Chapter 13.21
SEWER RATES AND CHARGES
Sections:
13.21.030 Sewer service charge.
13.21.035 Commercial sewer service charge adjustments.
13.21.040 Charges – Commencement.
13.21.050 Reconnection charges.
13.21.010 Definitions.
For the purposes of this chapter and Ordinance 1090, the terms set out in this section shall have the meanings indicated.
A. “Base charge” means the monthly cost to provide services allocated to a particular class.
B. “Customer classes” means the various classes of customers that the sewer system serves. These classes are distinguished by their use classification, the strength of the sewage and their location within or outside the town limits. They are as follows:
1. Domestic Strength Sewage. Those users with sewage of average household strength.
a. Class I – Single-Family Residential (SFR). A building located within the town limits whose principal use is residential, designed for one family and connected to the town sewer system.
b. Class I – Multifamily Residential (MFR). A building located within the town limits whose principal use is residential, designed for more than one family and connected to the town sewer system.
c. Class I – Commercial (COM). A building located within the town limits whose principal use is for the providing of goods or services for compensation and connected to the town sewer system.
d. Class I – Light Manufacturing (LMF). A building located within the town limits whose principal use is for research and development and light manufacturing not requiring outdoor storage and connected to the town sewer system.
e. Class I – Industrial (IND). A building located within the town limits whose principal use is for manufacturing and/or uses requiring outside storage and connected to the town sewer system.
f. Class I – Public Authority (PA). A building located within the town limits owned or operated by a public entity and connected to the town sewer system.
g. Class II – Single-Family Residential (SFR). A building located outside the town limits whose principal use is residential, designed for one family and connected to the town sewer system.
h. Class II – Multifamily Residential (MFR). A building located outside the town limits whose principal use is residential, designed for more than one family and connected to the town sewer system.
i. Class II – Commercial (COM). A building located outside the town limits whose principal use is for the providing of goods or services for compensation and connected to the town sewer system.
j. Class II – Light Manufacturing (LMF). A building located outside the town limits whose principal use is for research and development and light manufacturing not requiring outdoor storage and connected to the town sewer system.
k. Class II – Industrial (IND). A building located outside the town limits whose principal use is for manufacturing and/or uses requiring outside storage and connected to the town sewer system.
l. Class II – Public Authority (PA). A building located outside the town limits owned or operated by a public entity, with the exception of that portion of the building that contains a cafeteria and dining facilities, and connected to the town sewer system.
m. Class III – Harbor Ridge Mobile Home Park (HRMHP). An existing 64-space mobile home park within the town limits whose principal use is residential and connected to the town sewer system.
n. Class IV – University of Washington Labs (UW). An existing University of Washington education and research facility located outside the town limits and connected to the town sewer system and metered by a sewage meter with the exception of the main cafeteria and dining building.
o. Class V – Washington State Department of Transportation Ferry Loading Dock (WSDOT). An existing Washington State ferry terminal located within the town limits and connected to the town sewer system and metered by a sewage meter.
p. Class X – Warbles Way Marina (WWM). An existing 20-slip marina located within the town limits and connected to the town sewer system.
2. High Strength Sewage. Those users with sewage more than twice domestic strength. Examples of such users include, but are not limited to, transient accommodations with dining facilities, public entities with cafeteria facilities, commercial laundries, markets with garbage disposals, restaurants, and marina pump-out stations. In order to provide potential for relief for users subject to the high strength rate who are actively working to lower wastewater strength, the town shall consider placing the user in the domestic strength category if the user can provide test results which indicate that they discharge less than twice domestic strength. Said testing shall be done to the town’s specifications and performed by a state certified laboratory. All expenses for said testing shall be borne by the user.
a. Class VI – Commercial (COM). A building located within the town limits whose principal use is for the providing of goods or services for compensation and connected to the town sewer system.
b. Class VI – Light Manufacturing (LMF). A building located within the town limits whose principal use is for research and development and light manufacturing not requiring outdoor storage and connected to the town sewer system.
c. Class VI – Industrial (IND). A building located within the town limits whose principal use is for manufacturing and/or uses requiring outside storage and connected to the town sewer system.
d. Class VI – Public Authority (PA). That portion of a building that contains a cafeteria and dining facilities, located within the town limits, owned or operated by a public entity, and connected to the town sewer system.
e. Class VII – Commercial (COM). A building located outside the town limits whose principal use is for the providing of goods or services for compensation and connected to the town sewer system.
f. Class VII – Light Manufacturing (LMF). A building located outside the town limits whose principal use is for research and development and light manufacturing not requiring outdoor storage and connected to the town sewer system.
g. Class VII – Industrial (IND). A building located outside the town limits whose principal use is for manufacturing and/or uses requiring outside storage and connected to the town sewer system.
h. Class VII – Public Authority (PA). That portion of a building that contains a cafeteria and dining facilities, located outside the town limits, owned or operated by a public entity, and connected to the town sewer system.
i. Class VIII – University of Washington Labs Cafeteria (UWC). The main cafeteria and dining building located at an existing University of Washington education and research facility located outside the town limits and connected to the town sewer system.
3. Septage Generators.
a. Class IX – Septic Tank Pumpers (STP). Privately owned companies that provide septic pump-out services for a fee.
C. “Use charge” means the monthly charge for sewer service delivered to an approved sewer service connection.
D. “Sewer service charge” means the combination of base charge and use charge. (Ord. 1474 § 2, 2011; Ord. 1089 § 1, 1998)
13.21.020 Connection charges.
A. Connection Charge.
1. The connection charge is comprised of two components: a general facilities charge (GFC) and a systems development charge (SDC).
a. A general facilities charge is hereby imposed in order that new users of the sewer system shall bear their equitable share of the cost of the system. The general facilities charge is the current “owners” net investment in the estimated original cost of nondonated system assets and all accumulated interest on the investment.
b. A systems development charge is hereby imposed in order that new users of the sewer system shall contribute their equitable share of the cost of planned improvements to the system that benefits all users of the system.
2. The connection charges vary based on water meter size. This reflects the capital costs associated with the higher potential peak demands of larger flow on all capital facilities as provided for in the design of the sewer system. The required water meter size shall be determined by the building official.
3. The connection charge shall be as follows:
a. Multifamily residential: $12,840 per dwelling unit;
b. Connection charge for all other classes of users:
|
Water Meter Size |
Charge |
|---|---|
|
5/8" – 3/4" |
$19,250 |
|
1" |
$48,140 |
|
1.5" |
$96,290 |
|
2" |
$154,050 |
|
3" |
$308,120 |
|
4" |
$481,445 |
4. The connection charge shall automatically be adjusted annually each January 1st by the percentage increase or decrease of the Seattle-Bremerton Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) as reported for the previous June to June period.
5. The connection charge shall be adjusted by separate council action after review of the current adopted sewer rate study.
6. If the owner of any property that is connected to the town sewer system requests an increase in the size of the water meter serving the property, the town shall require the owner to first pay a fee in an amount that is the difference between the price then charged as a sewer connection fee, based on the size of the water meter that is then serving the property, and the price then charged as a sewer connection fee, based on the size of the water meter being requested. In addition, the owner shall first be required to pay the fee required by FHMC 13.05.020(A)(6), concerning water connection charges.
Under no circumstance shall a refund or a credit for a sewer connection fee based on the water meter size be given to any property owner who elects to decrease the size of the water meter serving his or her property.
B. Installation.
1. Applicant or the applicant’s contractor shall secure a “utility excavation in the right-of-way” permit from the town subject to all requirements thereunder, including restoration of roadway and subsurface and all design and construction standards.
2. Applicant shall provide town with a bill of sale for all installed piping, taps, cleanouts and other appurtenances from the owner’s property to the sewer main.
3. Applicant shall have all materials and connections inspected by a representative of the sewer department prior to final covering of any work connecting to a sewer main.
4. Applicant shall pay a charge of $150.00 to compensate town for inspection services required hereunder. (Ord. 1788 § 1, 2023; Ord. 1763 § 1, 2022; Ord. 1744 § 1, 2021; Ord. 1702 § 1, 2020; Ord. 1676 § 1, 2019; Ord. 1654 § 1, 2018; Ord. 1632 § 1, 2017; Ord. 1622 § 1, 2017; Ord. 1608 §§ 2, 3, 2016; Ord. 1583 §§ 2, 3, 2015; Ord. 1551 §§ 2 – 5, 2014; Ord. 1430 § 3, 2010; Ord. 1378 § 2, 2008; Ord. 1213 § 2, 2003; Ord. 1121 § 1, 1999; Ord. 1089 § 2, 1998)
13.21.030 Sewer service charge.
A. Base Charge. The monthly sewer base charge shall be as set out in the table at the end of this section.
B. Use Charge. The monthly sewer use charge shall be as set out in the table at the end of this section.
C. All sewer service billings are due and payable by the tenth of the month following billing. Water service to accounts will be disconnected on the fiftieth day following the billing date unless the account is paid in full.
D. Sewer Charge Table. The following table shall be the charges for using the town sewer system:
|
Customer Class |
Base Charge |
Use Charge |
|---|---|---|
|
Class I SFR |
$136.30 |
$0.00 |
|
Class I MFR |
$136.30 |
$0.0303/gal.1 |
|
Class I COM |
$136.30 |
$0.0303/gal.1 |
|
Class I LMF |
$136.30 |
$0.0303/gal.1 |
|
Class I IND |
$136.30 |
$0.0303/gal.1 |
|
Class I PA |
$136.30 |
$0.0303/gal.1 |
|
Class II SFR |
$205.20 |
$0.00 |
|
Class II MFR |
$205.20 |
$0.0303/gal.1 |
|
Class II COM |
$205.20 |
$0.0303/gal.1 |
|
Class II LMF |
$205.20 |
$0.0303/gal.1 |
|
Class II IND |
$205.20 |
$0.0294/gal.1 |
|
Class II PA |
$205.20 |
$0.0303/gal.1 |
|
Class III HRMHP |
$8,730.90 |
$0.00 |
|
Class IV UW |
$205.20 |
$0.0303/gal.1 |
|
Class V WSDOT |
$136.30 |
$0.0303/gal.2 |
|
Class VI COM |
$136.30 |
$0.0393/gal.1 |
|
Class VI LMF |
$136.30 |
$0.0393/gal.1 |
|
Class VI IND |
$136.30 |
$0.0393/gal.1 |
|
Class VI PA |
$136.30 |
$0.0393/gal.1 |
|
Class VII COM |
$205.20 |
$0.0393/gal.1 |
|
Class VII LMF |
$205.20 |
$0.0393/gal.1 |
|
Class VII IND |
$205.20 |
$0.0393/gal.1 |
|
Class VII PA |
$205.20 |
$0.0393/gal.1 |
|
Class VIII UWC |
$0.00 |
$0.0393/gal.3 |
|
Class IX Septic Tank and Sanican Pumpers |
$0.00 |
$541.154 |
|
Class IX Septic Tank and Sanican Pumpers |
$0.00 |
$809.505 |
|
Class X WWM |
$136.30 |
$0.00 |
1After first 4,100 gallons of metered water.
2As recorded on the sewage meter.
3As recorded on separate meter serving the cafeteria and dining facilities.
4Per 1,000 gallons (October through May).
5Per 1,000 gallons (June through September).
(Ord. 1785 § 1, 2023; Ord. 1760 § 1, 2022; Ord. 1743 § 1, 2021; Ord. 1700 § 1, 2020; Ord. 1677 § 1, 2019; Ord. 1653 § 1, 2018; Ord. 1631 § 1, 2017; Ord. 1607 § 2, 2016; Ord. 1583 § 4, 2015; Ord. 1551 § 6, 2014; Ord. 1472 § 2, 2011; Ord. 1213 § 3, 2003; Ord. 1121 § 1, 1999; Ord. 1089 § 3, 1998)
13.21.035 Commercial sewer service charge adjustments.
A. The council hereby grants to the town administrator or designee the authority to adjust the commercial use charge on sewer service down to one-half of the billed amount in those situations that meet the following conditions:
1. Water use during that month’s cycle exceeds 15,000 gallons.
2. No other sewer rate adjustments have occurred at that service address in past five years.
3. The current month’s use exceeds the previous month’s use by at least 50 percent.
4. The cause of the excess use stems from a leak that has been repaired and evidence of said repair is provided to the town.
5. The adjustment shall not result in a use charge that is less than the average of the previous three months’ use charges.
6. Customer pays all other utility charges at time of billing adjustment.
B. In addition to the authority granted in subsection A of this section, the council hereby grants to the town administrator the authority to eliminate the commercial use charge in its entirety where, in addition to the conditions set forth in subsection A of this section, evidence is presented that the water which leaked did not enter the sanitary sewer system; provided, however, the use charge shall not be less than the average of the previous three months’ use charges.
C. The adjustments as authorized herein shall be at the sole discretion of the town administrator. (Ord. 1544 § 1, 2014)
13.21.040 Charges – Commencement.
Sewer service charges shall be assessed on the first of the month following the side sewer installation or in no case later than 30 days after receipt of payment of the connection charge and shall continue until a request for disconnection of service is received. (Ord. 1213 § 4, 2003; Ord. 1138 § 1, 2000; Ord. 1089 § 4, 1998)
13.21.050 Reconnection charges.
When it is necessary for the town to shut off the water for nonpayment of a water, sewer, storm water or refuse bill, where water and sewer services are provided, a $45.00 charge shall be assessed and paid prior to restoring service. (Ord. 1213 § 5, 2003; Ord. 1089 § 5, 1998)
13.21.060 Septage station use and charges.
Repealed by Ord. 1768. (Ord. 1728 § 1, 2021)