[Amended 11-13-2000 by Ord. No. 00-28; 8-14-2001 by Ord. No. 01-24; 3-8-2011 by Ord. No. 11-04; 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 12-10; 3-28-2017 by Ord. No. 17-07]
The "Ewing resident rate" shall consist of the sewer charges
set forth herein.
A. Computation of proportionate flow sewer charges for Ewing residents
commencing on January 1, 2012. The rate per 100 cubic feet based upon
annual water consumption or sewer flow shall be set by the Township
Council by resolution annually based upon actual billing from the
ELSA within the following range:
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ELSA and Ewing operations, maintenance and replacement charges
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Range: $3.25 to $5
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B. Infiltration/Inflow sewer use charge. Each user, in addition to the proportionate flow charges in Subsection
A herein, shall pay an annual charge for his or her proportionate share of operation and maintenance for extraneous flows caused by infiltration and inflow. A separate charge shall be paid for each dwelling unit or each commercial, industrial or other facility receiving sewer service. Twenty percent of the flows to ELSA from its users are deemed caused by such extraneous flows. The infiltration/inflow charge shall be calculated by the Township based upon the number of dwelling units and each commercial, industrial and other facility receiving service. The infiltration/inflow sewer use charge commencing January 1, 2012, will be set by the Township Council by resolution annually based upon actual billing from the ELSA within the following range: $75 to $175.
C. Rate charges for unmetered premises. Charges for sewer service for premises without metered sewer or water connections, based upon an estimated annual water consumption of 6,400 cubic feet. Applying the proportionate flow sewer charge in §
300-8A, the annual charge commencing January 1, 2012, will be set by the Township Council by resolution annually based upon actual billing from the ELSA within the following range:
(1) Each family, dwelling or commercial facility with a complement of
five or fewer fixtures shall pay annually: $208 to $265.
(2) For each additional fixture over the complement of five, the user
shall pay an additional $52 to $65.
(3) Each user shall also pay, for each laundry tub or automatic washing
machine in excess of two, an additional $59.80.
(4) When more than one family uses the same complement of fixtures, or
where individual fixtures are used in common by more than one family,
the charge will be determined by multiplying the aforesaid rates or
charges by the number of families using the fixtures.
(5) Each family, dwelling or commercial facility shall also pay the annual
infiltration/inflow sewer use charge.
D. Rate for new connections. Newly connected sewer accounts shall be charged $23.58 per month from the issuance of the first certificate of occupancy (whether temporary or permanent) until December 31 of that calendar year. Thereafter, charges shall be in accordance with §
300-8A and
B.
E. Charges and rates to be amended by resolution. The charges and rates
specified in this article may be amended from time to time throughout
the calendar year by resolution of the Township Council based on the
actual charges and rates assessed by the Ewing-Lawrence Sewerage Authority
to the Township.
F. Unmetered premises which use wells for water connection may install
a water or sewer meter in order for the Township to charge for sewer
service based on actual water consumption or sewer usage.
(1) The installation of the water or sewer meter must conform to Ewing
Township Building and Construction Codes so as to ensure proper installation
and measurement of usage and is subject to penalty and inspection
upon installation.
(2) The resident shall read the water or sewer meter and shall accurately report the actual reading shown on the meter to the Township tax office on a quarterly basis. The Township or its authorized designee shall read the meter annually in January, for which access must be provided by the homeowner in the case of meters not visible from the outside of the premises. To the extent possible, meters shall be installed so as to provide accessibility and visibility from outside of the premises. In the event that access to the interior of the premises is necessary to read the meter, the homeowner shall afford such access on reasonable notice from the Township or its authorized designee to accomplish the annual fourth quarter reading. If access is denied or prevented after two efforts by the Township or its authorized designee to read the meter, the sewer charges shall be calculated in accordance with Subsection
C above.
(3) The Township or its authorized designee may conduct periodic inspections
of the water or sewer meter in order to confirm the working status
and accuracy of the meter. Upon installation and in January of every
other year thereafter, the homeowner shall provide to the tax office
a certification as to the accuracy and functionality of the said meter
from the manufacturer or installer or other qualified entity, including
but not limited to Trenton Water Works. Such meter certification must
certify as to accuracy of better than +/- 1%. The Township shall maintain
such certifications with the homeowner's sewer charge records.
(4) Upon the sale of the property, a Township official or its authorized designee will conduct a final reading of the water or sewer meter. The homeowner shall provide a current certification, consistent with Subsection
F(3) above, confirming the working status and accuracy of the meter. The full balance shown as due, based on the final reading by the Township official or authorized designee, will be charged to the premises at the rate in effect at the time of the final reading.
(5) A determination, pursuant to Subsection
F(3) or
(4) above, that the meter is not working, has been tampered with or is for any reason inaccurate, will result in a new assessment based on Subsection
C above for the entirety of the period from the date of the last certification of accuracy. Credit shall be accorded for any sewer fees paid during said period. Further, in the case of deliberate tampering, the violator shall be referred to the appropriate authorities for review and prosecution, if appropriate.
(6) The failure to provide the biannual certification required hereunder will cause the homeowner to be assessed sewer charges in accordance with Subsection
C above, until a new certification is provided, if the validity or accuracy of any reported reading is questioned based on previously reported readings.
G. The failure to pay the amount of the sewer bill as determined by
the Township tax office shall cause the Township tax office to certify
the amount due and any interest charged to the Township Council, which
shall examine the amounts due and, if found correct, shall cause the
costs as shown thereon to be charged against said lands. Such costs
shall be added to the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such
lands the same to bear interest at the same rate as taxes and to be
collected and enforced by the Tax Collector in the same manner as
taxes.
The late payment criteria and penalties applicable
to the payment of real estate taxes and assessments shall also be
applicable to the payment of sewer charges provided for in this article.
The Township shall review the user rates and
charges annually and shall revise rates and charges as necessary to
ensure that adequate revenues are generated to ensure the present
and future financial self-sufficiency of the sewer system, to ensure
conservation of water and sewer facilities and to ensure that adequate
revenues are generated to pay the cost of operation and maintenance,
including replacement, and that the sewer system continues to provide
for proportional distribution of operation and maintenance, including
replacement, costs among users.
[Added 8-9-2005 by Ord. No. 05-30; amended 7-23-2019 by Ord. No.
19-15]
Beginning fiscal year 2006, the sewer charges for municipal
use for the West Trenton and Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Companies
are waived.