[Ord. No. 544 §6-1, 2-7-2005]
The City shall collect wastewater service charges for the use
of and the services rendered by the POTW from the owners or occupants
of every lot, parcel of real estate or building that has availability
to the POTW or which discharges, either directly or indirectly, wastes
to the POTW.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-2, 2-7-2005]
Except as otherwise provided in this Article, wastewater service
charges shall be based on the quantity of water used on or in the
property or premises subject to such charges and shall be computed
by applying the rates established by this Article and shall be payable
as provided in this Chapter.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-3, 2-7-2005]
A.
Except
as otherwise provided in this Chapter, wastewater service charges
shall be based on one (1) of the following:
1.
On the quantity of water used from any source of supply as measured
by water meters acceptable to the Director.
2.
On the quantity of wastewater entering the POTW and measured by a
wastewater meter acceptable to the Director.
3.
On the quantity of water used as determined by the Director.
4.
On the quantity of wastewater entering the POTW as determined by
the Director.
5.
On the percentage of the metered water used entering the POTW as
determined by the Director.
B.
Installation
of water and wastewater meters shall conform to the following:
1.
Any water utility shall install and maintain in continuous efficient
operation a water meter at each lot, parcel of real estate or building
served by a water utility.
2.
Each owner of a private well or other private water supply shall,
at his/her own expense, install and maintain in continuous efficient
operation a water meter acceptable to the Director. In lieu of installing
a water meter, the owner of a residence may elect to be billed on
the basis of three (3) ccf/month of wastewater discharged per bedroom
in the residence.
3.
The Director may require users of the POTW to provide other methods
of determination as may be required.
C.
Maintenance
of meters, either water or wastewater, shall be in accordance with
manufacturer's specifications. The readings of any such meter which
has not been maintained in a continuous and efficient manner may be
disregarded and the Director may determine the wastewater volume delivered
to the POTW during the time covered by discredited meter readings.
D.
Water
meters, other than those of a water utility, and wastewater meters
shall be read by the user in accordance with the meter reading practices
of the Director. These readings shall be furnished to the Director
upon request.
E.
Water
meter readings obtained by a water utility and other records pertaining
to the billing and collection of wastewater service charges shall
be made available to the City during business hours within four (4)
days of the time readings are taken.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-4, 2-7-2005; Ord. No. 661 §§1 — 2, 5-16-2011]
A.
Residential
billing for wastewater charges shall be determined as follows:
1.
The rates and charges established by this Chapter shall be applied
to the water consumption billed after this Chapter shall have been
placed in effect, except as otherwise provided by this Chapter. In
order that there will be the least wastewater service charge to residential
water consumers for water used to maintain lawns, gardens, flowers,
shrubs, trees, etc., water usage shall be derived from water consumption
recorded in periods when such activities are reduced.
2.
If wastewater service bills are rendered monthly, the basis for the
bill for wastewater service for residences shall be computed from
the average of the monthly water consumptions recorded during the
period beginning January twenty-fifth (25th) and extending through
the following April twenty-fifth (25th) of the year preceding the
establishment of the basis for the charge or from the average of the
consumptions for any such months during which water was used, except
as otherwise provided. The basis so established shall first be used
in rendering wastewater service bills beginning in the month of May
following the establishment of the basis for the charge and shall
be the basis used until the following May. A new basis for wastewater
service bills shall be established annually.
In cases where a residence first becomes subject, after the
meter reading date in January, to the wastewater service charges established
in this Article and no water meter readings were taken before such
date, the owner or occupant of such residence shall be billed the
basic customer charge together with additional charges for wastewater
services on the basis of actual water consumption as determined by
monthly meter readings, until such time as a basis can be established
in accordance with, and as provided in, this Section.
Averages resulting in fractions of one hundred (100) cubic feet
shall be raised to the next whole number of one hundred (100) cubic
feet in computing average monthly water consumption or averages of
monthly water consumptions.
3.
If the basis of wastewater service charges for a residence is established
by agreement between the City and the user, the agreement shall be
reviewed annually by the City and may be so reviewed at such other
times as the City, in its discretion, may require or permit.
4.
Nothing contained in this Section shall prevent the City, the owner
or occupant of any residential premises from electing to be charged
for wastewater services on the basis of actual water consumption as
determined by monthly meter readings, if such owner or occupant makes
application in writing to pay on the basis and agrees to pay on such
basis for at least one (1) year from the date of the next billing
following the date of application.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-5, 2-7-2005; Ord. No. 649 §1, 9-7-2010; Ord.
No. 663 §1, 7-18-2011; Ord. No. 697 §1, 6-18-12; Ord. No. 1006, 8-7-2023]
All sewer rates for the users of the City of Strafford sewer system shall be billed based on Section 805.100(G), Sanitary Sewer Rates, as amended from time to time by the Board of Aldermen.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-6, 2-7-2005]
A.
Schedule Established. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code to the contrary, there is hereby established a charge to every new or expanded user of the POTW of the City, which is in addition to the other fees and charges under this Article. An expanded user of the POTW is a user which increases the size or number of water meters serving its property or premises. The sewer impact fee will be charged based on Section 805.100(H), Sewer Impact Fees, as amended from time to time by the Board of Aldermen.
[Ord. No. 1007, 8-7-2023]
B.
New
Users. New users of the POTW will not be assessed an initial connection
fee in the following instances, but any increase in the size or number
of water meters will be assessed for expanded use:
1.
If an unexpired building permit was in existence for the user's property
or premises on September 19, 1990.
2.
If the user's property or premises was served by the POTW or if the
new user occupied a structure in and had previously been assessed
for a joint sanitary sewer district on the effective date of the ordinance
from which this Section derives.
3.
If there was a break in sewer service to the user's property or premises
for less than two (2) years.
4.
If the metered water usage on the user's property or premises is
solely for the purpose of fire protection or landscape irrigation.
C.
Rules And Regulations. The Director of Public Works will
have authority to establish rules and regulations pertaining to connection
fees set forth in this Section in order to carry out the intent of
the Section. Such rules and regulations must be placed on file with
the City Clerk ten (10) days before they become effective. A permit
to connect to the POTW shall not be issued by the City or any other
agency acting on behalf of the City with respect to the issuance of
permits to connect to the sewer system unless the connection fee set
forth in this Section has been paid.
D.
Increase In Size Or Number Of Water Meters. Any user who
increases the size or number of water meters serving its property
or premises shall pay a fee equal to the difference between the connection
fee for the meter which existed prior to the increase and the connection
fee for the newly installed meter.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-7, 2-7-2005]
A.
In order that rates and charges will be equitably related to the service rendered, the City shall, in addition to the charges set forth in Section 705.660, assess extra charges for biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids in excess of the amounts thereinafter set forth. The extra charges for biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids shall be as follows:
1.
The extra charges for biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids
shall be as follows effective July 1, 2003:
a.
For five (5) day biochemical oxygen demand in excess of twenty-one
hundredths (0.21) pounds for each one hundred (100) gallons (two hundred
fifty (250) milligrams per liter) of wastewater, an additional charge
of twenty-three cents ($0.23) shall be made for each such excess pound
or fraction thereof.
b.
For suspended solids in excess of two hundred fifty (250) milligrams
per liter of wastewater, an additional charge of fifteen cents ($0.15)
shall be made for each such excess pound or fraction thereof.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-8, 2-7-2005]
A.
Wastewater
service charges established by this Article shall be prepared and
billed by the City and shall be collected in the manner provided by
law and ordinance.
B.
Any
billing may be for a period of more or less than one (1) full month
in order to make the collection period correspond with the water meter
reading schedules of any water utility.
C.
The
first (1st) and final bill for each user shall be computed on a pro
rata basis.
D.
Wastewater
service billing schedules shall conform to the meter reading schedules
of the water utility; provided that whenever a private water utility
company changes its water meter reading practices, the City may continue
to render bills in accordance with wastewater service billing schedules,
bases and procedures in effect at the time the changes were made in
water meter reading practices.
E.
The
rates and charges may be billed to the tenants occupying the property
served, unless otherwise requested in writing by the owners, but such
billings shall in no way relieve the owner from liability if payment
is not made as required in this Section.
F.
The
owners of tenant-occupied property shall have the right to examine
the collection records of the City for the purpose of determining
whether such rates and charges have been paid by such tenants; provided
that such examination shall be made at the office at which such records
are kept and during the hours that such office is open for business.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-9, 2-7-2005]
A.
No
person shall connect to the POTW any property located outside of the
City of Strafford without first having obtained the approval thereof
from the Board of Aldermen of the City and the City Council of the
City of Springfield.
B.
Upon
such approval by the Board of Aldermen and the City Council of the
City of Springfield and after application for permit for connection
therefore has been received by the City and the payment of all such
assessments and fees for such connection as provided by ordinance
has been paid, then, and not before, property located outside the
City limits may be connected to the POTW.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-10, 2-7-2005]
Any premises connected to the POTW under the provisions of Section 705.690 shall be deemed so connected as a privilege extended by the City and not as a matter of right and shall in no way relieve any such premises from its lawful share of any special assessment heretofore or hereafter made for the payment in whole or in part of the cost of construction of sanitary sewers.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-11, 2-7-2005]
The Director is hereby authorized to require, as a condition of issuing special connect permits under the provisions set forth in Section 705.690, that the owner of the property being served by the special connect permit grant to the City a sewer easement in the areas where the Director determines sewers will be needed. The Director is authorized to accept such easements for and on behalf of the City.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-12, 2-7-2005]
When a water utility has adjusted water meter readings or when
it appears that an inequity has occurred, the Director may make adjustments
of wastewater service charges. Any user aggrieved by the decision
of the Director shall have the right to appeal to the Director of
Public Works whose decision shall be final for purposes of appeal
pursuant to Chapter 536, RSMo.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-13, 2-7-2005; Ord. No. 680 §3, 3-19-2012; Ord. No. 696 §2, 6-4-2012]
A.
If
any user shall fail to pay his/her bill within fifteen (15) days after
the date of rendition thereof, an additional charge of ten percent
(10%) thereof shall be added thereto. If any such bill shall remain
unpaid for a period of twenty-five (25) days after date of rendition
thereof, the property shall not be entitled to receive sewage services
from the City. Wastewater service to such premises may be disconnected
and shall not be reconnected until all past due bills for wastewater
services are paid in full, together with a service fee of twenty dollars
($20.00), all to bear interest at the statutory rate. If the water
meter has been removed, an additional charge of fifty dollars ($50.00)
may be made for reinstallation of the water meter. All such fees,
penalties and charges may be waived by the Board of Aldermen for good
cause shown.
B.
It
shall be the duty of City utilities or other representatives of the
City charged with the responsibility of receiving payments for wastewater
services to notify the Director of those premises which because of
delinquency in the payment of bills are no longer entitled to wastewater
service and the Director may take the necessary steps to have the
building sewer disconnected from the POTW.
C.
The
occupant or user of the premises receiving wastewater services and
the owner of such premises shall be jointly and severally liable to
pay for such services rendered on such premises. The City shall have
the power to sue the occupant or the owner, or both, of such real
estate in a civil action and receive any sums due for such services
plus a reasonable attorney's fee to be fixed by the court.
D.
All owners of real property within or without the City of Strafford, State of Missouri to which sewage services are supplied are liable to the City for the charges for providing such sewerage service. The property owner's liability is concurrent with any person or persons residing upon said property and who may be deemed to be the actual users of the service. In addition to or in the alternative to the remedies of Subsection (C) above, in the event the service charge or charges for use of sewerage services are not paid within the time or in the manner provided by ordinances of this City, the City may assess the delinquent charges and fees as a special assessment against lot or parcel of land to which services were provided. In such event, the City Clerk shall certify the unpaid delinquent charges and fees to the County Clerk, along with a legal description of the real property benefitting from the water and/or sewerage service, and the same shall be placed on the tax rolls for collection, subject to the same penalties and collected in like manner as other taxes are by law collectible and shall become a lien upon the real property so served.
E.
From
and after the effective date hereof, new users of the City's POTW
shall be required to pay a deposit of seventy-five dollars ($75.00)
before wastewater service is established or permitted, unless such
new user is the owner of the premises to which wastewater service
is sought, in which case the deposit shall be fifty dollars ($50.00).
The City shall permit new users to utilize the City's POTW forty-eight
(48) hours after such new user's request to do so. The deposit of
any user who voluntarily terminates such user's utilization of the
City's POTW shall be returned to such user, less any amounts due and
owing the City for wastewater service. The deposits of users who are
the owners of the premises to which wastewater service has been established
shall be refunded as a billing credit to such users thirty-six (36)
months after the date of service was established; provided however,
refunds shall not be made in the following situations:
1.
Where the City has disconnected wastewater service to such premises
or has threatened to disconnect wastewater service to such premises
because of the non-payment of any charges incurred by such user for
wastewater service or for any other use of the City's POTW at any
time during the preceding thirty-six (36) months; and/or
2.
Where any such user has been delinquent in the payment of any charge
incurred for wastewater service or for any other use of the City's
POTW within twelve (12) months immediately preceding any date a refund
credit is requested.
[Ord. No. 544 §6-14, 2-7-2005]
A.
Any
water utility shall cease to furnish water to any user who is delinquent
in the payment of wastewater service charges.
B.
The
funds of the water utility shall not be used to defend against or
to pay any claim arising from the action of the Water Utility Department
in complying with the terms of this Article. Such claims shall be
defended by or discharged by the City.
