(A) Purpose.
1. The costs of operation, maintenance, debt service, equipment replacement and any and all other costs of administration of the city wastewater collection, treatment and disposal system shall be levied against all users thereof in proportion to the quantity and quality of the discharge. Such charges shall be calculated according to the regulations of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and shall be adopted by resolution of the Council. Separate charges shall be established for storm sewer users.
2. All users shall be assigned to a classification based on the user’s principal activity and typical wastewater constituents and characteristics. The purpose of such classification is to facilitate the regulation of wastewater discharges, to provide an effective means of source control and to establish a system of user charges and fees that ensure the equitable distribution of costs among all users. The system of charges to be established, in accordance with the requirements of the act and the state clean water grant program shall provide for the following items:
(a) Sufficient financing for an adequate operation and maintenance program, including competent operating personnel;
(b) Funds to be reserved for necessary future replacement, improvements, and expansions of the facilities; and
(c) The city shall adopt a schedule of charges and fees by resolution to include:
(1) Sewer service charges;
(2) Storm sewer charges;
(3) Septage charges;
(4) Other user charges;
(5) Connection fees;
(6) Fees for monitoring; and
(7) Fees for permit applications.
(d) The schedule may be amended at any time by resolution of the Council to reflect increases or decreases in costs.
(B) Sewer service charges. The structure of the charges shall be as follows:
1. Single-family dwellings, multi-family dwellings and duplexes, metered or unmetered, shall pay a flat rate sewer charge per family dwelling unit;
2. Mobilehome parks; motels; public institutions; fraternal lodges; hospitals; nursing homes; churches; restaurants; service stations; automotive centers; car washes; retail commercial and professional buildings; laundromats; supermarkets; grocery stores; mortuaries; and other users which shall be designated by the Director of Public Works shall pay a user charge based on metered water flow to the premises;
3. Schools shall pay a flat monthly sewer service charge based on the average daily attendance (ADA);
4. All POTW users (with the exception of flat rate users) which have unmetered water supplies shall install meters approved by the Director of Public Works. Sewer service charges shall be levied based on the metered water flow. The Director of Public Works, at his or her option, may estimate water usage and set equitable charges accordingly;
5. Industrial users shall pay a sewer service charge based on separate rates established for volume, mass BOD and mass suspended solids (SS) discharged;
6. The city shall have the option of charging users on the basis of the volume of wastewaters discharged into the wastewater collection and treatment system rather than the volume of water used. In such event, the charge for such volume shall be established by the Director of Public Works; and
7. A sewer service charge shall be established by the Director of Public Works for user classes which have not been listed on the resolution establishing the rate schedule for each class of user.
(C) Storm sewer charges. A charge rate based on the volume of discharge for approved discharges of other than stormwater to the storm sewer shall be set by resolution of the Council.
(D) Septage receiving station charges.
1. A service charge shall be established by the Council for discharging septage at the septage receiving station.
2. The Director of Public Works shall have the authority to establish additional charges for septage or other wastes discharged at the septage receiving station which exceed average discharge values of BOD and suspended solids (SS) concentrations discharged at the septage receiving station by 200%.
(E) Inapplicable measurements. For those users of the city wastewater collection, treatment and disposal system for which the amount of water used is not an adequate measure of the amount of wastewater disposal into the city sewer system, the Director of Public Works shall have the authority to establish a sewer service charge based upon the amount and strength of the wastewaters discharged by the user.
(F) Sewer connection charges.
1. A sewer connection fee shall be charged by the city to all customers connecting to the city sewers. The connection fees shall be used to pay the capital costs of the city wastewater collection, treatment and disposal system and, where applicable, recover the costs of constructing sewer mains and service connections.
2. There shall be charged and collected by the city from any person requesting or making such connection, upon or prior to the issuance of any permit for a sewer connection or the addition of any fixture units, or for any increase in permitted discharge strength or volume, a connection fee as established by the Council.
3. Sewer connection charges shall be established by separate Council resolution and shall be based on the volume discharged and standard strength residential wastewater concentrations of 200 milligrams per liter for BOD and 200 milligrams per liter TSS. Payment schedules for industrial discharges shall be established in the industrial wastewater discharge permit and based on connection charges established by separate Council resolution. (See §9-6-9 of this chapter for other information.)
(Ord. 497, passed 6-20-2000)