[Adopted 6-17-1968 by Ord. No. 68-3 as Ch. 60, Art. II, of the 1968 Code]
[Amended 2-18-1975 by Ord. No. 75-3; 2-20-1978 by Ord. No. 78-8]
There is hereby imposed an annual sewer rental or service charge for the use, operation, maintenance and construction of the sewers, sewerage system and sewage disposal facilities of the Borough of Berlin upon the owners and/or occupiers of the properties served thereby and to which sanitary sewer service is available, at the rates hereinafter set forth, which rates are hereby fixed and determined.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 60-13, Definitions, as amended, which immediately followed this section, was repealed 3-4-1991 by Ord. No. 91-2.
[Amended last 2-24-1986 by Ord. No. 86-3]
The minimum annual rates of such sewer rental or sewer service charges hereby imposed shall be as follows:
A. 
The annual sewer rental hereby imposed shall be as follows:
[Amended last 3-21-1994 by Ord. No. 94-6]
(1) 
For each single-dwelling unit, the fee shall be $272.
[Last amended 7-11-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-14[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance provided that it would take effect 7-1-2024.
(2) 
Any senior citizen of the Borough of Berlin who qualifies for the senior citizen deduction under the New Jersey real estate property tax laws shall pay $70.
B. 
The annual sewer rental for all other uses within the Borough of Berlin shall be $272 for each equivalent dwelling unit as set forth in the schedule of rates.[2]
[Last amended 7-11-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-14[3]]
[2]
Editor's Note: The schedule of rates is on file and may be examined in the office of the Borough Clerk.
[3]
Editor's Note: This ordinance provided that it would take effect 7-1-2024.
C. 
Character of sewage different from average. In cases where the character of the sewage or industrial wastes discharged from any building or premises is such that it imposes an additional burden upon the sewerage system or sewage disposal facilities different from that imposed by the average sewage entering said sewerage system or sewage disposal facilities, the additional cost necessitated thereby shall be an additional charge over the rates hereinabove set forth. The Borough may, if it deems it advisable, compel such building or premises to treat such sewage or industrial wastes in such manner as shall be specified by the Borough before discharging the same into the Borough's sewerage system. The Borough shall at all reasonable times have the right to enter upon premises connected to said sewer system for the purpose of making tests of the quantity and quality of the sewage or industrial wastes discharged from said property into said sewerage system. The owner of such property shall at his own cost and expense install approved facilities for obtaining samples of such sewage or industrial waste. The Borough shall have the right to refuse to permit any person, firm, corporation or entity to connect to or require the disconnection from said sewerage system if in the opinion of the Borough Council the sewage or industrial wastes to be discharged into said sewerage system are detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the Borough and/or its inhabitants.
D. 
Measuring devices. All meters or other measuring devices installed or required to be used under this article shall be under the supervision and control of the Chairman of the Sewer Committee of Borough Council. The owner of the property upon which any such measuring device is installed, which shall be at said owner's expense, shall be responsible for its maintenance and safekeeping, and all repairs thereto shall be made at the owner's expense, whether such repairs are made necessary by ordinary wear or tear or other causes. Bills for such repairs, if made by the Borough, shall be due and payable at the same time, be collected in the same manner and be subject to the same penalties as are the bills for sewer rent.
Where a dwelling unit, housekeeping apartment unit or nonhousekeeping apartment unit is occupied or used by more than one family, the charges therefor shall be determined by multiplying the annual rate therefor by the number of families therein.
[Amended 3-4-1991 by Ord. No. 91-2]
Where a property contains a combination of uses as set forth in the schedule of rates above, the annual sewer rental therefor shall be determined by applying the rates set forth above for each use located thereon and adding said rates together.
[Amended 3-4-1991 by Ord. No. 91-2]
A. 
The annual sewer rental established and fixed herein shall be an annual charge for each calendar year and shall be billed and payable quarterly on March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1 of each year.
[Amended 11-2-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-22]
B. 
The annual sewer rental established by the flow of wastewater discharged into the local sewage collection system, as measured by a meter or meters used for said purposes, or otherwise, shall be payable quarterly based upon the meter readings of the previous quarter, on or before the first days of March, June, September and December of each year.
If the sewer rentals or service charges imposed by this article are not paid within 30 days from the date due, the same shall be and become delinquent and shall thereupon bear interest from the due date to the date of payment at the rate charged by the Borough of Berlin against delinquent taxes. All sewer rentals and service charges shall be and constitute a lien against the property affected, and the Borough of Berlin shall have the same remedies for the collection thereof as in the case of municipal taxes and other charges and liens.
If sewerage service is disconnected for any reason, a fee of $10 shall be paid to the Borough of Berlin to reconnect said unit to the sewerage system. Any disconnection, however, shall not suspend or alter the sewer rentals or service charges imposed by this article, which shall continue to be due and payable as herein provided during such period of such disconnection by reason of the availability of service.
A. 
Whenever sewer service to any property begins after the first day of any quarterly period, the sewer rental for such quarterly period shall be for that portion of the period during which said property is served or for which sewer service is available.
B. 
Where any structure or improvement exists or is constructed and sewer service is available, sewer rental shall commence immediately despite the failure to occupy the property or to use the facilities, so long as the building or structure on the property is still available for use and the sewer facilities remain available.
Where there shall be construction of or the establishment of any new or additional commercial or industrial units, the rental charge shall be made upon a rate comparable to similar or comparable existing units, and if there shall be any question or dispute in respect to the said rental charge, final determination shall be made by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Berlin.