§ 53.130. USER CHARGES; WHOLESALE SEWER RATES; CALCULATION OF SEWER SURCHARGE.

(A)

[ Monthly User Charge. ] There is imposed upon the owners or upon the users of each retail and wholesale customer served by the sewer system, a monthly user charge for the use thereof as follows:

(1)

Sewer Rates. A charge for waste resulting from human occupancy which shall include all of the following factors for the operation of the collection system and treatment of wastewater by the regional wastewater facility:

(a)

Operation and maintenance;

(b)

Debt service;

(c)

Capital costs;

(d)

System expansion;

(e)

Others as applicable.

Consult Utility Billing for the prevailing rates expressed as dollars per one thousand (1,000) gallons of water consumption.

(2)

Sewer Surcharge. A surcharge for waste which exceeds parameters for strength established in this Code may be assessed to applicable customers, pursuant to Section 53.130(G).

(B)

Connection Charges.

(1)

In addition to the rates set forth in Section 54.130(D), there is established a sewer connection charge for each connection to the City sewage collection system. The sewer connection charge shall be one thousand eighty-four dollars ($1,084.00) for each separate residential unit or per Equivalent Residential Connection for nonresidential units. A residential dwelling unit is defined in Section 53.004

(2)

Connection charges by users of the City sewage system wholly outside the corporate limits of the City are fixed at sums equal to the rates shown in the above schedule in Section (A) of this Section, plus twenty-five (25) percent of each respective classification. The connection charge shall be paid to the City at the time of obtaining a permit for a connection and shall be in addition to the permit fee. The size of the connection shall be determined by the Plumbing Inspector in accordance with Articles 7.6 and 7.7 of the Land Development Regulations.

(C)

[ Nonresidential Sewer Connection Charge. ] There shall be a nonresidential sewer connection charge which shall be based on one thousand eighty-four dollars ($1,084.00) per Equivalent Residential Connection (E.R.C.). Equivalent Residential Connection shall be calculated as follows:

Estimated Flow in Gallons Per Month
E.R.C. units = 7,000

Where an estimated flow is not available, the following formula shall be used with reference to the Standard Plumbing Code adopted by reference in Article 7.6 of the Land Development Regulations.

Total Fixture Units
E.R.C. Units = 16

(D)

[Rates and Charges.] The following rates and charges shall be collected from the users of the City sewerage system:

(1)

Residential Dwelling Units. A monthly sanitary sewer service charge is imposed upon each residential dwelling unit, as more specifically set forth hereinafter, to which sanitary sewage service is available through the facilities afforded by the municipally-owned sewerage system, according to the following schedule:

Residential		Inside City	Outside City
(a)	Capacity charge (per residential dwelling unit):	18.04	22.55
(b)	Commodity charge (based on metered water with maximum of 12,000 gallons):	2.20	2.75
(c)	South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Board (per 1,000 gallons)	1.1917	1.49

 

NOTES: Where no water service is provided and the user is connected to the sanitary sewer system, the commodity charge shall be based on the maximum of twelve thousand (12,000) gallons. This is in addition to the capacity charges as set forth above.

Where no water service is provided and the user is not connected to the sanitary sewer system, and sewer service is available for connection, there will be a capacity charge as set forth above.

(2)

Nonresidential/Commercial Units. A monthly sanitary sewer service charge is imposed upon each commercial and nonresidential unit to which sanitary sewage service is available through the facilities afforded by the municipally-owned sewerage system, according to the following schedule:

Nonresidential/Commercial		Inside City	OutsidecCity
(a)	Capacity charge (per meter):
	¾-inch meter	18.04	22.55
	>1-inch meter	30.10	37.62
	1½-inch meter	59.95	74.94
	2-inch meter	95.97	119.96
	3-inch meter	210.14	262.67
	4-inch meter	378.12	472.65
	6-inch meter	840.35	1,050.44
	8-inch meter	1,441.74	1,802.18
	10-inch meter	2,282.80	2,853.50
(b)	Commodity charge: City per 1,000 gallons)	2.20	2.75
(c)	South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Board (per 1,000 gallons)	1.1917	1.49

 

NOTE (1): For those nonresidential/commercial units where water service is not available, and the user is connected to the sanitary sewer system or sewer service is available, the capacity charge will be set forth above. The commodity charge shall be based on the average usage for the type of business or nonresidential use.

(3)

Sewerage Flow Determination. The number of gallons of monthly sewerage flow for residential and nonresidential/commercial units shall be based upon the water usage for those units as indicated by a water meter, unless a customer installs at no cost to the City a separate meter to measure the actual sewerage flow from the subject unit. A separate meter may be used to measure actual sewerage flow for the calculation of charges only when the location, installation, and type of meter have been approved by the City Manager or his designee.

(4)

When Effective. The initial rates for charges shall be effective the first day of the month following the date when the system is constructed, certified for use by the consulting engineer, and accepted by the City.

(E)

[ Payment Required. ] No sewer service shall be furnished or rendered free of charge to any person whomsoever, and the City, County, State, and the United States of America, and every agency, department, and instrumentality thereof, except where the City Water and Sewer Fund is the user, which uses any sewer service from the sewage system, shall pay therefore at the rate fixed herein.

(F)

Wholesale Sewer Rates.

(1)

This Section is applicable to those wholesale customers which maintain their own wastewater collection systems. They shall be charged a flat rate per one thousand (1,000) gallons, the quantity of which shall be determined by the metering of the wastewater discharge from each wholesale customer's individual wastewater collection system.

(2)

The metering device shall be satisfactory to the City and shall provide for a separate remote thirty-day recording device which shall have a totalizer. Location of the metering device shall be at an accessible location as agreed upon by the parties involved and as further explained and stipulated in an agreement to be executed by both parties.

(3)

All costs incident to the furnishing, installation, initial calibration, and maintenance on a continuing basis of the meter, are and shall be, the wholesale customer's responsibility. The wholesale customer will provide to the City or its designated representative full details on the proposed meter installation and assurance that the installation will commence only upon the written authorization of the City. The City shall provide an authorization within ten (10) days after receipt by the City of the details of the above proposed meter installation.

(4)

The meter shall be read monthly by a duly authorized agent of the City, and the wholesale customer shall provide access to the meter for this purpose. In the event of suspected inaccuracy in meter readings, the City shall have the right to request that the meter be tested by an independent organization in accordance with standard practices. If the meter shall be found inaccurate or defective, the cost of the meter test shall be borne by the wholesale customer. If the meter shall be found to be accurate and in good condition, the cost of the meter test shall be borne by the City.

(5)

In the event of extenuating circumstances, the Commission may, at its discretion, direct that sufficient proof other than the installation of a metering device may be acceptable to determine the quantity of wastewater discharge.

(6)

Rates and charges to be collected from wholesale users of the City sewerage system shall be the sum of the Commodity Charge and the South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Board Charge for inside City customers as stated in Section 53.130(D)(2).

(G)

Calculation of Sewer Surcharge.

(1)

Calculation of the sewer surcharge shall be in accordance with the following: Local limits (allowable strength) reference at South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Board and the City of Delray Beach.

Let:

F = F1 + F2 + F3

Where:

F = The factor to multiply the sewer rate for a surcharge due to excess strengths.

F1 = The strength factor for BOD or COD, whichever is higher.

F2 = The strength factor for TSS (total suspended solids).

F3 = The strength factor for oil/grease.

(2)

The surcharge will be added to the sewer commodity charge to develop the monthly cost per customer. As an example of sewer charge calculations utilizing sewer commodity charge and the strength surcharge formula, assume the following with respect to Ajax Manufacturing Company: total monthly flow of one thousand (1,000) gallons; COD of one thousand two hundred (1,200) mg/l; BOD of one thousand (1,000) mg/l; total suspended solids of two thousand (2,000) mg/l; oil/grease at five hundred (500) mg/l; prevailing monthly sewer commodity charge is one dollar ninety-seven cents ($1.97) per one thousand (1,000) gallons:

(a)

Sewer Commodity Charge.

$1.97/1,000 gallons (100,000 gallons per month) = $197.00/month

(b)

Sewer Surcharge Calculation.

F1 = 0.41 (1,200-800)/800 = 0.21

F2 = 0.15 (2,000—400)/400 = 0.6

F3 = 0.41 (500—100)/100 = 1.6

F = 0.21+0.6+1.6 = 2.41

(c)

Total Monthly Charge (Sewer Commodity Charge Plus Surcharge):

$197.00/month + $197.00/month (2.41) = $671.77

(H)

[ Joint Monthly Statements. ] All statements for sewer service shall be submitted monthly on the same statement as the charges for water service and shall be due and payable at the same time as the statement for water service. However, the charge for sewer service shall be made a separate item on the statement. Initial and final billing shall be prorated based on service dates. Nonpayment of these charges shall render the user subject to the provisions of Section 52.51 provided for nonpayment of water bills as now or hereafter established by the ordinances of this City. The owner of the property being serviced by City sewer shall be responsible for all charges against that property for sewer use, unless otherwise prohibited by law. Charges for delinquent accounts shall include collection costs and reasonable attorney fees.

(Ord. No. 22-94, passed 5/3/94; Am. Ord. No. 72-94, passed 10/18/94; Am. Ord. No. 84-94, passed 10/18/94; Am. Ord. No. 92-94, passed 12/6/94; Am. Ord. No. 25-95, passed 5/16/95; Am. Ord. No. 32-96, passed 9/17/96; Am. Ord. No. 35-97, passed 9/23/97; Am. Ord. No. 21-98, passed 6/2/98; Ord. No. 47-01, § 1, passed 9/19/01; Ord. No. 4-02, § 30, passed 2/19/02; Ord. No. 40-02, § 1, passed 9/17/02; Ord. No. 31-03, § 1, passed 9/23/03; Ord. No. 23-04, § 1, passed 5/4/04; Ord. No. 55-04, § 1, passed 9/21/04; Ord. No. 72-05, § 1, passed 9/20/05; Ord. No. 52-06, § 1, passed 9/19/06; Ord. No. 40-07, § 1, passed 9/18/07; Ord. No. 43-08, § 1, passed 9/16/08; Ord. No. 61-09, § 6, passed 1/5/10; Ord. No. 25-12, § 17, passed 8/21/12)