[Adopted 3-13-1950 by Ord. No. 818]
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960]
There is hereby imposed an annual rental or charge upon the owners of properties served or to be served for the use of the sewers and sewer system of the Township of Haverford and for the use of extensions thereof which are in the course of construction or to be constructed and for the use of the sewage treatment works.
The annual sewer rental or charge shall be such sum as shall be sufficient to meet the following classes of expenses:
A. 
The amount expended annually by the Township in the operation, maintenance, repair, alteration, inspection, depreciation or other expense in relation to such sewers, sewer system, pumping stations or sewage treatment works.
B. 
Such annual amount as may be necessary to provide for the amortization of the indebtedness incurred or of the nondebt revenue bonds or other bonds issued by the Township in the construction or acquisition of such sewer, sewage system or sewage treatment works and interest thereon in order that said improvement may become self-liquidating, or as may be sufficient to pay the amount agreed to be paid annually under the terms of any contract with any authority or municipality furnishing sewage disposal or treatment services to the Township.
C. 
Sufficient to establish a fund balance of no less than 15% of budgeted sewer fund revenues.
[Amended 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718]
[Amended 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718]
The Board of Commissioners of Haverford Township finds as a fact that the majority of properties of the Township which are connected to the pubic sewers obtain water from the Aqua PA, hereafter for convenience called "water company," and further that the water company has water meters installed in the majority of said properties; and the Township further finds that the majority of all properties which are thus served by the water company are connected to the public sewers. The Board of Commissioners of Haverford Township therefore declares that the fairest manner in which to equitably apportion the total sewer rental or charge to be made is to base the charge for each property on the metered consumption of water used by each property connected to the sewers. It is also determined that the annual sewer rental or charge for any property for any year should be billed and shown separately on the annual real estate, sewer rent and trash fee bill dated February 1 of each year; and based, so far as practicable, on water actually consumed by said property during the 12 consecutive months ending September 30 preceding the annual bill date.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960; 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718]
In October of each year, the Director of Finance shall secure a data file from the water company showing the total number of metered gallons of water used by each individual consumer or property within the Township for the 12 consecutive months ending September 30 and as records of the water company and their schedules of water meter readings permit. Reasonable compensation shall be paid to the water company for such data and shall be included as a part of the total amount of annual sewer rental as per § 149-9 hereof.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 149-12, Estimation of water consumption for new properties required, as amended, was repealed 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960; 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718]
As part of the annual budget process, the Board of Commissioners shall adopt an ordinance which shall set a rate, for the ensuing year, to be applied for every 1,000 gallons of water used by consumers within the Township. The number of gallons shall be the number of gallons used for the 12 consecutive months ending September 30 of the preceding year as shown by water company records. In computing the number of thousands of gallons per property, usage will be determined to the closest 1/10 of a thousand gallons.
[Amended 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718]
Whenever a property upon which a sewer rental is hereby imposed uses water from the water company, a portion of which is not discharged into the sewage system of the Township, the quantity of water so used and not discharged into the Township sewers shall be excluded in determining the sewer rental of said property, provided that the quantity of water so used and not discharged into the Township sewers is measured by a device or devices approved by the Township and installed without cost to the Township. A photograph of the initial "zero" reading of the newly installed separate meter must be furnished to the Township Finance Department upon installation. Annual readings, accompanied by a photograph of the separate meter (as of September 30) must be furnished to the Finance Department by the property owner no later than November 1 of each year. Upon payment in full of the annual sewer rent billed (at gross water usage) the following February 1, the reading from the second meter will be used to calculate a refund back to the property owner. This refund represents the sewer rents or charges on water not discharged into the sewage system.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 149-15, Determination of separate or additional sewer rental; installation of meters, was repealed 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960; 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718]
In December of each year, estimated sewer rental revenues for the ensuing year shall be computed by the Director of Finance to assist the Township Manager and Board of Commissioners in its enactment of the ensuing year's budget. The estimated revenues shall be calculated by multiplying the number of thousands of gallons of water used by each property for the preceding twelve-month-consecutive period ending September 30 as furnished by the water company times the amount of charge per 1,000 gallons of water as hereinbefore provided. It shall be the duty of the Township Secretary to certify a copy of the ordinance fixing the annual sewer rental or charge for the ensuing year to the Director of Finance.
[Amended 6-30-1986 by Ord. No. 1960; 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718]
The Township does not prepare final sewer bills, and, therefore, at the time of property transfer, the entire sewer rental should be apportioned in a like manner as real estate taxes, as per normal practice at settlement.
[Amended 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718]
A. 
The Director of Finance is hereby charged with the duties of collecting all sewer charges and is authorized to adopt such regulations with respect hereto as may, in his or her discretion, seem fit and proper.
B. 
A two-percent discount shall be applied to all bills paid within 60 days from the date of the bill. The face amount of the bills shall be due and payable on or after 60 days from the date of the bill. If said bills are not paid on or before 120 days from the date of the bills, an additional penalty of 10% shall be added. Delinquent accounts that are assigned to special counsel for collection are subject to the procedures, interest, schedule of attorney fees and charges as established in Chapter 63, Collection Procedures, Article I, Unpaid Sewer and Trash Accounts.
[Added 9-8-2015 by Ord. No. 2762]
[Added 7-30-1979 by Ord. No. 1752; amended 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718]
The annual sewer charge for homes with a well water source and, therefore, not serviced by the water company, shall be calculated by multiplying the same rate (per 1,000 gallons) as established annually by ordinance of the Board of Commissioners by the amount of average annual water use (in gallons, per person) as computed by Aqua PA in its most recently published sustainability report as of September 30 of each year. Property owners are required to complete a biannual statement to the Township attesting to the number of individuals residing at the property being sourced by well water.
[Amended 6-9-2014 by Ord. No. 2718]
It shall be the duty of the Director of Finance to keep full, accurate and complete records of all sewer rentals or charges, bills, receipts, payments and transmittals of money to the Township.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Section 14, as amended, which immediately followed this section and dealt with the due date for payment of bills and collection of unpaid bills, was superseded by the current annual Sewer Rental Ordinance.
The foregoing directions as to the time in which to procure information from the water company and other sources and the time in which to adopt annual ordinances and of the times in which to mail out bills shall be considered directory and not mandatory, and the failure to do one or some or all of said acts on time shall not invalidate any ordinance passed and shall not invalidate any bill rendered and shall not invalidate or forgo the collection of any sewer rental or charge. This article, when referring to sewers, sewage system or sewage treatment works, is intended to mean sanitary sewers, sanitary sewage system and sanitary sewage treatment works and is not intended to include or relate to surface water treatment.
No sewer rental is hereby imposed upon properties outside the Township from which sewage is discharged into sewers of the Township under an agreement between the Township and any other political subdivision of the commonwealth nor upon the properties within the Township not receiving sewer service from the Township facilities.