(a) User Charge Imposed. There is hereby levied and assessed upon each lot, parcel of land, building or premises having a sewer connection into the sanitary sewerage system of the City, or otherwise discharging sewage, industrial waste, water or other liquid either directly or indirectly into the City wastewater treatment system, a charge for the use of the system.
(b) Classes of Users. The users of the system may be divided into classes. Classes are groups of users for which the wastewater characteristics are approximately equal and the services provided are essentially the same, as follows:
(1) Inside/outside the City.
A. Nonindustrial users - Residential (single, duplex and multi-family), commercial, motel/hotel, mobile/manufactured home park, public/institutional.
B. Industrial users - As defined in Section 923.04(101).
1. Non-significant industrial users.
2. Significant industrial users.
The City may establish additional classes as are determined to be necessary.
(c) Responsibility for Payment Computation of Charges. Charges for wastewater treatment service shall be paid by each user connected to the system and shall be computed in accordance with the probable demand a user places on the system, as measured by the City water meter installed thereon or by a wastewater meter installed on the discharge pipe therefrom (or as estimated by the City). The cost of the installation, operation and maintenance of the wastewater meter, and all other costs for the meter, shall be paid by the user.
(d) Special Basis of Charges. If a considerable amount of water delivered to any premises is not returned to the wastewater disposal system of the City, the City may establish a special basis upon which the sewage disposal charges to such premises will be computed or, upon a determination by either the City or the customer that the use of direct metering of sanitary sewage flow is necessary or is a more equitable method of determining sewage disposal charges, the City may order the installation of wastewater meters. The cost of the installation, operation and maintenance of such meters and all other costs for the meter shall be paid by the user.
(e) Rate Schedule. Charges for services for each billing period against each lot, parcel of land or premises having a connection with the system, or otherwise discharging wastewater, sanitary sewage, industrial waste, water or other liquid either directly or indirectly to the system, shall be, in amounts to be determined, based on the quantity of water consumption on the premises and the probable demand placed on the wastewater during the applicable billing period, as shown in Attachment A following this chapter.
(f) Sewer Capital Charges. The sewer capital shall be charged monthly to each user connected to the treatment system in the amounts set forth in Attachment C following this chapter.
(g) Unit Rate Charges. The unit rate charge shall be added to the capital charge to obtain the minimum monthly charge as set forth in Attachment C following this chapter.
(h) Billing. Bills are due and payable for all utilities on the first business day of each month indicated on the bill. The last day for payment of all utility bills is the eighteenth day of the month.
If a bill for service has not been paid by the eighteenth day of the month, as indicated on the bill, the City shall furnish written notice to the delinquent user that service shall be discontinued on the twenty-fourth day of the month. If the twenty-fourth day of the month falls on Saturday or Sunday or any legal holiday, the first business day thereafter shall be considered as the last day to pay before discontinuation of any utility service.
(i) Minimum Charges Proration; Additional Charges.
(1) Any user discharging waste to the system shall be charged for a minimum quantity of flow, as shown in Attachment B following this chapter.
(2) Whenever a bill is rendered for less than a billing period, the capital charge shall be prorated for the number of days the service was rendered in the billing period. All wastewater discharged shall be billed at the then applicable user charge rate.
(3) An additional minimum charge for sewer service shall be added monthly for each dwelling unit or separate commercial establishment, over one, served by the same meter. Minimum charges for additional dwelling units served by the same meter and billed to one account will be appropriate multiples of this schedule.
(j) High Strength Surcharges and Miscellaneous Charges. High strength surcharges and charges for miscellaneous services shall be determined by the City Engineer. The current schedule for high strength surcharges and miscellaneous charges is contained in Attachment B following this chapter. The charges may be revised by the Superintendent and approved by the City Manager, as deemed appropriate. The Finance Director shall devise and procure the appropriate billing forms for such miscellaneous charges. The Superintendent shall turn over to the Finance Director, in the manner prescribed by law, all moneys received as a result of the miscellaneous charges, which moneys shall be credited to the Sewer Fund.
(k) Responsibility for Payment; Unpaid Accounts. Owners of property shall be held responsible for wastewater used on their premises, but payments will be accepted from tenants thereof. In case the tenants do not pay in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Department of Wastewater Treatment, sewer service will not be supplied to the property. All unpaid accounts for wastewater service shall be certified to the County Auditor for collection with general taxes in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio.
(l) Shut-Off of Service for Repairs, Extension, etc. The City reserves the right, at any time, to shut off sewer service in the mains for the purpose of making repairs or extensions or for other necessary purposes.
(m) Charges for Damage to the System. A system user who is responsible for damage to the system shall be charged the full cost of repair of the damage to the system. The cost shall include, but is not limited to, labor, equipment, materials, administrative expenses, interest on borrowed funds, engineering, legal or other professional fees and charges to the City by other utilities or departments.
(n) Additional Meters. A customer of the City water system may purchase an additional meter from the City and install the water meter at the customer's own expense on an outside water line used by the customer solely for the watering of lawns or other outdoor activities where the water used does not return to or enter the City sanitary or combined sewerage systems. Any water used through such a meter shall not be billed as a separate water meter, but rather the water used through such a meter shall be added to the customer's regular meter usage and billed as part of the minimum or additional water consumption of the customer, as provided. However, the customer shall not be liable to pay any charge for sanitary sewerage usage in connection with water used through such a water meter on such an outside water line.
(o) Retroactive Application of Charges. After the effective date of this section, all bills issued for sewage service shall be computed at the rate specified in this section, regardless of when the actual service was provided.
(Ord. 4782. Passed 12-20-99; Ord. 4861. Passed 11-20-00; Ord. 4948. Passed 1-7-02; Ord. 5005. Passed 12-16-02; Ord. 5056. Passed 8-18-03; Ord. 5077. Passed 12-1-03; Ord. 5117. Passed 11-15-04; Ord. 5160. Passed 11-7-05; Ord. 5206. Passed 12-4-06; Ord. 5243. Passed 11-19-07; Ord. 5288. Passed 11-17-08; Ord. 5336. Passed 11-2-09; Ord. 5384. Passed 11-15-10; Ord. 5442. Passed 12-5-11; Ord. 5478. Passed 7-2-12; Ord. 5491. Passed 12-3-12; Ord. 5531-13. Passed 11-4-13; Ord. 5574-14. Passed 12-15-14; Ord. 5825-19. Passed 5-20-19; Ord. 5865-20. Passed 10-19-20; Ord. 5923-22. Passed 11-7-22; Ord. 5976-24. Passed 6-3-24.)