A Customer Charge is hereby imposed upon the Owner of each Improved Property which shall be connected to the Sewer System, whether such use is direct or indirect, which Customer Charge shall be determined from time to time by Resolution or Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the Township.
[Amended 12-28-2020 by Ord. No. 445]
The user charge shall be payable by the owner of each improved property commencing on the earlier of: 1) the date of actual, physical connection of an improved property to the sewer system, or 2) 60 days from the date indicated on the notice to connect described in the Connection Ordinance. The Township shall only be required to issue one invoice per billing cycle to the single owner of each Apartment Complex, and such single owner shall be solely liable and responsible for payment of such invoice for all user charges incurred for such Apartment Complex.
The User Charge shall be payable by the Owner of each Improved Property commencing the earlier of: 1) the date of actual, physical connection of an Improved Property to the Sewer System, or 2) 60 days from the date indicated on the notice to connect described in the Connection Ordinance.
The User Charge applicable to any Improved Property constituting a Dwelling Unit or Large Consumer shall be calculated, imposed and collected on the basis of one or more of the methods provided in this § 355-117, in the sole discretion of this Township.
A.
Flat rate basis.
(1)
Each Improved Property billed on a flat rate basis shall be charged a User Charge as a specific amount per Equivalent Dwelling Unit applicable to such Improved Property, as determined by this Township, from time to time. The minimum number of Equivalent Dwelling Units applicable to each Improved Property in determining a User Charge shall be as follows:
Description of Improved Property | Unit of Measurement | Per Unit of Measurement |
|---|---|---|
Residential Dwelling Unit (year-round or seasonal) Retail store, professional offices or other commercial enterprise | Each Dwelling Unit | 1 |
1 to 10 employees | 1 | |
Each additional employees or fraction thereof | 1 | |
Hotel, motel or boarding house (not including restaurant facilities) | 1 to 4 rental rooms | 1 |
Each additional 4 rooms or fraction thereof | 1 | |
1 to 10 employees | 1 | |
Each additional 10 employees or fraction thereof | 1 | |
Restaurant, club, tavern or other retail food or drink establishment or banquet facility | 1 to 10 customer seats | 1 |
Each additional 10 seats or fraction thereof | 1 | |
1 to 10 employees | 1 | |
Each additional 10 employees or fraction thereof | 1 | |
Automobile service station or commercial vehicle repair shop | 1 or 2 bays | 1 |
Each additional 2 bays or fraction thereof | 1 | |
Beauty parlor or barber shop (attached to or part of a Dwelling Unit) | First chair | 2 |
Each additional chair | 1 | |
School | Per each 20 pupils, faculty, administrators and staff | 1 |
Dormitory | 1 to 2 rooms | 1 |
Each additional 2 rooms or fraction thereof | 1 | |
Place of worship (Not including banquet or educational facilities) | Each | 1 |
Fire Company (Not including banquet facilities) | Each | 1 |
Community Hall (Not including banquet facilities) | Each | 1 |
Funeral Home | Each | 2 |
Industrial/Manufacturing establishments | 1 to 10 employees | 1 |
Each additional 10 employees or fraction thereof | 1 |
(2)
The number of Equivalent Dwelling Units applicable to retail stores, professional offices, industrial/manufacturing establishments and commercial enterprises shall be computed on the basis of the average daily number of full-time and part-time employees (including the owner(s) or employer(s)) for the three months preceding the date of the quarterly billing. The Owners of such facilities shall be responsible for advising this Township in writing of the number of employees upon request of this Township. The number of Equivalent Dwelling Units applicable to school facilities shall be computed on the highest monthly average daily attendance of pupils plus faculty, administrators and staff for the 12 months preceding the date of the quarterly billing. The Owners of such facilities shall be responsible for advising this Township in writing of the number of pupils, faculty, administrators and staff in attendance as an average daily figure upon request of this Township.
(3)
If the use or classification of any Improved Property changes within a billing period, the User Charge shall be prorated by this Township. The Owner of the Improved Property shall be responsible for advising this Township in writing of any such change affecting the User Charge payable hereunder. Upon verification by the Township, the appropriate credit or additional charge shall appear on the statement for the next succeeding billing period.
(4)
For all Residential Dwelling Units, the Flat Rate User Charge payable per Equivalent Dwelling Unit shall be determined from time to time by Resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the Township, at the discretion of the Township.
B.
Metered Rate Basis User Charges for any Improved Property, in the discretion of this Township, may be determined on a metered rate basis calculated according to:
(1)
Metered volume of potable water usage by the Improved Property, adjusted, if appropriate, by this Township; or
(2)
Whenever a person purchasing his entire water supply from a private or public water supply discharges only non-domestic waste into the Sewer System, the volume of water purchased shall be used as a measure of the quantity of Non-domestic Waste discharged; or
(3)
Whenever a person purchasing his entire water supply from a private or public source discharges combined domestic and non-domestic waste into the Sewer System, the total volume of water purchased shall be used to determine that person's User Charge and/or Strong Waste Surcharge; or
(4)
Whenever a person purchasing his entire water supply from a private or public source and discharges Non-domestic Waste into the Sewer System also discharges unpolluted Cooling Water into either a storm sewer or other outlet, an allowance for the amount of water so discharged shall be made in computing the User Charge. The person discharging Cooling Water shall, at his own expense, install a meter or meters, as required, to indicate accurately the amount of water claimed as a credit; or
(5)
Whenever a person using a private water supply discharges Non-domestic Waste into the Sewer System, the charges for such discharge shall be based upon a suitable meter or meters, installed by the User at his expense, to measure the total volume of water used or based upon a meter on the sewer line, installed by the User at his expense, leaving the Improved Property so as to measure the entire flow of waste discharged into the Sewer System; or
(6)
Actual metered volume of Wastewater discharged by the Improved Property into the Sewer System.
C.
Meter rate schedule.
(1)
Residential properties. Each residential Improved Property which shall be connected to the Sewer System shall be allocated a minimum of 2,500 gallons of wastewater usage per month. Rates for such minimum allocation shall be established from time to time by Resolution or Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the Township.
(2)
Commercial properties. Each commercial Improved Property which shall be connected to the Sewer System shall be allocated a minimum of 2,500 gallons of wastewater usage per month, unless separately contracted with the Township. Rates for such minimum allocation shall be established from time to time by Resolution or Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the Township.
D.
Estimated rate basis. User Charges may be based upon this Township's estimate of potable water consumed by any Improved Property during regular billing intervals as determined by the Township and billed in accordance with the Metered Rate Schedule established and adjusted from time to time by Resolution or Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the Township.
In the case of a multiple use Improved Property sharing a common connection to the Sewer System or a common structure, each such classification of Improved Property shall pay separate Customer Charges and User Charges, as though it was housed in a separate structure and had a direct and separate connection to the Sewer System, computed in accordance with § 355-117.
A one block rate for all Improved Properties connected to the Sewer System is established, which rates in excess of allocated usage shall be established from time to time by Resolution or Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the Township.
Additional charges for Strong Wastes shall be determined from time to time by Resolution or Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the Township and such surcharges may be calculated, imposed and collected on the basis of the following, at the sole discretion of the Township:
A.
Calculation of additional charges.
(1)
There shall be additional charges for Non-domestic Wastes, discharged to the Sewer System from any industry, business or commercial enterprises, and having total Suspended Solids, BOD5, ammonia nitrogen and/or total phosphorus in excess of the average Suspended Solids, BOD5 and ammonia nitrogen of normal domestic sewage. Normal domestic sewage shall be defined as having the following concentrations:
(2)
There shall be no Strong Waste Surcharges applied to residential domestic wastes.
B.
Surcharge formula. In order to determine the additional charge for Non-domestic Wastes with strength greater than that of normal domestic sewage, the following formula shall be used:
SQ= 0.00834 QI [(BOD5-230)TA + (SSI-210)TB + (NH3-N-25)TC] |
Where: |
SQ is the quarterly surcharge to be added to the quarterly sewer rental charge. |
0.00834 is a constant to convert waste strength express in mg/l to thousand pounds of waste. |
QI is the quarterly volume of non-domestic wastewater flow expressed in millions of gallons. |
BOD5 is the 5 day BOD of the non-domestic wastewater expressed in mg/l. |
SSI, is the total Suspended Solids in mg/l of the non-domestic wastewater. |
NH3- N is the ammonia-nitrogen in mg/l of the non-domestic wastewater. |
220, 210 and 25 are constants expressing wasteload strength of domestic waste in mg/l for the respective pollutant parameters. |
TA represents the cost incurred by the Township in treating one and TB represents the cost of 1,000 pounds of BOD5 treating 1,000 pounds of total Suspended Solids. |
TA and TB vary each year as treatment plant operation and maintenance costs change. Therefore, TA and TB shall be determined at the beginning of each year by the Township based upon the prior year BOD5, TSS, ammonia nitrogen and/or total phosphorus and the current year budgeted operating costs plus capital contributions, and adopted by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. |
When a value of BOD5 and/or Suspended Solids of a Non-domestic Waste is less than 230 or 210 mg/l respectively, the value of 230 or 210 shall be used in the calculation of the strong waste discharge in place of the actual value which is less than 230 and 210 mg/l. |
A.
The Township may collect charges and fees determined from time to time by Resolution or Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the Township, which may include, but are not limited to:
(1)
Fees for reimbursement of costs of setting up and operating the Township's pretreatment program.
(2)
Fees for monitoring, inspections and surveillance procedures.
(3)
Fees for reviewing accidental discharge procedures and construction.
(4)
Fees for permit applications.
(5)
Fees for filing appeals.
(6)
Other fees as the Township may deem necessary to carry out the requirements contained herein.
B.
These fees relate solely to the matters covered by this part and are separate from all other fees chargeable by the Township.
A.
The Owner of any Improved Property discharging Domestic Sanitary Sewage and/or Industrial Wastes into the Sewer System shall furnish to this Township, including by way of the application for permit described in the Connection Ordinance or herein, as applicable, all information deemed essential or appropriate by this Township for the determination of all applicable User Charges and surcharges. The costs of obtaining such information shall be borne by such Owner of the Improved Property.
B.
In the event of the failure of the Owner of the Improved Property to provide adequate information, this Township shall estimate the applicable Customer Charge, User Charge and surcharges based upon available information, until such time as adequate information is received. There shall be no rebate of past payments if such Owner's refusal to provide such information results in overpayment.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prohibit this Township from entering into separate or special agreements with Owners of Improved Property with respect to the User Charge to be imposed in those cases where, due to special or unusual circumstances, the User Charge set forth herein shall be deemed by this Township, in its sole discretion, to be inequitable, or where it is in the best interests of this Township to do so.
Customer Charges, User Charges and surcharges, as applicable, shall be billed to the Owner of an Improved Property at regular intervals during the calendar year. Owners of an Improved Property that shall be first connected to the Sewer System during any billing period shall pay a pro-rata User Charge for service for the balance of the billing period, plus the Customer Charge and any applicable surcharges.
Payments of Customer Charges, User Charges and any applicable surcharges shall be due and payable upon the applicable billing date, determined from time to time by this Township, at the office of the Treasurer of this Township, in the appropriate amount, computed in accordance with this part, which shall constitute the net bill. If any Customer Charge, User Charge or any applicable surcharge is not paid within 30 calendar days after the applicable billing date, an additional sum of 10% shall be added to such net bill, which net bill, plus such additional sum, shall constitute the gross bill. Any and all payments received on account of delinquent accounts shall be applied first to the oldest outstanding gross bill, including any accumulated late fee.
It shall be the responsibility of each Owner of an Improved Property to provide this Township with, and thereafter to keep this Township continuously advised of, the correct mailing address of such Owner. Failure of any Owner to receive a bill for charges due and payable shall not be considered an excuse for nonpayment, nor shall such failure result in an extension of the period of time during which the net bill shall be payable.
No officer or employee of this Township is authorized to reduce, vary or exempt charges imposed herein or other provisions of this part without official action by the Board of Supervisors of this Township.
Every Owner of Improved Property shall remain liable for the payment of Customer Charges, User Charges and surcharges until the later of: 1) the receipt by this Township of written notice by such Owner that the property has been sold, containing the correct name and mailing address of the new Owner, or 2) the date on which title to the Improved Property is transferred to a new Owner. Failure to provide notice shall not excuse liability of an Owner for any charges that may accrue until such time as this Township has been properly notified of any change in ownership as described above.