§ 942.08 RATES FOR SEWER SERVICE.

   All funds received are to be deposited to the operating account for the Sewer Department.

   (a)   (1)   Residential users. Rates shall be charged for single- and two-family dwellings or the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) as approved by Council, whichever is greater. For 2024 and later, rates will be effective on January 1 of each year and increase at the rate approved by Council for the annual COLA. The rates are based upon water used and are per family unit as defined in § 941.07(a). For dwellings without water meters, the charge for sewer service will be based on 5.348 hundred cubic feet (ccf) per month. The rates shall be as established and set forth in the fee schedule in Part One - Title Eleven, Chapter 205 of these codified ordinances. The amount of the rates shall be as set by ordinance from time to time.

      (2)   April through October sewer usage credit for single and two-family dwellings for vegetation watering.

         A.   Definitions. The following terms are defined as follows for use in this section.

      BASE CALCULATION. The base calculation is the average monthly usage of water service, in ccf, at that dwelling during the months of November (billed in December) through March (billed in April) immediately preceding the “usage credit month.” For those residents for whom there is less than three months history of water service at that dwelling unit during the months of November through March immediately preceding the “usage credit month,” the “base calculation” shall be 12.04 ccf.

      USAGE CREDIT MONTH. The usage credit month is each month of usage from April (billed in May) through October (billed in November), inclusive, beginning in April, 2007.

         B.   Credits. Single- and two-family dwellings using sewer service in the city shall be entitled to a credit toward that sewer service used during each usage credit month as follows:

            1.   If a dwelling’s water usage during a usage credit month exceeds that dwelling’s base calculation, the credit to the bill for that month’s sewer services shall be the amount equal to the charges for sewer service on that additional water usage; or

            2.   If a dwelling’s water usage during a usage credit month does not exceed that dwelling’s base calculation, there shall be no credit to the bill for that month’s sewer services.

   (b)   Sewer service rates for commercial, industrial and institutional establishments and multi-family dwellings and trailer parks.

      (1)   Definitions. For the purposes of this § 942.08, a MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING is a residential building which is divided into three or more family units.

      (2)   Rates. The rates shall be charged for commercial, industrial and institutional establishments and multi-family dwellings and trailer parks or the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) as approved by Council, whichever is greater. For 2024 and later, rates will be effective on January 1 of each year and increase at the rate approved by Council for the annual COLA. The rates are as established and set forth in the fee schedule in Part One - Title Eleven, Chapter 205 of these codified ordinances. The amount of the rates shall be as set by ordinance from time to time.

      (3)   Rates. The rates are based upon water usage and are for a per establishment basis as calculated in § 941.07(b).

(Ord. 99-58, passed 4-12-1999; Ord. 2001-92, passed 5-14-2001; Ord. 2003-48, passed 4-28-2003; Ord 2004-39, passed 3-22-2004; Ord. 2005-13, passed 2-14-2005; Ord. 2006-108, passed 9-25-2006; Ord. 2022-111, passed 11-14- 2022)

   (c)   Services outside city limits. A 50% surcharge is to be applied to above rates for all customers located outside the city limits.

   (d)   Normal concentration of wastes.

      (1)   Charges for sewage treatment pursuant to division (a) hereof shall apply to wastes not exceeding normal concentration as follows:

         A.   BOD: 200 milligrams per liter;

         B.   Suspended solids: 200 milligrams per liter; and

         C.   Ammonia: 20 milligrams per liter.

      (2)   Applicable concentrations shall be based upon average concentrations, weighted in proportion to volume of flow, determined during each billing period by the most practicable method possible. Should the average concentration of any constituent exceed the normal concentration provided in this division, a surcharge for each constituent so exceeded shall apply for the applicable billing period, in accordance with the provisions of division (g) hereof.

   (e)   Pollutants in excess of normal concentrations.

      (1)   Sewage containing pollutants in excess of normal concentrations as defined in this division (e) hereof shall be:

         A.   Subject to prohibition of discharge to the sewage treatment works;

         B.   Subject to pretreatment prior to discharge to the sewage treatment works to comply with concentrations or amounts of pollutants established by the City and subject to payment of a surcharge pursuant to division (g) hereof; or

         C.   Permitted to be discharged to the sewage treatment works without pretreatment, subject to payment of a surcharge pursuant to division (g) hereof.

      (2)   The city shall determine which of the three alternatives shall apply, based upon the volume and concentration of pollutants of the sewage involved.

   (f)   Extra strength surcharges. In addition to the base user charges applicable pursuant to divisions (a) and (b) hereof, users discharging pollutants to the sewage treatment works of the city, whose average concentration as defined in division (e) hereof in one or more classifications exceeds in any month that concentration as normal in division (e) hereof in the corresponding classification, shall be subject to surcharges calculated as follows:

      (1)   Surcharges for each billing period during a calendar year shall be based upon the following values for that calendar year:

         A.   Estimated total operation, maintenance and replacement expenses attributed to the water reclamation plant (C);

         B.   Estimated total pounds of BOD received at the plant (B);

         C.   Estimated total pounds of suspended solids received at the plant (S); and

         D.   Estimated total pounds of ammonia received at the plant (NH).

      (2)   Surcharge on user charges per pound of BOD in excess of normal equals:

 

C x 0.42

B

      (3)   Surcharge on user charges per pound of suspended solids in excess of normal equals:

 

C x 0.24

S

      (4)   Surcharge on user charges per pound of ammonia in excess of normal equals:

 

C x 0.05

NH

      (5)   Pounds of BOD per billing period subject to surcharge equals: (Average concentrations of BOD, calculated pursuant to division (e) hereof, in milligrams per liter minus 200 milligrams per liter) times volume of sewage discharged from the user to the sewage treatment works billing period, in million gallons, times 8.34. If the average concentration of BOD is 200 milligrams per liter, or less, no surcharge for BOD shall apply;

      (6)   Pounds of suspended solids per billing period subject to surcharge equals: (Average concentration of suspended solids, calculated pursuant to division (e) hereof, in milligrams per liter minus

200 milligrams per liter) times volume of sewage discharged from the user to the sewage treatment works per billing period, in million gallons times 8.34. If the average concentration of suspended solids is 200 milligrams per liter, or less, no surcharge for suspended solids shall apply;

      (7)   Pounds of ammonia per billing period subject to surcharge equals: (Average concentration of ammonia, calculated pursuant to division (e) hereof in milligrams per liter minus 20 milligrams per liter) times volume of sewage discharged from the user to the sewage treatment works per billing period, in million gallons times 8.34. If the average concentration of ammonia is 20 milligrams per liter, or less, no surcharge for ammonia shall apply;

      (8)   Surcharge on user charges equal [pounds of BOD calculated pursuant to division (f)(5) hereof] times [surcharge per pound calculated pursuant to division (f)(2) hereof]; plus [pounds of suspended solids calculated pursuant to division (f)(6) hereof]; times [surcharge per pound calculated pursuant to division (f)(3) hereof]; plus [pounds of ammonia calculated pursuant to division (f)(7) hereof]; times [surcharge per pound calculated pursuant to division (f)(4) hereof].

      (9)   Formulas as contained in divisions (f)(2), (f)(3) and (f)(4) hereof shall be subject to adjustment as necessary based upon a biennial audit of sewer revenue fund expenses. Examples for calculating the rate based on formulas set forth herein are attached as Appendix A to this section.

      (10)   Surcharges may also be established for pollutants other than those provided for in this division which are permitted to be discharged to the sewage treatment works by the city, after pretreatment or without pretreatment. Surcharges levied pursuant to this section shall be billed pursuant to § 942.09. The surcharge rates shall be as pursuant to division (g) hereof. The sampling operation is to be conducted by the city without advance notice to the user.

   (g)   Extra strength surcharge rates. Extra strength surcharge fees should be linked to the actual cost for plant operation.

Appendix A
Example of Calculation for Extra Strength Surcharges

   Wasteload Determination of BOD, SS and NH

 

Estimated BOD, suspended solids and ammonia wasteloads received at plant: See § 942.08(F) Extra Strength Surcharges

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) = Previous year MGD x 8.34 lbs/gal x 200 mg/l x 365 days/yr = _____ lbs/yr

Suspended Solids (SS) = Previous year MGD x 8.34 lbs/gal x 200 mg/l x 365 days/yr = _____ lbs/yr

Ammonia (NH) = Previous year MGD x 8.34 lbs/gal x 20 mg/l x 365 days/yr = _____ lbs/yr

 

   Extra Strength Surcharges

 

1.	Plant O&M expenses for previous year = C
2.	BOD received for previous year = B
3.	Suspended Solids received for previous year = S
4.	Ammonia received for previous year = NH

 

 

BOD Surcharges   C x .42 = Plant O & M Expenses for previous year x .42    =       lbs BOD

B         BOD received for previous year

 

 

Suspended Solids   C x .24 = Plant O & M Expenses for previous year x .24 =       lbs SS

Surcharge       S      Suspended Solids received for previous year

 

 

Ammonia Surcharge C x .05 = Plant O & M Expenses for previous year x .05 =       lbs NH

NH      Ammonia received for previous year

MGD = Million Gallons per Day O & M = Operating and Maintenance Expenses

 

(Ord. 92-48, passed 5-26-1992; Ord. 93-14, passed 2-22-1993)

Cross-reference:

   Fee schedule, see § 205.01