(A) There shall be and there are hereby established a total sewer charge for the use of and for the service supplied by the city sewage works which shall consist of a basic sewer user charge and a sewer volume charge. Total sewer charge shall be determined by the amount of revenue funds required to operate and maintain the city sewage works and to provide a funds for the repair and/or replacement of component parts of said sewage works for each fiscal year. Said charges shall also be determined by geographic location north and south of the Illinois River.
(B) The sewer charges for a special industrial user shall be established on a separate basis because the user's wastewater receives only secondary treatment by the city.
(C) The sewer volume charge shall be based on the water usage as recorded by approved water meters and/or sewage meters for wastewater having normal concentration of 395 mg/1 of BOD and 390 mg/1 of suspended solids. A surcharge will be levied to all users whose discharges (except special industrial user) exceed the normal concentrations for BOD (395 mg/1) and suspended solids (390 mg/1). The surcharge will be based on metered sewage flow for all wastes which exceed these concentrations.
(1) Metered usage shall be read to the lowest even increment of units (unit is 100 gallons).
(2) Sewer users who obtain any portion of their water service from public water supply sources other than the city shall install and maintain, at no expense to the city, water meters of a type approved by the City Council for the purpose of metering the water usage obtained from such other sources.
(3) Dischargers manufacturing products, which utilize water that does not reach the sewer system, will be allowed a reduction in their water consumption reading if they can demonstrate, by meter reading or calculations, the volume not discharged to the sewer system.
(4) Wherever required by the Council, sewage metering devices shall be installed and maintained, at no expense to the city, when the volume of wastewater discharged to the public sewer cannot be otherwise determined by use of water meters.
(5) Metering devices shall not be removed without the consent of the Council.
(D) The purpose of the basic sewer user charge is to charge a base amount each monthly billing period to every economic unit which discharges or is capable of discharging sewerage from the economic unit to cover the basic charges of maintaining the sewer system which includes, without limitation, ongoing infrastructure costs, NPDES fees, IEPA costs and to provide funds for the repair and/or replacement of component parts of said sewerage works for each fiscal year. The basic sewer user charges shall commence and be assessed against each economic unit upon a sewer line from the economic unit being connected to a city sewer main. The charges continue until there is no longer a connection from the economic unit to the city sewer main, or if the City Council resolves to terminate charges. A temporary shut off of water shall not terminate basic sewer charges.
(1) North of the Illinois River, the basic sewer user charge is $16.75 which includes $3.75 storm water separation charge. Effective August 1, 2021, the charge shall be $17 which includes $4 storm water separation charge. Effective May 1, 2022, the charge shall be $18 includes $5 storm water separation charge.
(2) South of the Illinois River, the basic sewer user charge is $34.
(3) Commencing January 1, 2007, the City Treasurer shall establish and fund from sewer volume charges North of the Illinois River:
(a) A waste treatment capital reserve fund for the purpose of funding the replacement and installation of new equipment at the North Waste Water Treatment Plant and place into said fund the sum of $2,895 per month.
(b) A sewer maintenance reserve fund for the purpose of eliminating storm water infiltration into the sanitary sewers north of the Illinois River and place into said fund the sum of $8,374 per month.
(E) (1) The current monthly sewer volume charge for North of the Illinois River is $0.66 per each unit (unit is 100 gallons) or fraction thereof of water used. The volume charge shall increase an additional $0.01 per 100 gallons every May 1 after May 1,2022.
(2) The current monthly sewer volume charge for South of the Illinois River is $0.325 per each unit (unit is 100 gallons) or fractions thereof of water used. The volume charge shall increase an additional $0.01 per 100 gallons every May 1 after May 1,2022.
(3) The volume sewer charges shall commence and be assessed against each economic unit upon a water line from the economic unit being connected to a city water main.
(4) The volume sewer charges may be shut off upon requesting a termination of water service. (Notice, however, the basic sewer charges continue, unless the City Council passes a resolution to terminate charges or unless the lateral water line serving property from the City water main is removed.)
(F) (1) The sewer volume charge to be paid monthly by all non-metered residential or commercial sewer users north of the Illinois River shall be a charge of $75 which allows a maximum wastewater discharge of 10,000 gallons per month. Whenever it has been determined by the Council that the non-metered wastewater discharge exceeds 10,000 gallons per month, the Council may require such nonmetered sewer user to install metering devices on the water supply or building sewer to measure the volume of wastewater discharged to the public sewer.
(2) The sewer volume charge to be paid monthly by all non-metered residential or commercial sewer users south of the Illinois River shall be a charge of $125 which allows a maximum waste water discharge of 10,000 gallons per month.
(3) Whenever it has been determined by the Council that the non-metered waste water discharge exceeds 10,000 gallons per month, the Council may require such non-metered sewer user to install metering devices on the water supply or building sewer to measure the volume of waste water discharged to the public sewer.
(G) In the event use of the wastewater facilities by nonresidential users other than special industrial user is determined by the Council to include wastewaters having more than 395 mg/1 BOD and/or 390 mg/1 suspended solids, the user shall also pay a surcharge cost. The surcharge shall be for all BOD in excess of 395 mg/1 and suspended solids in excess of 390 mg/1.
(1) The rate of surcharges for BOD and suspended solids shall be in accordance with the following schedules, based on metered sewage flow:
(a) BOD @ 0.13/lb. BOD;
(b) Suspended solids @ $0.09/lb. S.S.
(2) (a) The volume and concentration of wastes shall be used for computing surcharges and shall be established by sewage flow metering and waste sampling. Waste sampling and testing by an approved laboratory shall be completed by the discharger as often as may be deemed necessary by the Council. The city shall reserve the right to sample and test all discharges at any time. The city shall establish discharge loads and surcharges based on either or both tests and this shall be binding as a basis for surcharges.
(b) Manholes, samplers and metering devices for determining the volume of waste shall be installed, owned, and maintained by the discharger. Following approval and installation, such meters may not be removed, unless service is cancelled, without the consent of the City Council.
(H) The industrial waste sewer volume charge to be paid quarterly by a special industrial user to the city shall be $4.50 minimum charge plus $0.60 per 1,000 gallons of wastewater and surcharge for all BOD in excess of 255 mg/1 and suspended solids in excess of 155 mg/1. In addition, a special industrial user will be charged for all of the following costs: ammonia cost; pumping station power costs; and equipment replacement and repair costs related to the force main, pumping station and ammoniation facilities.
(1) Surcharge rate (special industrial user only). The rates of surcharges for BOD and suspended solids shall be in accordance with the following schedules (based on metered sewage flow):
(a) BOD.
Concentration in mg/l | Rate Per lb. BOD |
Concentration in mg/l | Rate Per lb. BOD |
256 to 360 | $0.21 |
361 to 500 | $0.23 |
501 to 600 | $0.26 |
601 to 700 | $0.30 |
701 to 800 | $0.35 |
801 to 900 | $0.41 |
901 to 1000 | $0.48 |
1001 to 1100 | $0.56 |
1101 to 1200 | $0.65 |
1201 to 1300 | $0.75 |
1301 to 1400 | $0.86 |
1401 to 1500 | $0.98 |
All over 1500 | $1.00 |
(b) Suspended Solids.
Concentration in mg/l | Rate Per lb. BOD |
156 to 200 | $0.10 |
201 to 300 | $0.12 |
301 to 400 | $0.14 |
All over 400 | $0.18 |
(2) Computation of surcharge (special industrial user only). The volume and concentration of wastes shall be used for computing surcharges and shall be established by sewage flow metering and waste sampling. Waste sampling and testing by an approved laboratory shall be completed by the discharger as often as may be deemed necessary by the Council. The city shall reserve the right to sample and test all discharges at any time. The city shall establish discharge loads and surcharges based on either or both tests and this shall be binding as a basis for surcharges.
(3) Computation of user charge (special industrial user only). The user charge shall be computed by the following formula:
CW = CM + (Vu) CU + CS
Where CW = Amount of wastewater service charge ($) per billing period.
Where CM = Minimum charge for auditing, billing and accounting.
Where Vu = Metered water consumption for the billing period.
Where CU = User rate for operation, maintenance and equipment replacement.
Where CS = Amount of surcharge.
(Ord. 694, passed 12-30-85; Am. Ord. 720, passed 11-5-87; Am. Ord. 725, passed 1-6-88; Am. Ord. 751, passed 7-2-90; Am. Ord. 796, passed 6-16-93; Am. Ord. 850, passed 9-6-95; Am. Ord. 928, passed 3-11-98; Am. Ord. 968, passed 6-2-99; Am. Ord. 1016, passed 7-19-00; Am. Ord. 1058, passed 10-17-01; Am. Ord. 1124, passed 9-3-03; Am. Ord. 1250, passed 5-17-06; Am. Ord. 1304, passed 11-7-07; Am. Ord. 1571, passed 4-15-15; Am. Ord. 1595, passed 1-20-16; Am. Ord. 1599, passed 4-20-16; Am. Ord. 1619, passed 11-16-16; Am. Ord. 1708, passed 5-15- 19; Am. Ord. 1748, passed 4-1-20; Am. Ord. 1801, passed 7-7-21)