Township of Lower Moreland, PA Article I Sewer Rental District

[Adopted 3-11-1968 by Ord. No. 142; amended in its entirety 8-18-2004 by Ord. No. 560[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for an effective date of 10-1-2004.

§ 160-1 Single sewer rental district created.

All previously adopted Sewer Districts No. I through No. 6 are hereby eliminated for all sewer rental purposes. All properties connected in any portion of Lower Moreland Township to any portion of the Lower Moreland sewer system shall be in one sewer district for calculation of sewer rental charges. The different districts are not eliminated for all purposes, and the different districts shall still apply as to the determination of tapping fee amounts.

§ 160-2 Annual sewer rental.

A. There is hereby imposed the following sewer rentals upon each property which is either served by the Lower Moreland sewer system, or which has access to the sewer system and is under an obligation to connect to the sewer system.

[Amended 9-19-2007 by Ord. No. 597; 11-21-2007 by Ord. No. 599; 12-15-2010 by Ord. No. 633; 12-10-2013 by Ord. No. 674; 12-9-2014 by Ord. No. 691; 12-8-2015 by Ord. No. 709; 12-13-2016 by Ord. No. 724; 1-1-2018 by Ord. No. 733; 12-11-2018 by Ord. No. 740; 12-10-2019 by Ord. No. 747[1]; 12-13-2022 by Ord. No. 768]

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance provided an effective date of 1-1-2020.

B. The sewer rentals for all properties shall be calculated as follows.

[Amended 3-16-2005 by Ord. No. 567; 9-19-2007 by Ord. No. 597; 11-21-2007 by Ord. No. 599; 12-15-2010 by Ord. No. 633; 12-10-2013 by Ord. No. 674; 12-9-2014 by Ord. No. 691; 12-8-2015 by Ord. No. 709; 12-13-2016 by Ord. No. 724; 1-1-2018 by Ord. No. 733; 12-11-2018 by Ord. No. 740; 12-10-2019 by Ord. No. 747[2]; 12-13-2022 by Ord. No. 768]

(1) For all single-family residential properties which receive their water solely from a public water supplier the sewer rental shall be a combination of: a) a base charge of $88 per quarter; plus b) a charge of $3.17 per 1,000 gallons of metered water usage in excess of 7,000 gallons of metered water usage during the preceding quarter.

(2) For all multifamily residential customers which receive their water solely from a public water supplier the sewer rental shall be a combination of a charge of $88 for each unit per quarter, plus a charge of $3.17 per 1,000 gallons of metered water usage in excess of 7,000 gallons multiplied by the number of units.

(3) For all single-family residential properties which receive their water from a private well or from any source other than a public water supplier the sewer bill shall be set at $103 per quarter. Such amount shall be adjusted to the average bill of all single-family residential customers, rounded down to the nearest whole dollar in the event the Township Engineer at any time shall determine that the average single-family residential bill for the preceding two years is less than the amount set forth.

(4) For all multifamily residential customers which receive any portion of the water from a private well the sewer rental shall be $103 per unit per quarter. Such charge for each unit shall be adjusted to the average bill of all single-family residential customers rounded down to the closest whole dollar in the event the Township Engineer at any time shall determine that the average single-family residential bill for the preceding two years is less than the amount set forth.

(5) For all commercial, industrial, or institutional properties as defined in § 160-13, the sewer rental shall be a combination of a base charge of $110 per quarter plus $12.70 per 1,000 gallons of metered water usage in excess of 14,000 gallons per quarter.

[2] Editor's Note: This ordinance provided an effective date of 1-1-2020.

C. For all customers (single-family residential, multifamily residential, and commercial/industrial/institutional) in former District 5 as it existed prior to the adoption of this amended article, and who were connected before the adoption of this amended article, there shall be a surcharge of 25% on their sewer bill for the first four quarter bills issued under this amended article. Such surcharge is an adjustment due to the fact that prior to the adoption of this amended article, the customers in former Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 were billed at the start of each quarter for their usage of the sewers in the quarter following the bill, while prior to the adoption of this amended article the customers in former District 5 were billed for their past usage during the quarter preceding the bill. If any customer is connected for the first time in former District 5 after the adoption of this amended article, the surcharge shall not apply to that customer.

D. The sewer rental shall be billed quarterly. All sewer bills shall be billed at the start of each quarter and shall cover the quarter following the issuance of the bill. The bill shall be based upon the water consumption for the property during a preceding quarter.

E. In the calculation of water consumption for purposes of the calculation of sewer rentals, the sewer rental shall be based upon the net water consumption after the deduction of any allowance for swimming pools.

F. It has been assumed in the calculation of the sewer rates set forth in this amended article that each customer uses a portion of its water for uses which do not generate sewage, such as watering flowers or similar uses. The sewer rates are based upon an assumption that 5% of the metered water volume during a calendar year is utilized in a manner that is not expected to generate sewage. If any customer shall challenge any of these sewer rates, the burden shall be on the customer to establish that such customer uses more than 5% of its metered water during the course of a calendar year in a manner which does not generate sewage.

G. With regard to any property which at any time is required to be connected to the public sewer but which is not actually connected, sewer rental shall be billed and shall be owed as if such property had actually connected as of the first day of the quarter beginning after the date such property was under an obligation to connect.

H. No meter shall be allowed or recognized by the Township for water usage either as to measuring water received from a well or water received from any other source which is not a public water provider, which public water supplier has provided the meter, or measuring water used by a customer for any purpose which does not generate sewage.

§ 160-3 (Reserved)

§ 160-4 Delinquent bills; penalties.

A. Quarterly charges. All quarterly charges for sewer service shall be subject to a penalty of 10% per annum if not paid within the first 60 days after the date of the bill.

[Amended 12-13-2022 by Ord. No. 768]

B. All persons connected to the sewer system must give the Township their correct address to which the bills are to be sent. In the absence of any address having been provided to the Township by the owner, the Township shall be authorized to send the bill to the owner at the address of the property connected to the public sewer system. Failure to receive bills will not be considered an excuse for nonpayment, nor permit an extension of the period during which bills are payable at face amount, nor be an excuse to avoid the imposition of any penalty, nor otherwise be an excuse to prevent the Township from taking any action permitted under the Township's ordinances or under any applicable law.

C. Payments made, as evidenced by the United States Post Office mark, on or previous to the end of the period during which the bills are payable at face will be deemed to be a payment within such period. All persons connected to the sewer system must give the Township their correct address to which the bills are to be sent. In the absence of any address having been provided to the Township by the owner, the Township shall be authorized to send the bill to the owner at the address of the property connected to the public sewer system. Failure to receive bills will not be considered an excuse for nonpayment, nor permit an extension of the period during which bills are payable at face amount, nor be an excuse to avoid the imposition of any penalty, nor otherwise be an excuse to prevent the Township from taking any action permitted under the Township's ordinances or under any applicable law.

D. All sewer rentals, together with all penalties thereon, not paid on or before the end of one year from the date of each bill shall be deemed to be delinquent. All delinquent sewer rentals and all penalties thereon shall be a lien on the property served and shall be entered as a lien against such property in the office of the Prothonotary of Montgomery County and shall be collected in the manner provided by law for the filing and collection of such liens.

E. The Township shall be entitled to assess its cost of collection of delinquent sewer rental bills, including reasonable attorneys' fees as set forth by separate fee resolution.

[Added 12-13-2022 by Ord. No. 768]

§ 160-5 Modifications to rates, charges, rules and regulations.

A. The Township reserves the right to and may from time to time adopt, revise, amend and readopt such rules and regulations as it deems necessary and proper for the use and operation of the sewer system, and all such rules and regulations shall be and become a part of this article. A copy of such rules and regulations shall be available at the Township office during business hours.

B. The Township reserves the right to make such changes from time to time as, in its opinion, may be desirable or beneficial and to amend this article or to change the rates or charges in such manner and at such time as, in its opinion, may be advisable.