HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Rates and Regulations on Surcharge for High Strength Wastewater Discharges ORDINANCE NO. 3049
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE
CITY OF AMES, IOWA BY REPEALING SECTION 28.39
THEREOF AND ENACTING A NEW SECTION 28.39 FOR THE
PURPOSE OF REVISING RATES AND REGULATIONS PERTAIN-
ING TO A SURCHARGE FOR HIGH STRENGTH WASTEWATER
DISCHARGES AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS
OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH TO THE EXTENT
OF SUCH CONFLICT; AND PROVIDING A PENALTY
BE IT ORDAINED, by the City Council of the City of Ames, Iowa:
Section One. The Municipal Code of the City of Ames, Iowa shall be
and is hereby amended by repealing Section 28.39 and enacting a new
Section 28.39 as follows:
"Sec. 28.39. SEWER RATES ESTABLISHED.
(1) Each user shall pay for the services provided by the
City based on his use of the treatment works as deter-
mined by water meter readings or other appropriate
methods acceptable to the City.
(2) For all users, monthly user charges shall be based on
actual water usage, except where a practical method of
wastewater measurement is available. If a user has a
consumptive use of water, or in some other manner uses
water which is not discharged into the wastewater
collection system, the user charge for that contributor
may be based on readings of a wastewater meter(s) or
separate water meter(s) installed and maintained at the
user's expense and in a manner acceptable to the City.
(3) The minimum charge per month shall be $3.00 for the
first 100 cubic feet of water used per month. In addi-
tion, for all water metered after the first 100 cubic feet
per month, each user shall pay:
(a) a treatment user charge rate for operation and
maintenance, including replacement, of $0.24/100
cu. ft. of water used per month,
(b) a sewer user charge rate for operation and main-
tenance, including replacement, of $0.30/100 cu.
ft. of water used per month,
(c) a capital charge rate for debt retirement of
$1.16/100 cu. ft. of water used per month
The sewer user charge and the capital charge may be
adjusted to better reflect actual benefit to the contribu-
tor.
(4) For those users whose wastewater has a greater
strength than normal domestic sewage, a surcharge in
addition to the normal user charge will be collected.
The surcharge for operation and maintenance including
replacement is:
Surcharge
Parameter Extra-Strength Ratemg/1 of Extra Strength
BOD $0.08/lb. $0.00050/100 cf
SS $0.14/lb. $0.00088/100 cf
NH3 $0.20/lb. $0.00125/100 cf
(5) The City shall be responsible to initially determine
which users have wastewater discharges with strengths
greater than normal domestic sewage. Any costs for
this initial determination shall be the responsibility of
the City. Based upon this initial determination , the
City shall notify the user of the surcharge rate to be
charged each month during the next year or until the
next analytical data set is submitted.
(6) Any user so identified by the City shall submit at least
once each year an analytical data set for each discharge
point showing the concentrations for BOD, SS, and
NH This data set shall be collected in three consecu-
tiv 24-hour samples of the wastewater discharge during
a typical work week. These samples shall be represen-
tative of the average or typical discharge from the
user. After the initial determination, all costs for
sample collection, analysis, and reporting shall be the
responsibility of the user. If any facilities are needed
in order to obtain representative samples, the user
shall also be responsible for all costs of any facilities
needed.
(7) Any user may submit more than one analytical data set
each year. These additional data sets shall be used to
modify or revise the surcharge rate as appropriate.
The revised surcharge rate shall be implemented at the
first full billing cycle following the receipt of the data
set. All costs for these additional data sets shall be
the responsibility of the user. .
(8) All sample collection and analytical work shall be done
by competent individuals or firms regularly involved in
wastewater collection and analysis. All samples and
analyses shall comply with the procedures specified in
the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and
Wastewater, 16th Edition, APHA-AWWA-WPCF, 1985.
Any data sets which do not meet this requirement shall
be rejected.
(9) Any user which discharges any toxic pollutants (as
defined in the Sewer Use Ordinance) which cause an
increase in the cost of managing the effluent or the
sludge from the City's treatment works, or any user
which discharges any substance which singly or by
interaction with other substances causes identifiable in-
creases in the cost of operation, maintenance, or
replacement of the treatment works, shall pay for such
increased costs. The charge to each such user shall be
as determined by the appropriate financial personnel
and approved by the City Council.
(10) The City will review the user charge system at least
every two years and revise user charge rates as neces-
sary to ensure that the system generates adequate
revenues to pay the costs of operation and maintenance
including replacement and that the system continues to
provide for the proportional distribution of operation
and maintenance including replacement costs among
users.
The City will notify each user at least annually, in
conjunction with a regular bill, of the rate being charg-
ed for operation and maintenance including replacement
of the treatment works.
(11) Where a customer wishes to use water for watering a
lawn or garden, filling a swimming pool, or for existing
single-pass air conditioning or other such use and that
water does not reach the sanitary sewer system, the
customer may at his option apply for and have installed
a 'yard meter'.
A 'yard meter' is defined as a second water meter or
sub-meter on the premises installed downstream of the
first or master water meter. It will be so placed as to
meter outdoor water use described above which does not
reach the sanitary sewer system. The 'yard meter'
shall have a remote reading register outdoors as
required for the master water meter.
The full cost of the 'yard meter' and any associated
plumbing changes shall be the responsibility of the
customer. The 'yard meter' shall be furnished and
owned by the City and so located as to be easily acces-
sible at all times. Maintenance and replacement of the
'yard meter' shall be governed by the same require-
ments applying to all other water meters owned by the
City.
The sewer service charge will be billed only on the
difference between the two water meter readings. No
minimum monthly bill for either water or sewer service
shall apply to the 'yard meter'.
(12) Where a 'yard meter' is not installed, but it appears in
any month that more than two thousand (2,000) cubic
feet of water was used by the customer in a way that
the water did not reach the sanitary sewer, that amount
of water shall be exempt from the sewer rate on
application to the city manager.
(13) The user charge ordinance shall take precedence over
any terms or conditions of agreements of contracts
which are inconsistent with the requirements of Section
204(b)(1)(A) of the Act and 40 CFR Part 35 dated
February 17, 1984.
(14) The sewer rates established and stated herein are
determined by the system for development of propor-
tional user charges set out, with representative compu-
tations, as Appendix M to the Ames Municipal Code.
Section Two. Violation of this ordinance shall constitute a municipal
infraction.
Section Three. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict
herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict, if any.
Section Four. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and
after its publication as required by law.
Adopted this 23rd day of Ma.y 1989.
Nancy DionigA,City Clerki F. Paul Goodland, Mayor