Pursuant to RSA 168 and every other authority thereto enabling,
the following system of sewer charges (sometimes known as "rents")
is hereby adopted.
Sewer charges shall be paid by the owner or owners of real estate
connected by a building sewer or private sewer to the City public
sewer and sewerage system.
The funds received from the collection of the sewer charges
authorized by this chapter and all other receipts resulting from the
operation of the sewage disposal and sewerage systems shall be deposited
with the City Treasurer and shall be accounted for and be known as
the "Sanitary Sewerage Fund." This fund, when appropriated by the
City Council, shall be available for the payment, in the first instance,
of the cost and expense of the management, maintenance, operation
and repair of the City or regional sanitary sewerage system and sewage
disposal, and any surplus thereafter shall be for defraying the cost
of construction, reconstruction or replacement and for the payment
of any interest and principal of any debt incurred to pay such costs
for the improvement of the City or regional sanitary sewerage system
and sewage disposal and treatment plant.
A.
Sewer charges shall be based upon a fixed yearly fee for each unit,
in addition to a charge based on metered water consumption:
[Amended 9-26-1977 by Ord. No. 10-77.5]
(1)
For residential facilities, apartments and other similar use, each
living unit: one unit.
(2)
For hotels, motels, convalescent homes, hospitals, jails and other
similar uses, each living unit: 1/2 unit.
(3)
For industrial and commercial facilities, each building sewer connected
directly or indirectly to the public sewer: one unit.
B.
Water consumption shall be determined as follows:
(1)
Upon the metered consumption of water on premises connected with
the sewerage system wherein the quantity of discharge is to be determined
by the meter readings of the Waterworks Department; or
(2)
Upon premises where there is a private supply of water, consumption
will be billed at an unmetered flat rate based on American Water Works
Association published consumption data, a sampling of Laconia Water
Department's metered accounts, and household census data. The intent
is to keep the sewer-only accounts in parity with the Laconia Water
Department's metered accounts.
[Amended 9-24-2012 by Ord. No. 13.2012.13]
C.
In the event that a premises discharges into the sewerage system
wastes which, in the opinion of the administrative authority, contain
unduly high concentrations of BOD or suspended solids or any substances
which add to the normal operating costs of the sewage disposal plant
or sewerage system, then the administrative authority may elect to
establish special rates or charges, based on the quantity of these
substances, which rate or charge may be established in such manner
as the City may elect.
D.
In case of a meter stopping or failing to register, the quantity
of water used shall be based upon the average semiannual amount which
ordinarily passes through the meter when the meter is in operation.
E.
Any request for a meter test shall be accompanied by a deposit of
$25 which shall be retained if the meter test shows the meter to be
registering properly or registering in favor of the customer, If,
however, the meter test shows the meter to be registering more than
the actual amount of water passing through it, the twenty-five-dollar
deposit will be returned to the applicant and whatever adjustment
the City deems advisable shall be made.
F.
All sewer charges remaining unpaid after the due date will be charged
interest at the rate of 1% per month or $10, whichever is greater
(annual percentage rate of 12%).
[Amended 9-24-1990 by Ord. No. 182-90.8; 9-24-2012 by Ord. No.
13.2012.13]
G.
The limit of time allowed for payment will not be extended beyond
10 days from the date of mailing a disconnect notice to the customer,
addressed to him, at the address on file at the office of the Laconia
Waterworks and/or at the office of the Tax Collector. In all cases
of nonpayment of sewer charges within such time limit, the Tax Collector
is hereby authorized to direct the Laconia Waterworks and/or the Public
Works Department to disconnect from the premises the water service
and/or the sewer service. When disconnected, reconnection of such
water service and/or sewer service shall not be made except upon payment
of all previous charges due for sewer service, including penalties,
plus any service fee as a result of disconnection or reconnection
of such water service and/or sewer service. The service fee shall
be the same as set forth in Paragraphs XXVI, XXVII and XXVIII of the
Laconia Waterworks water rates, filed with the Public Utilities Commission.
Such service fees shall be chargeable to the owner of the property
and shall be payable at the office of the Laconia Waterworks. Reoccurrence
of nonpayment of sewer charges may require a deposit to be made by
said property owner in an amount set by the Laconia Waterworks. The
failure of said property owner to receive notice of his water and/or
fewer charge bill does not relieve said owner from the obligation
of payment, nor from the consequences of nonpayment.
All charges for sewer service shall become a lien upon real
estate served by the City sewerage system in accordance with the terms
of said Chapter 252 of the New Hampshire Laws.
Upon petition to the City Manager not later than 30 days after
the sewer charge is due and payable, the City Manager may, for good
cause shown, abate, in whole or in part, any sewer charge.
[Amended 9-24-2012 by Ord. No. 13.2012.13]
(Reserved)
Any owner may place on his premises, at his own expense, a meter
which shall be approved by the City to measure the flow which does
not enter the sewerage system, and an adjustment of the sewer charge
shall be made in accordance with said metered use, in accordance with
the application rate charged by the City.
The following rules and regulations shall apply to the collection
of sewer charges:
A.
Sewer charges are due and payable on the due date at the Tax Collector's
office. Remittances by mail are at the risk of the sender and should
be accompanied by a stamped envelope properly addressed, if return
of receipt is desired.
[Amended 9-24-2012 by Ord. No. 13.2012.13]
B.
All meter readings shall be computed to the first of the following
months: January, April, July and October, in each year.
[Amended 9-26-1977 by Ord. No. 10-77.5; 8-30-1982 by Ord. No. 67-82.6; 9-24-1990 by Ord. No.
182-90.8]
Sewer charges shall be as follows or as amended from time to
time by the City:
A.
Fixed yearly fee per unit shall be charged as follows:
[Amended 11-26-2006 by Ord. No. 03.2006.03; 9-26-2011 by Ord. No.
06.2011.06; 9-24-2012 by Ord. No. 13.2012.13; 5-28-2013 by Ord. No.
01.2013.01; 10-22-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-189-50-01; 1-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-189-50-01; 2-13-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-189-50-01]
(1)
Effective bill date on or after March 1, 2023: $42.40 per quarter.
(2)
Effective bill date on or after March 1, 2024: $46.22 per quarter.
(3)
Effective bill date on or after March 1, 2025: $50.38 per quarter.
(4)
Effective bill date on or after March 1, 2026: $54.91 per quarter.
(5)
Effective bill date on or after March 1, 2027: $59.30 per quarter.
(6)
Effective bill date on or after March 1, 2028: $64.05 per quarter.
(7)
Effective bill date on or after March 1, 2029: $67.25 per quarter.
(8)
Effective bill date on or after March 1, 2030: $70.61 per quarter.
(9)
Effective bill date on or after March 1, 2031: $74.14 per quarter.
(10)
Effective bill date on or after March 1, 2032: $77.85 per quarter.
B.
Charge based on metered water consumption:
[Amended 11-26-2006 by Ord. No. 03.2006.03; 9-26-2011 by Ord. No.
06.2011.06; 9-24-2012 by Ord. No. 13.2012.13; 5-28-2013 by Ord. No.
01.2013.01; 10-22-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-189-50-01; 1-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-189-50-01; 2-13-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-189-50-01]
|
Effective Bill Date on or After
|
Charge (per hundred cubic feet)
|
|---|---|
|
March 1, 2023
|
$5.90
|
|
March 1, 2024
|
$6.44
|
|
March 1, 2025
|
$7.01
|
|
March 1, 2026
|
$7.65
|
|
March 1, 2027
|
$8.26
|
|
March 1, 2028
|
$8.92
|
|
March 1, 2029
|
$9.36
|
|
March 1, 2030
|
$9.83
|
|
March 1, 2031
|
$10.32
|
|
March 1, 2032
|
$10.84
|
C.
Charge based on nonmetered flat rate (for sewer-only accounts: those accounts that are on public sewer but served by private water by means of either a well or PUC-regulated water system), coinciding with the tax year as defined in RSA 76:2. Billing and collection of the flat rate sewer-only account will be conducted by the City Tax Collector in accordance with RSA 76:13 and RSA 80:59-91. Determination of the flat rate is as described in § 189-44B(2).
[Amended 11-26-2006 by Ord. No. 03.2006.03; 9-26-2011 by Ord. No.
06.2011.06; 9-24-2012 by Ord. No. 13.2012.13; 5-28-2013 by Ord. No.
01.2013.01; 10-22-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-189-50-01; 1-14-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-189-50-01;2-13-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-189-50-01]
|
Effective on the Bill Date on or After
|
Annual Charge Per Unit, billed semiannually
|
Semiannual bill
|
|---|---|---|
|
March 1, 2023
|
$561.80
|
Semiannual bill: $280.90
|
|
March 1, 2024
|
$612.36
|
Semiannual bill: $306.18
|
|
March 1, 2025
|
$667.47
|
Semiannual bill: $333.74
|
|
March 1, 2026
|
$727.55
|
Semiannual bill: $363.77
|
|
March 1, 2027
|
$785.75
|
Semiannual bill: $392.88
|
|
March 1, 2028
|
$848.61
|
Semiannual bill: $424.31
|
|
March 1, 2029
|
$891.04
|
Semiannual bill: $445.52
|
|
March 1, 2030
|
$935.59
|
Semiannual bill: $467.80
|
|
March 1, 2031
|
$982.37
|
Semiannual bill: $491.19
|
|
March 1, 2032
|
$1,031.49
|
Semiannual bill: $515.75
|
D.
Large consumption discount:
[Added 6-13-1994 by Ord. No. 255.94.13]
