Borough of Quarryville, PA Article I Sewer Rents and Charges

[Adopted 5-17-1960 by Ord. No. 123]

§ 315-1 Imposition of rents.

[Amended 10-7-1963 by Ord. No. 142; 1-4-1965 by Ord. No. 149; 2-6-1967 by Ord. No. 159; 1-4-1982 by Ord. No. 216; 1-20-1983 by Ord. No. 222; 5-7-1984 by Ord. No. 229]

Sewer rents are hereby fixed and imposed and shall be collected in quarterly installments from the owners of, or users of water in or on, each improved property connected with the sewage collection system (based on the quantity of water supplied by the Borough as determined by the periodic readings of its water meters, or by periodic readings of such discharge or other meters as may be installed pursuant to § 315-3) at the rate of $20 for the first 8,000 gallons or any part thereof and $2.50 per 1,000 gallons for each additional 1,000 gallons, or any part thereof, in excess of 8,000 gallons.

§ 315-2 Separate properties.

Each separate dwelling (including each half of a double house having a solid vertical partition wall), and each separate commercial or industrial premises, required by other Borough ordinances to have separate water meters, shall constitute a separate property for the purpose of the sewer rents imposed by this article. In any case in which, by reason of noncompliance with or waiver of strict enforcement of water ordinances, a property with more than one water user (other than an apartment house) is served by the Borough through a single water meter, the minimum sewer rent charge will be applicable for each separate family, commercial or industrial water user, or each separate property owner supplied through the single meter, and, for the purpose of determining sewer rents in excess of the minimum rate, the volume of water consumed registered by the water meter will be divided by the number of water users served and any excess water above the minimum allowances will be charged pro rata to the several water users.

§ 315-3 Installation of meters.

A. Whenever in the case of commercial or industrial establishments it is shown to the satisfaction of the Borough that a substantial part of the water measured by water meters is not discharged into the sewage collection system, the Borough may permit installation of an additional discharge meter or meters at the owner's expense in order to determine the quantity of sewage or waste actually discharged into the sewage collection system.

B. Whenever a property connected to the sewage collection system uses water from a source other than the Borough water system, the owner shall, at his expense, install on such other water supply system a water meter approved by the Borough for the purposes of sewer billing.

C. The sewer rent charged under the foregoing Subsections A and B shall be based upon periodic readings of such discharge or other meter(s).

§ 315-4 Billing; termination of service.

A. The sewer rents fixed and imposed by this article shall in the case of each property be payable from and after the date of connection with the sewage collection system, will be rendered by the Borough concurrently with its bills for water service, and will be based upon the readings of the Borough's water meters or of the discharge or other meters provided for in § 315-3. The initial charge covering the period from the date of connection to the reading of the meter will be prorated to reflect the period of actual sewer service.

B. Sewer rents will be billed quarterly as of the first day of February, May, August and November of each year and shall be due on the billing date, and a penalty of 5% shall be added to all bills not paid within 30 days of the date rendered.

C. Failure of any property owner or user of water to pay his bill for sewer service within a period of 60 days from the date thereof, shall be cause for termination of water service. Every claim of the Borough for sewer service, together with all charges, expenses and fees added thereto for failure to pay promptly, shall, in the manner provided by law, become a lien upon the properties served, and may be collected by the Borough by an action in assumpsit against the owner of the property or enforced against the property by filing a municipal claim.

§ 315-5 Right of Borough to adopt regulations.

The Borough reserves the right to, and may from time to time, adopt, revise, amend and readopt such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or proper relating to the collection of charges for sewer service; and the same shall remain on file with the Borough Secretary for inspection by interested parties.