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)
A. 
Outside the City each person, firm, individual business, or corporation using the City sewer system shall pay as rental for the use of such facilities, a sewer charge in accordance with Sections 13.23.010 through 13.23.050.
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)