[Ord. No. 1226, § I, 6-23-2020]
A sewer service charge shall be levied against the owners of
all properties where users discharge wastewater into the public sewers
of the City.
[Ord. No. 1226, § I, 6-23-2020]
Charges for sewer service shall be established from time to
time by the Commissioner and adopted by the City Council. Such rates
shall be computed based upon the total amount budgeted for sewer works
operation and administration plus equipment replacement, capital improvements,
depreciation, and projections of water use and wastewater discharge
by system users and other such factors as shall be necessary to establish
such rates. Said rates shall be reviewed biennially to ensure they
adequately recover the above costs and are in conformance with the
established user charge requirements.
[Ord. No. 1226, § I, 6-23-2020]
Where a user receives metered water service from the City, said user will be assessed a sewer service charge based on their metered water use times a rate determined pursuant to Section 19-44. Where the user does not have metered water service, said user will be assessed a sewer service charge using a methodology that estimates the discharge to the building sewer. Persons wishing to discharge septage to the wastewater plant shall pay a fee equal to the cost of treating the septage.
[Ord. No. 1226, § I, 6-23-2020]
Users discharging large volumes of industrial wastes that are,
in the opinion of the Commissioner, substantially different from the
normal domestic wastewater, may contract with the City for a special
method of billing for sewer service. Any special methods of billing
under this section shall in all ways comply with applicable user charge
requirements.
[Ord. No. 1226, § I, 6-23-2020]
Any user discharging wastewater that exceeds the strength of normal domestic wastewater shall pay a sewer service surcharge for the pollutants that exceed those in normal domestic wastewater in addition to the sewer charge in Section 19-45.
(a)
Surcharge rates for BOD, suspended solids, phosphorous and ammonia
nitrogen shall be determined by the Commissioner and approved by the
City Council based on the average cost of analyzing and treating each
type of pollutant.
(b)
Any user discharging any toxic pollutant to the wastewater works
which causes an increase in the cost of managing the wastewater treatment
plant effluent or the sludge generated by the wastewater treatment
plan shall pay for such increased costs.
[Ord. No. 1226, § I, 6-23-2020]
(a)
Periodically, approximately 30 days before sewer service charges
become due, the Commissioner shall mail a statement to each owner
of premises charged with sewer service rates. The statement shall
contain the following information (in addition to any information
deemed necessary or appropriate by the Commissioner):
(b)
On or before the mailing of the aforementioned sewer service statements,
the Commissioner shall deliver to the collector of taxes bills for
all sewer service charges together with a list of such bills. The
bills to the collector of taxes shall contain the same information
as that hereinbefore mentioned as necessary to be given by the Commissioner
to the owner. The Commissioner shall make true returns to the auditor
of the amount of sewer service charges contained in such lists.
(c)
On receipt of such bills the collector of taxes shall proceed to
collect the same and shall have authority to bring suit therefor in
the name of the City in any court of competent jurisdiction. The collector
of taxes shall give the Commissioner a list of all sewer service charges
unpaid 30 days after they have been committed to them for collection
and the Commissioner shall thereupon proceed to enforce payment thereof.
In the event the sewer service charges remain unpaid for 60 days the
Commissioner shall cause to be filed in the proper registry of deeds
a statement to that effect in full compliance with Massachusetts General
Laws, Chapter 40, Section 42B, for the purpose of perfecting a lien
for such charges.
[Ord. No. 1226, § I, 6-23-2020]
The funds of the sewer department shall be kept separate from
other funds of the City, and disbursement of sewer department funds
shall be made so that the City and the sewer commission are always
aware of the department's financial condition. Money received by the
City for sewer rates and other charges shall be received by the collector
of taxes and paid to the City treasurer. The money paid into the City
treasury from sewer rates and charges shall be appropriated by the
City Council for the necessary repairs, extension and improvements
of the sewer works system; for operating and managing expenses; for
the payment of the employees and agents of the sewer department; and
for the payment of interest on sewer indebtedness and all payments
of principal of such indebtedness and the costs and expenses incurred
by special appropriations of the City Council. The balance, if any,
after the payments for the aforesaid purposes may be appropriated
for such other sewer department purposes as the mayor and the City
Council may from time to time determine.
