[Adopted as Art. 925 of the 1965 Codified Ordinances]
[Amended 11-9-1994 by Ord. No. 3334]
There is created a Sewer Board of Administration, composed of the Mayor, or his designee, and any other City employees the Mayor shall appoint, and who shall serve at the pleasure of the Mayor, whose duties shall be to decide all matters and things in connection with carrying out the intent of this article. The Mayor shall be the Chairman of the Board, and appropriate records shall be kept. Meetings will be held at the call of the Chairman, and all decisions rendered by the Board may be appealed to Council, whose decision shall be final.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 3789]
A. 
New and continued service.
(1) 
Sewer service shall be provided to existing improved properties or new and improved properties by the City, except as set forth hereinafter. All property owners or, in the case of change of ownership, all prospective property owners shall abide by ordinances, rules and regulations of the Sewer Board of Administration, which regulates and controls the sewer service to such premises. All sewer service accounts shall be issued in the name of all owners, who shall remain the account holder(s) responsible for all charges until the account is properly and legally terminated, upon notice of transfer or request for termination of services, as may be permitted by law.
(2) 
At least seven days prior to the change of ownership of any property with existing sewer service, the existing owner shall notify the Board of the date of the impending transfer, the identity of the prospective owner and, if applicable, shall provide a list of all current tenants of the property.
(3) 
Providing that the existing owner shall give notice as required herein to the City, and payment in full of the existing account, the account of the existing owner shall terminate upon transfer of title. Thereafter, the new owner shall be responsible for all charges for sewer services.
(4) 
Any person who undertakes ownership of a property with existing sewer service shall be subject to termination of service and/or the penalties set forth in § 475-23 and shall be liable for costs of all sewer service to the property including any outstanding delinquency, penalties and costs.
(5) 
In addition to any other provisions of this article and any other rule or regulation which may be adopted by the City, no sewer service shall be continued, authorized or approved to a property owner or prospective property owner who is delinquent or has been delinquent in the payment for sewer services to any property served by the City within the last two years from the date of the notice to the Board for the transfer of title from the current owner of the property to the prospective purchaser, except upon a submission of a list of all current tenants of the property, if applicable, and upon payment to the City Treasurer of all outstanding accounts and a deposit to secure payment of future service in an amount equal to the average cost of sewer service to the property for 12 months. The average sewer rental shall be based upon the actual sewer rental imposed during the previous 12 months, or in the event of a new or changed use, the average shall be based upon the standard sewer rental for such proposed use. The deposit shall be held by the City Treasurer in escrow; any interest earned will be credited to the account holder. The deposit account and any accumulated interest shall be paid to the account holder at the time the account is properly and lawfully terminated and all charges to said account have been paid in full, except that the deposit and/or interest may be paid to the account holder prior thereto, if approved by the City Treasurer, at the sole discretion of the City Treasurer.
(6) 
Nothing contained in this article shall limit the City from pursing any legal or other remedy.
A. 
An account for the payment of all charges shall be established in the name of the property owner (referred to herein as "account holder"). The account holder shall be responsible for payment of all charges for sewer rental for said account until the account is properly and lawfully terminated, upon notice of transfer or request for termination as may be permitted under the law.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 3789]
B. 
The sewer rental shall be a charge based upon the water consumption of the properties served by the sanitary sewer system and sewage treatment works. The schedule of rates is included in Chapter 285, Fees.
[Amended 12-27-2005 by Ord. No. 4744; 2-11-2009 by Ord. No. 5181]
C. 
For all domestic, commercial and industrial consumers using City water at meter rates, the sewer rental shall be 200% of the entire monthly or quarterly water charge.
D. 
Properties located outside the limits of the City using City water and served by the sewage system and sewage treatment works of the City shall, in addition to the rates established by this article, pay an amount equal to 25% of each monthly or quarterly sewage bill. Property situated in the Borough of Wilson and metered for sewage under an agreement existing between the City of Easton and the Borough of Wilson are excepted. Properties situated outside of the Borough of Wilson, but using the facilities of the sewage system of Wilson Borough and metered under the agreement existing between the Borough of Wilson and the City of Easton, shall, in addition to the payments made to the Borough of Wilson, pay an amount to the City of Easton equal to 25% of each quarterly or monthly bill.
[Amended 11-9-1994 by Ord. No. 3334]
[Amended 12-30-1989 by Ord. No. 3076]
Where an industrial or commercial consumer discharges into the sewers of the City a type of sewage with low solid content or chemical impurity, which for this or any other reason requires a lesser than ordinary degree of treatment, the Sewer Board of Administration shall have the power to adjust the two-hundred-percent rate downwards as may be justifiable but not below a minimum rate of 33%. Where an industrial or commercial consumer discharges into the sewers of the City a type of sewage with high solid content or chemical impurity, which for this or any other reason requires a greater than ordinary degree of treatment, the Sewer Board shall have the option to:
A. 
Adjust the two-hundred-percent rate upwards as may be justifiable;
B. 
Require the consumer to give such specified primary treatment to the consumer's sewage before it enters the City's sewer system as shall, in the opinion of the Sewer Board, be required.
[Amended 12-30-1947 by Ord. No. 1243]
For a consumer who uses water, all or part of which is from sources other than the City's water supply system, there shall be a sewer rental, separate from and in addition to any sewer rental based on the consumption of water from the City's water supply system. The sewer rental shall be computed as though all the water used had been obtained from the City's water supply system. The consumer shall install, without cost to the City, meters to measure the quantity of water received from other than the City's water supply system and discharged into the City's sewers. No meter shall be installed or be used for such purpose without the approval of the Superintendent of the Bureau of Water. If the consumer fails to install an approved meter, the Superintendent of the Bureau of Water, when requested by the City Treasurer, shall make and furnish to the City Treasurer an estimate of the amount of water from sources other than the City's water supply system which is discharged into the City's sewers from the property.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 475-6, Water not discharged into City’s sewers, as amended, was repealed 9-25-2013 by Ord. No. 5431. Original Section 925.07, Discharge of clear water into sewers, as amended, which previously followed this section, was repealed 9-10-2008 by Ord. No. 5117.
[Amended 12-30-1947 by Ord. No. 1243]
All meters or other measuring devices installed or required to be used under the provisions of this article shall be under the control of the Superintendent of the Bureau of Water. The consumer for whom such measuring device is installed shall be responsible for its maintenance and safekeeping, and all repairs thereto shall be made at the consumer's cost, whether such repairs are made necessary by ordinary wear and tear or other causes. Bills for such repairs, if made by the City, 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 repairs of water meters.
[Amended 12-30-1947 by Ord. No. 1243]
All sewer rentals shall be due and payable at the same time that water rentals are now due and payable. They shall be included in the same bills and shall be collected at the same times and in the same manner and be subject to the same penalties as the charge for water. Such payments shall apply to all properties subject to the payment of sewer rents without regard to the source of the water used by them.
[Amended 12-30-1947 by Ord. No. 1243]
Whenever sewer service to any property begins after the first day or terminates before the last day of any year, the sewer rental for such property for such year shall be for that portion of the year during which the property is served.
A. 
It shall be the duty of the City Solicitor, when requested by the City Treasurer, to proceed for the collection of delinquent sewer rentals, together with all penalties, interest and costs accrued thereon, and to enter liens and take such other action as may be authorized by law or ordinance. All sewer rents shall become delinquent at the same time and in the same manner as water service bills.
[Amended 12-30-1947 by Ord. No. 1243]
B. 
All bills to owners for sewer service and/or special service as hereinafter provided which are considered delinquent shall be subject to interest and collection fees. All bills to owners are payable immediately upon the receipt of the bill. If not paid within 30 days after the date of the bill, a penalty equivalent to 10% of the face amount of the bill shall attach and, in the event of continued nonpayment, the City of Easton shall discontinue the service. To such delinquent usage amount due shall be added interest at the rate of 10% per annum and an additional fee of $50. In addition, a delinquent account shall be subject to collection fees consisting of reasonable attorney's fees and other costs incurred by the City. An account shall be considered delinquent when payment in full on the account balance has not been received within 30 days of the date of the initial bill. Prior to the reinstatement of any services, all delinquent amounts, including amounts for water, sewer and refuse, must be paid in full.
[Amended 4-12-2000 by Ord. No. 3789; 7-10-2007 by Ord. No. 4982]
(1) 
Payment on delinquent account(s) shall be credited as follows:
(a) 
Collection fees and costs;
(b) 
Interest;
(c) 
Past due usage; and
(d) 
Current usage.
(2) 
Within a category, payments shall be credited in the following manner:
(a) 
Refuse;
(b) 
Sewer; and
(c) 
Water.
C. 
Service to persons or premises for which the account is delinquent shall be subject to suspension or termination, without notice, upon direction of the Director of Public Works and the City Treasurer. Prior to reinstatement of sewer service, in addition to the cost for reinstatement of services, a deposit to secure the payment for sewer service in the amount equal to the average cost of sewer collection service to the property for 12 months shall be paid to the City. The average cost of sewer service shall be based upon the actual cost during the previous 12 months, or in the event of a new or changed use, the average cost shall be based on the standard average cost of service for such proposed use. The deposit shall be held by the City Treasurer in escrow, any interest earned to be credited to the account holder. The deposit account and any accumulated interest shall be paid to the account holder at the time the account is properly and lawfully terminated and all charges to said account have been paid in full, except that the deposit and/or interest may be paid to the account holder prior thereto if approved by the City Treasurer, at the sole discretion of the City Treasurer.
[Amended 10-27-2004 by Ord. No. 4589]
[Amended 12-30-1947 by Ord. No. 1243]
No sewer rental is imposed on properties within the City not receiving sewer service from the City's facilities.