§ 30.18. Wastewater Treatment Rates and Fees.

1.

General. A uniform schedule of rates has been established for the use of the services and facilities of the municipal sanitary sewer system by each dwelling unit, business establishment, church, hospital and every other type of private or public building, structure or activity producing wastewater or wastes. Effective on October 1, 2009, the monthly rates for users of the City's sanitary sewer system are detailed in the remainder of this section.

2.

Rates within City Limits.

(a)

Living Quarters:

(i)

Single-Family Living Units*

$3.28 per 1,000 gallons of metered water up to a maximum of $45.92 for 14,000 gallons, plus a capacity charge of $13.62, resulting in a total maximum of $59.54.

(ii)

Multiple-Family Living Units**

(a)

Efficiency and One Bedroom Units

$27.40 flat rate per unit if certified by property owner. This rate will take effect only after certification by the property owner and there will be no retroactivity credit. Rate is comprised of $3.28 per 1,000 gallons for 4,200 gallons, plus a capacity charge of $13.62.

(b)

Two or More Bedrooms

$33.30 flat rate per unit. Rate is comprised of $3.28 per 1,000 gallons for 6,000 gallons, plus a capacity charge of $13.62.

(iii)

Multiple-Family Living Units***

$3.28 per 1,000 gallons of metered water with no cap on usage, plus a capacity charge of $13.62 for each ERC or portion thereof rounded to the nearest 0.1 unit.

(b)

Commercial, Institutional, Churches and Others

$3.28 per 1,000 gallons of metered water with no cap on usage, plus a capacity charge of $13.62 for each ERC or portion thereof rounded to the nearest 0.1 unit.

* All classifications if served by an individual water meter, including single-family dwellings, apartments, condominiums, town houses, mobile homes, etc.

** All classifications if served by a common water meter including apartments, condominiums, townhouses, mobile homes, etc.

*** Master meter.

3.

Rates in Unincorporated Areas. The rate schedule in (2) above shall not preclude the City Council from assessing a higher sewer service charge for users outside the corporate limits of the City, provided that such service charges comply with applicable State laws and regulations.

(a)

Living Quarters:

(i)

Single-Family Living Units*

$4.10 per 1,000 gallons of metered water with a maximum of $57.40 for 14,000 gallons, plus a capacity charge of $17.02, resulting in a total maximum of $74.42.

(ii)

Multiple-Family Living Units**

(a)

Efficiency or One Bedroom Units

$34.24 flat rate per unit if certified by property owner. This rate will take effect only after certification by the property owner and there will be no retroactivity credit. Rate is comprised of $4.10 per 1,000 gallons for 4,200 gallons, plus a capacity charge of $17.02.

(b)

Two or More Bedroom Units

$41.62 flat rate per unit. Rate is comprised of $4.10 per 1,000 gallons for 6,000 gallons, plus a capacity charge of $17.02.

(c)

Multiple-Family Living Units***

$4.10 per 1,000 gallons of metered water with no cap on usage, plus a capacity charge of $17.02 for each ERC or portion thereof, rounded to the nearest 0.1 unit.

* All classifications if served by an individual water meter, including single-family dwellings, apartments, condominiums, townhouses, mobile homes, etc.

** All classifications if served by a common water meter including apartments, condominiums, townhouses, mobile homes, etc.

*** Master meter

(b)

Commercial, Institutional, Churches and Others

$4.10 per 1,000 gallons of metered water with no cap on usage, plus a capacity charge of $17.02 for each ERC or portion thereof, rounded to the nearest 0.1 unit.

4.

Multi-Service Meters. Where a single water meter serves two (2) or more types of customers as set forth in this section, the sewer service charge shall be the greater of the following:

(a)

The actual consumption figure of water usage multiplied by the highest applicable City or non-City commodity and capacity rates, as set out above, or

(b)

The applicable City or non-City flat rate as set out above.

5.

Pretreatment Program. The City may adopt reasonable fees for reimbursement of costs to implement and enforce the Pretreatment Program, such reasonable fees may include:

(a)

Fees for Industrial User Discharge Permit applications; including the cost of processing such applications;

(b)

Fees for monitoring, inspection, and surveillance procedures including the cost of sample collection and analysis of a user's discharge, and reviewing self monitoring reports;

(c)

Fees for reviewing and responding to accidental discharge procedures and construction;

(d)

Application fee for new Industrial User Discharge Permits shall be $200.

(e)

Industrial User Discharge Permit Renewal fee shall be $200.

6.

Oil and Grease Management Program. The current schedule of fees for the Oil and Grease Management Program, which becomes effective upon adoption of this Chapter by the City Council, shall include:

(a)

Monthly administrative of $20.

(b)

Monthly administrative charge may be adjusted following a financial analysis.

(c)

Additional facility inspections for compliance purposes shall be $100 per visit.

(d)

Pump-out of the oil and grease interceptor or oil/water separator shall be at the rate stated in the City's current contract with the appropriate vendor.

(e)

Sample collection and laboratory analysis related to enforcement activities shall be at the rates stated in the Schedule of Costs (fees) for the certified commercial laboratory under contract with the City.

7.

Fees for Other Programs.

(a)

The City may adopt other reasonable fees as deemed necessary to carry out the requirements and programs in this Chapter. These fees relate solely to the matters covered by this Chapter and are separate from all other fees, fines, and penalties assessed by the City. These fees are charged to recover the costs incurred by the City to implement and enforce the provisions of this Chapter.

(b)

Additional facility inspections for compliance purposes shall be $100 per visit for users subject to the Best Management Practices Plan for Silver Dischargers.

8.

Required Sewer Service Connection. Except as may be expressly authorized by the City Council, no connection shall be made to the municipal wastewater system from any structure unless such structure is connected to, and served by the water and electric system of the Orlando Utilities Commission or the electric system of Florida Power Corporation.

9.

Charges For Sewer Service.

(a)

There shall be no free service rendered by the municipal sewer system.

(b)

Effective November 1, 1968, sewer service shall be considered as rendered to each customer, the property owner or user of developed property who has connected to the sewer system, and the monthly sewer service charge shall be imposed.

10.

Sewer Deposits. The City through the Orlando Utilities Commission shall collect from all new residential customers a cash deposit to guarantee the payment of sewer bills. Such deposit shall be at least Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for sewer service and shall be handled in accordance with the Administrative Policy of the Orlando Utilities Commission.

11.

Billing.

(a)

Standard Service. Bills for standard sewer service shall be rendered monthly. If any such bill for sewer service shall not be paid within thirty (31) days from the date of original billing, the City shall cause water service to such customer to be discontinued. Such water service shall not be reconnected until all past due bills for sewer service are paid, together with all reconnection charges and/or implement administrative actions as set forth under Section 30.11(7)(b).

(b)

Special Service. Billings for surcharge or reduction credit in accordance with Section 30.15(3)(a)(iv) and Section 30.16(5), respectively, shall be rendered for each billing cycle, typically on a quarterly basis. Delinquent payments for special service billings shall be subject to conditions set forth under subsection (a) above and/or Section 30.11(7)(b).

(c)

Charges For Portion Of Billing Period. Charges for sewer service rendered for a portion of the regular monthly billing period shall be computed according to the percentages established in billing for electric and water service for portions of a monthly billing period by the Orlando Utilities Commission.

(d)

Reconnection charges. If sewer service is discontinued for non-payment of sewer service charges or other violation of the provisions of this Chapter, there shall be imposed a reconnection charge in an amount established by the Orlando Utilities Commission in accordance with their current practice and procedures in regard to the establishment of reconnection charges for water and electric service.

12.

Other Miscellaneous Provisions.

(a)

It shall be unlawful for any person to tap, cut or in any way use any building sewer, other public sewer or part of the sanitary sewerage system or utility, without a written permit issued by the Director of Public Works and without the payment of all rates and charges required by the City for the use of such utility.

(b)

Billing for sewer services as specified in this Chapter, shall be accomplished in such manner as the City Council shall from time to time arrange and determine.

(c)

Billing for surcharges or credit reductions for abnormal strength compatible wastes, as provided by this Chapter, shall be computed and processed by the Director of Public Works, and coordinated through the Chief Financial Officer.

(d)

Private wells that contribute discharge to the municipal sewer system shall be metered at the expense of the property owner and such meter shall be made available for reading and billing purposes.

(e)

The wastewater monthly user rate shall be automatically increased each year in September by 5.0 percent unless specific action is taken by City Council to prevent said increase from being implemented.

(f)

In September 2010, a supplementary rate increase of 5.0 percent shall be added to the automatic increase programmed for that year. In September 2011, a supplementary rate increase of 3.0 percent shall be added to the automatic increase programmed for that year.

13.

Credit for Nonsewer Discharged Water.

(a)

A major institutional, commercial, or industrial user may receive a credit against the standard sewer rates based upon water usage as provided above if the user consumes or uses at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the water or twenty thousand (20,000) gallons per month, whichever is less, in such a manner so that it is not discharged into the City sewer system.

(b)

To be eligible for the credit for nonsewer discharged water, the user shall comply with all program requirements, including any applicable discharge standards that the Director of Public Works may apply at the source of the discharge.

The credit shall be based upon a separate meter measuring the water, which is not discharged into the City sewer system. This credit meter shall be an Orlando Utilities Commission approved, radio transmitting/remote reading water meter. In a cooling tower application, the credit meter reading will be offset by the volume of water discharged to the sewer system as blowdown.

(c)

The user shall credit meter readings, including the actual meter readings and total gallons used during each monthly period, and shall submit the said tabulation to the City in a format established by the City by the tenth day of the following month. If the meter readings are not submitted as herein prescribed, the Director of Public Works may disallow the credit for nonsewer discharged water.

(d)

The user shall maintain the credit meters in good working order. Credit meter readings are subject to regular review and spot checks by the City. If an error in the credit meter reading which was submitted by the user to the City for a credit is discovered, then the credit requested may be disallowed by the Director of Public Works. Repeated errors in credit meter readings may constitute grounds for permanently disallowing credit for nonsewer discharged water.

(e)

The User shall not divert water downstream of the credit meter to uses that may result in discharge of water to the sanitary sewer system. If any such diversion occurs without the prior approval of the Public Works Director, the Public Works Director may disallow the credit from the date of the diversion. If the date of the diversion is not known, an estimated date will be used.

(f)

The credit for nonsewer discharged water shall be deducted from subsequent sewer service billing and shall be calculated as follows:

C = A - B

Where,

C = Credit due

A = Charge for sewer service determined on a water bill based upon the entire amount of water used.

B = Charge for sewer service determined on a water bill based upon an amount of water equal to the total amount of water used minus the amount of nonsewer discharged water used.

(g)

Participants in the credit meter program shall be prohibited from discharging molybdenum to the sanitary sewer system in an amount greater than 0.3 mg/l. Violations of this standard by the User may constitute grounds for disallowing credit under the then current billing cycle. Continued violations may cause the User to be removed from the credit meter program for a period of twelve months. Continued violations following reinstatement shall be grounds for permanently removing the User from the credit program.

(Ord. of 6-12-2000, § 2, Doc. #33005; Ord. of 5-6-2002, Doc. #020506701; Ord. of 8-23-2004, § 1, Doc. #040823901; Ord. No. 9-21-2009, § 1, Doc. #09092111101)