A. Purpose Of Wastewater Service Charge: The purpose of the wastewater service charge is to collect equitable operating, maintenance, plant depreciation, replacement costs, and debt service, as necessitated by the collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal of wastewater from residential, commercial, public or industrial users into the sewers or wastewater facilities of the sewerage system.
B. Basis For Wastewater Service Charge:
1. The basic method for determining the equitable charge to the users for the cost to the sewerage system for handling, treating and disposing of wastewater shall consist of a basic user charge for operation and maintenance plus depreciation and replacement, a debt service charge plus capital improvement, and a surcharge, if applicable.
2. The wastewater service charge shall be based on water usage as recorded by water meters and/or wastewater meters for wastes having the following normal concentrations:
a. A five (5) day, twenty degree Celsius (20°C) biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of two hundred milligrams per liter (200 mg/L).
b. A suspended solids concentration of two hundred forty milligrams per liter (240 mg/L).
c. An oil and grease concentration (polar components) of less than one hundred milligrams per liter (100 mg/L).
3. The wastewater service charge shall be computed by estimating the projected revenue required to operate and maintain the sewerage system, including replacement and depreciation and a debt service charge including capital improvement, for the next fiscal year. Proportion the estimated costs to the wastewater facility categories of volume, BOD, suspended solids, and customer. Estimate wastewater volume, BOD, suspended solids, and customer.
4. Surcharge costs will be based on wastewater strength in excess of normal wastewater strength for BOD and suspended solids. A surcharge will be levied to all users whose wastewater exceeds the two hundred milligrams per liter (200 mg/L) and two hundred forty milligrams per liter (240 mg/L) concentration for BOD and suspended solids respectively; an oil and grease concentration (polar components) over one hundred milligrams per liter (100 mg/L), an oil and grease concentration (polar components) over four hundred milligrams per liter (400 mg/L), and an oil and grease concentration over seven hundred milligrams per liter (700 mg/L).
C. Measurement Of Flow:
1. The volume of flow used for computing wastewater service charges shall be the metered water consumption read to the nearest one thousand (1,000) gallons.
2. If the person discharging wastes into the public sewers procures any part, or all, of his water from sources other than the public waterworks system, all or part of which is discharged into the public sewers, the person shall install and maintain, at his expense, water meters of a type approved by the approving authority for the purpose of determining the volume of water obtained from these other sources.
3. Devices for measuring the volume of waste discharged may be required by the approving authority if these volumes cannot otherwise be determined from the metered water consumption records.
4. Metering devices for determining the volume of waste shall be installed, owned, and maintained by the person. Following approval and installation, such meters may not be removed without the consent of the approving authority.
D. Wastewater Service Charges:
1. Each nonindustrial or industrial user of the sewerage system shall be subject to wastewater service charges based on the volume of wastewater, BOD, and suspended solids content of the wastewater. (Ord. 12-80, 12-16-1980)
2. a. Within The West Liberty City Limits: For each user, the wastewater service charge for a monthly period will be as follows for normal strength wastewater.
$20.26 per monthly bill from the effective date hereof through July 1, 2018 plus
$22.18 per monthly bill effective July 1, 2018, plus
$5.22 per 1,000 gallons, from the effective date hereof through July 1, 2018;
$5.72 per 1,000 gallons, from July 1, 2018 and beyond.
b. Outside Of The West Liberty City Limits: For each user, the rate structure for the sewer will be as follows outside of the City limits for residential customers:
$29.38 per monthly bill, from the effective date hereof through July 1, 2018, plus
$32.17 per monthly bill, effective July 1, 2018, plus
$5.90 per 1,000 gallons, from the effective date hereof through July 1, 2018;
$6.49 per 1,000 gallons, from July 1, 2018 and beyond. (Ord. 20170815-40, 10-3-2017)
3. The approving authority or its representative shall have the right to waive the requirement of required wastewater test data from each user. However, if it is suspected that the user is contributing a waste with a toxic pollutant in toxic amounts, or prohibited wastes as described in section 7-2-5 of this chapter, or a high organic load to the treatment facilities, the approving authority shall have the right to require the user to provide laboratory test data as directed by the approving authority. (Ord. 12-80, 12-16-1980)
4. The wastewater service charge for normal strength wastewater shall be calculated as follows:
WSC = MC + V(UC) | |||
Where: | |||
WSC | = | Amount of wastewater service charge ($) per billing period | |
MC | = | Minimum charge per customer per billing period | |
V | = | Wastewater volume in thousand gallons per billing period | |
UC | = | Unit charge for wastewater volume | |
(Ord. 10-93, 12-7-1993)
5. For wastewater with waste constituents higher than those specified above, the user charges shall be computed according to the following formula:
WSC = UF + V(G) + B(A) + D(C) + F(E) | |||
Where WSC, and V, are defined above | |||
UF | = | A fixed user fee, per billing period | |
A | = | Unit charge for BOD, in dollars per pound BOD | |
B | = | The pounds of BOD discharged/billing period | |
C | = | Unit charge for suspended solids, dollars per pound SS | |
D | = | The pounds of TSS discharged/billing period | |
E | = | Unit charge for total Kiehldal nitrogen (TKN), dollars per pound. TKN | |
F | = | The pounds of TKN discharged/billing period | |
G | = | Unit charge for wastewater volume, dollars per 1,000 gallons | |
Where the following charges shall apply:
FY 17-18 | FY 18-19 | |
UF | $20.26 | $22.18 |
A | 0.68 | 0.74 |
C | 0.73 | 0.80 |
E | 1.53 | 1.68 |
G | 2.32 | 2.54 |
(Ord. 10-93, 12-7-1993; amd. Ord. 2008-02, 3-4-2008; Ord. 20170815-40, 10-3-2017)
6. Any user which discharges any toxic pollutants which cause an increase in the cost of managing the effluent or the sludge from the City's treatment works, or any user which discharges any substances causing identifiable increases in the cost of operation, maintenance, depreciation, or replacement of the treatment works, shall pay for such increased costs. The charge to each user shall be as determined by the Superintendent and approved by the City Council.
E. Billing Period: The billing period for each user shall be monthly.
F. Payment: Said rates or charges for services shall be payable monthly. The owner of the premises, the occupant thereof and the user of the service shall be jointly and severally liable to pay for the service on such premises, and the service is furnished to the premises by the City, only upon the condition that the owner of the premises, occupant and user of the service are jointly and severally liable therefor to the City. All bills for service shall be rendered as of the first day of the month succeeding the period for which the service is billed, and shall be payable within fifteen (15) days after rendition thereof. If payment of the full amount of the bill is not made within said period, then a penalty of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bill shall be added thereto.
G. Delinquency: In the event the charges for service are not paid within sixty (60) days after rendition of the bill for such monthly service, such charges shall be deemed and are hereby declared to be delinquent, and thereafter such delinquencies shall constitute liens upon the real estate for which such service is supplied, and the City Clerk is hereby authorized to file sworn statements showing such delinquencies in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Muscatine County, and the filing of such statements in such office shall be deemed notice for the payment of such charges for such service.
H. Discontinuance Of Service:
1. In the event of failure to pay sewer user charges after they become delinquent, the City shall have the right to remove or close sewer connections and enter upon the property for accomplishing such purposes.
2. The expense of such removal or closing, as well as the expenses of restoring service, shall likewise be a debt due to the City, and a lien upon property, and may be removed by civil action in the name of the City against the property owner, the person, or both.
I. Restoration Of Service: Sewer service shall not be reinstated until all past due bills, including penalties, removal or closing, and restoration are paid in full, together with a payment made of fifteen dollars ($15.00) for reinstating such service.
J. Special Contract Available For Industrial Waste: No statements contained in this section shall be construed as preventing any special contract or arrangement between the City and any person whereby any nonpermanent industrial waste of unusual strength or character may be accepted by the City for treatment subject to payment therefor by the industrial concern in accordance with the provisions of the user charge ordinance.
K. Duties Of City:
1. It is hereby made the duty of the City Clerk to render bills for service and for all rates and charges in connection therewith and to collect all monies due thereon.
2. All revenues and monies derived from the operation of the sewerage system shall be held by the City separate and apart from his private funds and separate and apart from all other funds of the City, and all of said sum, without any deductions whatever, shall be delivered to the City Treasurer not more than ten (10) days after receipt of the same, or at such more frequent intervals as may from time to time be directed by the Mayor and City Council.
3. The City Treasurer shall receive all such revenues from the sewerage system and all other funds and monies incident to the operation of such system as the same may be delivered to him and deposit the same in a separate fund designated as the "City of West Liberty Sewer Utility Fund", and said Treasurer shall administer such Fund in every respect in the manner provided by the provisions of the Iowa Municipal Code and all laws amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto.
4. The City Manager shall establish a proper system of accounts and shall keep proper books, and records and accounts, in which complete and correct entries shall be made of all transactions relative to the sewerage system, and at regular annual intervals he shall cause to be made an audit by an independent auditing concern of the books to show the receipts and disbursements of the sewerage system.
Revenues generated by the user charge system shall be set aside in separate accounts and applied toward the payment of operation and maintenance and replacement expenses of the treatment works, and to pay principal, interest and other requirements of revenue bonds issued by the City. At least two (2) separate accounts must be established as follows:
Operation and maintenance accounts for the specific purpose of defraying operation and maintenance costs (excluding replacement) of the treatment works. (Ord. 12-80, 12-16-1980)
5. Fiscal year end balances in the primary accounts set forth above shall be carried over to the same accounts in the subsequent fiscal year, and shall be used for no other purposes than those designated for these accounts. Monies which have been transferred from other sources to meet temporary shortages in West Liberty Sewer Utility Fund shall be returned to their respective accounts upon appropriate adjustments of user charge rates. The user charge rate(s) shall be adjusted such that the transferred monies will be returned to their respective accounts within the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the monies were borrowed.
6. The City will review the user charge system at least annually and revise user charge rates as necessary to ensure that the system generates adequate revenues to pay the cost of operation and maintenance, including replacement, and that the system continues to provide for the proportional distribution of operation and maintenance, including replacement costs, among users and user classes.
7. The City will notify each user at least annually, in conjunction with a regular bill, of the rate being charged for operation and maintenance including replacement of the treatment works.
8. A copy of this Chapter, properly certified by the City Clerk, shall be filed in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Muscatine County and shall be deemed notice to all owners of real estate of their liability for service supplied to any user of the service of the sewerage system of the City on their properties. (Ord. 12-80, 12-16-1980; amd. Ord. 10-93, 12-7-1993)