[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Farrell as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 12-11-1975 by Ord. No. O-16-1975]
[Amended 5-14-1981 by Ord. No. O-4-1981; 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. O-18-1981]
The following words and terms, as used in this article, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
ACCEPTABLE METHOD
A method of chemical or bacteriological analysis described by the latest edition of "Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Sewage" published by the American Public Health Association, or a method specified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
B.O.D.
"Biochemical oxygen demand" and shall mean the quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of the organic matter in sewage or industrial waste under standard laboratory procedure in five days at 20° C., expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/l) by weight. It shall be determined by an acceptable method.
CITY
The City of Farrell, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
CITY COUNCIL
The City Council of the City of Farrell, as now or hereafter constituted, and its duly authorized agent or representative.
COMBINED SEWER
A sewer which is intended to carry both sewage and storm, surface and ground waters.
CUSTOMER
Includes natural persons, partnerships, associations and corporations.
DWELLING UNIT
Any room, group of rooms, enclosure, etc., occupied or intended for occupancy as a separate living quarters by a family or other group of persons living together or by persons living alone.
EQUIVALENT DWELLING UNIT (EDU)
For any nonresidential establishment, the amount of wastewater discharged to the public sanitary sewerage system which is equivalent to the amount of wastewater produced by a single-family dwelling unit, both in strength and volume, during the period of one calendar quarter. It shall be equal to 1,400 cubic feet of water consumed upon the nonresidential premises in one calendar quarter.
GARBAGE
Solid wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.
INDUSTRIAL COST RECOVERY CHARGE
Charge levied upon persons discharging waste or uncontaminated wastewater other than sanitary sewage for the purpose of recovering that portion of federal grants obtained by the City for the construction of the public sanitary sewer system, in accordance with federal regulations governing said grants.
INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENT
Any premises used wholly or in part for any of the following purposes:
Division
Major Group
Activity
A.
01 to 09
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
01
Agricultural production - crops
02
Agricultural production - livestock
07
Agricultural services
08
Forestry
09
Fishing, hunting and trapping
B.
10 to 14
Mining
10
Metal mining
11
Anthracite mining
12
Bituminous coal and lignite mining
13
Oil and gas extraction
14
Nonmetallic minerals, except fuels
C.
20 to 39
Manufacturing
20
Food and kindred products
21
Tobacco manufactures
22
Textile mill products
23
Apparel and other textile products
24
Lumber and wood products
25
Furniture and fixtures
26
Paper and allied products
27
Printing and publishing
28
Chemicals and allied products
29
Petroleum and coal products
30
Rubber and misc. Plastics products
31
Leather and leather products
32
Stone, clay and glass products
33
Primary metal industries
34
Fabricated metal products
35
Machinery, except electrical
36
Electric and electronic equipment
37
Transportation equipment
38
Instruments and related products
39
Miscellaneous manufacturing industries
E.
40 to 49
Transportation and public utilities
40
Railroad transportation
41
Local and interurban passenger transit
42
Trucking and warehousing
43
U.S. Postal Service
44
Water transportation
45
Transportation by air
46
Petroleum pipe lines, except natural gas
47
Transportation services
48
Communications
49
Electric, gas and sanitary services
I.
70 to 89
Services
70
Hotels and other lodging places
72
Personal services
73
Business services
75
Auto repair, services and garages
76
Miscellaneous repair services
78
Motion pictures
79
Amusement and recreation services
80
Health services
81
Legal services
82
Educational services
83
Social services
84
Museums, botanical, zoological gardens
86
Membership organizations
88
Private households
89
Miscellaneous services
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
Any liquid, gaseous, or waterborne wastes created by or arising from industrial or commercial processes, as distinct from sanitary sewage.
MANUFACTURING USER
Any premises used wholly or in part for the manufacture, processing, cleaning or assembling of any product, commodity or article.
OCCUPIED BUILDING
Any structure erected and intended for continuous or periodic habitation, occupancy or use by human beings or animals, and from which structure sanitary sewage, industrial wastes or uncontaminated water is or may be discharged.
OWNER or OWNERS
Includes persons, schools, churches, hospitals, clubs, societies and all other charitable institutions and public and quasi-public corporations.
PERSON
Includes natural persons, partnerships, associations and corporations
pH
The logarithm to the base 10 of the reciprocal of the hydrogen ion concentration expressed in moles per liter, and shall be determined by an acceptable method.
PROPERLY SHREDDED GARBAGE
The wastes from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and from the handling, storage and sale of produce that have been shredded to such a degree that all particles will be carried freely under the flow conditions normally prevailing in public sewers, with no particle greater than 1/2 inch in any dimension.
PUBLIC SANITARY SEWERAGE SYSTEM
Any and all sanitary sewers, combined sewers, sewage treatment works and other facilities owned or operated by or leased to the City for the collection, transportation and treatment of sanitary sewage and industrial wastes, together with their appurtenances, and any additions, extensions or improvements thereto. It shall also include sewers which serve one or more persons and discharge into the public sanitary sewerage system even though those sewers may not have been constructed by City funds and are not owned or maintained by the City. It does not include separate storm sewers or culverts which have been constructed for the sole purpose of carrying storm and surface runoff, the discharge from which is not and does not become tributary to the City's sewerage facilities.
SANITARY SEWAGE
The normal water-carried household and toilet wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial and commercial establishments, exclusive of stormwater runoff, surface water or ground water, industrial wastes or uncontaminated wastewater.
SANITARY SEWER
A sewer which carries sewage and to which storm, surface and ground waters are not intentionally admitted.
SEWAGE
A combination of water-carried wastes from residences, business buildings, institutions, and industrial and commercial establishments, together with such groundwater, surface water or stormwater as may be present.
SEWAGE TREATMENT SERVICES
Shall be synonymous with sewer charge and, whenever used in this article, shall be read as sewer charge.
SEWER
A pipe or conduit for carrying sewage.
SEWER CHARGE
User charge, as well as all other charges provided for in this article.
STORM SEWER
A sewer which is intended to carry stormwater runoff, surface waters, groundwater drainage, etc., but which is not intended to carry any sanitary sewage or polluted industrial waste.
STORMWATER RUNOFF
That portion of the rainfall which reaches a channel, trench, sewer or sink.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS
Solids that either float on the surface or are in suspension in water, sewage, industrial waste or other liquids, and which are removable by laboratory filtration. Suspended solids shall be determined by an accepted method.
UNCONTAMINATED WASTEWATER
Any water or waste acceptable for direct discharge without treatment to public waters, as determined by the proper commonwealth and/or federal regulatory agencies, including spent cooling water.
USER CHARGE
Charge levied upon persons discharging sewage, industrial waste or uncontaminated wastewater into the public sanitary sewerage system for the express purposes of providing funds to pay administrative costs, operating and maintenance costs, and debt repayment for the water pollution control plant.
A. 
The public sanitary sewerage system is primarily intended to transport and treat sanitary sewage from dwellings, commercial, industrial and public establishments. All sanitary sewage from any residence or establishment in the City is required to be discharged into the public sanitary sewerage system, where said public sanitary sewer system is available to the property upon which such residence or establishment is situated.
B. 
The possibility of the combined treatment and transportation of certain industrial wastes together with sanitary sewerage is recognized. The incompatibility of many industrial wastes to the treatment processes employed for treating sanitary sewage is also recognized. Certain industrial wastes may be discharged to the public sanitary sewerage system which are determined not to be harmful to said system, nor to be of such volume nor of such a total organic or solids loading as to impair the capacity of the public sewerage system. No industrial wastes shall be admitted to the public sewerage system until the City has issued a written permit accepting such waste and describing the conditions under which such waste shall be accepted and limiting the amount of such waste. The written permit or permission to discharge such waste shall be revocable by the City for changes in either the character or composition of the waste, or the volume discharged, or for departure from the conditions specified in the permit issued accepting such waste. It is also recognized that the transportation and treatment of industrial wastes may add to the cost of operating and maintaining the public sanitary sewerage system. Such additional costs shall be borne by the person or persons receiving the benefit of such transportation and treatment as herein provided.
C. 
Nothing contained herein shall limit or diminish the right of the City Council to refuse connection to the public sanitary sewerage system for deleterious industrial wastes, or to compel discontinuance of the use of the public sanitary sewerage system for such wastes, or to require pretreatment or regulated rate of discharge thereof in order to prevent harmful or adverse effect upon the system.
D. 
In general, industrial waste will be considered harmful to the public sanitary sewerage system if it may cause any of the following damaging effects:
(1) 
Chemical reaction either directly or indirectly with the materials of construction of the public sanitary sewerage system in such manner as to impair the strength or durability of the sewer structures.
(2) 
Mechanical action that will destroy the sewer structures.
(3) 
Restriction of the hydraulic capacity of the sewer structures.
(4) 
Restriction of the normal inspection or maintenance of the sewer structures.
(5) 
Danger to public health and safety.
(6) 
Obnoxious condition inimical to public interest.
E. 
The City Council may at its discretion require any person discharging industrial wastes or industrial wastes and sanitary sewage combined, for which such person has obtained a permit from the City, into the public sewerage system, to install a suitable flow meter in accordance with § 311-4K, and to install a suitable manhole or manholes on his connecting sewer or sewers to facilitate observation; such flow meter and manhole or manholes to be installed by such person at his expense, to be maintained by him so as to be safe and accessible to the City Council at all times and to be installed and constructed in accordance with plans approved by the City Council.
F. 
The City Council shall have the right of access at all reasonable times to industrial or commercial establishments and to any meters used for establishing or determining water consumption, water excluded from the public sanitary sewerage system, and sewage and/or industrial wastes discharged into the public sanitary sewerage system.
A. 
The discharge of excessive amounts of unpolluted water or waste to a sanitary sewer or combined sewer is expressly prohibited. The City Council reserves the right to define the amount it deems excessive in each particular instance and to determine the adequacy of a sewer's capacity.
B. 
The discharge of garbage to the public sanitary sewerage system is expressly prohibited unless the garbage is first properly shredded.
C. 
No person shall discharge to the public sanitary sewer system industrial wastes having any of the following characteristics:
(1) 
Wastes containing any gasoline, naphtha, fuel oil or other liquids, solids or gases which by reason of their nature or quality may cause fire or explosion or be in any other way injurious to persons, the structures of the public sanitary sewerage system or its operation.
(2) 
Wastes having a temperature in excess of 120° F. or less than 32° F.
(3) 
Wastes having a pH lower than 6.5 or higher than 9.0 or having any corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazards to structures, equipment or personnel of the public sanitary sewerage system. Where the City Council deems it advisable, it may require any person discharging industrial wastes to install and maintain, at his own expense, in a manner approved by the City Council, a suitable device to continuously measure and record the pH of the wastes so discharged.
(4) 
Wastes containing any noxious or malodorous gas or substance which either singly or by interaction with sewage or other wastes is likely, in the opinion of the City Council, to create a public nuisance or hazard to life, or prevent entry to sewers for their maintenance and repair.
(5) 
Wastes containing ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, hair, chemical or paint residues, greases, paunch manure, cotton, wool, plastic or other fibers, lime slurry or any other solid or viscous material of such character or in such quantity as, in the opinion of the City Council, may cause an obstruction to the flow in sewers or otherwise interfere with the proper operation of the public sanitary sewerage system.
(6) 
Wastes containing insoluble, nonflocculent substances having a specific gravity in excess of 2.65.
(7) 
Wastes containing soluble substances in such concentration as to cause the specific gravity of the waste to be greater than 1.1.
(8) 
Wastes containing any of the following substances in concentration exceeding those shown in the following table as measured by an acceptable method:
Substance
Maximum Permissible Concentration
(mg/l)
Phenolic compounds as C2H5OH
1
Cyanides as CN
0
Cyanates CNO
0
Iron FE
7
Trivalent Chromium as Cr plus (3)
1
Hexavalent Chromium as Cr plus (6)
0.05
Nickel as Ni
1
Copper as Cu
0.5
Lead as Pb
0.5
Zinc as Zn
0.5
and wastes containing other chemicals or other matter detrimental to the operation of a sewage treatment plant or sanitary sewers causing erosion, corrosion or deterioration in sewers, equipment and structures of sanitary or a sewage treatment plant.
(9) 
Wastes containing any of the following substances in concentration exceeding those shown in the following tables as may be evaluated and changed from time to time by the City of Farrell. All sampling and analysis shall be performed in accordance with the appropriate procedures established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Section 304(g) of the Clean Water Act, as contained in 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 136, as amended. Prohibited wastes include wastes containing other chemicals or other matter detrimental to the operation of a sewage treatment plant or sanitary sewer causing erosion, corrosion or deterioration in sewers, equipment and structures of the sewage treatment plant.
Parameter
Maximum Permissible Discharge Concentration
(mg/l)
Biological oxygen demand
200
Total suspended solids
250
Ammonia nitrogen
20
Oil and grease
100
Sulfate
1,500
Total tin
2.0
Total mercury
0.1
Total nickel
1.0
Total phenol (4AAP)
1.0
Total selenium
0.05
Total silver
0.05
Total zinc
0.5
Total chromium
1.6
Hexavalent chromium
0.05
Total cyanide
0.5
Amenable cyanide
0.5
Total arsenic
0.1
Total cadmium
0.5
Total iron
5.0
Total copper
0.5
Total lead
0.5
Total toxic organics (TTO)*
2.0
pH
6.5 to 9.0 s.u.
Temperature
32° to 100° F.
* The term TTO shall mean Total Toxic Organics, which consist of the following parameters. The concentration of TTO is the summation of all quantifiable parameters greater than 0.01 milligrams per liter:
Acrolein
2-Chlorophenol
Chrysene
Acrylonitrile
2,4-Dichlorophenol
Dibenz (a,h) anthracene
Benzene
2,4-Dimethyl phenol
1,2-Dichlorobenzene
Bromoform
4,6-dinitro-2-methyl phenol
1,3-Dichlorobenzene
Carbon tetrachloride
2,4-Dinitrophenol
1,4-Dichlorobenzene
Chlorobenzene
2-nitrophenol
3,3-Dichlorobenzidine
Dibromochloromethane
4-nitrophenol
Diethyl phthlate
Chloromethane
4-chloro-3-methyl phenol
Dimethyl phthalate
2-Chloroethyl vinyl ether
Pentachlorophenol
Di-n-butyl phthalate
Chloroform
Phenol
2,4-Dinitro toluene
Bromodichloromethane
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol
2,6-Dinitro toluene
1,1 Dichloroethane
Acenaphthene
Di-n-octyl phthalate
1,2 Dichloroethane
Acenaphthylene
1,2-Diphenylhydrazine
1,1 Dichloroethene
Anthracene
Fluoranthene
1,2 Dichloropropane
Benzidine
Fluorene
cis, 1,3-Dichloropropene
Benzo (a) anthracene
Hexachlorobenzene
Ethylbenzene
Benzo (b) fluoranthene
Hexachlorobutadiene
Bromomethane
Benzo (g,h,i) perylene
Hexachloropentadiene
Chloromethane
Benzo (k) fluoranthene
Hexachloroethane
Methylene chloride
bis (2-chloroethoxy) ether
Ideno (1,2,3-cd) Pyrene
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
bis (2-chloroisopropyl) ether
Isophorone
Tetrachloroethane
bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
Naphthalene
Toluene
4-Bromophenol phenyl ether
Nitrobenzene
trans, 1,2-Dichloroethene
Butyl Benzyl phthalate
N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
2-chloronaphthalene
N-nitrosodiphenylamine
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
4-chlorophenol phenyl ether
Phenanthrene
Trichloroethene
1,2,4-trichlorobenzene
Pyrene
Vinyl chloride
(10) 
Wastes containing more than 100 mg/l by weight of tar, fat, oil or grease.
(11) 
Wastes containing more than 10 mg/l of any of the following gases: hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide or any of the halogens.
(12) 
Wastes containing a toxic or poisonous substance, in a sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals or create any hazard in the public sanitary sewerage system operation, and such toxic wastes shall include, but shall not be limited to, waste containing cyanide, chromium and/or copper ions.
(13) 
Any waste containing toxic substance in quantities sufficiently to interfere with the biochemical processes of the sewage treatment works or that will pass through the sewage treatment works and exceed the state and/or federal requirements in respect thereof.
(14) 
Any waste containing toxic radioactive isotopes.
D. 
No person shall discharge any waste containing the effluent from a privy, septic tank, sinkhole or cesspool, or other receptacle for receiving and holding sanitary sewage for an extended period of time, before discharge to the public sanitary sewerage system.
E. 
No owner of property or user of the public sanitary sewerage system, whether with respect to existing establishments and buildings, or establishments and buildings to be constructed hereafter, shall discharge into the public sanitary sewerage system any stormwater, surface water, roof runoff water, subsurface drainage, water from springs.
F. 
The City Council may from time to time adopt such further particular rules and regulations, in addition to those set forth in this article, as the City Council shall deem necessary or appropriate for the efficient operation, maintenance and preservation of the public sewerage system.
[Amended 2-26-1976 by Ord. No. O-6-1976; 3-25-1976 by Ord. No. O-7-1976; 5-14-1981 by Ord. No. O-4-1981; 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. O-18-1981; 12-22-1983 by Ord. No. O-20-1983; 1-22-1987 by Ord. No. O-3-1987; 2-16-1989 by Ord. No. O-2-1989; 12-20-1990 by Ord. No. O-14-1990; 12-19-1994 by Ord. No. 13-1994; 12-22-1997 by Ord. No. O-22-1997; 6-28-1999 by Ord. No. O-9-1999; 1-22-2001 by Ord. No. O-2-2001; 2-21-2003 by Ord. No. O-2-2003; 12-19-2005 by Ord. No. O-21-2005; 12-21-2009 by Ord. No. O-5-2009; 12-20-2010 by Ord. No. O-5-2010; 3-26-2012 by Ord. No. O-1-2012; 5-20-2013 by Ord. No. O-4-2013; 12-14-2020 by Ord. No. O-21-2020]
A. 
Be and there is hereby imposed upon the owners of, or the users of water in or on, all properties served by the public sanitary sewerage system, a users charge and industrial cost recovery charge for the treatment of waste discharged into said system, payable as hereinafter provided in the amounts hereinafter provided. The users charge and industrial cost recovery charge shall begin to accrue from and after January 1, 1976, and said owners and users shall be jointly and severally liable for the payment of the users charge and industrial cost recovery charge and the penalty herein prescribed for delinquent payment thereof.
B. 
Users charge for sanitary sewage for all classes of users except manufacturing users. The charge for sanitary treatment service to all classes of users except manufacturing users shall be charged upon the basis of water consumed upon the premises as determined by the water meter installed upon the premises, together with a fixed charge for the administration and debt requirement of the public sewerage system. The billing unit or determination of a single user shall be identical with the premises or portion of the premises served by a single water meter by the water company for the purpose of determining the water consumption. The billing for sanitary treatment service shall be rendered to the holder of the water account but the owner shall be finally liable and responsible for payment of said billing.
C. 
Users charge for sanitary sewage for manufacturing users. The charge for sanitary service for all manufacturing users shall be charged upon the basis of the number of equivalent employees employed upon the premises or using the premises as their base of operating, together with a fixed charge for the administration and debt requirement of the public sewerage system. The fixed charge shall be calculated by multiplying the number of equivalent dwelling units capacity served by the public sanitary sewerage system times the unit charge for administration and debt requirement. The billing unit shall be all premises owned or operated by the manufacturing user in which the premises or any portion thereof is connected to the public sanitary sewerage system. Billings shall be rendered to the owner, and he shall be finally liable and responsible for the payment of said billings. This section shall apply only to sanitary waste and shall not be construed to include acceptable industrial waste or uncontaminated wastewater. The number of equivalent employees shall be determined by taking the total man hours worked at the manufacturing location being billed during the previous year by all persons working at such location, or using such location as his base of operation, and dividing these total man-hours by 2,040. The result of this calculation shall be multiplied by the quarterly equivalent employee charge to determine the quarterly service charge to the manufacturing user being billed.
D. 
Users charge for permitted industrial wastes or unpolluted wastewater. For all users discharging industrial waste or uncontaminated wastewater into the public sanitary sewer system for which the user has a written permit from the City, there shall be an additional user charge added to the user charge set forth for sanitary sewage which additional charge shall apply to BOD5 in excess of 200 mg/l, to total suspended solids in excess of 250 mg/l, to Ammonia-Nitrogen in excess of 20 mg/l. The discharge of intermittent flow rates substantially in excess of average daily flow is prohibited. The basis for calculating said additional charges is set forth in Subsection G of this section. Billings shall be rendered quarterly to the owners of the premises on a separate billing. The owners shall be finally liable and responsible for said billings.
E. 
The City agrees that it will review user charges annually and will revise them periodically if necessary to meet actual operating and maintenance expenses. In this connection, the City also agrees to maintain such records as are necessary to document compliance with future regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency.
F. 
Industrial cost recovery charge. The industrial cost recovery charge shall be levied upon all industrial establishments discharging industrial wastes or uncontaminated wastewater to the public sewerage system The industrial cost recovery charge shall be in addition to the user's charges set forth in Subsections C and D of this section. The charge shall be computed upon the flow, BOD and suspended solids content of the waste as set forth in Subsection G. Billings shall be rendered annually to the owners of the premises discharging said industrial wastes or uncontaminated wastewater on a separate billing covering industrial cost recovery charges only. The owners of the premises shall be finally liable and responsible for said billing.
G. 
The rate schedule for billing customers for sewerage service shall be as follows:
Schedule of Quarterly Sewage Treatment Service Charges
A.
Each customer shall be billed an administrative and debt requirement charge of $25 every calendar month for each dwelling unit or equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) served by the public sanitary sewerage system.
B.
Each customer shall be billed a billing service charge of $4 per bill per month payable as and subject to the billing and collection, delinquencies, violations and remedies provisions of the ordinance, as amended.
C.
Each customer inclusive of manufacturing customers shall be billed a user charge in addition to the administrative and debt requirement charge in Subsection A of this rate schedule, above, in the amount of $1.90 per 100 cubic feet of water consumed every month.
D.
Each industrial customer, including manufacturing customers, discharging permitted industrial waste or uncontaminated wastewater shall be billed a user charge in addition to the administration charge in Subsection A of this rate schedule, in the amount of $1.34 per 100 cubic feet of water per quarter; for wastes having a BOD5 concentration not in excess of 200 mg/l, total suspended solids concentration not in excess of 250 mg/l and an ammonia nitrogen concentration not in excess of 20 mg/l and discharged to the public sanitary sewerage system at a uniform rate over a period of at least 16 hours in any one day. For permitted industrial waste or unpolluted wastewater having strengths in excess of those stated above, the following additional charges shall be added to those stated above:
(1)
For each milligram per liter of BOD5 in excess of 200 mg/l, as determined by the arithmetic mean of the BOD5 tests taken during the period being billed, the additional charges shall be computed by the following formula:
BOD5 charge in dollars = 28.07 x total flow in hundreds of cubic feet x (BODmgl-200) 10,000
(2)
For each milligram per liter of total suspended solids (TSS) in excess of 250 mg/l as determined by the arithmetic mean of the total suspended solids tests taken during the period being billed, the additional charge shall be computed by the following formula:
TSS charge in dollars = 13.72 x total flow in hundreds of cubic feet x (TSS mg/l-250) 10,000
(3)
For each milligram per liter of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) in excess of 20 mg/l as determined by the arithmetic mean of the ammonia nitrogen tests taken during the period being billed, the additional charge shall be computed by the following formula:
NH3-N charge in dollars = 12.48 x total flow in hundreds of cubic feet x (NH3-N mg/l-20) 10,000
(4)
For waste discharged over a period definitively less than 16 hours per day, as based upon examination of flow rate charges for the entire billing period under consideration the additional charge shall be computed by the following formula:
Flow rate charge in dollars = 16 hrs. x 0.04 x total flow in hundreds of cubic feet average hours per day of substantial waste flow
Schedule of Annual Industrial Cost Recovery Charges
Each industrial customer including manufacturing customers discharging permitted industrial waste or unpolluted wastewater into the public sanitary sewerage system shall be billed an industrial cost recovery charge in addition to the users charge set forth in Subsection D of this rate schedule, above, as follows:
(1)
The sum of $0.22 per 10,000 cubic feet of waste or uncontaminated wastewater discharged to the public sanitary sewerage system.
(2)
The sum of $0.344 per pound of BOD discharged to the public sanitary sewerage system.
(3)
The sum of $0.146 per pound of suspended solids discharged to the public sanitary sewerage system.
(4)
Minimum industrial cost recovery charge. Any person discharging an industrial waste or uncontaminated wastewater which is less than 51,000 cubic feet per year and contains less than 650 pounds of BOD per year and less than 750 pounds of suspended solids per year will be charged a minimum cost recovery charge of $34.44 per year.
H. 
Billings shall be rendered to all premises for sewage treatment services so long as the public sanitary sewer system may be utilized at the customer's option regardless of whether or not the premises are occupied. For customers served by a public water system, billings shall continue so long as water service facilities to the premises are turned on by the water company. For all other premises, billings shall continue so long as electric power for water pumping is available on the premises.
I. 
The gross amount billed shall be due and payable within 21 days after the same is rendered. If the bill is not paid within 21 days after it is rendered, a 5% penalty on the unpaid balance shall be added and an additional 5% interest shall be added each month until paid in full. The penalty and interest provisions of this section may be amended from time to time by resolution.
J. 
The City Council may require the exclusion from the public sanitary sewerage system of noncontaminated wastewater or a customer may exclude such waters from the public sanitary sewerage system. The customer may or the City Council may require the customer to install and maintain, at no expense to the City, meters approved by the City Council, for measuring the water excluded from the public sanitary sewerage system. The amount of water determined by said meter to be excluded from the public sanitary sewerage system shall be deducted from the total water consumed upon the premises in arriving at the users charge.
K. 
Any customer billed upon the basis of water consumption requesting a reduction of the amount of the service charge because of water used which does not enter the public sanitary sewerage system, shall make written application to the City Council, giving the name of such customer, his address, and setting forth supporting data fully describing all sources of water, as well as the disposition of water alleged not to be entering the public sanitary sewerage system. The application shall be accompanied by a sketch to approximate scale showing the plan of the property, the water distribution system, sewer layout, existing meters and proposed meters in the scheme to determine the quantity of flow not entering the public sanitary sewerage system. The cost of furnishing, installing and maintaining any meters utilized to measure water not entering the public sanitary sewerage system shall be borne by the applicant. The type, size, location, arrangement and maintenance of such meters shall be subject to the approval of the City Council.
L. 
The strength of any industrial waste, discharged to the public sanitary sewerage system, shall be determined at least once quarterly from samples taken at a sampling point mutually agreed upon by the City Council and the producer of such waste, either a) by suitable sampling and analysis of the industrial waste for a three-day period during which time the strength of such waste being discharged or production in the industry is at its maximum, or b) by relating production and industrial waste strength at the time of sampling to waste strength at maximum production of the industry if sampling is not performed at the time of maximum production, or c) from estimates which shall be subject to correction upon completion of sampling and analysis, or d) from relationships of products produced to strengths of industrial waste for those industries where such relationships have been established. In establishing industrial waste strengths for treatment service charge purposes, the analysis shall be made by an acceptable method.
M. 
The measurement of the quantity and flow discharge rates of an industrial waste or uncontaminated wastewater shall be accomplished by a meter of the recording and totalizing type graduated in hundreds of cubic feet, the installation of which shall be approved in writing by the City, and the customer shall be required to furnish to the City charts from such meters for the entire period under consideration for any reason.
A. 
The treatment service charge provided for in this article shall be payable in four quarterly payments each year. The billing for each quarter shall be the treatment service charge computed on the actual water used for that quarter, for customers billed on the basis of water consumption. The period of service billed shall coincide with the dates on which the water meters for purchasing water have been read. For customers not billed upon a water consumption basis, the preceding calendar quarter shall be the billing quarter.
B. 
The City Council, either directly or through any person whom it may by resolution appoint or with whom it may contract, will render such bills for the service charges imposed by this article and will make collection thereof in accordance with this article.
C. 
Bills and notices relating to the treatment service change will be mailed or delivered to the property owner's or user's last address as shown on the books of the water company, and the City shall not be otherwise responsible for delivery. No change of address will be honored unless and until such change shall have been made by the water company.
D. 
The City Council shall have access at all reasonable times to industrial, commercial, institutional and residential establishments connected to the public sanitary sewerage system and to any water meters measuring water used in such establishments to inspect the connection with the public sanitary sewerage system and/or the discharge of sewage, water or industrial waste into such system.
[Amended 9-27-1999 by Ord. No. O-16-1999; 12-17-2001 by Ord. No. O-10-2001]
A. 
All persons are required to connect to the public sanitary sewerage system in accordance with § 311-2A of this article. In the case of newly constructed public sewers or of premises available to existing public sewers, which premises are not connected to public sewers, the City Council shall issue a notice to connect to the public sanitary sewerage system to the owners of premises abutting such newly constructed sewers, or the owners of such premises available to existing public sewers. The owners of said premises shall connect to the public sanitary sewerage system within 60 days of the receipt of notice, in accordance with the provisions of this article.
B. 
No person shall connect to the public sanitary sewerage system without first having obtained a written permit from the City setting forth the conditions under which such connection shall be made, and authorizing the construction of the connection.
C. 
A separate permit shall be required for each physical connection to the public sanitary sewerage system.
D. 
Tap-in fee.
(1) 
Subject to the provisions of Subsection D(2) hereof, there shall be imposed of all owners of all properties connecting to the public sanitary sewage system a tap-in fee in the amount of $1,000 per EDU, which shall be paid to the City of Farrell prior to the issuance of a permit for connecting to the public sanitary sewage system. Connections shall not be made to the public sanitary sewage system prior to the issuance of said permit.
(2) 
The tap-in fee provided in Subsection D(1) hereof, may be waived in whole or in part by resolution of Council of the City of Farrell, provided that the premises which would benefit by the exemption is situate within a Traditional Neighborhood Development Overlay District as identified in Chapter 380, Zoning, of the City Code and, further provided, that all or any portion of the premises which seeks to benefit from the exemption previously contained as structure which was tapped into the City's public sanitary sewer system. To qualify for this exemption, the owner of the premises shall make written application to City Council providing the name and address of the applicant, setting forth supporting data to qualify for the exemption accompanied by evidence of title, construction plans and any other document deemed necessary by the City or its authorized representative. Upon passage of its resolution, exempting the premises from all or any portion of the tap-in fee, a certified copy of said resolution shall be presented to the appropriate officer of the City who shall issue the permit for the connection to the public sanitary sewer system applicable to the premises identified within said resolution.
(3) 
Equivalent dwelling unit.
(a) 
An "EDU" in reference to a residential customer, is defined as any room, group of rooms or enclosure which is occupied or intended for occupancy as a separate living quarters for a person living alone or a family, or another group of persons living together. An "EDU," when used in reference to a nonresidential, commercial and/or industrial customer, is defined as any building, or complex of buildings, in which the selling of a product or the rendering of a service, either for money or gratuity, takes place. It shall include any religious, recreational, fraternal or governmental establishment, any motel, hotel or school. In order to continue to qualify as one EDU under this definition, the customer shall not have any actual or estimated water usage in excess of the average water usage per residential customer per year, documented by at least two years' worth of water usage records. In the event of the unavailability of such documentation, the City shall determine the multiple EDUs of a nonresidential customer, based on the estimated water usage or sewage discharge, as documented by state or federal publication regarding such discharge.
(b) 
The tap-in fee established in this chapter utilizes an average customer sewage discharge, including infiltration/inflow, equivalent to 400 gallons per day per EDU. The calculation for multiple EDUs for nonresidential customers shall be based upon actual water consumption if metered, or in the alternative if not metered, shall be calculated in accordance with the Sewage Flow Tables contained in 25 Pa. Code § 73.17.
E. 
Any person commencing work on the construction of a connection to the public sanitary sewerage system without first having obtained a permit from the City authorizing said connection shall be guilty of a violation of this article.
F. 
The City of Farrell shall inspect the entire connecting sewer from the building or structure being served to the property line where connection to the public sanitary sewerage system is made, and the City inspector shall be present during the physical connection to the public sanitary sewerage system. No person constructing said connecting sewer shall cover or backfill any portion of the sewer prior to the approval of the City inspector, and shall give at least 24 hours notice to the Engineer of the City of Farrell prior to connecting to the public sanitary sewerage system so that the connecting sewer may be inspected and the construction of the connection to the public sanitary sewerage system may be observed. The inspector shall signify his approval of the connection by endorsing his name and the date of approval on the permit in possession of the owner of the premises being connected. No changes in the connecting sewer shall be permitted after the City inspector has approved the permit.
G. 
At the time of inspection of the connection, the owner of the property being connected shall permit the City inspector full and complete access to all sanitary and drainage arrangements and facilities in all buildings and in and about all parts of the property.
H. 
All sewers and facilities constructed as a part of the connecting sewer installation shall conform to the following construction specifications:
(1) 
No connecting sewer shall be connected to the effluent of any septic tank, privy vault, cesspool, roof drain, area or driveway drain, or foundation drain.
(2) 
All pipe installed shall be either vitrified clay, asbestos cement, ABS plastic solid wall, or cast iron pipe of the kind and quality hereinafter specified and of at least six inches inside diameter. Where the ground is firm and provides a good foundation, vitrified clay pipe, ABS plastic solid wall, or asbestos cement pipe may be used. On filled ground or on ground which is not firm, cast iron pipe shall be used. Vitrified clay pipe shall be of the bell and spigot salt-glazed type. The pipe shall be six inch ASTM C-200 vitrified clay sewer pipe or six-inch ASTM C-428 Class 2400 asbestos-cement sewer pipe or six inch ASA-A40.1 cast iron soil pipe. Each section of pipe shall be stamped with the manufacturer's certification. Vitrified clay pipe shall be furnished with joints conforming to ASTM C425, Type III. Couplings for the asbestos-cement pipe shall conform to the standards of the manufacturer of the pipe with which the couplings will be used. Plastic pipe shall be a virgin, rigid ABS plastic and shall conform to the requirements of ASTM D-1788, Type I and Type IV, except that the minimum heat deflection temperature (ASTM D-649) shall be 180° F. All joints for the cast iron soil pipe shall be made with jute and lead. The lead in the bell shall have a minimum depth of one inch and shall be adequately caulked.
(3) 
All sewer pipe shall be installed in strict accord with the manufacturer's recommendations. Where rock trench foundation exists, a four inch gravel cradle shall be provided under the pipe.
(4) 
All pipe shall be installed with a minimum slope of 1/8 inch per foot and a minimum cover of 2 1/2 inch feet unless otherwise approved. All pipe shall be laid to an even grade and straight alignment to the public sanitary sewer. All pipe shall be laid with full and even bearing and no block supports will be allowed. Bell holes shall be dug to allow sufficient space to properly make each point. Backfill shall be tamped uniformly around the pipe. All work shall be done in a workmanlike manner and shall provide a durable installation.
(5) 
A six-inch soil pipe trap and a four-inch vent shall be installed a maximum of five feet from the building for new construction. On converting from an onsite sewage disposal system to the public sanitary sewerage system, the trap and vent shall be placed at the juncture between old and new pipe. The vent shall be so situated as not to allow the discharge of any surface water to the sanitary sewer.
(6) 
Where pipes of two different sizes, materials or joint types are being connected, special transition fittings must be utilized, if they are available for the particular type of connection required. When such fittings are not available, special care must be taken to assure that the joint is watertight and that there is a smooth flow invert from one pipe type to the other. Such joints shall be subject to the approval of the City inspector.
I. 
The maintenance of the connecting sewer shall be the responsibility of the property owner.
[Amended 5-14-1981 by Ord. No. O-4-1981; 12-10-1981 by Ord. No. O-18-1981; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A. 
Each sewage charge and penalty imposed by this article shall be a debt due the City and shall be a lien on the property served, and if not paid within 30 days after the date of the bill, shall be deemed delinquent, and thereafter the bill plus the penalty shall bear interest at the rate of 2 1/2% per quarter or fraction thereof until paid in full. In such event, the City may proceed to file a lien in the nature of a municipal lien in the office of the Prothonotary of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, and collect the same in the manner provided by law for the filing and collection of municipal claims, or the City may proceed to collect such delinquent service charge by an action in assumpsit, or by distress of personal property on the premises. In the event of failure to pay the service charge or penalty after they become delinquent as herein provided, the City Council shall be authorized, in addition to any other remedies authorized by law, to remove or close the sewer connection and shall have the right to enter upon the property served for such purpose and to take such steps as may be necessary to accomplish such removal or closing. The expense of such removal or closing, as well as the expense of restoring any such service, shall likewise be a debt due the City and a lien on the property served and may be filed and collected as herein provided, or such sewer connection shall not again be turned on or the sewage service restored until all service charges, additional charges and penalties, including the expense of removal, closing and restoration shall have been paid. In addition to the above remedies, the City may have the public water service to the premises discontinued until payment in full for sewerage services rendered has been made in accordance with laws governing the discontinuance of water service for nonpayment of sewerage service billings, and in connection therewith, the Shenango Valley Water Company is hereby directed upon request of the City or the person duly appointed by the City or with whom the City has contracted to bill and/or collect the sewer charges unpaid by this article, to shut off the supply of water to such premises until such overdue sewer charges, together with any penalties and interest thereon, and other charges, including the costs of shutting off and restoring such service, shall have been paid. Provided, however, that in no case shall the water supply be shut off to any premises until 10 days after written notice of an intention to do so has been mailed to the person liable for payment of the sewer charges, and in addition thereto, there has been posted a written notice at the main entrance to the premises. Provided, also, however, that if during such ten-day period the person liable for the payment of the sewer charges delivers to said Shenango Valley Water Company a written statement under oath or affirmation, stating that he has a just defense to the claim or part of it, for such charges, then the water supply shall not be shut off until the claim has been judicially determined. The statement shall also contain a declaration, under oath or affirmation, that it was not executed for the purpose of delay.
B. 
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this article shall upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs, or to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days, or both. Each day on which a violation shall continue shall be deemed a separate offense.
C. 
Change of ownership or occupancy of any property served by the public sanitary sewerage system as to which the service charge or penalty imposed by this article is delinquent, as provided in Subsection A, hereof, shall not be a cause for reducing or eliminating the rights and remedies of the City set forth in this section.
[Added 6-2-1997 by Ord. No. O-14-1997]
The following procedures and definitions are hereby established as the City of Farrell policy for the publication of the names of property owners delinquent in the payment of garbage and/or sewer user fees:
A. 
Delinquent. An amount of outstanding garbage and/or sewer fees, whether severally or in combination thereof, of $100 or more by any property owner, as outstanding at any time.
B. 
Property owner. Any individual, combination of individuals, or other entity owning real estate within the City of Farrell who would be obligated to pay a garbage fee or sewer fee pursuant to assessing ordinances of the City, in which ordinances are incorporate herein and made a part hereof, by reference.
C. 
At least 30 days prior to publication, the City of Farrell shall mail to the last registered owner of the premises or to the name and address to whom said billings are directed, by regular mail, postage pre-paid, a notice of such intention to publicize, setting forth:
(1) 
The specific amount of the said assessment or assessments; the date it became delinquent; the specific outstanding amount including penalty and interest;
(2) 
A statement of the City of Farrell's intent to publicize the property owner's name, the property owner's last address, the outstanding total obligation and the number of publications intended by the City.
(3) 
The ultimate date and time in which said payment, in full, must be made, and that payment made thereafter, shall be not revoke the publication.
(4) 
The place of payment and the name or telephone number of the City official designated as responsible for collection.