If the volume or character of the waste to be
treated does not cause overloading of the sewage collection, transmission,
or treatment facilities, then the person making the discharge pays
a user charge to be determined from the schedule of charges. The user
charges assessed to the discharger pursuant to this section shall
include but not be limited to the user's proportionate share of the
following:
A. Amortization of all applicable capital outlays and
the proportionate part of the value of the existing wastewater system
used in handling and treating the waste;
B. Operation and maintenance costs, including salaries
and wages, power costs, costs of chemicals and supplies, proper allowances
for maintenance, depreciation, overhead and office expenses. If the
volume or character of the waste to be treated required that wastewater
collection, treatment or other disposal facilities be improved, expanded
or enlarged in order to treat the waste, then prior to issuance of
a wastewater discharge permit, the Mayor and Council and the person
making the discharge shall enter into an agreement which provides
that the discharger pay in full all added costs that may be incurred
due to acceptance of the waste.
All users may be classified by assigning each
one to a user classification category according to the principal activity
conducted on the user's premises and/or based on the typical wastewater
constituents and characteristics for that type of user as determined
by the Mayor and Council. The purpose of such classification is to
facilitate the regulation of wastewater discharges, to provide an
effective means of source control, and to establish an equitable system
of user charges and fees.
A user charge shall be adopted based on the
wastewater constituents and volume. The charges for wastewater constituents
and characteristics shall be established by the Mayor and Council
and set forth in the schedule of charges and fees, which may include
but not be limited to:
A. User classification charges;
B. Fees for monitoring, if requested;
C. Fees for permit applications;
D. Charges and fees based on wastewater constituents
and characteristics.
Each user, not required to obtain a wastewater
discharge permit, shall pay the applicable user charge as established
and set forth in the schedule of user charges and fees. The Mayor
and Council may elect to set a unit charge for certain user classification
based on estimated wastewater constituents and charges, the typical
average strength of domestic wastewater shall be defined as: BOD 205
mg/l; suspended solids 250 mg/l.
Users who are issued a wastewater discharge
permit under the provisions of this chapter shall pay a user charge
determined by a methodology which incorporates both the wastewater
constituent and characteristic data and the volume of wastewater discharged.
In applying the schedule of charges, the Mayor
and Council may use the figure representing the flow discharges into
the sewer system by:
A. The amount of water supplied to the premises as shown
upon the water meter, if the premises are metered; or
B. The volume of wastewater discharged into the sewer
as determined by measurements by sewer meters and samples taken at
a manhole;
C. Allowance for employees; or
D. A figure determined by the Mayor and Council by any
combination of the foregoing or by any other equitable method.