Within the City, each person, firm, individual business, or
corporation using the City sewer system ("user") shall
pay a monthly sewer charge. The monthly sewer charge shall be current
sewer rate multiplied by the user's calculated use volume.
(Ord. 82-12 § 79, 1982; Ord. 2005-05 § 2)
Each year, the City's annual sewer schedule shall be approved
by City Council resolution.
A.
For
billing purposes, users shall be classified as follows:
1.
Residential
users includes single-family homes, apartment units and other multiple-family
dwelling units (duplexes, tri-plexes, condominiums, etc.), mobile
homes, recreational vehicle dump stations and City park restroom structures.
2.
Commercial
users are all other nonresidential users except special users, as
defined in this section.
3.
Special
users are any users as designated by the City Manager that have unusual
flow, wastewater constituents or other characteristics that are not
reflected in the residential or commercial classifications including,
but not limited to, the following:
a.
Any user subject to categorical pretreatment standards under Federal
or State law;
b.
Any user that has a reasonable potential for adversely affecting
the City's wastewater collection or treatment facility operation
due to high volume or wastewater constituents, such as high biochemical
oxygen demand or constituents that require additional processing or
monitoring as required by State regulatory agencies, or for violating
any pretreatment standard or requirement;
c.
A user with a calculated EDU number that exceeds 20 EDUs and with seasonal wastewater flow variation, as indicated by metered water consumption (excluding an allowance for landscaping), or as indicated by other information such as occupancy data for which the annual wastewater flow is not reflected in the EDUs as calculated in subsection B of this section.
B.
The
use volume charge for each classification shall be as follows:
1.
Residential
users: each unit shall be one equivalent dwelling unit (EDU).
2.
Commercial
users: each user shall be assigned an EDU number, calculated to the
nearest one-tenth of an EDU, based on that user's peak metered
water usage during the November through April measurement period divided
by the standard volume for one EDU, which is 200 gallons per day as
determined in the 2013 Wastewater Collection System Master Plan or
as updated and approved by the City Council.
3.
Special
users: the EDUs shall be assigned in a written service agreement with
the City, or as determined by the City Manager in a manner designed
to fairly represent the user's annual wastewater volume and/or
strength contribution to the wastewater system. The determination
may include use of a sewage meter, separate water metering of landscape
irrigation or other water use not contributing to the sewer flow,
wastewater strength testing or other means of calculating the annual
sewer contribution from that user. The EDU assignment and any such
agreements require specific City Council approval.
C.
The
annual sewer schedule shall show the peak monthly water use ("monthly
amount") for each commercial and special user during the measurement
period and any adjustments along with the total EDUs as determined
in this section.
D.
The
City Manager is authorized to approve alternate EDU calculations in
accordance with accepted engineering practice in the event of water
meter malfunctions, excessive water leaks or other unusual circumstances
so long as such calculations do not result in an increased fee for
any parcel.
E.
Regardless
of actual water use or sewer use during the measurement period, the
minimum calculated use volume for any user shall be one EDU except
as authorized by the City Manager for vacant properties or other circumstances
in accordance with policies adopted by the City Council. For mixed
uses, the applicable EDUs in each classification shall be added. For
example, a commercial user that also has a recreational vehicle dump
station shall have one EDU added to the calculated EDU for that user.
(Ord. 2014-02 § 3)
As of January 1, 2014, the monthly sewer service rate per EDU
shall be $75.59. Subsequently, the schedule of charges and fees for
wastewater service charges and capacity fees, inspection sampling
and analysis charges, and holding tank waste charges will be those
established and adopted by the City Council from time to time by resolution.
Such charges shall not exceed the cost of providing service including
capital facilities replacement and administrative costs. In addition,
any increase in the charge shall not exceed the most recent annual
change in the Consumer Price Index as published by the United States
Bureau of Labor Statistics, unadjusted (CPI-U).
(Ord. 2014-02 § 5)
In the case of more than one user being located in one building
and being served by a common multiple water meter, the calculated
use volume for each such user shall be determined in accordance with
the annual sewer schedule.
(Ord. 82-12 § 80, 1982; Ord. 2005-05 § 4)
Sewage metering facilities may be required for special users as described in Section 13.23.011(A)(3) of this chapter. The cost of such facilities shall be borne by the user or as otherwise determined in a written service agreement approved by the City Council.
(Ord. 82-12 § 81, 1982; Ord. 2014-02 § 6)
A.
The
sewer service charges set forth shall accrue from July 1, 1982. Payment
of sewer service charges on properties on which buildings are constructed
in the future, or for which connection laterals must be constructed
before service can be rendered, shall begin on the first of the month
following connection to the sewer system. Payments shall be in advance
for the period from the first of the month following connection to
the sewer system to the next nearest billing date.
B.
Existing
sewer service charges shall be due and payable on the first day of
the month following the close of the billing period, and shall be
delinquent if not paid within 15 days from that date. Upon delinquency,
a penalty of 10% of the balance due shall be charged. If the bill
is not paid in full within that 15 day period, the City of Plymouth,
through its duly elected City Clerk, shall serve a seven-day notice
of discontinuance of service on any owner, whether legal or equitable,
of real property or the improvements thereon (together with any tenant)
who is liable for the payments of said sewer service. When the water
service is disconnected for non-payment of any bill, service shall
not be resumed until all prior charges have been paid in full including
the late penalty plus a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) reconnection charge.
The owner, whether legal or equitable, or real property, the
improvement upon which are, or will be served together with the tenant,
be liable for the payment of and for all sewer charges assessed by
said City sewer system, including, but not limited to, the monthly
period charge for the use of sewer, shut-off charges, disconnection
and reconnection charges, meter installation, penalties and stand
by charges.
C.
All
sewer service charges shall be billed to the owner of record, according
to the latest Amador County secured assessment roll, of the property
being served by the City sewer system. As long as property is connected
to the City sewer system, these charges shall prevail. If the connection
is severed for any reason, a sewer connection fee shall be charged
as if it were a new connection.
(Ord. 82-12 § 82, 1982)
All monies collected by the City sewer service fees and sewer
connection fees set forth in this chapter shall be placed in a special
sewer service fund and shall thereafter be expended only for the acquisition,
construction, maintenance and operation of sanitation or sewage facilities
to repay principal and interest on bonds issued presently or in the
future for the construction of such sanitary or sewerage facilities.
(Ord. 82-12 § 83, 1982)
B.
In addition to sewer charges provided for in Sections 13.23.010 through 13.23.050, an annual sewer service rental fee will be charged those residential, commercial and industrial users which are located outside the corporate limits of the City. This annual sewer service fee will be in the amount of 25% of the sewer service charge of the structure being served.
C.
Outside
City limits users shall enter into agreement with the City in order
to connect or remain connected to the City sewer. The agreement shall
be recorded and shall be a covenant running with the land.
(Ord. 82-12 § 84, 1982)
