The monthly rates for water usage shall be as follows:
(1) 
Residential and Multifamily Unit Water Rates.
The monthly minimum base rate charged in the residential and multifamily classification to each meter customer shall be $30.31, which shall include the first 2,000 gallons of water consumption. For each 1,000 gallons consumed monthly above 2,001 gallons, the charge shall be $3.49 per 1,000 gallons.
(2) 
Commercial and Church Rates.
The monthly base rate charged in the commercial and church classification to each meter customer shall be $30.31, which shall include the first 2,000 gallons of water consumption. For each 1,000 gallons consumed monthly above 2,001 gallons, the charge shall be $3.69 per 1,000 gallons.
(3) 
Water Service Outside the City Limits.
The base minimum water rate for customers who reside outside the corporate limits shall be 25% higher than the rate for those customers living within the corporate limits. The charge for each additional 1,000 gallons shall also be 25% higher than that charged to resident customers in the same classification.
(4) 
Automatic Inflationary Increase.
The minimum base water rate and the charge for additional 1,000 gallon units shall increase each year by 4% to account for increased expenses in providing services. The increases shall become effective on the September utility billing cycle every year, without further action of the city council.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
The monthly rates for sewer usage shall be as follows:
(1) 
Residential Sewer Rates.
Sewer rates are calculated based upon the actual metered water usage each monthly billing cycle. The monthly minimum base rate charged in the residential classification shall be $15.13, which shall include the first 2,000 gallons. From 2,001 gallons to 15,000 gallons, the charge shall be $3.49 for each 1,000 gallons. There shall be no charge to residential customers for usage above 15,000 gallons.
(2) 
Multifamily Sewer Rates.
Sewer rates are calculated based upon the actual metered water usage each monthly billing cycle. The monthly minimum base rate charged in the residential classification shall be $15.13, which shall include the first 2,000 gallons. For each 1,000 gallons above 2,001 gallons, there shall be a charge of $3.49 per thousand gallons.
(3) 
Commercial and Church Rates.
Sewer rates are calculated based upon the actual metered water usage each monthly billing cycle. The monthly minimum base rate charged in the commercial classification shall be $18.99, which shall include the first 2,000 gallons. For each 1,000 gallons above 2,001 gallons, there shall be a charge of $3.69 per thousand gallons.
(4) 
Sewer Service Outside the City Limits.
The base minimum sewer rate for customers who reside outside the corporate limits shall be 25% higher than the rate for those customers living within the corporate limits. The charge for each additional 1,000 gallons shall also be 25% higher than that charged to resident customers in the same classification.
(5) 
Automatic Inflationary Increase.
The minimum base sewer rate and the charge for additional 1,000 gallon units shall increase each year by 4% to account for increased expenses in providing services. The increases shall become effective on the September utility billing cycle every year, without further action of the city council.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
Industrial water and sanitary sewer service shall be set on a negotiated basis. An industrial user shall be defined as a “user which requires water in its manufacturing process, or produces a large volume of discharge into the sanitary sewer system.” Rate negotiations shall be conducted between the user and a committee consisting of the city manager as chairman, city engineer, Atlanta Economic Development Corporation executive director, city attorney and the chairperson of the water rate committee. Such industrial rates shall be subject to approval by the city council.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
(a) 
The water department shall determine and designate the accounts for water, sewer and sewer service furnished by the city together with the billing date therefor, all of which shall be due and payable at City of Atlanta, 315 North Buckner Street, Atlanta, Texas.
(b) 
Such rates and charges hereby fixed and prescribed shall be paid by the customers of the waterworks and sanitary sewer system to the water department and such bills and accounts shall be due and payable on or before the 10th day following the billing date and shall become delinquent on the 11th day after such billing date and a ten percent (10%) penalty shall be added to the amount due and unpaid.
(c) 
Customers requesting accounts to be placed on “vacation” must do so in writing by applying for such consideration at the water department in city hall. Accounts will not be placed on vacation for a period of time less than (4) weeks.
(d) 
When the billing of an account for water or wastewater is disputed by the customer and another reading of the meter is requested, the customer shall be liable for a $5.00 fee to be assessed on the next month’s billing if the meter reading is found to be accurate.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
(a) 
Each customer shall, at the time of making application for water and sewer service, pay a deposit to the water department as follows:
(1) 
Resident customers: $75.00.
(2) 
Commercial customers: $150.00.
(b) 
The charges for water and sewer service furnished shall be a valid lien and legal charge against the deposit made by the customer. The deposit shall bear no interest. Upon termination of the service, the deposit shall be refunded to the customer, less any amount or amounts of unpaid balances due the city for water, sewer or trash collection services.
(c) 
The city manager may waive the payment of additional deposit when an additional account location is added to an existing established account which has been satisfactorily maintained in good standing for a period of one year.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
(a) 
If a customer shall fail to pay in full for water or sewer service rendered by the city before the expiration of ten (10) days after the date upon which such bill becomes delinquent, the water service of the customer shall be disconnected, and such service shall not be restored until the customer shall have paid the delinquent water and sewer bill in full, together with a reconnection fee in the sum of $30.00. In the event service is discontinued for nonpayment, the customer’s deposit shall be applied to the unpaid balance of the account.
(b) 
Prior to the restoration of service to a customer whose service has been discontinued for nonpayment, the customer must pay all amounts due and make the residential or commercial deposit required by this article.
(c) 
In the event water service is terminated for nonpayment or theft of services, the fee for resuming service shall be thirty and no/100 dollars ($30.00), and the fee must be paid at the water department prior to the restoration of water services.
(1) 
Water service shall not be restored to any residential or commercial customer unless a responsible person is present at the premises when such restoration of service is made.
(2) 
Restoration of services shall be during business hours of 8:00 o’clock a.m. until 4:30 o’clock p.m.
(3) 
In the event the customer or other responsible person is not present at the premises for reconnection purposes, an additional trip fee of ten and no/100 dollars ($10.00) per trip during business hours and twenty and no/100 dollars ($20.00) per trip after business hours shall be paid by the customer.
(d) 
All water customers are required to maintain a sanitary sewer system in good order. Failure to satisfactorily maintain the customer’s sewer system or to make improvements as directed by the city may result in the cutoff of city water service to the location. Any improvements required by the city will be for sanitary or health reasons only.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
(a) 
The city manager is designated as the due process hearing officer for water and sewer accounts and as such shall hear and determine matters of hardship, illness or disability which would justify a payment schedule other than that fixed by this article.
(b) 
Customers desiring special consideration with regard to the payment of accounts as established by this article must make an affidavit showing the circumstances upon which they request a variance of the established payment schedule. Such affidavit shall be delivered to the city manager who may act solely upon the affidavit or may set a hearing date and request the customer to be present for the purpose of answering, under oath, questions concerning the request for a variance in payment of the customer’s account. Any determination by the city manager may be appealed to the city council at its regularly scheduled meeting.
(c) 
Any person making untrue or false statements in an affidavit for the purpose of gaining a variance or exception with regard to the payment of an account shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be subject to a fine not less than twenty-five and no/100 dollars ($25.00), nor more than two hundred and no/100 dollars ($200.00).
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
The city manager shall establish a written policy with regard to the processing of insufficient or other returned checks given in payment of water and sewer accounts. The city manager is authorized to charge a fee up to but not exceeding twenty and no/100 dollars ($20.00) for each occasion upon which a check is dishonored by the bank upon which it is written. In the event a customer’s check should be dishonored two times, then the account shall be declared past due and water service to the customer shall be discontinued as provided herein. In the event a customer has three checks returned from the bank, the city will then place that customer on a “cash only” payment system, and will no longer accept checks from that customer for payment of water/wastewater/trash collection accounts.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
The customer shall have the sole responsibility for safeguarding the water meter on his premises. Should the water meter be damaged in any way, the customer may be charged for the price of a new meter, plus an amount equal to the costs of one hour’s labor charge required to replace the meter or any portion thereof.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
It shall be the policy of the water department to commence or terminate water service during normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The city manager is authorized to establish reasonable procedures through which a customer may request restoration of services. The city manager is authorized to make reasonable charges related to special services made at the request of a customer.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
(a) 
A tapping fee for connecting new customers to the water and sanitary sewer system shall be made as follows:
(1) 
Residential water tap: $300.00.
(2) 
Residential sewer tap: $350.00.
(3) 
Commercial water tap 3/4" or less: $350.00.
(4) 
Commercial sewer tap 6" or less: $400.00.
(b) 
Water tap for lines larger than 3/4" or commercial sewer taps for lines larger than 6" will be charged on actual cost of material, labor and equipment used to make the tap. No dual connections (being more than one customer on a single line) shall be permitted. A second water tap for the purpose of irrigating lawns may be placed at a service location at the request of the customer. Installation of the second meter will cost $300.00 and will be charged on a per thousand gallon rate with no minimum charge and no sewer charge.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
A resident of the city who has a private water well will be required to install check valves to prevent backflow of water from the well to cross-connect into the city’s water distribution system.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
The monthly rate charges in the city for the collection and disposal of solid waste are hereby established as set forth below:
(1) 
For Residential Units.
$19.76 per month for one polycart. Collection will be made once per week. Additional residential polycart rate is $11.53 per month.
(2) 
For Commercial.
(A) 
Commercial polycart charge shall be $31.38 per month. Collection shall be made once per week. A second commercial polycart rate is $17.50 per month. Accounts where two carts are inadequate will be required to utilize a commercial bin.
(B) 
Customers generating more than the quantity of solid waste per week set forth in the subsection (A) above shall be required to use containers (bins) provided by the contractor and in accordance with the quantity of the waste generated and the number of collections required per week, the following rates shall apply:
Container Size
Trips per Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
2 yard
$96.99
$142.44
$194.93
$218.98
$242.85
$269.08
3 yard
$115.18
$178.10
$203.06
$242.10
$264.20
$321.64
4 yard
$133.22
$206.93
$240.30
$273.81
$307.37
$374.32
6 yard
$171.55
$235.57
$309.59
$353.91
$398.22
$483.66
Note: Additional pickups shall be made at request of commercial customers for $6.00 per pickup plus $2.25 per cubic yard collected.
(3) 
The contractor is franchised by the city to provide compactors, roll-off boxes and removal of waste requiring special handling due to size, weight or type of material and the contractor shall negotiate a reasonable fee with customers for such services. The fees for these additional services shall be billed and collected by the contractor, and the contractor shall remit 10% of those fees to the city.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
The minimum base rate for residential and commercial solid waste accounts, as well as the collection tables, shall automatically increase 4% to account for increased expenses in providing services. The increases shall become effective on the September utility billing cycle every year, without further action of the city council.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
(a) 
Trash bags up to 55 gallons: One dollar ($1.00) fee per bag.
(b) 
Pickup load regardless of volume: Five dollar ($5.00) charge.
(c) 
Trailer load regardless of volume: Five dollar ($5.00) minimum charge.
(d) 
Trailer load after first six (6) feet: One dollar ($1.00) per extra foot of trailer.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)
This article shall become effective and shall be in full force on September 1, 2014 in order that utility bills mailed in September, 2014 but not collected until October 2014 shall contain the updated fees.
(Ordinance 2014-04 adopted 7/21/14)