A. 
A user desiring to obtain sewer service shall make application on forms prescribed by the City. In the event that sewer service at the premises is continuous through a change of ownership, the new owner must file a notification of change of ownership within 10 days. Failure to complete an application or notification may result in discontinuance of service.
B. 
Whenever a condominium has a single sewer connection servicing the premises, the account shall be made in the name of the condominium association. Sewer service shall not be provided until the condominium association has filed with the Water Business Office written proof that it has the authority to enter into such an arrangement.
A. 
The current Water system Rules and Regulations shall be utilized for billing practices.
B. 
If any meter shall fail to register properly, or if a meter reader cannot obtain a meter reading at a premises on the regular reading date, a billing shall be sent based upon an estimate of former consumption of comparable quarters in preceding three years.
C. 
The total amount of the sewer charges shall be the amount of the bill. The Water Business Office shall assign due dates to be no less than 15 days from the date of mailing of the bill. There shall be no discount for early payment. In the event that the bill is not paid by the due date, a ten-percent penalty is added to the net amount and both become due and payable. All remittances by mail must be postmarked on or before the due date to entitle the user to pay only the net amount. When the due date falls on a legal holiday, Saturday or Sunday, the net amount will be accepted on the first business day following. Failure to receive a bill shall not entitle a customer to pay the net amount unless it can be shown from City records that the bill was not sent.
D. 
If payment is not received within seven days of the due date on the bill, a reminder notice shall be sent by first-class mail to inform the user that the account is overdue.
E. 
If payment is not received or satisfactory arrangements have not been made within 30 days of the due date on the bill, a shutoff notice will be sent by first-class mail to inform the user that failure to respond can result in termination of water service. This notice will also inform the user that if he/she has a question regarding the bill he/she should contact the Water Business Office. If payment is not received or satisfactory arrangements have not been made within seven days after the shutoff notice is sent to the user, the water/sewer service shall be shut off. No service that has been disconnected, due to nonpayment, shall be restored until all past-due bills are paid or satisfactory arrangements for such payment are made at the Water Business Office.
F. 
Whenever sewer service has been furnished to a premises and it is determined that: i) the Water Business Office has not rendered a bill for the service; and ii) the user has done everything normally required of him/her, a back-bill covering the period shall be sent to the user. However, the period covered by the back-bill shall not exceed three years. If it is determined that the user has not done everything normally required of him/her, a back-bill shall be sent to the owner of the premises covering the period that service was rendered, but not to exceed six years. The back-bill will include the monthly service charge at the rate in effect for the period covered plus the commodity rate times the estimated volume of sewage used based upon the best available data. In the absence of a City water meter, the sewer volume for domestic customers shall be the average usage per quarter for domestic users as determined by the annual rate study. In the absence of a City water meter, commercial and industrial customers shall be required to install metering devices pursuant to § 313-63E of this Part 2, to accurately record waste discharge into the system. The amount of the back-bill will be computed by using the current meter readings for the comparable quarters.
G. 
When a tenant is responsible for payment of bills and a lease has been executed containing a provision that the lessor is not liable for sewer charges, then it shall be the responsibility of the lessor to so notify the Water Business Office with an affidavit signed by both parties and thereby request a waiver of the lien privilege. The affidavit must state the pertinent provision of the lease and the expiration thereof. Upon receipt of such notification, the POTW will waive its lien privilege and sewer bills to the lessee within the term of the affidavit shall not be a lien against the property. Upon expiration, a new affidavit must be submitted to retain the lien waiver. Without such notification, sewer bills will be a lien against the property served regardless of any lease provisions between the parties.
H. 
Charges for sewage disposal service furnished to any premises within the City shall be made pursuant to City Code and/or statute. The lien remedy does not preclude any other remedy provided in law. Those premises outside the City that are served by the system that have delinquent bills will be certified to their governmental unit for collection as provided in the contract between the City and the governmental unit.
I. 
When the Water Business Office has received and approved a request from the property owner for waiver of the lien privilege, then a cash deposit will be required of the lessee as security for payment of all sewer charges. Said cash deposit shall be equal to three times the quarterly bill for sewer charges, but, in no case, less than the minimum deposit schedule as referred to in Appendix I of the Water Department Rules and Regulations.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix I is on file in the office of the Water Department in the City of Grand Rapids.
J. 
The Water Business Office shall refund a deposit and the accrued interest thereon upon satisfactory payment by the user on or before the due date of all proper charges for sewer service for a period of 12 successive billing quarters. For these purposes, a payment will be considered satisfactory if made prior to the issuance of any notice of discontinuation of service for nonpayment. Users who have established credit by the satisfactory payment of sewer charges at one premises shall not be required to make deposits at a subsequent premises unless the deposit at the subsequent premises would exceed the previous one by greater than 100%. A user who has been refunded his/her deposit shall be required to remake a security deposit in the event that his/her service is discontinued for nonpayment. Upon termination of service, the deposit, with accrued interest, shall be credited to the final bill and the balance, if any, shall be promptly returned to the user.
K. 
The Water Business Office will apply interest to the deposit accounts of all users with security deposits. This interest shall be at the rate of 6% per annum. Interest will be credited to the deposit account annually as of June 30 and said interest will be compounded annually. Accrued interest shall be paid at the time that the deposit is refunded. Accrued interest shall include all annual interest credits plus interest for the time period from the previous June 30 to the date of refund.
A. 
"Over sizing" shall mean the enlargement of a local collector sewer so that the enlargement will serve as a trunk or interceptor sewer. When the system requires a local collector sewer line to be oversized, it will pay the cost of such over sizing as computed in the following manner:
(1) 
In a residential assessment district or a new residential plot, the over-sizing share is the material difference in cost of the oversized sewer;
(2) 
In a commercial, industrial or high-density residential development assessment district, the over-sizing share is the material difference in the cost of the oversized sewer;
(3) 
In cases where the larger than normal size sewer line is required solely to provide adequate service to a local service area and is not used as part of the larger network, then the entire cost of the enlargement will be treated in the same manner as a normal-sized local collector line and the system will not participate in the over-sizing cost.
B. 
All extensions of the local collector sewer line are normally paid for by the affected users through special assessment or front footage charges. However, the City Commission may authorize the extension of a local collector sewer line to serve an existing structure when the owner of the property requests sewer service because of failure of his/her present system causing an emergency situation and constituting a public health hazard. The POTW, at its own expense, may extend the sewer line to serve said properties under the following conditions:
(1) 
The requesting property is within 500 feet of an existing local collector sewer line;
(2) 
As shown by a poll of the other properties affected by the proposed extension, a majority of the owners having front footage are opposed to the project;
(3) 
There is a reasonable expectation, as determined by the City Commission, that newly constructed or existing properties not presently desiring service will request such service in the foreseeable future;
C. 
When an extension specified in § 313-60B is made in the instances cited, the requesting property owner shall agree to pay the prevailing front footage rate and other applicable charges in the City Code at such time that the extension is made. When property owners connect who have not shared in the expense of the sewer line extension, they shall then pay the front footage and other applicable charges as provided in § 313-47 of this Part 2.
D. 
All new sewer lines shall conform to the City of Grand Rapids Standard Construction Specifications and shall be a minimum of eight inches in diameter in most residential areas and a minimum of 12 inches in diameter in commercial, industrial or high-density residential areas. The City Manager reserves the right to determine the minimum acceptable sewer lateral size in those cases where drainage problems exist.
A. 
The property owner shall maintain, at his/her expense, the sewer lateral to insure continuous flow of sewage from the structure to the local collector, trunk or interceptor sewer, and shall be responsible for replacement of lateral sections existing between the structure and the property line or public easement boundary. The City shall be responsible only for the replacement of lateral sewers existing within the street right-of-way or public easement.
B. 
Whenever a sewer lateral is to be extended into the premises, the plumber or contractor may obtain location measurements from the City. However, the City does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of such location measurements.
C. 
Every structure with plumbing fixtures(s) shall have an independent, owner-maintained building sewer lateral to the local collector sewer line when the system is available. There shall not be more than one structure served by a single sewer lateral connection, except with approval of the City Manager.
D. 
When a structure is to be demolished, satisfactory arrangements shall be made with the City to disconnect and seal the sewer lateral at the property line or at the point designated by the City. The lateral disconnection shall be inspected by the City prior to sealing. Failure to make arrangements for inspection and the proper termination of the connection shall cause the City Manager to order excavation of the lateral for the required inspection with all associated costs to be assessed against the bond required by the demolition permit as provided for in the City Code.
E. 
Roof drains shall not be connected to the system. The City Manager shall order the immediate disconnection of all such connections. The owner of the premises shall be responsible for any and all costs associated with these disconnections and all costs including, but not limited to, legal and inspection service required to enforce provisions of this Part 2. Each day the owner fails to comply with such order shall constitute a separate violation of this section. Roof drains not disconnected shall be subject to the same monthly charge as footing drains except the dry weather flow (DWF) and wet weather flows (WWF) shall be calculated on an individual basis. The calculation shall be the roof area in square feet multiplied by the normal rainfall (3.2 feet) multiplied by 7.48 gallons/cubic foot to determine the gallons per year.
F. 
Footing drains shall not be connected to the system on any structure built after 1968. The City Manager shall order the immediate disconnection of such connections. The owner of the premises shall be responsible for any and all costs associated with these disconnections and all costs including, but not limited to, legal and inspection service required to enforce provisions of this Part 2. Each day the owner fails to comply with such order shall constitute a separate violation of this section.
G. 
Basement waterproofing systems shall not be connected into the system or discharged in such a manner as to cause a public or private nuisance. Prior to installation of a basement waterproofing system the property owner, or the owner's contractor, must obtain a permit from the City. The waterproofing system must be inspected and approved by the City prior to putting the system into operation. Given due cause, the City Manager may order the owner to discontinue the discharge of water from a basement waterproofing system. Each day the owner fails to comply with such order shall constitute a separate violation of this section.
H. 
Disposal of garbage into the POTW shall be permitted only after it has been pulverized by an installed food-waste-grinder unit. Such units shall be installed in accordance with the current Plumbing Code, adopted by the City and enforced by the City.
I. 
Storm drains shall not be connected into the system or discharged in such a manner as to cause a public or private nuisance.
Persons authorized shall obtain a permit for sewer lateral connection from the City in accordance with the Plumbing Code. Said permits shall be obtained before any such work may begin.
A. 
If at any time it is found that any sewer lateral connection has been installed contrary to or in violation of the City Code or rules or regulations governing such installation, the City Manager shall issue an order requiring compliance within 30 days after notification. If compliance has not been obtained, including payment of all fees and charges, within 30 days of the notice, the City Manager may authorize termination of City water/sewer service until the corrections are made. The owner or user will not have redress for any such charges occurring because of shutoff or termination. In addition, the violator may be subject to a municipal civil infraction action.
B. 
Each new sewer lateral installation, or repair of an existing sewer lateral, shall be inspected and approved by the City prior to backfilling.
C. 
If a piece of property that has an existing sewer lateral serving more than one building is subdivided into separate lots or parcels, then the owner of the building that does not have direct sewer service must install his/her own sewer service across his/her property or on an easement, and the original sewer lateral to the adjoining subdivided property must be disconnected. Any required easements shall be recorded by the Kent County Clerk.
D. 
Whenever a new sewer lateral is installed or repaired by a contractor or plumber, it shall be guaranteed to be free from any defective material or poor workmanship, in the public right-of-way, for a period of one year from the date of installation.
E. 
Wastewater metering facilities may be installed by a user or as required by the City Manager to measure sewage discharge from the user's premises to the sanitary sewer. All such arrangements shall be made subject to acceptance by the City Manager, and the expense thereof, including the installation, maintenance and operation, shall be borne by the user. Plans and specifications for the installation of any wastewater meter must be sealed by a Michigan licensed professional engineer and submitted to the City before actual installation begins. Such metering facilities shall meet the following criteria:
(1) 
A Michigan licensed professional engineer must develop installation plans. Drawings of the location of the primary measuring device and the meter, the location of the meter's data output(s) and specifications for the meter, including its manufacturer, model and logging frequency, must be included with the plans.
(2) 
A plan location map, which accurately shows where the primary measuring device, flow meter and flow meter totalizer are located in relation to the facility building, shall be submitted as part of the drawings.
(3) 
Meter reading provisions shall be convenient meter installation sites or any existing water meter reading location.
(4) 
Underground structure, and all associated piping, which contain the primary measuring device and the meter shall be installed in accordance with the Plumbing Code.
(5) 
If possible, the primary measuring device must be located in an open or non-permitted confined space. The recording device may not be located in a confined space.
(6) 
The meter must include a data logger capable of recording and displaying continuous flow data. The data must be inspected each business day, by the user, with documentation of the inspection in the form of the inspector's initials, date and time. All data records must be maintained for a minimum of three years and be available for inspection by the City.
(7) 
The meter installation must be inspected and found to be acceptable by the City Manager before any data from the meter will be used for billing purposes.
(8) 
The user must maintain a meter service contract provided by the manufacturer or the manufacturer's approved representative. The meter shall be checked and calibrated quarterly, or as per manufacturer's recommendation, by the service provider. All calibration records must be maintained for a minimum of three years and be available for inspection by the City.
(9) 
If failure of the meter occurs, the user must notify the City Manager within three business days. Repairs to the meter, which are the responsibility of the owner, must be completed within five business days. If repairs cannot be completed within five business days, a timetable for completion of repairs must be submitted to the City Manager. If, as a result of failure, or suspected failure, the sewer meter readings are in dispute, the volume of water indicated by the City's water meter during the disputed time will be used as the wastewater volume.
(10) 
The City, at its discretion, must be allowed to inspect the meter and all records pertaining to the meter. At the City Manager's discretion, the acceptance of any wastewater metering device and/or data may be revoked.
This Part 2 shall be effective 30 days after its adoption.
After its adoption and before its effective date, this Part 2 or a summary thereof, as permitted by law, shall be published by the Township Clerk in The Grand Rapids Press, a newspaper of general circulation in the Township.