(A) A base charge shall be levied against each unit supplied by a connected service for each month of each applicable year in the amounts established by resolution of the City Commission. A unit shall include, but not be limited to, a single- family residence; an additional, detached dwelling unit or noncommercial guest house at a single-family residence; each dwelling or rental unit in a duplex apartment, cooperative, condominium, trailer or mobile home park or similar multi-family building, complex or housing area; each rental unit, with or without cooking facilities, in a hotel or motel; each common area, club house or cabana in any multi-unit facility, including a hotel or motel, each available unit in a commercial business establishment; and each hospital, school, non-profit organization, local government or governmental agency.
(B) The base charge shall be made as long as the service is connected to the main and regardless of whether water service is turned on or turned off.
(C) In addition to the base charge, each sewer user shall pay the sewer flow charges for sewer service at the applicable rate to be established by the resolution of the City Commission.
(D) The city will bill as a unit for water and sanitary sewer service charges, and the charge for sanitary sewer service must be paid at the time of payment of the charge for water service. Any sewer charges that become past due will be governed in the same manner and subject to the same penalties as set forth in § 51.142.
(E) Connection to the sanitary sewer system must be made in accordance with this chapter. Failure to connect shall be punishable in accordance with the remedies provided in § 52.99. The city will bill for sewer service after the 90-day period required under § 52.50 whether or not a connection has been made to the sanitary sewer system; and if such charges are not paid in accordance with the timeframe set forth in § 51.142, water service shall be shut off. Reconnection of water service after such shut- off shall be made only after payment of such outstanding charges pursuant to § 51.142.
(F) Service outside the corporate limits of the city shall be surcharged 25% above the then existing rates in accordance with F.S. § 180.191(1)(a).
(G) Sewer charges are levied on all meters where sewer is available unless one of the following conditions exists:
(1) Irrigation only meter is installed to monitor and manage use of water for irrigation purposes. This provision only applies to those irrigation systems when it can be shown and verified to the Utility Director or designee's satisfaction that the system is separate and distinct from the potable water supply.
(2) Deduct meters attached to air-conditioning systems that use water for cooling purposes only; provided that this water is not recirculated into the domestic water supply or removed by the sanitary sewer system. The sewer use charge shall be reduced by the usage measured by the deduct meter to obtain the total amount of sewer charges due. The Utilities Director or his designee must approve the installation and location of said meter. The Director may periodically require recertification as to continued accessibility and appropriateness. If at any time a change or modification alters the system in such a way as to violate the integrity of the system, allow for recirculation of water, or removal by the sanitary sewer system, or if at any time the deduct meter becomes inaccessible to be read or tested, the approval and the opportunity for any further reductions to sewer charges will be immediately revoked. The city may back-bill for any usage charges that may be appropriate due to the revocation.
(3) Fire lines that are separate from domestic water supply and have their own meter as approved by the Utility Director or designee.
(H) Abatements and deductions of sewer charges will be governed in the same manner as § 51.143 with the following exception:
(1) When an affidavit signed and submitted by the customer stating the dimension of the pool and gallons used to fill the pool, is filed with the utility customer service office, reduction of sewer charges by the amount of water used to fill the pool multiplied by the sewer usage rate is authorized. Only one such credit will be allowed in a 12-month period. The granting of the reduction of the sewer charges previously indicated will be subject to the approval of both the Director of Financial Services and the Director of Public Utilities, or their designees.
(2) When an affidavit signed and submitted by the customer, indicating the source of a significant leak of over 500 cubic feet or approximately 3700 gallons, is filed with the utility customer service office, a credit to the sewer charges will be granted for 80% of any water consumption over the average water consumption for a 12-month period multiplied by the sewer usage rate. In addition to the affidavit, the customer shall provide supporting documentation of the existence and subsequent repair of a leak on the service line. Only one such credit will be allowed in a 12-month period, and the maximum period of adjustment of such monthly overage will be two months. The granting of the credit of the sewer charges previously indicated will be subject to the approval of both the Director of Financial Services and the Director of Public Utilities, or their designees.
(3) When otherwise provided by agreement. Additionally, as further evidence of the occurrence of a pool fill or a significant leak as described herein, the city must verify a concurrent increase in water consumption on the customer bill before authorizing any credit.
(I) On initial and final bills, the sewer base charge per unit shall be prorated by dividing the base charge by 30 days and then multiplying the resulting daily amount by the number of days of service in the initial or final billing period.
(J) Any other provision of this Chapter to the contrary notwithstanding, the City shall not refuse services or discontinue services to the owner of any rental unit or a tenant or prospective tenant of such rental unit for nonpayment of service charges incurred by a former occupant of the rental unit; any such unpaid service charges incurred by a former occupant will not be the basis for any lien against the rental property under this section or legal action against the present tenant or owner to recover such charges except to the extent that the present tenant or owner has benefitted directly from the service provided to the former occupant. This subsection applies only if the former occupant of the rental unit contracted for such services with the City or if the City provided services with knowledge of the former occupant's name and the period the occupant was provided the services. The provisions of this subsection may not be waived through any contractual arrangement between the City and a landlord whereby the landlord agrees to be responsible for a tenant's or future tenant's payment of service charges. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the City’s rights, if any, under F.S. § 159.17, as amended from time to time.
(K) Usage will be billed on a monthly basis, or as otherwise provided by agreement, and the number of days in a monthly billing period may vary between 28 and 33 days. Any read not obtainable will be estimated based upon the historical data for the previous three months if available.
(L) Billing errors on metered and unmetered service charges will be governed in the same manner as § 51.141, or as otherwise provided by agreement.
('72 Code, § 25-20) (Ord. O-88- 27, passed 5-18-88; Am. Ord. O- 90-51, passed 11-7-90; Am. Ord. O-91-41, passed 7-17-91; Am. Ord. 0-92-17, passed 4-1-92; Am. Ord. O-92-20, passed 5-6-92; Am. Ord. O-92-52, passed 10-21-92; Am. Ord. O-93-42, passed 10-6-93; Am. Ord. O-94-32, passed 7-6-94; Am. Ord. O-94-45, passed 9-21-94; Am. Ord. O-94-70, passed 12-21-94; Am. Ord. O-98-27, passed 9-16-98; Am. Ord. O-2001-41, passed 10-17- 01; Am. Ord. O-2005-05, passed 5- 4-05; Am. Ord. O-2006-34, passed 9-14-06; Am. Ord. O-2007-17, passed 6-20-07; Am. Ord. O- 2008-15, passed 6-18-08; Am. Ord. O-2009-15, passed 6-3-09; Am. Ord. O-2009-37, passed 11-4-09; Am. Ord. O-2010-15, passed 6-2-10; Am. Ord. O-2013-20, passed 10-16-13; Am. Ord. O-2014-16, passed 7-16-14; Am. Ord. O-2019-17, passed 9-18-19)