(A) Legislative findings. As an incident to the enactment of this section, the County Council finds that the county has acquired and operates water and sewer systems as a part of the county’s combined utility system. The Council finds that the previously adopted schedule of permanent rates, fees and charges for the orderly administration of the county’s combined utility system, hereinafter referred to as the “county system,” should be amended in order to provide sufficient revenues to retire revenue bonds issued for the county system; pay all costs and expenses incurred in the construction, operation and capital improvement of the county system and provide a reasonable return upon county investments in the county system. The Council finds that the schedule of rates and charges established by this section is reasonable, proper and appropriate in order to provide for the operation, administration, construction and maintenance of the county system.
(B) Establishment of rates, fees and charges. The following schedules of rates, fees and charges are hereby established and shall apply to water and/or sewer services provided by the county system, effective on December 18, 2006:
(1) Account activation fee. Upon application for service for water and/or sewer service, a nonrefundable account activation fee of $30 will be charged.
(2) Water rate schedule. The water rate schedule for the county system, available to residential, commercial, industrial and wholesale customers, through a single meter at one delivery point is as follows:
Water Rate Schedule
Description | Rates |
Base charges, no flow (meter size in inches) |
Description | Rates |
Base charges, no flow (meter size in inches) | |
3/4 | $9.53 |
1 | $15.92 |
1 ½ | $31.73 |
2 | $50.79 |
3 | $95.30 |
4 | $158.87 |
6 | $317.63 |
8 | $508.23 |
10 | $730.67 |
12 | $1,365.93 |
14 and greater | $2,033.03 |
Consumption Cost/1,000 gallons | |
Residential | $5.99 |
Commercial | $6.79 |
Wholesale | $5.18 |
(3) Water service deposit. Any person applying for connection with the county system shall be required to make a deposit for that service. Deposits are refundable after two years if no late charges have been incurred. Water service deposits are based upon the following:
Tap Size (inches) | Deposit |
3/4 (standard residential) | $50 |
1 | $100 |
Water service deposits for meters larger than one inch are calculated and based on two months estimated water usage, utilizing the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Department’s Guidelines for Unit Contributory Loadings. Water service deposits are not assessed for school and governmental entities.
(4) Water tap fees. The following water tap fees shall be applicable to residential and commercial water taps to the county’s system distribution system that are installed by the county. Tap fees will be based upon the following, which include the cost of the meter:
Tap Size (inches) | Cost |
3/4 (standard residential) | $1,250 |
1 | $1,750 |
1-1/2 | $3,000 |
2 | $3,250 |
3 and greater | cost of materials (including meter) and labor |
(5) Water capacity or impact fees. The following capacity or impact fees shall be applicable to new residential and commercial customers to the county's water distribution system, and to existing buildings and structures for which the use has changed to increase the number of single-family equivalents per service unit. Capacity or impact fees are applicable, whether the customer or the property is a retail customer of the county, or is located within an area desiring wholesale service from the county. Impact fees will be based upon the following:
Tap Size (inches) | Cost |
Tap Size (inches) | Cost |
3/4 (standard residential) | $1,725.50 |
1 | $2,881 |
1-1/2 | $5,746 |
2 | $9,197 |
3 | $18,411 |
4 | $28,764 |
6 | $57,510 |
8 | $92,021 |
10 | $132,294 |
(6) Water meter set fees. The following meter set fees shall be applicable to residential and commercial water meters that are installed by the county. Meter set fees will be based upon the following:
Tap Size (inches) | Cost |
3/4 (standard residential) | $450 |
1 | $550 |
1-1/2 | $850 |
2 | $1,100 |
3 and greater | cost of materials (including meter) and labor |
(7) Irrigation taps. Irrigation service taps are available to county customers who have existing water service or who have applied for water service. All taps for irrigation service will be made to the customer’s service line, and include the installation of the irritation water meter. All other fees are applicable except sewer use fees. The irrigation tap fees shall be based on the county’s average cost of installing an irrigation service tap. The fees are to be adjusted from time to time by the county manager to reflect changing costs. In cases where the county does not incur expense in the installation of an irrigation service tap, no tap fee shall be charged by the county to the customer. The irrigation tap fees are as follows:
Tap Size (inches) | Fee |
3/4 (standard residential) | $550 |
1 | $750 |
1-1/2 | $1,000 |
2 | $1,250 |
(8) Reconnection fee. The fee for reconnection of water service shall be $50.
(9) Water service from fire hydrants; limitations.
(a) Water may be used from county system fire hydrants for any purpose, after receiving approval in writing from the county water and sewer department, addressing the nature and character of special usage involved. Upon the approval, the county shall install a meter upon the hydrant from which the water is to be drawn for purposes of measurement. At the conclusion of required usage or in any event within ten days after any billing, the applicant shall pay to the county a charge established pursuant to the following schedule: for each 1,000 gallons, the standard commercial rate as defined herein. Water trucks/tanks shall incorporate an air gap to protect the system from back siphoning.
(b) The county requires a $500 deposit and a nonrefundable connection fee of $100 as a prerequisite to the granting of authorization for temporary fire hydrant service. Any use of water from county system fire hydrants without authorization, as required by division (9)(a) above, shall be unlawful and is prohibited.
(10) Sewer rate schedule. The sewer rate schedule for the county system, available to residential, commercial or industrial users and the charges therefor, which are based on consumption of water, shall be as set forth in the following schedule:
Sewer Rate Schedule
Description | Rates |
Base charges, no flow (meter size in inches*) | *based on water meter size |
Description | Rates |
Base charges, no flow (meter size in inches*) | *based on water meter size |
3/4 | $8.53 |
1 | $14.25 |
1 ½ | $28.40 |
2 | $45.46 |
3 | $85.30 |
4 | $142.20 |
6 | $284.30 |
8 | $454.90 |
10 | $654.00 |
12 | $1,222.60 |
14 and greater | $1,819.70 |
Consumption Cost/1,000 gallons | |
Residential | $7.64 |
Commercial | $8.40 |
Wholesale | $6.18 |
(11) Sewer service deposit. Any person applying for a connection with the county system shall be required to make a deposit for that service. Residential sewer deposits for gravity sewer services four inches or less, and residential low pressure sewer force mains two inches or less are $50 per service. All commercial and industrial sewer service deposits are calculated and based on two months estimated water usage, utilizing the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Department’s Guidelines for Unit Contributory Loadings. Sewer service deposits are not assessed for school and governmental entities.
(12) Sewer tap fees. The following sewer tap fees shall be applicable to all sewer taps to the county’s collection system, when the taps are completed by the county. Tap fees will be based upon the following:
Gravity Sewer Tap Size (inches) | Force Main Tap Size (inches) | Cost |
4 or less | 2 or less | $1,500 |
6 | 3 | $2,000 |
8 or more | 4 or more | cost of materials and labor |
(13) Sewer capacity or impact fees. The following capacity or impact fees shall be applicable to new residential and commercial customers to the county's sewer collection system, and to existing buildings and structures for which the use has changed to increase the number of single-family equivalents (SFEs) per service unit. Capacity or impact fees are applicable whether the customer or the property is a retail customer of the county, or is located within an area desiring wholesale service from the county. Capacity or impact fees will be based upon the following:
Sewer Service
|
Capacity or Impact Fee
| ||
Meter Size (inches) | SFEs Per Meter | Per SFE | Per Meter |
Sewer Service
|
Capacity or Impact Fee
| ||
Meter Size (inches) | SFEs Per Meter | Per SFE | Per Meter |
3/4 | 1.00 | $2,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
1 | 1.67 | $2,000.00 | $3,340.00 |
1-1/2 | 3.33 | $2,000.00 | $6,660.00 |
2 | 5.33 | $2,000.00 | $10,660.00 |
3 | 10.67 | $2,000.00 | $21,340.00 |
4 | 16.67 | $2,000.00 | $33,340.00 |
6 | 33.33 | $2,000.00 | $66,660.00 |
8 | 53.33 | $2,000.00 | $106,660.00 |
10 | 76.67 | $2,000.00 | $153,340.00 |
(14) Private fire services. Any person applying for connection to the county water system for the purpose of a private fire service line shall be required to meet the following requirements:
(a) The customer shall install, at his or her expense, a complete fire service connection, including but not limited to, the tap, a double-check detector assembly, and the connection to his or her system. All construction, including the approval of materials, shall be coordinated with the county’s water and sewer department. The double-check detector assembly shall be placed on the right-of-way, and county water and sewer personnel shall be given access for the purpose of reading the bypass meter;
(b) Tap fees for fire service lines shall be an administrative charge of $500;
(c) The base rate for the private fire service shall be equivalent to the commercial/industrial base rate for the size of the bypass meter set on the double-check detector assembly. If flow is detected by the bypass meter for any reason, including maintenance or leakage, the owner shall be charged the standard commercial rate for water used. In the event of fire flow, the owner shall be charged the standard commercial rate, based upon the estimated amount of water used;
(d) Private fire service taps are available to county customers who have existing water service or who have applied for water service.
(15) Utility service agreements.
(a) The county manager may approve utility service agreements under which water tap fees, required by division (B)(4) above, and sewer tap fees, required by division (B)(12) above, are to be paid in no more than three equal annual installments; provided that the property to be served was developed at the time of construction of mains from which service is to be provided, and that public water and sewer service was therefore unavailable at the time of development.
(b) In order to approve the utility service agreements provided for payment of tap fees in installments, the county manager must ensure that the following conditions exist:
1. If both public water and sewer service are available, the applicant must agree to connect to both systems;
2. In the case of water service, the property must be served by a private well or wells at the time application for service is made, and the applicant must agree to disconnect all applicable plumbing fixtures of the property from the private system in a manner approved by the county and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC);
3. A private well may continue to be operated for irrigation or similar purposes. In the case of sewer service, the property must be served by a septic tank or tanks or similar private treatment system at the time of application for public service is made, and the applicant must agree to disconnect all plumbing fixtures from the existing treatment system and abandon the system in a manner approved by the county and the SCDHEC;
4. A written agreement must be executed by both parties which specifies terms of initial and subsequent payments toward the required tap fee(s), and which further provides that amounts held in abeyance shall constitute a lien against real property served by the connection or connections and that the terms of the agreement are enforceable against the applicant’s successors and assigns;
5. All other terms and conditions of this section shall apply to service provided under this chapter.
(16) Wheeling rate agreements.
(a) Upon request of a political subdivision operating within York County for the application of a wheeling rate, the Council shall undertake the conduction of a rate study; the payment of the study may be negotiated in advance with the requesting governmental entity.
(b) In evaluating the appropriate wheeling rate, the study, which may be re-evaluated and amended from time to time, shall consider such aspects as proportionate share of the annual depreciated expenses associated with the assets that provide service to the ultimate customers; rate of return to the county for investment in the assets; proportionate share of operating and maintenance expenses related to the assets; and such other aspects as may be germane to the specific request.
(c) Upon conclusion of the study, the county and requesting political subdivision shall endeavor to enter an intergovernmental agreement specifying the adoption of the study and the application and implementation of the rate.
(17) Former Blue Granite Franchise Area Surcharge.
(a) All customers that are located in the “CWS Franchise Territory,” as that term is used in that certain Franchise Agreement dated February 5, 2018, by and between York County, South Carolina, and Carolina Water Service (predecessor in interest to Blue Granite Water Company), and which has now been terminated, shall pay a flat surcharge (the “Surcharge”) to defray the cost of the county acquiring the water and sewer utility system owned by Blue Granite Water Company (“Blue Granite”) and operated within the Clover/River Hills/Lake Wylie area of York County (the “Blue Granite System”).
(b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, the surcharge shall be the lesser of (1) $60 per month per account, or (ii) such amount as may be determined by the County Manager, or his designee, as sufficient to meet the purposes of the surcharge. Thereafter the surcharge authorized by this division shall be set and approved by County Council as part of the annual budget, or any supplement thereto. The amount of the surcharge will be recalculated every five years or sooner if a material change occurs effecting the cost of acquiring the system.
(c) The surcharge shall begin and be included with the first monthly bill issued by the county following its acquisition of the Blue Granite System, and shall terminate not later than the end of the fiscal year in which the maturity or prior redemption of the revenue bonds of the county issued to defray, reimburse, or refinance the costs of acquiring the Blue Granite System occurs.
(‘77 Code, § 7-9) (Ord. 484, passed 5-7-84; Am. Ord. 6296, passed 12-16-96; Am. Ord. 398, passed 1-5-98; Am. Ord. 1999, passed 3-1-99; Am. Ord. 4202, passed 10-21-02; Am. Ord. 5206, passed 12-18-06; Am. Ord. 6017, passed 12-4-17; Am. Ord. 3619, passed 9-3-19; Am. Ord. 6219, passed 12-16-19; Am. Ord. 2521, passed 6-7-21; Am. Ord. 2422, passed 6-6-22; Am. Ord. 223, passed 2-6-23; Am. Ord. 2923, passed 6-5-23)