§ 51.102 DETERMINATION OF CHARGES.
   The quantity of water discharged into the sewerage system and obtained from sources other than the utility that serves the city shall be determined by the city in a manner as the city shall reasonably elect, and the sewage service shall be billed at the above appropriate rates. Further, as is hereinafter provided in this section, the city may make proper allowances in determining the sewage bill for quantities of water shown on the records to be consumed, but which are also shown to the satisfaction of the city that those quantities do not enter the sewerage system.
   (A)   In the event a lot, parcel of real estate, or building discharging sanitary sewage, industrial wastes, water, or other liquids into the sewerage system, either directly or indirectly, is not a user of water supplied by the water utility serving the city, and the water used thereon or therein is not measured by a water meter, or is measured by a water meter not acceptable to the city, then the amount of water used shall be otherwise measured or determined by the city. In order to ascertain the rate or charge provided in this chapter, the owner or other interested party shall, at that owner's expense, install and maintain meters, weirs, volumetric measuring devices, or any adequate and approved method of measurement acceptable to the city for the determination of sewage discharge. If there is no meter or any adequate and approved method of measurement for residential lots or residential parcels of real estate, then the service charge for the sewage service shall be as quoted in Appendix A.
   (B)   In the event a lot, parcel of real estate, or building discharging sanitary sewage, industrial wastes, water, or other liquids into the sewerage system, either directly or indirectly, is a user of water supplied by the water utility serving the city and, in addition, is a user of water from another source which is not measured by a water meter or is measured by a meter not acceptable in the city, then the amount of water used shall be otherwise measured or determined by the city. In order to ascertain the rates or charges, the owner or other interested parties, shall, at his expense, install and maintain meters, weirs, volumetric measuring devices, or any adequate and approved method of measurement acceptable to the city for the determination of sewage discharge.
   (C)   If two or more residential lots, parcels of real estate, buildings, or dwelling units discharging sanitary sewage, water, or other liquids into the sewerage system, either directly or indirectly, are users of water and the quantity of water is measured by a single water meter, then, in that case, for billing purposes, the sewage rates and charges shall be based, either on the quantity of water used on the property or premises subject to those rates and charges, as the same is measured by a single water meter there in use and shown by consumption records of the water utility, or on the number of residential lots, parcels of real estate, buildings, or dwelling units served through the single water meter times the fee as quoted in Appendix A, whichever is greater. In the case of trailer parks, the number of dwelling units shall be computed and interpreted as the total number of trailers located and installed in the park plus any other dwelling units served through the meter.
   (D)   (1)   In order that the single-family domestic and residential users of sewage service shall not be penalized for sprinkling lawns during the summer months of June, July, and August, the billing for sewage service for residences or domestic users for those months shall be based upon the customer’s average monthly usage as shown in city’s billing records.
      (2)   In addition to the adjustments provided in division (D)(l) and in order that the single-family domestic and residential users of sewage service shall not be penalized for sprinkling lawns or sod installed as part of new home construction, or to re-establish a lawn after home renovations; upon notification to the Water Billing Department and sufficient cause being shown, the billing for sewage service for residences or domestic users for a two month period of either: (i) April and May, or (ii) September and October, shall be based upon the customer's average monthly usage as shown in city's billing records.
      (3)   In the event the water usage for the customer’s average monthly usage as shown in city's billing records is greater than the water usage for the lawn sprinkling months in division (D)(l) or (2), then the billing for sewage services shall be computed on the actual water used in the month for which the sewage service bill is being rendered. Domestic or residential sewage service as applicable to the sprinkling adjustment shall apply to each lot, parcel of real estate, or building which is occupied and used as a single-family residence. The sprinkling adjustment shall not apply to any premises which are partially or wholly used for commercial or industrial purposes. In the event a portion of the premises shall be used for commercial or industrial purposes, the owner shall have the privilege of separating the water served through a separate meter and in that case the water usage as registered by the water meter serving such portion of the premises used for residential purposes would qualify under the sprinkling adjustment.
   (E)   In order that a residential user of the sewage works shall not be penalized by the consequences of extremely cold winter temperatures, a residential user may each year make an appropriate record with the Utility Billing Department that such user intends to let water run to keep pipes from freezing at that user's billing location for the January, February and March billing periods. In that event, that location's wastewater (but not water) billing for those billing periods shall be adjusted and limited to that location's average wastewater billing during billing periods when water has not been so let run, as reasonably determined by the Water Department.
   (F)   The Board is further authorized to enter into special rate contracts with customers of the sewage works where clearly definable reductions in cost to the sewage works can be determined, and the reduction shall be limited to those reduced costs. Those proposed contracts shall be subject to the approval of the Common Council of the city.
   (G)   In the event a lot, parcel of real estate, or building (i) discharges sanitary sewage, industrial waste, water, or other liquids into the sewage works, either directly or indirectly, (ii) uses water in excess of 4,000 cubic feet per month, and (iii) it can be shown to the satisfaction of the city that a portion of water as measured by the water meter or meters does not and cannot enter the sewage works, then the user or authorized representative of the user shall install and maintain meters, weirs, volumetric measuring devices, or any adequate and approved method of measurement acceptable to the city for the determination of sewage discharge.
(Ord. 30-C-84, passed 10-9-84; Am. Ord. 6-C-87, passed 5-12-87; Am. Ord. 13-C-90, passed 7-10-90; Am. Ord. 10-C-93, passed 8-10-93; Am. Ord. 9-C-95, passed 9-26-95; Am. Ord. 8-C-99, passed 8-10-99; Am. Ord. 19-C-04, passed 10-26-04; Am. Ord. 15-C-16, passed 8-30-16; Am. Ord. 23-C-17, passed 11-28-17; Am. Ord. 32-C-22, passed 12-13-22)