[HISTORY: Adopted 2-22-1999 by the Special Town Meeting of the Town of Somers, effective 3-20-1999.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Sewers — See Ch. 155.
Water — See Ch. 204.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance superseded former Ch. 212, Sewer Use Charge System, adopted 3-27-1978 by the Sewer Commission (now Water Pollution Control Authority) of the Town of Somers.
In accordance with the provisions of Section 7-255 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended, a use charge shall be levied annually on all properties connected to any Town-owned community sewage system, as hereinafter set forth.
Section 155-9A of Chapter 155, Sewers, prohibits discharge of anything other than sanitary sewage to the sewer system.
The use charge shall apply to all connected properties, without exception (including municipally-owned and other tax-exempt properties), and shall recover all costs of operation and maintenance of the sewage system.
Owners of property against which the use charge is levied shall be liable for payment and for interest on delinquent payment from the due date until such charge is paid in full. Interest shall be computed in the manner provided in Sections 7-258 and 12-146 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
Payment of the initial charge is due at the time a user first connects to the sewage system and shall be calculated on a pro-rata basis from the date of connection through the following October 1. Subsequent use charges are due and payable in full on October 1 of each year.
A. 
The annual charge for each property shall be based upon the average discharge represented by a single-family dwelling unit, 225 gallons of sanitary wastes per day. Charges for most types of property are shown in the Table of Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDU's).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Table of Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDU's) is included at the end of this chapter.
B. 
The number of equivalent dwelling units for properties not identified either in the table or formula listing shall be the Sewer Commission's[2] estimate of sewage discharge divided by 225 gallons per day per equivalent dwelling unit.
[2]
Editor's Note: Pursuant to Section 7-246 of the Connecticut General Statutes, the title "Sewer Commission" has been changed to "Water Pollution Control Authority."
C. 
In computing an individual use charge, the number of equivalent dwelling units (EDU's) shall be rounded to the nearest hundredths for use in the following formula:
Use Charge = #EDU's x Base Rate Per EDU
D. 
The base rate to be charged per equivalent dwelling unit shall be established annually by the Sewer Commission using the projected operations and maintenance budget divided by the anticipated number of equivalent dwelling units which will be using the system during the year. (The charge derived from this calculation will be rounded to the nearest cent.)
The base unit charge for one equivalent dwelling unit shall be $46.40 and fractional units a portion thereof and amended annually per § 212-6D of these regulations.
A. 
All properties which are approved for the building conversion/change of use shall be charged a one-time change of use fee equal to $5,000 times the net change in the EDU rate established for the property.
[Amended 10-9-2007, effective 10-30-2007]
B. 
All properties which are approved for a building conversion/change of use, shall be charged a one-time change of use fee equal to $2,500 times the net change in the EDU rate established for the property.
[Amended 10-9-2007, effective 10-30-2007]
Any new service connection to an existing sewer main shall be charged a one-time connection fee of $5,000 per EDU as determined by § 212-11 of these regulations.
The Somers Water Pollution Control Authority may designate the Town Tax Collector or any bonded person as its agent for the collection of fees or charges levied under this chapter.
1/3 EDU
Each room of a rooming house or boardinghouse
2/3 EDU
Each room of a hotel or motel
1 EDU
Single-family home
Each unit of a multifamily home
Each unit of an apartment house
Church (or other place of worship) or rectory
Photographer's business
Florist's business
Commercial parking garage
Warehouse
Fire station
Each operator in a barbershop
Dairy bar with window service only
Post office with fewer than 12 employees
Business office with fewer than 12 employees
Factory/light industry with no showers and fewer than 12 employees
Factory/light industry with showers and fewer than 10 employees
Mercantile store with fewer than 12 employees
Supermarket with fewer than 12 employees
Package store
Police station (add 1/5 of an EDU for each cell)
Luncheonette (seating capacity of 15 or less and paper service only)
1 1/3 EDU
Billiard parlor
Hall or place of public assembly (without bar license)
Doctor's or dentist's office
Bakery
Fish or meat market
Each operator in a beauty salon
1 2/3 EDU
Service station or auto dealership
Drive-in restaurant
Drugstore
2 EDU
Funeral parlor/mortuary
3 1/2 EDU
Restaurant, bar or nightclub (with capacity for fewer than 100 persons)
Lodge hall (with bar license)
Key to abbreviations:
gpd  —  gallons per day
DU  —  dwelling unit
EDU  —  equivalent dwelling unit (representing an average
discharge rate of sanitary sewage at 225 gpd)
#EDU  —  number of equivalent dwelling units
A. 
Factory, without showers, 12 or more employees:
(0.1 gallons) x (# square feet floor space) ÷ (225 gpd/EDU) = #EDU
B. 
Factory, with showers, 10 or more employees:
(0.18 gallons) x (# square feet floor space) ÷ (225 gpd/DU) = #EDU
C. 
Bowling alley:
(# alleys) x (75 gpd/alley) ÷ (225 gpd/DU) = #EDU
D. 
Drive-in theater:
(# car stalls) x (5 gpd/car stall) ÷ (225 gpd/DU) = #EDU
E. 
Movie house:
(# seats) x (2 1/2 gpd/seat) ÷ (225 gpd/DU) = #EDU
F. 
Nursing home or rest home:
(# beds) x (100 gpd/bed) ÷ (225 gpd/DU) = #EDU
G. 
Tourist home:
(# bedrooms) x (100 gpd/bedroom) ÷ (225 gpd/DU) = #EDU
H. 
Residential school:
(# pupils and employees) x (75 gpd/person) ÷ (225 gpd/DU) = #EDU
I. 
Nonresidential school (elementary, junior high and senior high only):
(# pupils and employees) x (15 gpd/person) ÷ (225 gpd/DU) = #EDU
J. 
Office building, 12 or more employees:
(0.1 gallons) x (# square feet floor space) ÷ (225 gpd/EDU) = #EDU
K. 
Mercantile store or supermarket, 12 or more employees:
(0.18 gallons) x (# sq. ft. floor space) ÷ (225 gpd/DU) = #EDU
L. 
Restaurant, bar or nightclub, more than one-hundred-person capacity:
(capacity) x (8 gpd/person capacity) ÷ (225 gpd/DU) = #EDU