(A) Comprehensive sewer service charge. Every person whose premises are served by connection to the sanitary sewer system of the city, either directly or indirectly, shall pay to the city a comprehensive sewer service charge for the use of and for services supplied by the water pollution control facilities of the city, which charges may consist of:
(1) Basic user charge for the operation and maintenance of the water pollution control plant;
(2) A surcharge for the operation and maintenance of the water pollution control plant for wastes contributed of strengths greater than domestic wastewater;
(3) A basic user charge for the O&M of the sanitary sewer system;
(4) A billing and collection charge;
(5) A debt service charge;
(6) A service availability fee; and
(7) Wastewater treatment plant replacement charge.
(B) Rates. Each user shall pay for the services provided by the city, based on his or her use of the treatment works as determined by a water meter or meters acceptable to the city.
(1) For residential contributors, monthly user charges will be based on actual water usage.
(2) For industrial and commercial contributors, user charges shall be based on water used during the current billing period. If a commercial or industrial contributor has a consumption use of water, or in some other manner uses water which is not returned to the wastewater collection system, the user charge for that contributor may be based on a wastewater meter(s) or a separate water meter(s) installed and maintained at the contributor’s expense, and in a manner acceptable to the city.
(3) All residential, industrial and commercial sanitary sewer users shall also pay rates based on the elements outlined in division (A) above.
(C) Classification of users. Users of the sewer system shall be classified and defined as follows.
(1) Metered users. Metered users are those users whose sole water supply is supplied by the municipal utilities and is measured by approved metering devices.
(2) Domestic unmetered users. Domestic unmetered users are users of the sewer system who have available a water supply not provided and metered by the municipal utilities and who discharge only domestic waste into the sewer system.
(3) Non-metered non-domestic users. Non-metered non-domestic users shall be all users other than metered users and domestic unmetered users, as defined herein.
(D) Rate. The rate of monthly sewer user charges for each class of user shall be as follows.
(1) Metered users.
(a) 1. Effective for all sanitary sewer user charge statements issued after August 1, 2022, the following rates shall apply based on the size of the water meter serving the property:
Meter Size | Availability Fee | Debt Surcharge | Total Fixed Fee |
5/8" | $4.50 | $16.75 | $21.25 |
1" | $8 | $28 | $36 |
1.5" | $15 | $56 | $71 |
2" | $24 | $89 | $113 |
3" and larger | $60 | $223 | $283 |
2. In addition to the fixed fee, the following rates shall be charged based on monthly metered water usage:
0 - 50,000 gallons | $0.00501 per gallon |
More than 50,000 gallons | $0.00451 per gallon |
(b) 1. Effective for all sanitary sewer metered user charge statements issued after July 1, 2023, the following rates shall apply based on the size of the water meter serving the property:
Meter Size | Availability Fee | Debt Surcharge | Total Fixed Fee |
5/8" | $4.61 | $17.17 | $21.78 |
1" | $8.20 | $28.70 | $36.90 |
1.5" | $15.30 | $57.40 | $72.70 |
2" | $24.60 | $91.23 | $115.83 |
3" and larger | $61.50 | $228.58 | $290.08 |
2. In addition to the fixed fee, the following rates shall be charged based on monthly metered water usage:
0 - 50,000 gallons | $0.00514 per gallon |
More than 50,000 gallons | $0. 00462 per gallon |
(c) 1. Effective for all sanitary sewer user charge statements issued after July 1, 2024, the following rates shall apply based on the size of the water meter serving the property:
Meter Size | Availability Fee | Debt Surcharge | Total Fixed Fee |
5/8" | $4.73 | $17.60 | $22.33 |
1" | $8.41 | $29.42 | $37.83 |
1.5" | $15.68 | $58.84 | $74.52 |
2" | $25.22 | $93.51 | $118.73 |
3" and larger | $63.04 | $234.29 | $297.33 |
2. In addition to the fixed fee, the following rates shall be charged based on monthly metered water usage:
0 - 50,000 gallons | $0.00527 per gallon |
More than 50,000 gallons | $0.00474 per gallon |
(2) Domestic un-metered rates.
Description of User |
Rate per Month (7-1-2018) | Rate per Month (7-1-2019) | Rate per Month (7-1-2020) |
Multi-family unit: | |||
1 bedroom | $25.94 | $26.98 | $28.06 |
2 bedrooms | $31.13 | $32.56 | $33.86 |
Single-family dwelling | $31.13 | $32.56 | $33.86 |
(3) Non-metered domestic unmetered users.
(a) Such users shall pay a minimum monthly rate of:
Description of User |
Rate per Month (7-1-2018) | Rate per Month (7-1-2019) | Rate per Month (7-1-2020) |
Businesses with 1 or 2 employees | $31.13 | $32.56 | $33.86 |
Businesses with 3 or more employees | $47.99 | $49.91 | $51.91 |
(b) These rates apply only to users whose waste is considered to be equal in strength and volume to domestic waste. Rates will be imposed by the city, on an individual basis, upon those users whose waste exceeds domestic waste volume or strength, pursuant to division (D)(5) below.
(4) Non-metered industrial users. Non-metered industrial users of the sewer system who have available a water supply not provided and metered by municipal utilities. These users shall install water source metering, discharge metering, or both as required by the city.
(5) Extra strength users. Users who contribute wastewater that has greater strength than normal domestic wastewater will be charged a surcharge above the rate for normal residential customers. The user charge for extra strength users is calculated as follows:
Total monthly charge to extra strength user = base charge + flow charge + surcharge for BOD + surcharge for SS + surcharge for other pollutants =
B + V(UFC) + V(UBODC)(BODES - BODND) (.00834)
+V(USSC) (SSES - SSND) (.00834)
+V(UXC)(XES - XND) (.00834)
Where: | |||||
B | = | Base cost | = | $2.10 (August 1, 2022) | |
$2.15 (July 1, 2023) | |||||
$2.20 (July 1, 2024) | |||||
V | = | Volume of wastewater discharge in 1,000 gallons | |||
UFC | = | Unit flow cost | = | $1.29 (August 1, 2022) | |
$1.32 (July 1, 2023) | |||||
$1.36 (July 1, 2024) | |||||
UBODC | = | Unit BOD cost | = | $0.64 (August 1, 2022) | |
$0.66 (July 1, 2023) | |||||
$0.68 (July 1, 2024) | |||||
BODES | = | BOD concentration contributed by the extra strength user in milligrams per litter | |||
BODND | = | BOD concentration of normal domestic wastewater | |||
= | 250 milligrams per liter | ||||
USSC | = | United suspended solids charge | = | $0.29 (August 1, 2022) | |
$0.30 (July 1, 2023) | |||||
$0.31 (July 1, 2024) | |||||
SSES | = | SS concentration contributed by the extra strength user in milligrams per liter | |||
SSND | = | SS concentration of normal domestic wastewater | |||
= | 300 milligrams per liter | ||||
UAC | = | Unit ammonia charge | = | $1.98 (August 1, 2022) | |
$2.03 (July 1, 2023) | |||||
$2.08 (July 1, 2024) | |||||
UAES | = | Ammonia concentration contributed by the extra strength user in milligrams per liter | |||
UAND | = | Ammonia concentration of normal domestic wastewater | |||
= | 30 milligrams per liter | ||||
UXC | = | Unit charge for other pollutants - determined as necessary | |||
XES | = | Other pollutant concentration contributed by the extra strength user in milligrams per liter | |||
XND | = | Other pollutant concentration in normal domestic wastewater | |||
.00834 | = | Unit conversion factor | |||
(6) CSI surcharge. Each classification of user shall also pay a CSI monthly surcharge in the amount of:
$11.25 effective July 1, 2015 |
$12.50 effective July 1, 2016 |
$13.75 effective July 1, 2017 |
$15 effective July 1, 2018 |
$16.25 effective July 1, 2019 |
(7) Billing; payment; collection.
(a) Effective date. The sewer user charges and rate established herein shall become effective from and after May 1, 1985, and all bills for sewer user charges made after that date shall be based on the rate established herein.
(b) Measurement by meters. Such rates or charges shall be based upon the amount of water supplied by the municipal utilities, as shown by the water meter readings of that company, except for non-metered users. All persons required to pay the comprehensive sewer service charge established in this chapter shall receive billing for such charge separately stated on the municipal utilities’ bill and shall pay such charges to the municipal utilities as billed. Those users who are billed by the municipal utilities monthly shall pay their comprehensive sewer user charges monthly.
(c) Date due; penalty. All comprehensive sewer user charges are due and payable within 20 days after the date of billing. Accounts not paid within 20 days will be assessed a delinquency charge of 1.5% per month on each delinquent invoice.
(d) Special rates. Where, in the judgment of the city, special conditions apply to the use of water to the extent that the application of the comprehensive sewer user charge or method of measurement would be inequitable or unfair to either the city or the user, a special rate or method of measurement shall be established by the city. Such rates or methods of measurement shall be subject to approval by the city. In such cases, the city may require that water consumed on the premises concerned shall be separately metered at the expense of the user, who shall also pay the cost of the reading of such meters and any increased billing or collecting charges resulting therefrom.
(e) Collection of unpaid charges; notice; establishment of property lien.
1. Comprehensive sewer user charges shall be delinquent when a charge has been unpaid for a period of two months following the billing date.
2. Delinquent sewer charges are a lien against the property served. When charges become delinquent, the city may terminate service to the property and/or may certify the delinquent charges to the County Treasurer to be collected in the same manner as real property taxes, all pursuant to the provisions of Iowa Code § 384.84.
3. a. Termination of sanitary sewer service to a property or certification of delinquent sanitary sewer charges to the County Treasurer shall not be accomplished until ten days after a written notice is sent by ordinary mail by the city to the account holder, which notice shall include the amount of the delinquent charges and shall notify the account holder that, if the charges are not paid in full, service will be terminated and/or that the amount of the delinquent charges will be certified to the County Treasurer for collection. The notice shall further notify the account holder that a hearing may be requested before the City Manager prior to the discontinuance of service.
b. If the account holder is a tenant and if the owner or landlord of the property has made a written request for notice to the city, the notice shall also be given to the owner or landlord.
4. If the account holder, owner or landlord requests a hearing before the City Manager, the City Manager shall promptly schedule and hold a hearing and determine if termination of service is justified. The City Manager shall promptly notify the interested parties of his or her decision.
5. An administrative fee of $5 shall be added to delinquent accounts certified to the County Treasurer for collection.
6. In addition to the foregoing sanitary sewer charge collection procedures as authorized under Iowa Code § 384.84, the city shall also have and reserves the right to collect unpaid sanitary sewer charges by filing an action for collection in the County Small Claims Court.
(Prior Code, § 4-4-11) (Ord. 215, passed 3-20-1977; Ord. 314, passed 4-1-1985; Ord. 459, passed 9-19-1994; Ord. 622, passed 4-4-2005; Ord. 668, passed 7-21-2008; Ord. 687, passed 5-18-2009; Ord. 714, passed 1-3-2011; Ord. 738, passed 5-7-2012; Ord. 783, passed 4-20-2015; Ord. 786, passed 6-15-2015; Ord. 830, passed 5-7-2018; Ord. 848, passed 8-19-2019; Ord. 849, passed 8-19-2019; Ord. 888, passed 6-20-2022)