[Ord. No. 5-1999]
The rates, rentals and other charges, including connection fees,
shall be fixed, by ordinance of the Governing Body, in accordance
with the Municipal and County Sewerage Act, N.J.S.A. 40A:26A-1, et
seq.
[Ord. No. 24-1998; Ord. No. 5-1999; New; Ord.
No. 6-1999; Ord. No. 9-2000; Ord. No. 26-2002; Ord. No. 27-2002; Ord.
No. 21-2007; Ord. No. 16-2019;Ord. No. 19-2019]
A. Basis of user charge.
(1) Each class A user shall pay for the services provided by the South Amboy Sanitary Sewerage System based on a fixed charge set by ordinance of the Governing Body and their use of the system as determined by the city from the Middlesex Water Company. The city may impose a surcharge on any Class A user with a prohibited connection and/or discharge as described in Article
II, Section
127-5A. The amount of this surcharge shall be based upon the impact of the connection on the sewerage system and shall be set by ordinance of the Governing Body and may be punitive in nature.
(2) Each Class B user shall pay for the services provided by the South Amboy sanitary sewerage system based on a fixed charge set by ordinance of the Governing Body and his use of the system as determined by actual sewage flows and/or water meter readings obtained by the city from the Middlesex Water Company. Actual sewage flows of all Class B users shall be used to determine charges, wherever possible. In the absence of actual sewage flows for Class B users, actual water meter readings will be used as the basis for computing the charges. Where industries have a private water supply, all or part of which is discharged to the city sewerage system, said industrial discharges shall be metered. In the event that evidence is presented indicating that all of the total annual volume of water used for all purposes does not reach the sewer, an estimate will be made of the water actually discharged to the sewer or a separate meter shall be installed in accordance with Subsection
D below. Each Class B user shall, in addition, pay a surcharge fee or receive credit based on the product of the unit surcharge cost determined by the city (reference Exhibit A) and his excessive or below-strength loadings, as determined in Subsection
F below, of BOD, SS and CD.
B. Water consumption readings. All water consumption readings shall
be those obtained by the city from the Middlesex Water Company. If
a user obtains its water supply from a private well or an unmetered
public water supply or utilizes a process that would yield wastewater
in amounts greater than the metered water use, then the user shall
install a meter at his own cost, the type and location of which is
to be approved by the city. In the event that the user fails to install
such a meter within 30 days after receiving notice from the city,
then the user shall pay a charge based upon the city's estimate of
water consumption, which estimate shall be conclusive and binding
upon the user.
C. Inaccurate water consumption readings. In the event that estimated
water consumption readings should prove to be inaccurate, the city
shall recalculate prior quarterly service charges with the difference
charged to or credited to the customer.
D. Separate water meters. Any customer who uses substantial quantities
of water not discharged into the City of South Amboy sewer system
shall have the option of installing, at his own cost, a separate meter
to measure water usage not discharged into the sewer system.
E. Normal domestic sewage dischargers (Class A users). All users of
the City of South Amboy sanitary sewerage system discharging normal
domestic sewage, as herein described in the sewer use regulations,
shall pay a user charge rate for operation, maintenance and replacement
according to Exhibit A.
F. Nondomestic waste dischargers (Class B users).
(1) For all users whose waste strength is more than 10% greater or less
than 200 milligrams per liter of BOD, or 220 milligrams per liter
of SS and 15 milligrams per liter of CD, a surcharge or credit in
addition to the normal user charge will be collected. This surcharge
shall be in addition to the Class B fixed and user charges described
in Exhibit A.
(2) All Class B users shall provide means at each plant to allow periodic
determination of the concentration of the wastes as a basis for city
verification of charges for suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand
and chlorine demand. The determination will be made at least twice
per year or, if deemed necessary, quarterly, monthly, weekly or daily.
Determination of the character of the waste will be made by a laboratory
certified in the State of New Jersey. Should this determination provide
results which are substantially different from the data submitted
quarterly by the user, the user charge for that Class B user shall
be revised for the next billing period. The surcharge for operation
and maintenance, including replacement, shall be determined as shown
in Exhibit A.
G. Toxic discharges. Any user who discharges any toxic pollutants, as defined in Article
I, Section
127-2, which cause an increase in the cost of managing the effluent or the sludge from the Middlesex County Utilities Authority Treatment Plant, or any user who 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. These costs shall include, but not be limited to, penalties, cost of defense or protection, etc. The charge to each such user shall be as determined by administrative directive of the City of South Amboy.
H. Extraneous flows. The rates in Exhibit A are deemed to be sufficient
to fairly apportion the cost of treatment of any extraneous flows
coming into the City of South Amboy sewerage system.
I. Rate application. The user charge rates established in this Article
apply to all users of the South Amboy sanitary sewerage system.
J. Sewer user rates and facility charges.
The following sewer user rates and facility charges shall apply
within the City of South Amboy, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:26A-10.
(1) Class A Users shall be separated into the following categories and
charged the following sewer user rates for each 1000 cubic feet of
water usage unless otherwise set forth:
(a)
Class "A" Users (domestic flow).
[1]
Residential (up to two dwelling units) —
For the period September 1, 2019 through August 30, 2020, the
sewer user charge shall be $33.34, per unit, per 1,000 cubic feet
of water usage;
For the period September 1, 2020 through August 30, 2021, the
sewer user charge shall be $38.79, per unit, per 1,000 cubic feet
of water usage;
For the period September 1, 2021 and thereafter, the sewer user
charge shall be $44.24, per unit, per 1,000 cubic feet of water usage;
[2]
Multifamily (over two dwelling units) and Hotels - $74.96 per
1,000 cubic feet of water usage.
[3]
Commercial - $82.84 per 1,000 cubic feet of water usage.
(2) Class "B" Users.
(a)
Class "B" Users (non-domestic flow) $88.58 per 1,000 cubic feet
of water usage.
(3) For all users, the minimum quarterly charge shall be the charge for
1000 cubic feet of water usage based on the classification of "unit".
(4) All users shall pay a quarterly facility charge of $5.00 per unit
per dwelling and $10.00 per unit for commercial and multiple family
dwelling units.
(5) A 5% discount on sewer user rates shall be afforded to persons residing
in single-family, owner-occupied premises, where the owner is either
a person of the age of 65 or more years or is under 65 years of age
and permanently and totally disabled as defined in N.J.S.A. 40A:26A-10.1.
K. Sanitary sewer connection fees.
(1) Residential.
(a)
All new users or increased flows from improved premises shall
be charged a fee upon each and every direct or indirect connection
to the sewer system. The connection fee of each and every user shall
be based on the total number of equivalent service units served by
the connection. An equivalent service unit (ESU) is the average daily
flow of sewage for the average single-family residence in the City.
The fee shall be collected upon issuance of a builder's or redeveloper's
agreement or a Certificate of Occupancy in the event that a builder's
or redeveloper's agreement is not required.
(b)
An ESU is presumed to be 242 gallons per day of sewage.
(c)
The connection fee shall be calculated as follows:
The connection fee is based on a total charge of $2,164 per
ESU. Each connection fee will be assessed based on the combination
of sanitary sewage flow generation as per NJDEP NJAC 7:14A-23.3 to
develop its ESU times the fee of $2,164 per ESU. [Thus, for example,
a two-bedroom residential dwelling will be charged based on a flow
generation of 225 gallons per day (NJDEP NJAC 7:14-23.3) for a ESU
of 225/242 = 0.929, times the connection fee of $2,164 per ESU, or
$2,010.36.]
(2) Commercial-Industrial. The connection fee to the sewerage system
is $2,500.00 for each commercial or industrial unit.
Any user objecting to any estimate of flow or strength made
hereunder shall have the option, at his own cost and expense, of installing
metering equipment on his discharge lines to record actual flow and
strength readings. The metering equipment used, its installation and
the location of the installation shall all be subject to review and
approval by the city or its designated representatives. The user may
then make written application to the city requesting a review of his
user charge. Said written request shall, where necessary, show the
actual or estimated average flow and/or strength of his wastewater
in comparison with the values upon which the charge is based, including
how the measurements or estimates were made. Review of the request
shall be made by the city and if substantiated, the user charge for
that user shall be recomputed based on the revised flow and/or strength
data and the new charges shall be applicable to the next billing period.