There is hereby imposed upon the owners of, or the users of water in or on, all properties situated within the corporate limits of the Borough and served by the public sanitary sewerage system a service charge for the use of said system, payable as hereinafter provided in the amount hereinafter provided. The service charge shall begin to accrue from and after June 1, 1961, and said owners and users shall be jointly and severally liable for the payment of the service charge and the penalty herein prescribed for delinquent payment thereof.
[Amended 2-26-1965 by Ord. No. 442, 7-29-1969 by Ord. No. 532; 3-20-1979 by Ord. No. 609; 11-17-1981 by Res. No. 13-81; 8-17-1982 by Res. No. 9-82; 4-21-1987 by Ord. No. 659]
The service charge shall be based on the quantity of water used in or on said properties as the same is measured by the water company's meter or meters and there in use, and shall be charged at the rate established in a schedule of fees adopted and amended from time to time by resolution of the Borough Council.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The schedule referred to herein, and also a schedule of tap-in fees, is on file in the office of the Borough Secretary.
Owners and users will be billed monthly for the service charge. The billing for the first two months of each quarter will be an estimate based on the water usage shown by the water company's meter reading for the previous quarter. The last month's billing of each quarter will be computed on the actual water usage for the quarter minus the previous two months' estimated billings. All bills for service charges shall be due when rendered and shall be subject to a penalty of 5% if not paid within 15 days from the date of the bill.
The measurement by two or more meters of the quantity of water used in or on one property by one owner or user may be combined and the service charge billed to said owner or user as though the quantity of water was measured by one meter, if the Borough Council so elects.
In the event that the owner of, or the user of water in or on, any property served by the public sanitary sewerage system obtains part or all of the water used in or on such property from sources other than the water company, such owner or user shall, upon demand of the Borough Council or Authority, at no expense to the Borough, Authority or the water company, install and maintain a water meter or meters satisfactory to the Borough Council. Authority and to the water company for measuring all water used other than that obtained from the water company, and the quantity of water used to determine the service charge shall be the quantity of water measured by all such meters, plus the quantity of water obtained from the water company.
In the event that it is established to the satisfaction of the Borough Council or Authority that a portion of the water used in or on any property served by the public sanitary sewerage system does not and cannot enter the system, and in the event that the total water used in or on said property exceeds 100,000 gallons per quarter, the Borough Council or Authority may determine, in such manner and by such method as it may deem practical, the percentage of the water entering the public sanitary sewerage system, or the Borough Council or Authority may require or permit the installation of additional meters in such manner as to determine either the quantity of water excluded from the public sanitary sewerage system or the quantity of water, sewage or industrial waste actually entering the public sanitary sewerage system. The service charge shall be based upon the quantity of water estimated, measured or computed by the Borough Council or Authority to be actually entering the public sanitary sewerage system, subject to the minimum charge provided for in § 135-29.
Any person requesting a reduction of the amount of the service charge because of water purchased which does not enter the public sanitary sewerage system shall make written application to the Borough Council or Authority, giving the name of such person, his address and setting forth supporting data fully describing other sources of water, if any, as well as the disposition of water alleged not to be entering the public sanitary sewerage system. The application shall be accompanied by a titled sketch 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches, 18 inches by 24 inches or 24 inches by 36 inches in dimensions, 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 entering, or not entering, the public sanitary sewerage system. The cost of furnishing, installing and maintaining any meters other than those utilized to measure water purchased from the water company shall be borne by the applicant. The type, size, location, arrangement and maintenance of such meters shall be subject to the approval of the Borough Council and/or the Authority, and the water company.
Nothing contained in this Article IV shall preclude the right of the Borough Council from entering into contracts with neighboring municipalities for the treatment of their sewage pursuant to a schedule of fees differing from the service charges above set forth.