City of Bayfield, WI Sewers

Normal sewage service charge.

There is hereby levied and assessed upon each lot or parcel of land with a building having a lateral available to discharge normal sewage to the public sewer system a sewage service charge based upon rates established by the Common Council of the City of Bayfield. Said charges shall be assessed and collected bimonthly. If commercial or industrial customers obtain all or any part of their water from sources other than the public Water Utility, all or any part of which is discharged into the public sewers, the customer shall be required to have a water meter or meters installed for the purpose of determining the volume of water obtained from these other sources. Should the Utility Operator determine that the water usage is too small to justify a meter, he/she shall have the authority to waive this requirement, and a flat rate shall be charged based on estimated water usage and the metered rate schedule after approval of the Common Council. The water meters shall be furnished by the Sewage Utility and installed by the customer. All other costs in connection with the water meter installation shall be at the expense of the customer. The Sewage Utility will charge for each meter at the rate of 50% of the service charge set for that size meter to compensate for furnishing, reading and servicing the meter. This charge shall be in addition to the sewage service charge.

If residential customers obtain all or part of their water from sources other than the public water utility, all or any part of which is discharged into the public sewers, a flat rate charge shall be paid for sewage service. Should the Utility Operator determine that the minimum flat rate charge is less than the charge would be on a metered basis, he/she shall have the authority to set a higher rate based on estimated total usage and the metered rate scheduled after approval of such rate by the Common Council. Should the residential customer request it, a water meter shall be installed, and the customer shall be charged on the same basis as commercial or industrial customers having private water supplies.

Minimum bimonthly charge, sewer use rate per 1,000 gallons and surcharges.

The minimum bimonthly sewage charge shall be based on the size water meter in service and the number of units of service on the meter, and revised from time to time. The schedule of charges is found in the City of Bayfield Fee Schedule as adopted by the Common Council.

The sewer charge per 1,000 gallons used is set by the Common Council, and the schedule of charges is found in the City of Bayfield Fee Schedule.

Surcharges for elevated concentrations of BOD, TSS or phosphorus are set by the Common Council and listed in the City of Bayfield Fee Schedule.

Financial accounts, payments, winter rates and billings.

The sewer treatment plant and its collector shall have an account separate from that of the general fund.

There shall be a minimum sewer charge based on the water service size. Said charge will be assessed regardless of whether the water is turned off or whether the residence or business is vacant.

Regarding nonresidents, the nonresident charge shall apply only to sewer customers who live outside the corporate limits of the City of Bayfield. The minimum per month will be $10 and shall apply to the water used on a volume charge which shall be the same as to the City resident.

(d)

The City shall bill its customers on a bimonthly basis for the sanitary sewer. A late payment charge of 10% will be added to bills not paid within 20 days of issuance. This one-time late payment charge of 10% will be applied only to any unpaid balance for the current billing period usage. This late payment charge is applicable to all customers.

Unmetered customers. Regarding unmetered customers, the unmetered customer charge shall be available only to sewage customers which are not served by the public water supply system and who discharge only domestic sewage into the sanitary sewer system. Said charge for residential purposes shall be set by Common Council, and the schedule of charges is found in the City of Bayfield Fee Schedule.

Industrial and commercial sewer service charges.

Industrial and commercial charges for other than normal sewage. Charges for sewage other than normal sewage shall be based on flow, BOD, suspended solids and such other constituents which affect the cost of collection and treatment. Charges shall be made in accordance with rates established by the Common Council of the City of Bayfield as set forth in Subsection B(2) below.

Surcharge.

All persons discharging wastes into the public sewers may be subject to a surcharge, in addition to any other sewage service charge, if their sewage has a concentration greater than "normal concentrations." (See definition.) The volume of flow used for computing waste surcharges shall be the metered water consumption, subject to adjustments as otherwise herein provided, or the actual volume of waste as determined by an industrial waste metering installation.

The amount of surcharge shall reflect the cost incurred by the Sewage Utility in removing BOD, suspended solids, and other pertinent constituents. The rates of surcharge for each of the aforementioned constituents will be at the prevailing rate at the time. Said prevailing rates will be set by the Common Council, and the schedule of charges is found in the City of Bayfield Fee Schedule.

In addition to the above surcharges, the Utility's costs of sampling and analyzing industrial wastes shall be charged to the applicable industry as provided in § 329-6. Where industrial wastes are of such a strength or magnitude or are delivered over such a period of time that the above surcharges do not reflect the actual cost of treatment to the Utility, the Utility reserves the right to establish a special charge for handling the waste. The depreciation portion of the charge shall be based on the design capacity required for the particular waste. In no event shall the charges be less than those charges determined by applying the above surcharge.

(d)

The charge for testing each load of septage discharged into the City sewer system (tested for both BOD and suspended solids) is set by the Common Council, and the schedule of charges is found in the City of Bayfield Fee Schedule.

The Bayfield Marina shall pay to the City of Bayfield for each boat pumped out, and said payments shall be made on a monthly basis to the City. The marina's lessee shall keep a record of the number of boat pumpouts, and a copy of said record shall be sent to the City accompanying each monthly payment. The amount per vessel is set by the Common Council and listed in the City of Bayfield Fee Schedule.

There shall be fixed annual charges levied to the Excursion Boat Line, the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and Madeline Island Ferry Lines for the use of the City sewer. Said annual charges are set by the Common Council and listed in the City of Bayfield Fee Schedule.

Industrial waste pretreatment. In the event the Utility provides pretreatment of industrial wastes, the entire cost of such pretreatment shall be charged to the person producing the industrial wastes. The costs shall include, but are not limited to, capital expenditures, operation and maintenance expenses, labor, chemicals, heat and power.

Standby connection charge.

As authorized by § 66.0809(1), Wis. Stats., an annual standby charge is hereby imposed on all buildable sites within the City of Bayfield with access to sewer but to which no connection has been made. Said annual charges are set by the Common Council and listed in the City of Bayfield Fee Schedule.

All invoices for standby charges will be submitted on an annual basis during the month of June.

Contract basis. Nothing in this article shall prohibit the City from providing sewage service to persons outside the corporate limits of the City under mutually agreeable conditions.

Payment of service charges; audits.

Remedies from failure to pay service charges. Each sewage service charge levied by, or pursuant to, this article is hereby made a lien upon the corresponding lot, land or premises served by a connection, the sanitary sewer system of the City of Bayfield and if the same is not paid within the period allotted for such payment, said charge shall constitute a lien on the property served and be inserted in the City tax roll as provided in § 66.0821, Wis. Stats., in the same manner as water rates are taxed and collected under the provisions of § 66.0809(1) or 62.69(2)(f), Wis. Stats., as same has been and from time to time may be amended or recreated, so far as applicable.

Collection. The sewage service charges taxed or levied pursuant to this article shall be collected by the City Clerk's office. The Utility shall make and enforce such bylaws and regulations as may be deemed necessary for the safe, economical and efficient operation, management and protection of the City sewer system, the sewage treatment plant and the Utility.

Designation of depository. The funds received from said sewage service charges shall be deposited at regular intervals in the City of Bayfield's official bank as designated at its annual reorganization meeting. Said funds shall be available for payment of the cost and expense of the management, maintenance depreciation and repair of the sewage treatment plant and to provide funds for the retirement of bonds as they mature and interest thereon.

Annual audit. An audit of the Utility's financial standing shall be made annually on a calendar year basis. This audit will be used to review the adequacy of the then existing rates, and said rates shall be adjusted if necessary to provide sufficient revenues to adequately finance the Utility's operation in accordance with the original intent of the rate structure.

§ 329-3 Use of public sewers required.

It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit, or permit to be deposited in any unsanitary manner on public or private property within the City, or in any area under the jurisdiction of said City, any human or animal excrement, garbage or other objectionable waste.

It shall be unlawful to discharge to any natural outlet within the City, or in any area under the jurisdiction of said City, any sewage or other polluted waters, except where suitable treatment has been provided in accordance with subsequent provisions of this article.

As of July 9, 1975, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage within the City limits of the City of Bayfield.

The owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes, situated within the City and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary sewer of the City, is hereby required, at his/her expense, to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the property public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article, within three months after date of notification.

§ 329-4 Building sewers and connections.

No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the office of the Public Works Director or his/her representative.

All costs and expense incident to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the City from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer.

A separate and independent building sewer shall be provided for every building intended for human habitation or occupancy.

Old building sewers may be used in connection with new buildings only when they are found, on examination and tested by the Public Works Director, to meet all requirements of this article.

The size, slope, alignment, materials of construction of a building sewer, and the methods to be used in excavating, placing of the pipe, jointing, testing and backfilling the trench shall all conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other applicable rules and regulations of the City.

Whenever possible, the building sewer shall be brought to the building at an elevation below the basement floor. In all buildings in which any building drain is too low to permit gravity flow to the public sewer, sanitary sewage carried by such building drain shall be lifted by an approved means and discharged to the building sewer at the owner's expense.

Roof leaders, surface drains, groundwater drains, foundation footing drains and other clear water drains shall be connected wherever possible with a storm sewer, but they shall not be connected to a building sewer which discharges into a sanitary sewer or private sewage treatment plant. All such connections existing at the time of passage of this article shall thereafter be illegal. If stormwater or clear water is being discharged into a sanitary sewer, the Public Works Director shall give the offending person 15 days' notice to disconnect. Failure to disconnect after such notice shall authorize the Public Works Director to cause disconnection and assessment of the costs of such disconnection against the property involved. The Public Works Director may, in the alternative, institute action for violation of this subsection.

The connection of the building sewer into the public sewer shall conform to the requirements of the building and plumbing code or other applicable rules and regulations of the City.

The applicant for the building sewer permit shall notify the Public Works Director when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the Public Works Director or his/her representative.

All excavations for building sewer installation shall be adequately guarded by the owner with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways, and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the City at the owner's expense. (Definition of "owner" would mean record holder of property or his/her agent.)

A permit and inspection fee as set by the Common Council and an estimate of all repair costs to City streets, sidewalks, curbs, gutters and all damage to City property, prepared by the Public Works Director, shall be paid to the City Clerk at the time the application is approved and before work can commence. After all work is completed, the estimate will be reviewed. If costs are less than the original estimate, a refund will be made to the customer. If the actual cost is greater than the original estimate, the customer will be billed for the balance. The charges cannot exceed the actual cost for the work.

A sewer connection fee for wastewater treatment shall also be paid to the City Clerk at the time the application is approved and before work can commence. Said annual fees are set by the Common Council and listed in the City of Bayfield Fee Schedule.

§ 329-5 Sewer main extensions.

Sewer mains will be extended for new customers on the following basis:

Where the cost of the extension is to immediately be collected through assessment by the municipality against the abutting property, the procedure set forth under § 66.0703, Wis. Stats., will apply, and no additional customer contribution to the Utility will be required.

Where the City is unwilling or unable to make a special assessment, the extension will be made on a customer-financed basis as follows:

The applicant(s) will advance as a contribution in aid of construction the total amount equivalent to that which would have been assessed for all property under Subsection A.

Part of the contribution required in Subsection B(1) will be refundable. When additional customers are connected to the extended main within 20 years of the date of completion, contributions in aid of construction will be collected equal to the amount which would have been assessed under Subsection A for the abutting property being served. This amount will be refunded to the original contributor(s). In no case will the contributions received from additional customers exceed the proportionate amount which would have been required under Subsection A, nor will it exceed the total assessable cost of the original extension.

When a new customer(s) is connected to an existing main not financed by customer contributions, it shall not be considered as a main extension, and no contribution may be collected from the customer(s). This provision applies to the mains installed after the effective date of this rule.

Connections to City-owned laterals, mains, and other infrastructure designed to serve sewage treatment for properties outside the City limits shall be subject to the provisions pertaining thereto in the Intermunicipal Agreement between the City of Bayfield and the Pikes Bay Sanitary District for Creation and Operation of the Greater Bayfield Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Maintenance.

The maintenance of all sewer mains is the responsibility of the City of Bayfield's Sewer Utility.

The maintenance of sewer laterals is the responsibility of the homeowner. The maintenance responsibility will be from the City's sewer main to the building the lateral is serving, regardless of the distance and location of existing lateral.

§ 329-6 Use of public sewers.

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any stormwater, surface water, groundwater, roof runoff, subsurface drainage, uncontaminated cooling water, or unpolluted industrial process waters to any sanitary sewer.

Stormwater and all other unpolluted drainage shall be discharged to such sewers as are specifically designated as storm sewers or to a natural outlet approved by the Public Works Director. Industrial cooling water or unpolluted process waters may be discharged, on approval of the Public Works Director, to a storm sewer or natural outlet.

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged any of the following described waters or wastes to any public sewers:

Any gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil, or other flammable or explosive liquids, solid or gas.

Any waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids or gases in sufficient quantity, either singly or by interaction with other wastes, to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals, create a public nuisance, or create any hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant.

Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 5.5 or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment and personnel of the sewage works.

Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers, or other interference with the proper operation of the sewage works, such as, but not limited to, ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, wood, unground garbage, whole blood, paunch manure, hair and fleshings, entrails and paper dishes, cups, milk containers, sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, etc., either whole or ground by garbage grinders.

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged the following described substances, materials, waters, or wastes if it appears likely in the opinion of the Utility Operator that such wastes can harm either the sewers, sewage treatment process, or equipment, have an adverse effect on the receiving stream, or otherwise endanger life, limb, public property or constitute a nuisance. In forming his/her opinion as to the acceptability of these wastes, the Utility Operator will give consideration to such factors as the quantities of subject wastes in relation to flows and velocities in the sewers, materials of construction or the sewers, nature of the sewage treatment process, capacity of the sewage treatment plant, and other pertinent factors. The substances prohibited are:

Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than 150° F. (65° C.).

Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease or oils, whether emulsified or not, in excess of 100 mg/l or containing substances which may solidify or become viscous at temperatures between 32° F. and 150° F. (0° C. and 65° C.).

Any garbage that has not been promptly ground. The installation and operation of any garbage grinder equipped with a motor of 3/4 horsepower (0.76 hp metric) or greater shall be subject to the review and approval of the Utility Operator.

Any waters or wastes containing strong acid iron pickling wastes, or concentrated plating solutions, whether neutralized or not.

(5)

Any waters or wastes containing iron, chromium, cadmium, nickel, copper, zinc and similar objectionable or toxic substances, or wastes exerting an excess chlorine requirement to such degree that any such material received in the composite sewage at the sewage treatment plant exceeds the limits established by the Utility Operator for such materials.

(6)

Any waters or wastes containing phenols or other taste- or odor-producing substances in such concentrations exceeding limits which may be established by the Utility Operator as necessary, after treatment of the composite sewage, to meet the requirements of the state, federal or other public agencies or jurisdiction for such discharge to the receiving waters.

(7)

Any radioactive wastes or isotopes of such half-life or concentration as may exceed limits established by the Utility Operator in compliance with applicable state or federal regulations.

(8)

Any waters or wastes having a pH lower than 6, or higher than 9, or having any other corrosive property capable of causing damage or hazard to structures, equipment, and personnel of the sewage works.

(9)

Materials which exert or cause:

Unusual concentrations of inert suspended solids (such as, but not limited to, Fullers earth, lime slurries and lime residues) or of dissolved solids (such as, but not limited to, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate).

Excessive discoloration (such as, but not limited to, dye wastes and vegetable tanning solutions).

BOD, chemical oxygen demand, phosphorous, nitrogen, or chlorine requirements in such quantities as to constitute a significant load on the sewage treatment plant.

(d)

Unusual volume of flow or concentration of wastes constituting "slugs" as defined herein.

(10)

Waters or wastes containing substances which are not amenable to treatment or reduction by the sewage treatment processes employed or are amenable to treatment only to such degree that the sewage treatment plant effluent cannot meet the requirements of the agencies having jurisdiction over discharge to the receiving waters.

If any waters or wastes are discharged, or are proposed to be discharged, to the public sewers, which waters contain the substances or possess the characteristics enumerated in Subsection D of this section and which, in the judgment of the Utility Operator, may have a deleterious effect upon the sewage works, processes, equipment or receiving waters, or which otherwise create a hazard to life or constitute a public nuisance, the Utility Operator shall recommend to the Common Council that it:

Reject the wastes;

Require pretreatment to an acceptable condition for discharge to the public sewers;

Require control over the quantities and rates of discharge; and/or