A. Basis For Wastewater User Charges: The wastewater (sewer) service charges for the use of the wastewater facilities of the Village shall consist of a wastewater user rate, a basic user charge and a capital improvement charge.
1. Wastewater User Rate: The wastewater user rate for the use of and for services supplied by the wastewater facilities of the Village shall consist of a basic user charge for operation and maintenance plus replacement, and a surcharge, if applicable. The user rates shall be determined as provided in section 9-4-13 of this chapter and shall increase by two percent (2%) on May 1, 2013, and each year thereafter unless otherwise amended by the Village. The user rates shall be based on water usage as recorded by water meters for normal waste having the following strengths:
a. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): A five (5) day, twenty degree centigrade (20°C) biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of two hundred milligrams per liter (200 mg/L).
b. Suspended Solids (SS): A suspended solids (SS) content of two hundred fifty milligrams per liter (250 mg/L).
2. Wastewater Basic User Charge: The wastewater basic user charge is levied upon all users of the sewer system to assist in the costs for the operation and maintenance of the wastewater system.
3. Water Meter Readings: Water meter readings shall be assumed to equal sewage flow except in cases where the user may show adequate proof that water passed through the meter is not returned to the sewer or if the criteria hereinafter established is met. An adjustment in meter readings will be made in such cases if the user furnishes the Village meter readings of water flow not discharged to the sewer.
a. Permit System For Adjusting Sewer Rates For Special Uses:
(1) Established: All persons requesting an adjustment to their sewer charges must complete and submit a "sewer rate adjustment permit" application and receive a permit issued by the Village for the adjustment.
(2) Applicability: A person may be eligible to receive a sewer rate adjustment if the following circumstances are met:
(A) A person may apply for and receive up to two (2) one-month permits for the following circumstances: laying sod, seeding/reseeding of grass, filling or refilling of pools or hot tubs, or other similar circumstances; or
(B) A person may, for up to two (2) months only, receive a permit for an adjustment within a calendar year for an extremely high and abnormal water bill. For the purposes of this subsection A3a(2)(B), an abnormal water bill is usage that is at least five thousand (5,000) gallons above the average monthly usage. The average monthly usage for the purposes of this subsection A3a(2)(B) is the average of water usage over the preceding twelve (12) months.
(C) A person may apply for a sewer rate adjustment for any other reason not specifically set forth herein and such a request will be reviewed by the appropriate standing committee of the Village, and if such makes a recommendation for approval of such an adjustment , such recommendation will be submitted to Village Board for consideration of approval. If the Village Board approves such a recommendation, the Water Department will adjust the usage as hereinafter set forth.
(3) Application For Permit: Under the "sewer rate adjustment permit", a citizen of the Village shall fill out an application to have his sewer rate adjusted. Said application shall, at a minimum, include the following information:
(A) Name of applicant.
(B) Address of applicant.
(C) Reason for sewer adjustment rate.
(D) Date/period requested for sewer adjustment rate.
(E) Signature of applicant.
(4) Approval Of Permit: The Mayor or Mayor designee shall review each permit application. If the above criteria are met, the Mayor or Mayor designee shall approve and issue the permit and notify the office staff of said approval.
(5) Rate Adjusted: In the event that the permit is approved, the Village office staff shall adjust the sewer rate for the one month period approved. For the purposes of this subsection A3a(5), an adjustment shall be calculated by averaging the water usage for the previous twelve (12) months immediately preceding the requested adjusted month and subtracting the sewer usage above that averaged usage (i.e., July through June average usage = 10,000 gallons, this year's July usage is 20,000 gallons. Sewer adjusted by subtracting 10,000 gallons from sewer usage).
4. User Rate: The user rate shall consist of operation and maintenance costs plus replacement and shall be computed as follows:
a. Estimate the projected annual revenue required to operate and maintain the wastewater facilities, including a replacement fund for the year.
b. Estimate wastewater volume discharged to the sewer system based on total water meter readings after appropriate adjustment for water not returned to the sewer and/or water from unmetered private sources which is discharged to the sewer system.
c. Compute costs per one thousand (1,000) gallons for normal sewage strength wastes.
5. Surcharge: A surcharge will be levied to all users whose waters exceed the normal concentrations for BOD (200 mg/L) and SS (250 mg/L). The surcharge will be based on water usage as recorded by water meters and/or sewage meters for all wastes which exceed the two hundred milligrams per liter (200 mg/L) and two hundred fifty milligrams per liter (250 mg/L) concentration for BOD and SS, respectively. The adequacy of the wastewater service charge shall be reviewed annually by certified public accountants for the Village in their annual audit report. The wastewater user charge shall be revised periodically to reflect a change in operation and maintenance costs, including replacement costs, and adjusted as required. One of the purposes of the annual review shall be to maintain service charges in relation to cost and assure that all use classes are being charged an equitable share.
B. Measurement Of Flow: The volume of flow used for computing user rates and surcharges shall be the metered water consumption read to the lowest even increments reported by the water meter.
1. If the person discharging wastes into the public sewers procures any part or all of his water from sources other than the Village water system, all or a part of which is discharged into the public sewers, the person shall install and maintain, at his expense, water meters of a type approved by the Superintendent for the purpose of determining the volume of water obtained from these other sources.
2. Devices for measuring the volume of waste discharged to the sanitary sewer may be required by the Village Board if these volumes cannot otherwise be determined from the metered water consumption records.
3. Devices for measuring the volume of waste not discharged to the sanitary sewer may be required by the Village Board if reasonable estimates cannot be made for adjusting water meter readings.
4. Metering devices for determining the volume of waste shall be installed, owned, and maintained by the person. Following approval and installation, such meters may not be removed, unless service is canceled, without the consent of the Village Board.
C. Rates And Charges Established:
1. User Rate: See section 9-4-13 of this chapter.
2. Wastewater Basic User Charge: There shall be and there is hereby established a wastewater basic user charge which shall be determined as provided in section 9-4-13 of this chapter.
3. Surcharge Rate: For waste strengths above normal strength of two hundred milligrams per liter (200 mg/L) BOD and two hundred fifty milligrams per liter (250 mg/L) SS, a surcharge shall be applied as provided in section 9-4-13 of this chapter. The surcharge for each bimonthly period shall be computed by the following formula:
SCBOD = (x-200) x A x 0.0000083 x $0.05
SCSS = (y-250) x A x 0.0000083 x $0.02
Where: | ||
SCBOD | = | Surcharge above the basic user rate for BOD concentration above 200 mg/L |
SCSS | = | Surcharge above the basic user rate for SS concentration above 250 mg/L |
x | = | Average BOD concentration in mg/L |
y | = | Average SS concentration in mg/L |
A | = | Bimonthly metered water flow adjusted for appropriate losses in gallons |
4. Capital Improvement Charge: There shall be and there is hereby established a capital improvement charge for wastewater which shall be determined as provided in section 9-4-13 of this chapter. All persons within the corporate limits of the Village having water service provided by the Village shall be charged this wastewater capital improvement charge. This capital improvement charge shall be deposited by the Treasurer or his/her designee in a separate and distinct account. One dollar ($1.00) of this capital improvement charge shall be deposited into an account to build a fund for future capital improvements and shall only be utilized by specific authorization of the Village Board. (Ord. 2017-15, 4-6-2017)
D. Computation Of Rates And Charges:
1. Surcharge: The concentration of wastes used for computing surcharges shall be established by waste sampling. Waste sampling shall be performed as often as may be deemed necessary by the Village Board and shall be binding as a basis for surcharges.
2. Total Wastewater User Charge: The wastewater user charge shall be computed by the following formula:
CW = MC + BC + SCBOD + SCSS
Where: | ||
CW | = | Total wastewater user charge |
MC | = | Minimum charge as set out in subsection C1 of this section |
BC | = | Basic user charge as set out in subsection C1 of this section |
SCBOD | = | Surcharge for BOD as computed in subsection C3 of this section |
SCSS | = | Surcharge for SS as computed in subsection C3 of this section |
(Ord. 1999-11, 10-4-1999; amd. Ord. 2023-50, 11-2-2023)