[Adopted 3-27-2001 by Ord. No. 01-8]
A. 
The federal government has enacted the amended Federal Water Pollution Control Act, now known as the "Federal Clean Water Act" (33 U.S.C. § 150 et seq.).
B. 
The Bergen County Utilities Authority has enacted rules and regulations, as required by the Federal Clean Water Act, in incorporating an industrial cost recovery system, a user charge system and regulations pertaining to the use of sanitary sewers.
C. 
The Borough of Paramus is within the district serviced by the Bergen County Utilities Authority and has contracted with the Bergen County Utilities Authority for the removal and treatment of the wastewater contained within the sanitary sewers of the Borough of Paramus.
D. 
The Borough of Paramus desires to assure that the sanitary sewers operated and maintained by it will conform to the best sanitary engineering practices and comply with the requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act.
A. 
The Borough hereby adopts and enacts the user charge system contained in the rules and regulations of the Bergen County Utilities Authority, as if set forth herein at length, and authorizes the immediate implementation by the appropriate municipal official, to be designated by resolution of the governing body.
B. 
Nothing contained herein shall preclude the Borough from challenging any amendments to the rules and regulations which may be hereafter adopted.
Not fewer than three copies of the rules and regulations of the Bergen County Utilities Authority have been and are filed in the office of the Borough Clerk and are available for public inspection during normal business hours.
Copies of the rules and regulations of the Bergen County Utilities Authority can be obtained from the Bergen County Utilities Authority for the cost of publication.
The annual user charge shall be computed on the previous calendar year's amount of water used and the current calendar year's charges imposed by the Bergen County Utilities Authority upon the Borough of Paramus, together with all appropriate administrative costs for the operation and maintenance of the Paramus sewer system.
There shall be allowed an exemption from the annual user charge for all residential usage less than 300,000 gallons of water used, with the exception of hotels, motels and apartments for which provision is made hereinafter. With respect to hotels and motels, the exemption shall apply if water usage is less than 300,000 gallons of water used with respect to every eight rooms used for residential occupancy. With respect to apartments, the exemption shall apply to usage less than 300,000 gallons of water used with respect to each separate and individual living unit within the apartment complex.
All privately owned water wells which are connected to water systems eventually discharging into the sanitary sewers of the Borough of Paramus shall be subject to the following provision:
A. 
The owners of wells existing at the date of adoption of this article shall notify the Borough Clerk of Paramus, in writing, of the existence and location of such wells within 30 days after the date of passage of this article.
B. 
The owners of wells constructed or completed after the adoption of this article shall notify the Borough Clerk of Paramus, in writing, of the existence and location of such wells within 30 days of the first usage of such well.
C. 
The Borough Engineer of Paramus may inspect such wells to determine the usage thereof if, in the opinion of the Borough Engineer, such well's actual water production, together with the other water usage of the owner thereof, exceeds 400,000 gallons of water per year. The Borough Engineer shall transmit his opinion, in writing, to the Borough Council of Paramus. After receiving such opinion, the Borough Council may require the owner of such well to install and maintain a water meter thereon, at the owner's expense, by adoption of a resolution.
D. 
If a water meter is required by resolution as provided in Subsection C hereof; the owner must install such meter within 60 days of adoption thereof. If the owner shall fail to do so, the Borough Council of Paramus may, by resolution, provide for the installation of such meter and add the cost thereof to the user charge levied under this article.
A. 
No allowance shall be made for water which is metered but which does not enter the sanitary sewer system, unless the owner installs and maintains, at his expense, a meter approved by the Borough to measure the water so diverted from the sewer lines.
B. 
In case of business or industry, where water is lost by evaporation, the Borough Engineer, with the approval of the Council, may make a proper allowance for such evaporation.
C. 
Where sprinkler systems are maintained, a proper credit shall be given for water contained or passing through such sprinkler system, which water does not reach a sanitary sewer line.
D. 
Any owner may install and maintain, at his expense, a sewage flow meter, approved by the Borough Engineer, to measure the flow into the sewer lines. Where such a sewage flow meter is maintained, the owner shall be billed on the actual readings of such meter at the same rate as determined hereinabove.
E. 
In any specific case not contemplated or not clearly defined herein or where the type of waste will place an extraordinary burden on the sewerage facilities either because of its quantity or its quality, the Borough Council is hereby authorized, by contract or otherwise, to establish a specific rate as may be necessary.
The following billing procedures shall apply to user charges for the full calendar year 2001:
A. 
As soon as practical after the passage of this article, the Chief Financial Officer and the Tax Collector shall attend to the preparation of bills for the period beginning the first day of the month following final passage and publication of this article and ending December 31, 2001, such period being hereinafter referred to as the "billing year 2001."
B. 
User charges for the billing year 2001 shall be equal to the pro rata amount of the user charges which would have been imposed upon each user for the calendar year 2001 under the terms of this article.
C. 
Bills for the billing year 2001 shall be mailed by the Tax Collector of the Borough of Paramus to the owners of all properties incurring such charges not later than July 1, 2001.
D. 
Bills for the billing year 2001 are due and payable to the Tax Collector on October 1, 2001. If such charges are not paid in full as of that date, the unpaid charges shall be deemed delinquent as of that date, and such unpaid charges shall become a lien upon the properties incurring them as of that date.
E. 
Except as modified by § 363-30, user charges for the billing year 2001 shall be subject to all of the provisions of this article.