Sec. 34-127. - Water service billing.
(a)All billings for water service shall be made monthly on the basis of the amount of water used during the previous monthly period, and the monthly base rate minimum (See subsection (c) of this section below). Amounts billed will not be reduced for loss of water due to waste caused by leakage of equipment of the customer, except as provided in section 34-409(a).
(b)If, for any reason, it is impossible or impractical to read the meter, consumption may be estimated, based on the previous history of use, until the meter can be read.
(c)The city shall commence charging the water base rate for all occupied property either 60 days after the water service becomes available or the day that connection is made to the public water system, whichever occurs first. The water base rate for all unoccupied property shall begin within 30 days after the property is ready for occupancy or on the first day of occupancy, whichever occurs first. All unoccupied property which is ready for occupancy at the time the water service becomes available shall be treated as occupied property. Once the water base rate has commenced, no credit shall be given for vacancy, unless a property owner gives written notice to disconnect from the water system per section 34.405.2.
(d)Water billing and collection procedures shall be performed as provided in article VI of this chapter.
(Code 2006, § 13.5.28; Ord. No. 1495, § 1(13.5.29), 1-25-2011; Ord. No. 1528, § 1, 3-11-2014)
Sec. 34-312. - Sewer User Charges.
(a)User charges shall be levied on all users of the public treatment works. The user charges shall, at a minimum, cover the cost of operation and maintenance, replacement, system planning and construction and other administrative costs of such treatment works. The user charge system shall distribute these costs in proportion to each user's contribution to the wastewater loading of the treatment works. The minimum charge shall be that cost equivalent to treatment of the wastewater from an average residential dwelling unit.
(b)There shall be assigned to each user an appropriate number of ERUs and this number shall represent the ratio of the wastewater produced by the user to the wastewater produced by the average residential dwelling unit; provided, however, that each residential user discharging only domestic waste into the sewer system shall be levied a user charge calculated on the basis of the use of one ERU per dwelling unit.
(c)The user charge shall be calculated by multiplying the total number of ERUs for each user by a constant cost factor. This cost factor shall be established from time to time by resolution of the City Council as provided in section 34-313
(d)Should any user believe that the user has been assigned an incorrect number of ERUs, that user may apply for review of the user charge as provided in section 34-316
(e)If it has been determined by the city that a user is assigned an incorrect number of ERUs, the city shall reassign a more appropriate number of ERUs to that user and shall notify that user of such reassignment.
(f)Records of all rates and the number of ERUs assigned to each user, as well as the wastewater characteristics forming the basis of the ERU, shall be kept on file with the City Recorder and shall be open for public inspection.
(g)The city shall commence charging the sewer user charge for all occupied property either 60 days after the sewer service becomes available or the day that connection is made to the public sewer system, whichever occurs first. The sewer user charge for all unoccupied property shall begin within 30 days after the property is ready for occupancy or on the first day of occupancy, whichever occurs first. All unoccupied property which is ready for occupancy at the time the sewer service becomes available shall be treated as occupied property. Once the sewer user charge has commenced, no credit shall be given for vacancy unless a property owner gives written notice to disconnect from the water system per section 34.405.2.
(Prior Code, § 71.220; Code 2006, § 13.12.4; Ord. No. 1495, § 2(13.12.4), 1-25-2011; Ord. No. 1528, § 2, 3-11-2014)