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For the purposes provided in § 1046.02, there is hereby levied and charged upon each lot, parcel of land or premises having a connection available with the system, or otherwise discharging sewerage, industrial wastes, water or other liquids either directly or indirectly into the system, sewer charges payable as hereinafter provided, based on actual water consumption per 1,000 cubic feet, or portions thereof, and in amounts to be determined as follows.
(a) (1) For industrial, commercial and residential users that have water meters showing actual water consumption, whether privately owned or connected to a public water supply, the rate shall be as follows:
Year
|
Sewer Use (per 1,000 cubic feet of water) | Homestead (per 1,000 cubic feet of water) |
2023 | $41.37/MCF | $31.02/MCF |
2024 | $41.37/MCF | $31.02/MCF |
(2) New rates become effective for the first full billing quarter of that year.
(3) If any such user can show, to the satisfaction of the Sewer Billing Review Board (see § 1046.041), that a substantial portion of the water so metered does not enter the sewerage system, a credit may be allowed to such user in an amount determined by the Board to be fair and reasonable and in accordance with the proof furnished by the user and as corroborated by independent investigation of the Sewer Review Board.
(Ord. 2009-245, passed 10-5-2009; Ord. 2010-248, passed 11-15-2010; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2011-207, passed 11-7-2011; Ord. 2015-190, passed 10-5-2015; Ord. 2016-209, passed 12-19-2016; Ord. 2018-282, passed 12-17-2018; Ord. 2020-172, passed 11-16-2020; Ord. 2023-38, passed 2-6-2023)
(b) (1) Residences, per unit, and apartments, per unit, which do not have water meters and are, therefore, not charged under division (a) hereof, shall be charged as follows:
Year | Sewer Use (per quarter) | Homestead (per quarter) |
2023 | $103.95 | $77.97 |
2024 | $103.95 | $77.97 |
(2) All other users of the system, including retail, commercial and industrial establishments, which are not connected to a public water supply and metered, shall be required to install water meters and shall pay the sewer service charge specified in division (a) hereof. During any period when meters are not available to retail, commercial and industrial establishments, the charge shall be as follows:
Year | Sewer Use | Homestead |
2023 | $71.49 | N/A |
2024 | $71.49 | N/A |
(Ord. 1998-16, passed 1-20-1998; Ord. 2002-224, passed 10-7-2002; Ord. 2003-126, passed 5-19-2003; Ord. 2004-212, passed 11-15-2004; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2012-10, passed 1-17-2012; Ord. 2015-190, passed 10-5-2015; Ord. 2016-209, passed 12-19-2016; Ord. 2018-282, passed 12-17- 2018; Ord. 2020-172, passed 11-16-2020; Ord. 2023-38, passed 2-6-2023)
(c) The rates of surcharge for each pollutant as listed in § 1044.31 to be applied to quantities in excess of the limitations as set forth therein shall be as follows:
Pollutant | Total Rate/Pound | |
(1) | BOD | 0.206 |
(2) | Suspended solids | 0.259 |
(3) | Phosphorous (TP) | 2.073 |
(4) | Ammonia (NH3) | 1.296 |
(5) | Oil and grease | 0.509 |
(Ord. 1998-22, passed 2-2-1998; Ord. 2002-32, passed 2-4-2002; Ord. 2007-102, passed 4-16-2007; Ord. 2010-134, passed 6-7-2010; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2014-108, passed 6-16-2014; Ord. 2021-75, passed 4-19-2021; Ord. 2022-92, passed 4-18-2022; Ord. 2023-88, passed 4-17-2023)
(d) The charge for taking samples as required in § 1044.26 shall be $60 for each day, or part thereof, that such samples are taken.
(Ord. 1991-214, passed 11-4-1991; Ord. 1997-123, passed 12-15-1997)
(e) The charge for an initial connection to the city sanitary sewer system shall be payable in advance of such initial connection at the following rates:
Application Type | Current Charges |
Application Type | Current Charges |
Residential | |
NOTE: Additional fees may apply in restricted sewer districts | |
Multi-family/two-family | |
One bedroom | $1,812.50 per unit |
Two bedroom | $2,175 per unit |
Three bedroom | $2,537.50 per unit |
Single-family residence | $2,900 per unit |
Nursing homes, assisted living | $1,087.50 per resident/patient |
Business - Commercial | |
NOTE: Additional fees may apply for Commercial, Industrial, Office facilities with showers, wash bowls, and vehicle washing facilities | |
Beauty salons, spas, barber shops | $1,000 per basin or $3,000 whichever is greater |
Nail salons | $225 per basin or $3,000 whichever is greater |
Business - Commercial | |
Dry cleaners with laundry service | $2,250 per washing machine |
Laundries/laundromat per machine | $2,900 per washing machine |
Exercise/fitness studios & centers, athletic clubs, health clubs - without showers | $50 per occupant based on maximum occupancy or $3,000 whichever is greater |
Exercise/fitness studios & centers, athletic clubs, health clubs - with showers | $75 per occupant based on maximum occupancy or $3,000 whichever is greater |
Financial institutions, banks | $145 per employee or $3,000 whichever is greater |
Medical facilities - overnight | $2,175 per bed or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Medical facilities - outpatient (including medical & dental offices) | $580 per examining room or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Restaurants | |
Fast food, fast casual | $181.25 per seat or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Full service | $181.25 per seat or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Take-out (only) | $3,000 |
Seasonal seating | 25% of regular fee per seat |
Retail stores (per employee) | $145 per employee or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Business - Industrial, Office | |
Industrial buildings | $181.25 per employee or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Office | $145 per employee or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Storage facilities | $145 per employee or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Paratransit | $181.25 per employee or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Educational facilities | |
K-12, colleges, universities, trade schools, business schools | $145 per pupil or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Child day care, pre-school, early education | $108.75 per pupil or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Animal day care | $45.00 per kennel/cage or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Miscellaneous | |
Assembly halls, conference centers, private clubs, cultural centers - without food service | $14.50 per seat or $3,000, whichever is greater, based on maximum seating |
Assembly halls, conference centers, banquet centers, private clubs, cultural centers - with kitchen service | $50 per seat or $3,000, whichever is greater, based on maximum seating occupancy |
Miscellaneous | |
Golf courses | $145 per employee + $28 per parking space |
Golf courses with kitchen service | $145 per employee + $50 per parking space |
Bowling alleys | $543.75 per lane or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Outdoor/Indoor games and recreational activities | $145 per employee + $28 per parking space or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Outdoor/Indoor games and recreational activities with kitchen service | $145 per employee + $50 per parking space or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Government buildings, post office | $145 per employee or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Funeral homes | $72/100 sq. ft. or $3,000 whichever is greater |
Movie theaters | $36.25 per seat |
Museums, art galleries | $21.50 per parking space or $3,000 whichever is greater |
Public transportation | $145 per employee + $28 per parking space or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Religious institutions/places of worship | $36.25 per seat or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Motels, hotels and substantially similar uses | $725 per unit or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Swimming pools | $21.75 per swimmer based on maximum design capacity of $3,000 whichever is greater |
Vehicles/Transportation | |
Service stations, gas stations, vehicle repair & maintenance | $3,625 per pump island and/or per maintenance bay |
Towing facilities | $145 per employee or $3,000, whichever is greater |
Vehicle washing facilities, car washes | If recycled water used, rates below reduced by 50% |
Conveyor | $54,568 per bay |
In-bay | $29,000 per bay |
Self-serve | $8,600 per bay |
If application type is not listed above, the City of Solon, in its sole discretion, will determine the substantially similar use that will apply | |
For purposes of this fee schedule, the number of employees shall be calculated with the following ratios: Office: 1:200, Manufacturing 1:800, Warehouse 1:1200. All others will be calculated on max employees working per day. | |
(Ord. 2017-131, passed 8-7-2017; Ord. 2024-203, passed 11-18-2024)
(f) The charge for an increase in sanitary flow from an existing source caused by an expansion or change of use shall be calculated only in accordance with the per unit formula listed in division (e) of this section for the designated use and the alternate flat fee shall not apply.
(1) The Director of Finance is hereby authorized and directed to deposit and apply all fees collected hereunder in the Replacement and Improvement Fund for the sewer system. Expenditures from this Fund shall include, but not be limited to, expenditures for the improvement, modification or expansion of the water reclamation plant or sewer collector system.
(2) To facilitate the expansion of the city’s sewer system and in consideration of additional costs for closing existing residential septic systems and connecting to newly available sewer lines, an allowance of $2,900 shall be applied against the fee required under this section to property owners who are required to close existing residential septic systems and tie into newly available lines under § 1042.07, provided that such connection is made within 120 days from the date of receipt of notice to connect to the system, unless a shorter time period is mandated by a state or county regulatory authority.
(Ord. 1995-22, passed 3-20-1995)
(g) Residential users who are required to connect to newly constructed extensions of the sewerage system shall be afforded a four-month period from the date of notice to connect to the system.
(h) When the owner of a parcel of land desires to connect to any sewerage system operated by the city and it is determined that such parcel of land or any part thereof was not assessed, for any reason, at the time of the levying of the assessments for the payment of the sewerage system or sewage treatment plant into which the connection is desired, such owner shall be required to pay to the city, in addition to any other connection charges levied under this chapter, a sum equal to the amount which such parcel of land would have been assessed under the method of assessment used when the original assessments were levied.
(i) The foregoing connection charges shall not apply to existing lots for which a builder has contracted to build a house.
(j) All connection charges calculated using the parameters noted above shall be tripled for entities outside of the city that are granted permission to connect to the city’s sewer system.
(Ord. 1995-22, passed 3-20-1995; Ord. 2005-152, passed 6-20-2005; Ord. 2006-2, passed 2-6-2006; Ord. 2006-25, passed 2-6-2006; Ord. 2006-161, passed 12-4-2006; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; 2023-88, passed 4-17-2023)
(a) There is hereby established a Sewer Billing Review Board to hear complaints from sanitary sewer users regarding their sanitary sewer charges. It shall consist of the Director of Water Reclamation and Director of Finance and the Mayor or a designee appointed by the Mayor. The Board shall maintain minutes of all proceedings, copies of which will be submitted to the Public Works Committee.
(b) The Board shall meet as needed to review complaints from users about their sanitary sewer charges and the related usage, if the amounts of the questioned charges exceed $2,500 or are the result of an appeal of a finding of the Director of Finance pursuant to division (c) below. It shall have the authority to investigate a user’s complaint and request additional data and/or proof to evaluate such complaint. After completing its review, the Board may authorize the Director of Finance to adjust a user’s sanitary sewer charges based upon what has been determined to be the actual usage.
(c) For complaints or claims for adjustment that involve amounts equal or less than $2,500, the Director of Finance is authorized to, after appropriate review and consultation with the Director of Water Reclamation, make adjustments to sanitary sewer accounts. Users who dispute or otherwise disagree with the findings of the Director of Finance for claims equal or less than $2,500 may appeal their claim to the Sewer Billing Review Board in accordance with division (b) above.
(Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2015-96A, passed 6-1-2015; Ord. 2024-30, passed 2-20-2024)
Over and above the rates and charges established by § 1046.04, industrial users shall be charged not more than the following fees for testing and analysis services performed by, or for, the Solon Water Reclamation Department as part of the National Pretreatment Program and Solon Industrial Surcharge Program. Such fees shall be based on the current costs of the analysis including administrative costs.
Parameter | Charge |
Parameter | Charge |
Ammonia | $16 |
BOD | $36 |
Chloride | $14.50 |
Chlorine | $14 |
COD | $18 |
Cyanide | $23 |
Fecal coliform | $22 |
MBAS | $40 |
Mercury (EPA Method 245.2) | $26 |
Mercury (Low Level, EPA Method 1631) | $62 |
Metals (ICP) (per metal) | $10 |
Metals Scan (ICP) | $75 |
Nitrates | $14.50 |
Nitrites | $12 |
Oil/grease | $30 |
pH | $9 |
Phosphorous | $14 |
SS | $10 |
Surfactant, Cationic | $30 |
Surfactant, Nonionic | $40 |
Total coliform | $22 |
Total Toxic Organics | $360 |
TS | $10 |
VSS | $14 |
(Ord. 1998-22, passed 2-2-1998; Ord. 2005-74, passed 3-21-2005; Ord. 2005-152, passed 6-20-2005; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011)
Over and above the rates and charges established by § 1046.04, there may be established in special instances, and upon special agreement between the city and the owner of any premises served by the system, such additional charges for industrial wastes of unusual strength or composition which are accepted by the city for treatment as may be determined to be fair and equitable. Similarly, rates in lieu of or supplemental to those established by § 1046.04 may also be established by special agreement in any case not clearly defined in § 1046.04 or where satisfactory provision shall have been made for direct measurement of the quantity of sewerage discharged to the system. Each such special agreement and the charges established thereby shall not become effective until ratified by ordinance duly passed by Council.
(Ord. 1980-138, passed 4-6-1981)
The city shall apply a fee of $4 to each quarterly user charge for the purpose of offsetting the cost of processing of sewer charges as set forth in § 1046.04.
(Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2024-30, passed 2-20-2024)
A Summer Use Adjustment Program is provided for owner occupied one-, two-, three- and four- family residential accounts in good standing. The adjustment shall be applied to the third and fourth quarter (summer months) consumption meter readings based on the historical typical consumption established in the first and second quarter readings (winter months). If for any reason actual readings are not available to establish typical use, the program will utilize the last two actual winter quarter readings. In the case that summer use is less than historical typical use, no adjustment would be necessary. If an actual summer reading is not available, the program will default to the last actual summer reading.
(Ord. 2003-126, passed 5-19-2003; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011)
(a) The sewer charges levied, at the rates established by § 1046.04, shall take effect on September 1, 1962, and shall thereafter be billed on the first day of each calendar quarter, or as soon in the calendar quarter as water meter readings become available, and be due within 30 days after billing date. Connection charges shall be payable in advance of connection as provided in § 1046.04. In case of failure to pay any bill for sewer charges when due, a penalty of 5% of the unpaid account balance shall be added to the bill. If the bill is not paid by the due date of the next and any subsequent quarter’s bill, another 5% penalty shall be added for each past due bill.
(b) The Director of Finance may abate all or part of any penalties applied to a sewer billing account(s) if the user(s) can show just cause for non-payment. Additionally, if a resident can provide evidence that immediate payment of a past due balance will cause a hardship, the city may provide a payment plan not to exceed three years. To request an abatement of any and all penalties, the resident must submit to the Director of Finance the proper standardized form, together with evidence of hardship.
(c) The Director of Finance can waive or delay the application of the delinquency surcharge for all user accounts for a specific quarterly billing period if an approval is granted by the Sewer Billing Review Board to make such a blanket waiver. The Board will provide the Public Works Committee with a copy of the approval of the blanket waiver.
(Ord. 1980-138, passed 4-6-1981; Ord. 2001-94, passed 4-2-2001; Ord. 2002-224, passed 10-7-2002; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2024-30, passed 2-20-2024)
The Director of Water Reclamation and the Director of Finance shall annually review the system of user charges to determine if they are in accordance with divisions (a), (b) and (c) of this section and to report to the Public Works Committee. The Public Works Committee will determine whether revisions to the sewer use charge schedule are warranted and, if so determined, will make a recommendation to the Council for incorporation into the city ordinances.
(a) The system shall result in the distribution of the costs of operation and maintenance of the treatment works within the Department’s jurisdiction to each user class in proportion to such user’s contribution to the total wastewater loading of the treatment works. Factors such as strength, volume and delivery flow rate characteristics shall be considered and included as the basis for the user’s contribution to ensure a proportional distribution of operation and maintenance, including replacement costs, to each user’s class.
(b) The system of charges shall be reviewed annually and revised periodically to reflect actual treatment works operation and maintenance costs.
(c) The system of charges shall generate sufficient revenue to offset the costs of all treatment works operation and maintenance provided by the Department and such other expenditures that may be authorized.
(Ord. 1980-138, passed 4-6-1981; Ord. 2001-94, passed 4-2-2001; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011)
Each sewer charge if not paid 60 days after its due date, may be certified to the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer, who shall place the same on the property tax duplicate, with the interest and penalties allowed by law, to be collected as other municipal property taxes and special assessments are collected. The city shall also have the right, in the event of non-payment, to proceed to collect such delinquent charges in a civil action.
(Ord. 1980-138, passed 4-6-1981; Ord. 2001-94, passed 4-2-2001; Ord. 2011-13, passed 1-18-2011; Ord. 2024-30, passed 2-20-2024)
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