(a) Scope. The provisions of this section apply to all sewage disposal rates and charges made by the City for sewer services provided hereunder.
(b) Rates for Water Meter Customers.
(1) Generally. Charges for sanitary sewer service shall be levied upon those customers with a sewer connection to the sanitary sewer, as follows:
A. Readiness-to-serve-charge: Flat bi-monthly rate, based on meter size as follows:
Meter/Size (in) | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
Meter/Size (in) | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
5/8 | $24.00 | $25.00 | $26.00 | $27.25 | $28.75 |
3/4 | $33.50 | $35.25 | $37.00 | $39.00 | $41.50 |
1 | $57.00 | $60.50 | $64.00 | $68.00 | $72.00 |
1-1/2 | $110.00 | $115.00 | $120.00 | $125.00 | $130.00 |
2 | $200.00 | $200.00 | $200.00 | $210.00 | $220.00 |
3 | $330.00 | $360.00 | $385.00 | $410.00 | $435.00 |
4 | $540.00 | $605.00 | $660.00 | $708.00 | $756.00 |
6 | $970.00 | $1,060.00 | $1,100.00 | $1,150.00 | $1,200.00 |
B. Usage charge (to be adjusted annually by Council pursuant to CPI as set forth herein) per 1,000 gallons of water consumed (collection system 27% + treatment plant 73%):
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
$5.00 | $5.40 | $5.85 | $6.30 | $6.78 |
For users billed on a monthly basis, the usage charge shall be the same as shown above. The readiness-to-serve charge shall be one-half of the amount shown above.
The usage charge shall be adjusted after July 1 of each year based on the CPI for the past calendar year by Council resolution. "CPI" means the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers, Detroit-Ann Arbor, all items, issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor (1982-1984 = 100). The City Manager shall report to the City Council the actual amount of the inflationary rate adjustment which is scheduled to be implemented each year as part of the presentation of the annual budget pursuant to the City Charter. The CPI adjustment shall not exceed five percent annually. Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, City Council may set the usage rate in an amount over and above five percent if in the opinion of City Council such an increase is necessary for the optimum operation and maintenance of the City's water system.
C. Summer sewer residential rate. Single-family residential users shall have an adjustment made to their sewerage service bill for the summer to account for water which is not disposed of into the City's sanitary sewers. The quantity of water used for the summer sewer billing shall be the actual metered amount or the highest metered amount from the winter billing period, whichever is less. For purposes of this section the summer sewer billing period shall be the customer's two bi-monthly billings during the period of May through September, and the winter billing period shall be the customer's two bi-monthly billings during the period of November through March. Where it is evident that such adjustment does not accurately reflect the actual amount of sewage being placed in the sanitary sewerage system, the City Clerk may use an average usage or the usage during any billing period which in his or her judgment, does reflect the actual amount.
D. Summer sewer rates - metered commercial and industrial. Any other user (commercial, industrial, etc.) who or which does a large amount of lawn sprinkling on his, her or its premises, or in some other manner uses a large amount of water which is not disposed of into the City's sanitary sewers, may request that such usage be separately metered by the City and no sewerage service charge shall be made for such usage. The customer shall pay the City the actual cost of the meter and related meter reading equipment, and the meter shall remain the property of the City. There is no charge for installation. Residential customers may also request this service.
(2) Surcharges. If the character of the sewage of any manufacturing or industrial plant or any other building or premises is such as to impose any unreasonable burden upon the sewers or the system or upon the sewage treatment plant in excess of the maximum when it is prescribed by resolution of Council, an additional charge shall be made and assessed over and above the regular rates, said charge to be governed by Chapter 1043.
(c) Rates for Customers With Private Water Sources. If a customer has a private water source and his or her sewage is dumped into City lines, the City shall require that a meter be set in the private water line at the cost to the customer, which meter shall be read and billed by the City to the customer in the same manner as water meters on City lines.
(d) Tap-Ins.
(1) Sewer line inspection fee (new construction and replacements). When a new building sewer line is installed, the property owner shall obtain a water and sewer application and right of way permit from the Building Department or Department of Public Works. Replacement of an existing sewer line shall require a right of way permit. The fee for said right of way permit shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00), and the fee shall be paid prior to the commencement of work. If a building's sewer and water line are installed and ready for inspection at the same time, then no additional fee shall be charged.
(2) Charges. Residential taps performed by the Department of Public Works shall be the actual cost of all labor, equipment and materials, including a twenty percent charge for overhead with an estimated amount to be deposited by the permit holder and placed in an escrow account. Upon specific approval of the Director, the permit holder may engage a competent contractor to tap into the City sewer. All such work shall be fully inspected by the Director.
All tap charges shall be estimated by the Director and paid in advance of a permit being issued or the tap being permitted.
(e) Street Cut Deposit. Where cutting and replacing of concrete or blacktop street surfaces is required, an additional deposit shall be made equal to the cost of making such permanent pavement repairs as are required. The Director of the Department of Public Works will determine the deposit amount.
(f) Sewerage Capital Connection Charge.
(1) All users connecting to City owned or privately owned sewers served by the City sewage disposal system after the effective date of this section shall pay a capital connection charge based on the rate of three thousand three hundred dollars ($3,300) per 1" Meter Equivalent unit. For sewer taps larger than 1", the following conversion factors from the American Water Works Association (AWWA) for meter sizes shall apply.
Tap Size | AWWA Conversion | Wastewater Connection Fee |
Tap Size | AWWA Conversion | Wastewater Connection Fee |
1" or Less | 1.00 | $3,300 |
1 ½ | 2.00 | $6,600 |
2 | 3.20 | $10,560 |
3 | 6.00 | $19,800 |
4 | 10.00 | $33,000 |
6 | 20.00 | $66,000 |
8 | 32.00 | $105,600 |
(2) The capital charge shall be paid in advance of a building permit being issued or a connection being installed to an existing building.
(3) Capital charges collected pursuant to this section shall be segregated for accounting purposes into a sewer capital account and a capital improvement account. Funds in such capital improvement account shall be expended solely for labor, material and equipment for capital improvement of the existing system. Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to prohibit the City from commingling the capital improvement funds with other City funds for investment purposes. Any interest earned upon the investment thereof shall be placed in the Sewer Fund of the City.
(4) An additional capital connection charge will be levied for any new sewer connection made to increase the size of the service line to an existing building. The additional charge shall be an amount equal to the difference in Wastewater Connection Fee charges shown in Subsection (1) above for the existing sewer connection size and the proposed sewer connection size.
(g) Outside Service. For all services provided in this section outside the City limits, except as provided by contract, all charges shall be double the amounts specified in this section. However, fees for tap-in and capital charges shall not be doubled.
(Ord. 623. Passed 10-30-95; Ord. 632. Passed 5-13-96; Ord. 651. Passed 6-9-97; Ord. 672. Passed 5-26-98; Ord. 703. Passed 2-14-00; Res. 00-28. Passed 6-19-00; Res. 01-11. Passed 6-4-01; Res. 02-14. Passed 6-17-02; Res. 03-14. Passed 6-16-03; Res. 04-10. Passed 6-14-04; Res. 05-11. Passed 6-13-05; Res. 06-27. Passed 10-9-06; Res. 07-14. Passed 6-25-07; Res. 08-09. Passed 5-19-08; Res. 10-05. Passed 2-22-10; Res. 11-13. Passed 6-27-11; Res. 13-07. Passed 6-24-13; Res. 14-15. Passed 6-23-14; Res. 15-13. Passed 7-27-15; Res. 16-17. Passed 7-25-16; Res. 17-14. Passed 6-12-17; Ord. 916. Passed 8-13-18; Res. 19-18. Passed 7-8-19; Res. 20-24. Passed 12-21-20.)