(A) Purpose and scope. The City has provided facilities for collection and treatment of sewage to promote the health, safety and convenience of its people, and to safeguard the water resources common to all. In such facilities, provisions of design, construction and operation have been made to accommodate certain types and quantities of commercial and industrial wastes in excess of, and in addition to, normal sewage. The Council has determined that it is the obligation of the producers of domestic, commercial and industrial wastes to defray the cost of normal and extraordinary services rendered by the City in the collection and treatment of such wastes in the equitable manner and, insofar as it is practicable, in proportion to the benefits derived from such services.
(B) Amount of sewer service charges.
(1) Sewer service charge unit costs. The unit costs for the sewer service charge are as follows:
Sewer Service | Unit Cost |
Volume | $6.10/1,000 gallons |
B.O.D. | $0.68/pound |
Suspended solids | $0.46/pound |
Nitrogen | $1.60/pound |
Phosphorus | $11.00/pound |
Fixed charge | $7.33/user/month |
(2) Category A sewer service charge. The sewer service charge for Category A sewer users is as follows:
Type | Unit Cost |
Fixed monthly charge | $7.33 |
Volume charge | $6.10/1,000 gallons |
Surcharge: B.O.D. greater than 290 mg/l Suspended solids greater than 340 mg/l Nitrogen greater than 35 mg/l Phosphorus | $0.68/pound $0.46/pound $1.60/pound $11.00/pound |
(3) The Category B sewer service charge shall be computed in accordance with the formula presented below:
T = FQ + ((V/1,000) * CV) + ((B *.00834) * CB) + ((S *.00834) * CB) + ((N * .00834) * CN) + ((P * .00834) * CP)
Where:
T = Total
FQ = Fixed quarterly charge
V = Wastewater volume in gallons
C = Cost per 1,000 gallons
B = B.O.D. concentration in mg/l in wastewater above 290 mg/l
CB = Cost per pound of B.O.D.
S = TSS concentration of suspended solids in mg/l in wastewater above 340 mg/l
CS = Cost per pound of suspended solids
N = Nitrogen concentration in mg/l in wastewater above 35 mg/l
CN = Cost per pound of nitrogen
P = Phosphorus concentration in mg/l in wastewater above 7 mg/l
CP = Cost per pound of phosphorus
.00834 = Conversion factor
(The above formula shall not be construed to give credits for waste strength less than domestic concentrations for B.O.D., suspended solids, or nitrogen.)
(C) Disposal of septic tank sludge and holding tank sewage.
(1) No person in the business of gathering and disposing of septic tank sludge or holding tank sewage shall transfer such material into any disposal area or public sewer unless a permit for disposal has been first obtained from the Approving Authority. Written application for this permit shall be made to the Approving Authority and shall state the name and address of the applicant; the number of its disposal units; and the make, model, and license number of each unit. Permits shall be nontransferable except in the case of replacement of the disposal unit for which a permit has been originally issued. The permit may be obtained upon payment of a fee per calendar year. The time and place of disposal will be designated by the Approving Authority. The Approving Authority may impose such conditions as it deems necessary on any permit granted.
(2) Any person or party disposing of septic tank sludge or holding tank sewage agrees to carry public liability insurance in an amount not less than $1,000,000 to protect any and all persons or property from injury and/or damage caused in any way or manner by an act, or the failure to act, by any of the person’s employees. The person(s) shall furnish a certificate certifying such insurance to be in full force and effect.
(3) All materials disposed of into the treatment system shall be of domestic origin, or compatible pollutants only, and persons agree that they will comply with the provisions of any and all applicable ordinances of the municipality and shall not deposit or drain any gasoline, oil, acid, alkali, grease, rags, waste, volatile or flammable liquids, or other deleterious substances into the public sewers, nor allow any earth, sand, or other solid material to pass into any part of the wastewater treatment facilities.
(4) Persons with a permit for disposing of septic tank sludge, holding tank sewage, and/or grease trap into wastewater treatment facilities shall be charged as follows:
Type | Unit Cost |
Septic tank sludge | $89.12/1,000 gallons |
Holding tank sewage | $15.12/1,000 gallons |
Grease trap | $250/1,000 gallons |
Hauler contract | $125/year |
(5) Persons disposing wastes agree to indemnify and hold harmless the municipality from any and all liability and claims for damages arising out of or resulting from work and labor performed.
(D) Charge for toxic pollutants. Any person discharging toxic pollutants that cause an increase in the cost of managing the effluent or sludge from the municipality’s wastewater treatment facility shall pay for such increased costs, as may be determined by the Approving Authority.
(E) Industrial waste pretreatment. Where it is necessary that the utility provide pretreatment of industrial wastes, the entire cost of such pretreatment shall be charged to the person producing the industrial wastes. The costs shall include, but are not limited to, capital expenditures, operation and maintenance expenses, labor, chemicals, power and heat.
(F) Contract basis. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the City from providing sewage services to persons outside the corporate limits of the City under mutually agreeable conditions.
(G) Control manholes.
(1) All persons discharging industrial wastes into a public sewer shall construct and maintain on public property 1 or more control manholes to facilitate observation, measurement and sampling of their wastes, including normal sewage. Control manholes shall be located and built in a manner approved by the Approving Authority. If measuring devices are to be permanently installed, they shall be of a type approved by the Approving Authority.
(2) Control manholes, and related equipment, shall be installed by the person discharging the waste, at their expense, and shall be maintained by them in safe condition, accessible and in proper operating condition at all times. Plans for the installation of control manholes and related equipment shall be submitted for approval to the Approving Authority prior to the beginning of construction. The provisions in regard to control manholes shall apply only to industrial waste discharges having their initial discharge to the public sewers after the effective date of this chapter.
(H) Exemption meters.
(1) In the event that a person discharging industrial wastes into the public sewers produces evidence satisfactory to the Approving Authority that significant amounts to the total annual volume of water used for all purposes does not reach the sanitary sewer, the person may be permitted to have an exemption water meter installed. The meter shall be furnished by the City water utility and installed under its supervision. All other costs are at the expense of the person requiring the meter, including any piping revisions required to insure that only water not reaching the sanitary sewer is metered by the exemption meter. To compensate for the cost of furnishing, reading and servicing each exemption meter, the City water utility will assess the service charge it has set for a meter of that size.
(2) The amount of exemption water metered shall be subtracted from the total amount of water used by the person, and an adjusted water bill shall be determined, based on only water reaching the sanitary sewer. This adjusted water bill will be used to determine the applicable sewage service charge.
(I) Waste meters. Devices for metering the volume of waste discharged may be required by the Approving Authority if these volumes cannot otherwise be determined by the use of water meters and exemption water meters. Metering devices for determining the volume of waste shall be purchased, installed, owned and maintained by the person. The type of meter and metering arrangement shall be approved by the Approving Authority before installation, and it shall be installed in accordance with approved methods. Following approval and installation, such meters may not be removed without the consent of the Approving Authority. These meters shall be calibrated on an annual basis at the owner’s expense.
(J) Waste sampling. Industrial wastes discharged into the public sewers shall be subject to periodic inspection and a determination of character and concentration. The determination shall be made as often as deemed necessary. Where samples are taken often enough to produce meaningful averages, charges will be determined based on the average values determined during the billing period, after due allowance for values not believed to be representative. Any person may request that the utility make new tests. Such tests shall be at expense of the person discharging the waste, and for a minimum duration of 24 hours unless otherwise approved. If the Approving Authority is satisfied that the test was made when the plant was operating under normal conditions, the results of the test shall be used in computing the subsequent billing in the manner previously prescribed.
(K) Analyses. Laboratory procedures used in the examination of industrial wastes shall be those set forth in “Standard Methods”. However, alternate methods for certain analyses may be used, subject to mutual agreement between the person and the Approving Authority.
(L) Sewage service charges. All other charges provided for in this chapter shall be included as a separate item on the regular bill for water service, and shall be payable in monthly installments in accordance with the existing rules and regulations of the City water utility.
(M) Payment. Sewage service charges and all other charges provided for as surcharges in this chapter shall be due and payable at the office of the City water utility at Medford City Hall, or at any other officially designated location, at the same time that the water bills become due. Payments for water service shall not be accepted without full payment of the sewage service charges and all other charges provided for in this chapter.
(N) Biennial review. The Approving Authority shall, at least once every 2 years, report to the Council concerning the adequacy of wastewater charges to cover actual costs. The charges for sewer and wastewater treatment shall be adjusted properly by the Council to cover the actual costs of operating the system, including the cost of operation, maintenance and replacement.
(O) Proportionate distribution. It is the intent of the City that all user classes utilizing the City’s sanitary sewers pay their proportionate share of the operation, maintenance and replacement costs.
(P) Revenue levels. It is the intent of the City to raise sufficient revenues through the sewer service charges to pay all operation, maintenance and replacement costs.
(Q) Excess class revenue. Any excess revenues collected from a user class in 1 year shall be attributed to its share of the operation, maintenance and replacement costs incurred the following year.
(R) Annual notification. Users will be notified annually of that portion of user charges attributable to wastewater treatment services.
(S) Preexisting agreements. The user charge system included in this chapter shall take precedence over preexisting agreements inconsistent with the governing regulations of this chapter.
(T) Replacement fund. All user charges specifically collected for replacement shall be deposited in a separate and distinct fund to be used exclusively for replacement.
(Ord. 1077, passed 10-18-22) Penalties, see § 5.3.09
Cross-reference:
Permit and disposal fees, see Fee Appendix