of residues resulting from such treatment.
USER: A recipient of wastewater treatment services:
Commercial User: All retail stores, restaurants, office buildings, laundries, and other private business and service establishments.
Industrial User: Includes any nongovernmental, nonresidential user of publicly owned treatment works which is identified in the standard industrial classification manual, 1972, office of management and budget, as amended and supplemented, under the following divisions:
Division A - Agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
Division B - Mining.
Division D - Manufacturing.
Division E - Transportation, communications, electric, gas and sanitary.
Division I - Services.
Residential User: Any contributor to the city's treatment works whose lot, parcel or real estate, or building is used for domestic dwelling purposes only.
USER CHARGE FUND: This distinct account to which user charge revenue shall accrue and through which OM&R expenses are met, also known as the OM&R fund.
USER CHARGE RATE (UCR): The charge assessed users of a wastewater treatment facility to obtain revenue to fund the users' proportionate share of OM&R expenses. The rate shall be proportionate to their usage (volume and loading) of the facility. The rate is determined through the application of the user charge system. The user charge rate is a distinct portion of the annual/monthly sewer fees, reflecting only OM&R expenses, and a nominal sum for a prudent reserve.
USER CHARGE SYSTEM: The process through which OM&R expenses are determined and the correlating user charge rate derived and assessed to users of the treatment facility (proportionate to usage), to generate revenue to meet those OM&R expenses, thereby assuring fiscal self-sufficiency of the plant over its useful life, inclusive of:
- Rates proportionate to usage.
- Annual notification to each user of the UCR and OM&R costs.
- A financial management system which accounts for OM&R expenses and establishes the user charge rates.
- Disposition of infiltration/inflow expense.
- Precedence over conflicting legal enactments.
- Disposition of earned (or capital income).
(Ord. 453, 11-29-1990; amd. 2001 Code)