Chapter II
Sewer User Charge System
General Requirements:
1. This user charge system is established to insure the equitable distribution of the costs of operation, maintenance, management, reconstruction, replacement, and repairs of the wastewater collection system within the Town of Gilford. Each individual user or user class within the Town shall pay in proportion to their contribution to the total wastewater loading on the treatment works.
2. Annual Review of Charges – The Town of Gilford, through its Board of Selectmen shall annually review the wastewater contribution of users, the total costs of the sewage system, and its approved charge system. The Town shall revise charges, as appropriate, for use or user classes to accomplish the following:
A. Maintain the proportionate distribution of costs among users and use classes as required.
B. Generate sufficient revenue to pay the total costs necessary to properly maintain the system to include replacement costs as required and necessary.
3. Connection Fees – No application for a permit to connect to the Town’s sewer system shall be approved until the Permit Fee is paid in full. The permit fee shall be reviewed annually by the Board of Selectmen to ensure that it accurately reflects the average cost to buy in to the investment in the total sewer system.
4. Charges for Extraneous Flows - The user charge system shall provide that the costs of all flow not directly attributable to users or user classes (ie. infiltration/inflow) be distributed among all users of the system in the same manner that system costs are distributed among user or user classes for their actual use, or under a system which uses one or any combination of the following factors;
Flow Volume of users
Land area users
Number of hook ups or discharges to the users.
5. Sewer Fund – The funds received from the collection of the sewer charges authorized by this ordinance and all other receipts resulting from the operation of the sewage system shall be deposited with the Town Treasurer and shall be separately accounted for and be known as the “Sewer Fund”. This fund, when appropriated by the Board of Selectmen, shall be available for the payment of the first instance of the cost and expense of the management, maintenance, operation and repair of the Town Sanitary Sewage System and Sewage Disposal and any surplus thereafter for the cost of construction, reconstruction, replacement and for the payment of any interest and principal of any debt incurred to pay such costs for the improvement of the Town’s sanitary sewage system or regional
system.
6. Sewer User Charges – The user charge shall be sufficient to cover all costs associated with the operation and maintenance of the collection system as well as providing a replacement fund. The charges for use of the system will be based upon volume as measured by installed water or wastewater meters as approved by the Town of Gilford. The basic charges for each individual connection to the sewer system will be determined by one of the following methods of assessment:
A. Upon the metered volume of water consumed as it relates to wastewater generated. Volume shall be directly measured by a metering device approved by the Town.
B. Where a metering device cannot be reasonably utilized, an adjustment as to sewer charges may be made by the execution of a contract between the owner and the Town.
C. Industrial Users are those whose wastes entering the Town’s sewer system (following pretreatment) exceed the following standards:
I. Five day BOD of not more than 200 milligrams per liter at twenty degrees centigrade
II. Suspended solids concentration of not more than 200 milligrams per liter
or in any way cause additional treatment expenses to be incurred will be charged at a rate determined at the time such conditions occur. The strength of wastewaters exceeding the normal characteristics as specified above is to be determined by the Town, employing the services of an approved testing firm and/or the services of the State. Any testing costs shall be born by the User.
Charges shall be based on:
A rate per thousand gallons of measured volume, plus
A rate per pound in excess of 200 mg/liter of BOD concentration, plus
A rate per pound in excess of 200 mg/liter of Suspended Solids concentration.
D. The basic charges for seasonally operated cottages, camps, motels, hotels, homes and similar users shall be assessed the Administrative fee plus a fee per 1000 gallons of water consumed for each unit during the period of use. The term “unit”, as used herein, refers to each living unit.
E. A surcharge shall be levied on all users whose wastes exceed the normal concentration for BOD and/or suspended solids as outlined above in C. I, and II. The surcharge will be established as a rate per pound as described in paragraph C.
7. User Charge Computation - All costs related to the municipal sewer collection system will be borne by those utilizing the system. Included in these costs are those fees necessary to operate, maintain, administer, upgrade and provide for limited future expansion. The costs will be calculated by determining an Administrative Fee and a usage rate per one thousand gallons.
A. Each sewer user (living unit) shall pay the Administrative Fee each quarter of the year to cover administrative costs. The Administrative Fee shall be reviewed annually, and is intended to cover certain costs of the system that are not dependant on usage volume. Including, but not limited to; personnel, office expenses, and the administrative portion of the WRBP billing.
Fee = Administrative Costs / # of living units / 4 quarters
B. The rate per gallon shall be calculated by dividing the total estimated budget for the Sewer Fund, less revenue to be generated by the administrative fee and any other projected revenues, by the total estimated annual usage (per thousand gallons).
Rate = Total Sewer Costs – projected revenues / total estimated usage per thousand gallons
8. Meter Rules and Regulations
A. Meters for the purpose of metering private water supplies will be provided by the owner of the premises at their own expense and accepted and approved by the Town.
B. Meters may be purchased from the Town, at cost, by individuals for installation by a licensed plumber on their premises.
C. In the case of a meter stopping or failing to register, the quantity of water used shall be based upon the average of past usage which most accurately reflects current usage.
D. Any owner may place on his premises, at his own expense, a meter which shall be approved by the Town to measure the flow of water which does not enter the sewage system, and an adjustment of the sewer charge shall be made commensurate with said metered use in accordance with the applicable rate charged by the Town.
E. The Town’s duly authorized personnel shall have the right to enter the premises to read said meter.
F. No person shall maliciously, willfully, or negligently damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance or equipment that is part of the public sewerage system. Any person violating this provision shall be subject to immediate arrest under charge of disorderly conduct pursuant to the local ordinances, and shall also be subject to penalties under State and Federal statutes.
9. Billings and Other Charges
A. Billing: Pursuant to RSA 149-I:11 and 38:22, the Town shall issue a warrant to the Tax Collector four times a year, who shall send bills and collect these charges for sewer services.
B. Payment: Payment is due within 30 days of said billing. Any bills not paid within this time period will be subject to collection procedures of the Tax Collector, as defined in NH RSA 80.
C. Delinquency: The Tax Collector shall include, on an annual basis with the list of unpaid property taxes, all delinquent sewer accounts and shall have all the rights and remedies, including a lien on the real estate, and be subject to the same liabilities in relation thereto as in the collection of taxes as provided in RSA 80.
D. Abatements: Upon written request to the Board of Selectmen within 30 days of the due date, an abatement of all or a portion of sewer charges will be considered. The request may be granted for good cause and with proper justification.
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