[Adopted 1-9-1979 as Ord. No. 134]
As used in this Article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The quantity of oxygen utilized in the biochemical oxidation
of organic matter under standard laboratory procedures in five (5)
days at twenty degrees centigrade (20° C.), expressed in milligrams
per liter.
A building or part of a building which contains living, sleeping
and housekeeping accommodations.
A building or buildings designated or occupied solely for
dwelling by two (2) or more families living independently of each
other.
A building designated or occupied solely as a dwelling by
one (1) family.
A building or portion thereof providing housekeeping facilities
for one (1) family.
A single person keeping house separately or any number of
individuals related by blood, marriage or adoption living together
as a single housekeeping unit or a group of not more than seven (7)
persons keeping house together but not related by blood.
Water, other than wastewater, that enters a sewerage system,
including sewer service connections, from the ground through such
means as defective pipes, pipe joints, connections or manholes. "Infiltration"
does not include and is distinguished from inflow.
The total quantity of water from both infiltration and inflow
without distinguishing the source.
Water, other than wastewater, that enters a sewerage system,
including sewer service connections, from sources such as roof leaders,
cellar drains, area drains, foundation drains, manhole covers, cross-connections
between storm and sanitary sewers, catch basins, cooling towers, stormwater
and surface water runoff. "Inflow" does not include and is distinguished
from infiltration.
A utility corporation having its principal place of business
at 90 Sargent Drive, New Haven, Connecticut (after June 20, 1978),
its successors or assigns.
Any commercial, industrial, institutional, public or other
building not used solely as a dwelling, including boardinghouses,
hotels and motels.
Sewage for which analyses show by weight, under standard
laboratory conditions, a daily average of not more than three hundred
(300) milligrams relative to dischargers to the Branford system, three
hundred fifty (350) milligrams to the North Haven system and two hundred
(200) milligrams to the East Haven system of suspended solids per
liter of waste; not more than two hundred forty (240) milligrams relative
to dischargers to the Branford system, three hundred (300) milligrams
to the North Haven system and two hundred (200) milligrams to the
East Haven system of BOD per liter of waste; and not more than fifty
(50) milligrams of either soluble matter (grease or oil), each, per
liter of waste.
All costs associated with the operation and maintenance of
the sewer system. The term "operation and maintenance" includes replacement.
Sewer system expenditures involving obtaining and installing
equipment, accessories or appurtenances which are necessary to maintain
the capacity and performance during the period for which such system
was designed and constructed.
All facilities of the Town of North Branford plus those common
facilities as defined in the intertown contracts with Branford, North
Haven and/or East Haven for collecting, pumping, metering, treating
and/or disposing of sewage from residences, business buildings, institutions
and industrial establishments.
The amount of money paid by owners of real property using
the sewer system for the cost of operation and maintenance of the
sewer system.
Solids that either float or are in suspension in water or
sewage and which are removable by laboratory filtering.
Components in sanitary sewage which are amenable to the sewage
treatment process.
A.
Unit charges.
(1)
A unit user charge applicable to single- and multiple-family
dwellings is established. The unit charge shall take into account
proportionality based on sewer system operation and maintenance costs.
The unit charge shall include proportional costs for extraneous flows
handled by the system. Unit charges shall be levied as follows:
(2)
Final determination of single- or multifamily status
shall be made by the Sewer Authority.
(3)
The unit charge is computed as follows:
B.
User charges based on flow.
(1)
A nonresidential user charge applicable to nonresidential
buildings is established. Under this system, owners shall be assessed
an amount based upon sewage flow for the structure so owned as follows:
(2)
The user charge NRC shall be computed at the same time, on a subsystem basis, and for the same periods as for unit charges in Subsection A.
(3)
The sewage flow value BWC shall represent the water
meter readings for the structure owned if the building is metered
and served by the New Haven Water Company (NHW). If the structure
is not served by the NHW, water consumption shall be determined by
the Sewer Authority or its designated agents based upon water consumption
records of similar buildings and uses. If necessary, the Sewer Authority
or its designated agents may require the owner of a structure not
served or metered by NHW to install and maintain a water meter at
the owner's expense.
(4)
The Sewer Authority or its designated agents shall
annually determine the value of factor K to account for extraneous
flows (i.e., infiltration/inflow). The factor value shall apply to
all users and shall be used to achieve equality between total estimated
flows from structures and measured flow at the metering stations.
(5)
If the Sewer Authority determines that the water consumption
of a structure is greatly disproportionate to sewage flow discharged
to the sewer system, the Sewer Authority, upon the advice of the Town
Engineer, may make appropriate modifications to the sewage flow.
C.
Surcharges for sewer use.
(1)
Treatable pollutants. A surcharge for treatable pollutants
is established. In any instance in which the Sewer Authority or its
designated agents determine that biochemical oxygen demand (BOD),
suspended solids or other treatable pollutant concentrations from
a building exceed the range of concentration of those pollutants in
normal domestic sewage, the Sewer Authority shall increase the building's
user charge by a surcharge computed in accordance with the formula:
(2)
Toxic pollutants. A surcharge for toxic pollutants
is established. Where it is determined that materials are being discharged
to the sewer system which are harmful to the treatment process or
contaminate the sludge of a municipal system, a surcharge to be determined
by the Sewer Authority will be made. Toxic pollutants are disallowed
from entering the sewer system, except as authorized by the sewer
use ordinances and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
Program administered by the Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection.
D.
In no case shall the sewer use charge for any nonresidential
building be less than the annual charge for one-family residential
units.
[Amended 6-4-1991 by Ord. No. 172; 6-20-1995 by Ord. No.
182]
The user charge and surcharges shall be fixed
by the Water Pollution Control Authority on an annual basis no later
than September 30 of each year following a public hearing. Such charges
shall be for the town's fiscal year and shall be due and payable annually
on October 1. Charges for the first year of the town's user charge
system shall be on a prorated basis. If any annual bill exceeds fifty
dollars ($50.), such bill shall be due and payable one-half (1/2)
on October 1 and one-half (1/2) on the following April 1 on an annual
basis. Charges for the first year and succeeding years will be levied
in advance and calculated on the basis of estimated values. In the
case of a property which has connected during the annual period, such
charges shall be prorated for the actual number of months within the
stated period that the property was connected. A period of less than
fifteen (15) days shall be disregarded, and a period in excess of
fifteen (15) days shall be deemed a full month.
The owner of real property subject to the user
charge and surcharges shall be liable for and shall be billed for
payment of such charges. Such charges, together with interest thereon,
as defined by state statute, shall constitute a lien upon the property
upon which the building is located, and such lien may be foreclosed,
and such charges may be collected in the manner provided in § 7-258
of the Connecticut General Statutes and such other statutes which
are applicable.
The user charge and surcharge shall be collected
by the Town Tax Collector and turned over periodically as directed
by the Town Manager to the Town Treasurer and deposited in a special
account separate from other town funds, designated the "Sewage Works
Operating Fund" and used solely for operation, maintenance and replacement
of the sewage works and for any other use allowed by law.
This Article may be amended by the North Branford
Town Council from time to time and at any time as it deems necessary
subject to the Charter of the Town of North Branford, its ordinances
and the statutes of the State of Connecticut.