(A) Every person whose premises are served by the sewage works shall be charged for the services provided. These charges are established for each user class, as defined, in order that the sewage works shall recover from each user and user class revenue which is proportional to its use of the treatment works in terms of volume and load. User charges are levied to defray the cost of operation and maintenance (including replacement) of the treatment works. User charges shall be uniform in magnitude within a user class.
(1) User charges are subject to the rules and regulations adopted by the United State Environmental Protection Agency. Replacement costs, which are recovered through the system of user charges, shall be based upon the expected service life of the sewage works equipment.
(2) The various classes of users of the treatment works for the purposes of this subchapter shall be as follows:
Class I: — Residential
— Commercial
— Governmental
— Institutional
— Industrial
(B) For the use of and the service rendered by the sewage works, rates and charges shall be collected from the owners of each and every lot, parcel of real estate or building that is connected with the town sanitary system or otherwise discharges sanitary sewage, industrial wastes, water or other liquids, either directly or indirectly, into the sanitary sewerage system of the town. Such rates and surcharges include user charges, debt service costs, excessive strength surcharges and other service charges, which rates and charges shall be payable as hereinafter provided and shall be in an amount determinable as follows:
(1) The sewage rates and charges shall be based on the quantity of water used on or in the property or premises subject to such rates and charges, as the same is measured by the water meter there in use, plus a base charge based on the size of the water meter installed, except as herein otherwise provided. For the purpose of billing and collecting the charges for sewage service, the water meters shall be read monthly and the users shall be billed monthly (or period equaling a month). The water usage schedule on which the amount of such rates and charges shall be determined shall be as follows for all users:
(a) Metered users.
Monthly Base Charge | |
Meter Size | Charge |
Monthly Base Charge | |
Meter Size | Charge |
5/8 - 3/4 inch | $19.77 |
1 inch | $45.82 |
1¼ inch | $71.84 |
1½ inch | $103.12 |
2 inch | $176.00 |
3 inch | $401.67 |
4 inch | $696.77 |
6 inch | $1,582. 11 |
Monthly Flow Charge | |
All users (per 1,000 gallons) | $7.58 |
(b) Unmetered users (per month).
Residential single-family (assuming 3,375 gallons per month) | $45.35 |
Apartments, other multi-residence buildings, and multiple residences located on one property and/or parcel (that are not considered to be an apartment or other multi-residence buildings) shall pay on a monthly basis the 5/8 inch meter size rate times the number of units.
(c) Monthly surcharges.
Biological oxygen demand (BOD) | $0.32/lb in excess of 200 mg/l |
Suspended solids (SS) | $0.43/lb in excess of 200 mg/l |
Ammonia (NH
3) | $0.72/lb in excess of 30 mg/l |
(2) Apartments and other multi-residence buildings shall pay on a monthly basis the 5/8 inch meter size rate times the number of units.
(3) For the service rendered to the town, the town shall be subject to the same rates and charges hereinabove provided, or to charges and rates established in harmony therewith.
(4) In order to recover the cost of monitoring industrial wastes, the town shall charge the user the actual cost of monitoring but not less than $25 per sampling event. This charge will be reviewed on the same basis as all other rates and charges in this subchapter.
(C) Late payment charge. All bills for sewage works, not paid within ten days after the bill is mailed, shall be subject to a late payment charge of 10%.
(D) Failure to pay; remedies/liens. Failure to pay bills for sewage works within ten days after the payment is due, the amount thereof, together with a penalty of 10% and a reasonable attorneys’ fee, may be recovered by the town in a civil action and/or by filing a sewer lien for each property that is left with an outstanding balance as provided in I.C. 36-9-23-34.
(Ord. 1986-2, passed 5-12-86; Am. Ord. 1998-12, passed 11-18-98; Am. Ord. 2001-3, passed 2-6-01; Am. Ord. 2010-04, passed 5-11-10; Am. Ord. 2011-07, passed 9-6-11; Am. Ord. 2014-16, passed 10-7-14; Am. Ord. 2014-21, passed 12-16-14; Am. Ord. 2022-01, passed 3-1-22)