A.
A County-wide unified sanitary sewer service charge or an individual
water service charge shall be established each year for the Unified
Sanitary Sewer District and any water district respectively. The County
shall set the service charges during the annual Sussex County budget
process.
B.
Sufficiency of charges.
(1)
The sanitary sewer service charge shall be sufficient to reimburse
the County for sums to be expended for operating, maintaining and
improving the sewer system and for a proportion, as determined by
the County, of sums to be expended for retiring bonds which have been
issued for planning, designing, acquiring and constructing the sewer
treatment and transmission systems.
(2)
The water service charge shall be sufficient to reimburse the County
for sums to be expended for operating, maintaining and improving the
water system and for a proportion, as determined by the County, of
sums to be expended for retiring bonds which have been issued for
planning, designing, acquiring and constructing the water system.
C.
The amount required each year for sewer or water service charges
shall be based upon the equivalent dwelling units defined hereafter
and upon the provisions of this chapter.
D.
One equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) shall be equal to 250 GPD in discharge
and determined as enumerated below:
[Amended 8-20-2019 by Ord. No. 2677; 1-7-2020 by Ord. No. 2698]
|
Type of Establishment
|
Number of EDUs
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Dwelling, detached or attached or apartment with one kitchen
and one or more baths and two or more bedrooms separate from kitchen
|
1.0
| |
|
Any manufactured home (with a Motor Vehicle title) with one
kitchen and one or more baths
|
1.0
| |
|
Apartment, condo or rental vacation cottage having either a
single combined living space with an integrated kitchen or a maximum
of one bedroom and having one bath
|
0.75
| |
|
Motel or hotel room without kitchen and with bath
|
1/3 per room
| |
|
Retail store(s) building(s) 0.083 GPD/SF
|
1.0/3,000 square feet
| |
|
1.0 minimum per building
| ||
|
Laundromat, 250 GPD/washer
|
6.0 minimum
| |
|
Office units, 0.25 GPD/square foot
|
1.0/1,000 square feet
| |
|
1.0 minimum per building
| ||
|
Car wash
| ||
|
Self-service
|
1.0 per stall
| |
|
Self-service and recycling water
|
0.2 per stall
| |
|
Semi-automatic (mechanical without conveyor)
|
5.0 per stall
| |
|
Semi-automatic (mechanical without conveyor) conserving and
recycling water
|
1.2 per stall
| |
|
Automatic with conveyor
|
33.0 per lane
| |
|
Automatic with conveyor conserving and recycling water
|
13.6 per lane
| |
|
Emergency centers and special treatment centers
|
1.0 EDU per treatment room or treatment bay
| |
|
Hospitals
|
1.0 EDU per overnight bed capacity and treatment room
| |
|
Nursing homes, assisted living, rehabilitation, and detox facilities
and halfway houses
|
0.33 EDU per bed
| |
E.
The Engineer may adjust the EDU assessment for commercial laundromats
or commercial car washes based on specific water conservation equipment
to be installed utilizing equipment manufacturer's specifications.
F.
Establishments listed below shall be assigned equivalent dwelling
units as multiples of one equivalent dwelling unit (EDU). A minimum
of one equivalent dwelling unit will be assigned per account.
G.
One equivalent dwelling unit shall be equal to six fixture units.
For assessment purposes, plumbing fixtures shall be assigned units
as follows:
(2)
Lavatory: one fixture unit.
(3)
Toilet: two fixture units.
(4)
Bath and shower: one fixture unit.
(5)
Flush urinal: one fixture unit.
(6)
Domestic dishwasher: one fixture unit.
(7)
Commercial dishwasher: three fixture units.
(8)
Drinking fountain: one fixture unit.
(9)
Domestic washing machine: one fixture unit.
(10)
Faucet: one fixture unit.
(11)
Floor/trench drain: one fixture unit.
H.
Establishments listed below shall be assigned equivalent dwelling
units (EDUs) as a fixed number of equivalent dwelling units plus a
number of equivalent dwelling units based on the number of fixture
units (FUs).
[Amended 8-20-2019 by Ord. No. 2677]
|
Type of Establishment
|
Number of EDUs
|
|---|---|
|
Drive-in food service
|
1 EDU + FU/6 EDUs
|
|
Delicatessen, eat-in and take-out
|
1 EDU + FU/6 EDUs
|
|
Bars and lounges with no food service
|
1 EDU/150 seats + FU/6 EDUs
|
|
Restaurants and eating places, including combination eat-in
and take-out and eating places with bar(s)
|
1 EDU/50 seats + FU/6 EDUs
|
|
Car dealerships without service bays
|
1.0/3,000 square feet
|
|
Car dealerships with service bays
|
1.0/3,000 square feet + FU/6 EDUs for bays
|
|
Service station with bays
|
1 EDU + FU/6 EDUs
|
|
General workshop for any trade
|
FU/6 EDUs; 1 EDU min
|
|
Funeral home
|
FU/6 EDUs; 1 EDU min
|
|
Grocery stores
|
1 EDU + (#FUs/6)
|
|
Convenience stores
|
1.0 EDU + (#FUs/4)
|
|
Marina without boat waste-pumping facilities
|
1 EDU/200 boat slips + FU/6 EDUs
|
|
Marina with boat waste-pumping facilities
|
1 EDU/100 boat slips + FU/6 EDUs
|
|
Campgrounds and recreational vehicle parks with waste-handling
and/or water facilities
|
1 EDU/4 sites + FU/6 EDUs
|
|
Campgrounds and recreational vehicle parks without waste-handling
and water facilities
|
1 EDU/8 sites + FU/6 EDUs
|
|
Theaters, indoor
|
1 EDU/60 seats
|
|
Theaters, outdoor
|
1 EDU/30 spaces
|
I.
Equivalent dwelling units shall be assigned to establishments not
covered above to assure that each establishment, in the opinion of
the Engineer, is given a reasonable assignment compatible with each
establishment.
J.
If an establishment does not have any physical improvements which
have a load-producing effect on the water system or the sewer system,
then its number of equivalent dwelling units assigned shall be zero.
K.
The number of EDUs assigned to an establishment may be changed if
there is a change in any of the considerations, such as size or use
of facilities, used in assigning the EDUs originally.
A.
In the form and content determined to be appropriate by the County,
the water service charge shall be developed based upon consideration
of such factors as volume, capacity or peak rates of water use and
the number of equivalent dwelling units assigned to the users of the
water system.
B.
Where a property subject to a water service charge is equipped with
a water meter, the portion of the service charge related to water
consumption may be based on or computed on the consumption of water
as indicated by the water meter. For properties not served by a water
meter or where metered water consumption is not known, an estimated
quantity of water use associated with the number of equivalent dwelling
units assigned to the property shall be used in lieu of metered water
consumption.
A.
In the form and content determined to be appropriate by the County,
the sewer service charge shall be developed based upon consideration
of such factors as volume, capacity or peak rates of flow, sewage
strength and the number of equivalent dwelling units assigned to the
users of the Unified Sanitary Sewer District.
A.
The sanitary sewer service charge or the water service charge shall
be billed and collected on a regularly scheduled basis established
by the County.
B.
A sanitary sewer service charge or a water service charge shall apply
to any person or entity with a direct or indirect connection to the
respective system for the use of said services.
C.
A sanitary sewer service charge or a water service charge shall be
charged to any person or entity contracting for direct or indirect
connection with or the use of services of the respective sewer or
water system. Such sanitary sewer service charges or water service
charges shall be charged to and collected from the owner or occupant,
or both of them, of any real property which directly or indirectly
is or has been connected with the respective sewer or water system.
The owner or occupant, or both of them, of any such real property
shall be liable for and shall pay such respective sanitary sewer service
charges or water service charges to the County.
D.
Any improved property with physical access to the sewer and/or water
not connecting to the County's sewer and/or water system after the
time allotted for connection as dictated in the official connection
letter shall be subject to an availability fee expressed in a percentage
of the annual service charge. The County shall set the percentage
associated with the service availability fee during the annual Sussex
County budget process.
A.
In the event that a service charge with regard to any parcel of real
property is not paid as and when due, interest shall accrue and be
due to the County on the unpaid balance at the rate of 1% simple interest
per month or any fraction thereof until the service charge and interest
thereon shall be fully paid to the County.
B.
In the event that a service charge with regard to any parcel of real
property is not paid as and when due, the County government may, in
its discretion, enter upon such parcel and cause the connection thereof
leading directly or indirectly to the sewerage or water system to
be cut and shut off until the service charge and any subsequent service
charges with regard to such parcel and all interest accrued thereon
are fully paid.
A.
If a parcel encompasses two or more adjoining lots or multiple structures
occupied and used for the same purpose, the owner of said parcel may
request additional sewer lateral(s) or water service(s).
B.
The charge for such additional sewer lateral(s) or water service(s)
shall be set by the County and shall reflect actual cost of contractual
labor and material plus County cost associated with administration
and inspection.
C.
The charges shall be billed based on the estimated cost of the proposed
scope of work and due prior to commencement of the actual construction.
At the time of completion, the charges will be adjusted with any additional
costs due immediately or refunds issued promptly.
D.
All charges for work performed by the County under this section shall
be considered liens on the property, and the County shall reserve
the right to refuse any additional work to such properties until all
liens have been satisfied.
