Bills covering the sewer usage fee shall be mailed to the owners
(or their designated agent) of the building spaces connected to the
Groton Center Sewer System.
Bills will be mailed to all owners on a quarterly basis. The
Sewer Commission may revise the billing frequency. If the bill is
incorporated into another billing system (for example: the water bill),
the costs attributed to the Groton Center Sewer System will be a separate
line item.
Usage fees for new connections made to the Groton Center Sewer System within a quarterly billing period shall be based on the actual number of water units, as calculated pursuant to Article
VI.
When a transfer of ownership of property connected to the Groton
Center Sewer System occurs, the previous owner will be billed based
upon the final water meter reading. If a final water meter reading
is not obtained, the new property owner will be responsible for any
unpaid usage or unpaid bills.
Requests for abatement of the sewer usage fee must be made in
writing to the Sewer Commission. Abatements will be considered only
for the current fiscal year. The applicant must reapply for each fiscal
year. Abatements are nontransferable. Abatements will be considered for the following reasons:
A. New connections when plumbing is not complete in dwellings or building
spaces. The owner must notify the Sewer Commission when plumbing is
complete.
B. New construction or renovation when a building space is connected
to the Groton Center Sewer System but not yet occupied. The owner
must notify the Sewer Commission when construction is complete and
the occupancy permit is issued.
C. Vacancies of rental property for longer than three months.
D. Seasonally occupied dwellings which are customarily occupied for
a portion of the year, if the vacancy lasts three months or longer.
E. Property destroyed by fire or disaster, which makes the structure
unsuitable for occupancy.
F. Water usage which is shown not to have been discharged into the Groton
Center Sewer System. This shall not include water usage which would
be measured by a second or irrigation meter if one had been installed.
G. The Sewer Commission may, but is not required to, consider billing
usage at lower tiers if there has been abnormally high usage.
Whenever an industrial user discharges process wastes, an industrial
cost recovery system will be established in accordance with U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency rules and regulations.
Collection of delinquent sewer usage fees may be enforced by
the Town pursuant to MGL C. 59 and C. 83, § 16.
The Sewer Commission shall have authority to charge interest
and late fees and to change them as necessary.
The Sewer Commission may, in any particular instance, waive
strict compliance with the application of these regulations.