13.16.030 Sewer user charges.
(1) General Provisions. User charges shall be levied on all users of the public treatment works which shall cover the cost of operation and maintenance, debt service, taxes, 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. Since both volume and strength of wastewater influences the costs of operation and maintenance of the North Bend treatment works, all costs associated with the treatment works shall be distributed among the applicable wastewater characteristics and unit costs for each wastewater characteristic shall be calculated. From these unit costs shall be developed a flow charge for all wastewater with approximately the same strength as domestic wastewater which shall be applied to all users. Certain users shall be grouped into classes of users discharging approximately the same volume of wastewater and shall be levied a flat charge which is calculated from the flow charge by applying the average volume for that class. Each user or user class whose wastewater strength differs substantially from that of domestic wastes shall be charged by applying the unit charges developed under this section to the wastewater volume and strength of that user or user class.
(2) Special Users. Any user which cannot be classified by virtue of the volume and/or strength of his wastewater shall be considered a special user. If the strength of such wastes is not significantly different from that of normal household wastes, such user shall be placed in the open class and shall be assigned the appropriate wastewater volume. If the wastewater strength is significantly different from that of normal household wastes, a special charge based on both volume and strength shall be assigned to that user by the city engineer.
(3) Classification Review. Users who believe that they have been incorrectly assigned to a particular user class of wastewater volume or strength may apply for review of such classification as provided in NBCC 13.16.060.
(4) Reassignment of a User. Should the city engineer determine that a user is incorrectly assigned to a particular user class of wastewater volume or strength then he shall reassign such user to a more appropriate user class for wastewater volume or strength and shall notify such user of the reassignment.
(5) Records. Records of all assigned rates and assigned wastewater volumes and strengths to user and user classes and the unit rates for each wastewater characteristic shall be kept on file in the office of the city engineer and shall be open to public inspection.
(6) User Rates. Sewer user rates and charges are hereby established as follows:
(a) Sewer user rates shall be established and amended from time to time as required by this chapter through the adoption of resolutions of the city council.
(b) Septic Sewage. Septic sewage will not be accepted.
(c) Accrual of Charges. Ordinary sewer users purchasing water from the Coos Bay-North Bend water board shall be subject to sewer user charges during all times that they shall be connected to the water system, and charges for sewer use shall run concurrently with charges for water use. Users not receiving water from the Coos Bay-North Bend water system or users of the sanitary sewer system whose use does not correspond with water use shall be charged from the day that connection is made with the public sewer system and shall continue to be charged for such use during all times that discharge can physically take place into such sewer system, whether or not the property is continuously occupied and used. If the dates upon which user charges are commenced or altered does not fall on the first day of a billing period, the rates shall be appropriately prorated.
(d) Review and Revision of Rates. The sewer user charges established in NBCC 13.16.030, as a minimum, will be reviewed annually and revised periodically to reflect actual costs of operation, maintenance, replacement, and financing of the treatment works and to maintain the equability of the user charges with respect to proportional distribution of the costs of operation and maintenance in proportion to each user’s contribution to the total wastewater loading of the treatment works. (Ord. 1856 § 1, 1997; Ord. 1851 § 1, 1996; Ord. 1841 § 1, 1995; Ord. 1803 § 1, 1993; Ord. 1789 § 1, 1992; Ord. 1761 § 1, 1990; Ord. 1748 § 1, 1989; Ord. 1738 § 1, 1989; Ord. 1719 § 1, 1987; Ord. 1707 § 1, 1986; Ord. 1695 § 1, 1985; Ord. 1682 § 1, 1984; Ord. 1587 § 3, 1979)