[Ord. No. 17-06, 5-11-2017[1]]
It is determined and declared to be necessary and conductive to the protection of the public health, safety, welfare, and convenience of the City to collect charges from all users of the City's water and sewer systems. The proceeds of such charges so derived will be used for the purpose of operating and maintaining the systems, and for retiring the debt for such systems.
[1]
Editor's Note: Ord. No. 17-06 repealed former Chapter 725, Articles I through II, containing Sections 725.010 through 725.120.
[Ord. No. 17-06, 5-11-2017]
Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this Chapter shall be as follows:
BOD (BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND)
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter under standard laboratory procedure in five (5) days at twenty degrees Celsius (20° C.), expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/l).
COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL SEWER OR WATER SERVICE
The provision of a sewer collection service or water supply system to premises used for a business, trade, agricultural, manufacturing or processing activity, including without limitation hotels, motels, rest homes, schools, prisons, gas stations, and all other services not hereinafter defined as a "domestic sewer or water service."
[Ord. No. 17-08, 6-5-2017]
CUSTOMER
Any person, individual, partnership, association, corporation, business, governmental body, or governmental agency which has connected to the City water or sewer lines for water or sewer service or is receiving service from the City, or whose facilities are connected for utilizing such service.
DOMESTIC SEWER OR WATER SERVICE
The provision of sewer collection service or water supply system to premises with one (1) residential dwelling, excluding the provision of sewer or water service herein defined as "commercial or industrial sewer or water service and multi-dwelling structure customers."
IRRIGATION CUSTOMER
Any customer who uses the City's water supply system to provide water for irrigation of landscaping, lawn maintenance, bulk water and does not waste water into the City's sewer system.
MULTI-DWELLING STRUCTURE CUSTOMERS
Residential customers living in a duplex, apartment, or other multi-family dwelling that are served by a single meter shall be charged for sewer or water service in accordance with the charges then in effect for commercial or industrial sewer or water service.
NORMAL DOMESTIC WASTEWATER
Wastewater that has a BOD concentration of not more than two hundred fifty (250) mg/l and a suspended solids concentration of not more than three hundred (300) mg/l.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
All expenditures during the useful life of the system for materials, labor, utilities, and other items which are necessary for managing and maintaining the system to achieve the capacity and performance for which the system was designed and constructed.
REPLACEMENT
Expenditures for obtaining and installing equipment, accessories, or appurtenances which are necessary during the useful life of the system to maintain the capacity and performance for which such works were designed and constructed. The term "operation and maintenance" includes replacement.
SEWER SERVICE
The service provided by the City sewer system to collect and convey sewage from customers who pay for either commercial or industrial sewer service, multi-dwelling structure customers or domestic sewer service.
SS (SUSPENDED SOLIDS)
The solids that either float on the surface of or are in suspension in water, sewage or other liquids and which are removable by laboratory filtering.
TREATMENT WORKS
Any devices and systems for the storage, treatment, recycling and reclamation of municipal sewage, domestic sewage or liquid industrial wastes. These include interceptor sewers, outfall sewers, sewage collection systems, individual systems, pumping, power and other equipment and their appurtenances; extension, improvements, remodeling, additions and alterations thereof; elements essential to provide a reliable recycled supply such as standby treatment units and clear well facilities; and any works including site acquisition of land that will be an integral part of the treatment process or is used for ultimate disposal of residues resulting from such treatment; or any other method or system for preventing, abating, reducing, storing, treating, separating or disposing of municipal waste or industrial waste, including waste in combined storm water and sanitary sewer systems.
USEFUL LIFE
The estimated period during which the treatment works will be operated.
USER CHARGE
That portion of the total water and sewer service charge which is levied in a proportional and adequate manner for the cost of operation, maintenance, and replacement of the systems.
WATER METER
A water volume measuring and recording device, furnished and/or installed by the City of Tipton or furnished and/or installed by a user and approved by the City of Tipton.
WATER SERVICE
Service provided by the City through the water supply system which includes a system for the collection, transmission, treatment, storage and distribution of water from source to customers who pay for either commercial or industrial water service, multi-dwelling structure customers or domestic water service.
WATER SERVICE LINE
A pipe with appurtenances installed, owned and maintained by the Customer, used to conduct water to the Customer's unit from the property line, curb stop or outdoor meter setting, including the connection to the curb stop or meter setting. If the property line is in a street, then the water service line shall be deemed to begin at the edge of the street abutting the Customer's property.
WATER SYSTEM
Any devices or systems for the storage, treatment, recycling, transmission and distribution of water. These include transmission and distribution lines, individual systems, pumping, power, and other equipment and their appurtenances, extension, improvements, remodeling, additions and alterations thereof; elements essential to provide a reliable water supply such as standby treatment units and any works, including site acquisition of land that will be part of the treatment process.
[Ord. No. 17-06, 5-11-2017]
A. 
The user charge systems shall generate adequate annual revenues to pay the costs of annual operation and maintenance including replacement and cost associated with debt retirement of bonded capital associated with financing the systems which the City may by ordinance designate to be paid by the user charge systems. That portion of the total user charge which is designated for operation and maintenance including replacement of the systems shall be established by this Chapter.
B. 
That portion of the total user charge collected which is designated for the operation and maintenance including replacement purposes as established in Section 725.040, shall be deposited in the respective water and sewer "Operation, Maintenance and Replacement" funds in two (2) primary accounts as follows:
1. 
"Operation and Maintenance" - this account shall be designated for the specific purpose of defraying operation and maintenance costs, excluding replacement of the water and sewer systems.
2. 
"Replacement" - this account shall be designated for the purpose of ensuring replacement needs over the useful life of the water and sewer systems.
C. 
Fiscal year end balances in the "Operations and Maintenance" and "Replacement" accounts shall be carried over to the same accounts in each subsequent fiscal year, and shall be used for no other purposes than those designated for these accounts. Monies which have been transferred from other sources to meet temporary shortages in the funds shall be returned to their respective accounts upon appropriate adjustment of the user charge rates for operation, maintenance, and replacement. The use charge rates shall be adjusted such that the transferred monies will be returned to their respective accounts within the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the monies were borrowed.
[Ord. No. 17-06, 5-11-2017; Ord. No. 22-03, 6-6-2022]
A. 
Each user shall pay for the services provided by the City based on their use of the water and sewer systems as determined by water meter(s) acceptable to the City. User charges shall be based on water used during the current month. If a commercial or industrial contributor has a consumptive use of water, or in some other manner uses water which is not returned to the wastewater collection system; the user charge for that contributor may be based on wastewater meter(s) installed and maintained at the contributor's expense, and in a manner acceptable to the City.
B. 
User fees shall be as follows:
[Ord. No. 17-08, 6-5-2017; Ord. No. 22-04, 7-6-2022; Ord. No. 23-03, 5-1-2023; Ord. No. 23-05, 6-5-2023]
Water — Residential and Irrigation Users
0 — 3,000 gallons
$19.25
3,001 — 20,000
$4.00 per 1,000 gallons
20,001 — 50,000
$4.25 per 1,000 gallons
50,001 and over
$4.50 per 1,000 gallons
Water — Multi-Dwelling and Commercial or Industrial Users
Base fee based on meter size, first 3,000 gallons included
3/4" meter
$21.25
1"
$24.25
2"
$34.25
3"
$200.25
4"
$275.25
6"
$483.25
8"
$609.25
10"
$735.25
Water — Multi-Dwelling and Commercial or Industrial User Volumetric Rate
3,001 — 20,000
$4.00 per 1,000 gallons
20,001 — 50,000
$4.25 per 1,000 gallons
50,001 and over
$4.50 per 1,000 gallons
Sewer — Residential
Base Fee
$19.25
Up to 16,000 gallons
$4.50 per 1,000 gallons
Sewer — Multi-Dwelling and Commercial or Industrial Users
Base fee based on meter size
3/4" meter
$21.25
1"
$24.25
2"
$34.25
3"
$200.25
4"
$275.25
6"
$483.25
8"
$609.25
10"
$735.25
Sewer — Multi-Dwelling and Commercial or Industrial Users Volumetric Rate
0 — 16,000 gallons
$4.50 per 1,000 gallons
16,001 — 50,000 gallons
$4.75 per 1,000 gallons
50,001 and over
$6.00 per 1,000 gallons
1. 
Any user that resides out of the City limits and is connected to the City’s water and/or sewer system shall be charged double of any and all fees listed above.
2. 
A surcharge in addition to the normal user charge will be collected by users that contribute wastewater in strength greater than normal domestic sewage. The surcharge for operation and maintenance including replacement is fifty-seven cents ($0.57) per pound of BOD, forty-two cents ($0.42) per pound of SS.
3. 
Any user which discharges any toxic pollutants which cause an increase in the cost of managing the effluent or the sludge from the City’s treatment works or any user which discharges any substance which singly or by interaction with other substances causes identifiable increases in the cost of operation, maintenance or replacement of the treatment works shall pay for such increased costs. The charge to each user shall be as determined by the plant operating personnel and approved the Board of Aldermen.
[Ord. No. 17-06, 5-11-2017]
A. 
All users shall be billed on the twenty-fifth (25th) of each month. Billings are due on the twentieth (20th) of the following month. Payments are due when billings are made. Any payment not received by the twentieth (20th) of each month after the billing is made shall be delinquent.
B. 
A late payment penalty of ten percent (10%) of the user charge bill will be added to each delinquent billing.
C. 
Any person who fails to pay for water and sewer charges by the tenth (10th) of the following month that charges are due shall be disconnected from the City's water and sewer systems.
D. 
A disconnect list shall be created by 9:00 A.M. on the eleventh (11th) day of the month or the next business day following the tenth (10th). Anyone on the list as of 9:00 A.M. who has not been granted an extension shall pay a fifty dollars ($50.00) service fee for the reconnection of water and sewer services, whether it be prior to or after physical disconnection.
E. 
No extensions will be granted past the twentieth (20th) of the month for delinquent accounts.
[Ord. No. 17-06, 5-11-2017]
A. 
A water meter deposit shall be paid to the City prior to water and sewer service being activated at any location.
B. 
Deposits shall be as follows:
Commercial, Industrial, Multi-Dwelling, Residential, Irrigation Property Owner — fifty dollars ($50.00).
Any renter on any type of property — one hundred dollars ($100.00).
[Ord. No. 17-06, 5-11-2017]
A. 
There is hereby established the following annual service connection fee on each water customer connected to the City's water system, as required by Section 640.100, RSMo., that will be billed each month:
1. 
For customers with meters not greater than one (1) inch in size shall pay an annual fee of three dollars and twenty-four cents ($3.24);
2. 
For customers with meters greater than one (1) inch in size, but less than or equal to two (2) inches in size shall not exceed seven dollars and forty-four cents ($7.44);
3. 
For customers with meters greater than two (2) inches, but less than or equal to four (4) inches in size shall not exceed forty-one dollars and sixteen cents ($41.16);
4. 
For customers with meters greater than four (4) inches in size shall not exceed eighty-two dollars and forty-four cents ($82.44);
5. 
Customers served by multiple connections shall pay a user fee based on the above rates for each connection, except that no single facility served by multiple connections shall pay a total of more than five hundred dollars ($500.00).
B. 
Two percent (2%) of the fee revenue collected shall be retained by the City as reimbursement of billing and collections expenses. The ninety-eight percent (98%) balance shall be sent to the appropriate State agency as required by law.
[Ord. No. 17-06, 5-11-2017]
A. 
There is hereby established the following annual service connection fee on each sewer customer connected to the City's sewer system, as required by Section 644.052, RSMo.:
1. 
Eighty cents ($0.80) per residential customer as defined by the City until such time as the commission promulgates rules defining the billing procedure;
2. 
Three dollars ($3.00) for commercial or industrial customers not served by a public water system as defined in Chapter 640, RSMo.;
3. 
Three dollars ($3.00) per water service connection for all other customers with water service connection of less than or equal to one (1) inch, excluding taps for fire suppression and irrigation systems;
4. 
Ten dollars ($10.00) per water service connection for all other customers with water service connection of more than one (1) inch but less than or equal to four (4) inches, excluding taps for fire suppression and irrigation systems;
5. 
Twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per water service connection for all other customers with water service connections of more than four (4) inches, excluding taps for fire suppression and irrigation systems.
B. 
Five percent (5%) of the fee revenue collected shall be retained by the City as reimbursement of billing and collection expenses. The ninety-five percent (95%) balance shall be sent to the appropriate State agency as required by law.
[Ord. No. 17-06, 5-11-2017]
A. 
The City shall review the user charge systems annually and revise the rates as necessary to ensure that the systems generate adequate revenues to pay the costs of operation and maintenance, including replacement and that the systems continue to provide for the proportional distribution of operation and maintenance, including replacement costs among users and user classes.
B. 
The City will notify each user at least annually, in conjunction with a regular bill, of the rate being charged for operations and maintenance, including replacement of the user systems.