[Adopted 6-15-1954 by Ord. No. 20 (Ch. 87 of the 1976 Code)]
There is hereby established in the Riverhead Sewer District a scale of rents to be called "sewer rents," the revenues from which shall be used for the payment of the cost of the management, maintenance, operation and repair of the sanitary sewer system, including treatment and disposal works.
[Amended 8-31-1977]
In addition to any and all other fees and charges provided by law, the owner of any parcel of land served by the sanitary sewer system of the Riverhead Sewer District shall pay a sewer rent for the use of such sanitary sewer system. Such sewer rent shall become due and payable annually, and the rate thereof shall be determined by the Town Board of the Town of Riverhead by a resolution duly adopted by a majority of its membership during the month of November, prior to November 15, to coincide with the adoption of the sewer budget. The rate so adopted shall be based upon the consumption of water during the annual period prior to the preceding June 30, according to the records of the Riverhead Water District, except as hereinafter provided.
In the case of metered consumers of water supplied by the Riverhead Water Department, the sewer rent charge, except as hereinafter provided, shall be computed and fixed by multiplying the amount of water consumed during the four quarterly meter reading periods prior to the preceding June 30, according to the records of the Riverhead Water District, by the rate established as aforesaid.
In the case of metered consumers of water supplied by the Riverhead Water District who contribute to the sewer system an amount of sewage substantially less than or substantially greater than the amount of water supplied to such metered consumer, or in the case of owners of real property who are not supplied with water by the Riverhead Water District but are connected to the sewer system, the Town Board of the Town of Riverhead shall fix and determine the sewer rent charge applicable to such real property upon such equitable basis as shall be determined by said Board.
At the option of an owner of real property being served by the sewer system who is affected by § 265-4 above, such owner may, at his own expense and subject at all times to the approval of the Superintendent of the Riverhead Sewer District or other designated official, install, operate and maintain sewage meters, gauges or other suitable devices for measuring the amount of sewage contributed to the sewer system. In such cases, the quantity of sewage shall be determined by such metering device, and the sewer rent applicable thereto shall be the amount which would be imposed for the consumption of a like amount of water during the prior annual period.
It shall be the duty of the Superintendent of the Riverhead Sewer District or other designated official to make a survey annually or at such other times as may be required by the Town Board of the Town of Riverhead, to determine whether there is being discharged into the sewer system sewage or other waste which, in the opinion of such Superintendent, contains unduly high concentrations of solids or any other substance adding to the operating costs of the sewer system. Upon the completion of such survey, he shall file with said Board a report of his findings, indicating whether additional sewer rent charges should be levied for such sewage or other waste, and if so, he shall set forth recommended charges for the same. Said Board is authorized to fix and determine such additional sewer rent charge therefor as shall be equitable, in addition to the sewer rents herein provided.
Sewer rents shall become due and payable on the first day of December in each year, or on such other date or dates as may be determined by the Town Board of the Town of Riverhead, and shall be collected by the Receiver of Taxes. Said rents shall constitute a lien on the real property served by the sewer system.