City of Lock Haven, PA Sewer Rental Charges

The sewer rent for collection of sanitary sewage discharged into the sewer system shall be quarterly rent based upon the actual volume of water metered per quarter as determined from meters installed and maintained by the City of Lock Haven and the Suburban Lock Haven Water Authority. The minimum quarterly rent for each meter property shall be in an amount as established from time to time by resolution of City Council, and rents will be charged in an amount as established from time to time by resolution of City Council.

[Amended 12-16-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-10]

Provided, however, that in cases where a single meter is used to measure water furnished to two or more families, family dwelling units, premises, properties or commercial establishments, the quantity so measured will be divided equally for billing among such families, family dwelling units, premises, properties and commercial establishments, and the above rate shall then apply.

Whenever a property upon which a sewer rental or charge is hereby imposed uses water, all or part of which water so used is not discharged into the sewer system, the quantity of water so used and not discharged into the sewer system may be excluded in determining the sewer rental or charge of said property; provided, the quantity of water so used and not discharged into the sewer system is measured by a device or devices approved by the City and installed without cost to the City. For the purpose of determining the sewer rental, the quantity of such water not discharged into the sewer system shall be deducted from the water meter readings; provided further, however, when, in the opinion of the City, it is not practical to install measuring devices to continuously measure the quantity of water not discharged into the sewer system, the City shall determine in such manner and in such method as it may prescribe, the percentage of metered water discharged into the sewer system and the quantity of water used to determine the sewer rental shall be the percentage so determined of the quantity measured by the water meter or meters. Any dispute as to estimated amount shall be determined by the City after notice of the estimate, the decision as to which manner shall be final for the period covered by such estimate. All meters or other measuring devices installed or required to be used under this subsection shall be under the control of the City. The owner of the property upon which any such measuring device is installed shall be responsible for its maintenance and safekeeping, and all repairs thereto shall be made at the property owner's expense, whether such repairs are made necessary by wear and tear or any other cause or causes.

There is hereby imposed a penalty of 10% on all sewer rental invoices that remain unpaid after 30 days from the date the invoice is rendered.

§ 328-9 Private haulers without access to system; discharge only at designated sites; rates.

[Amended 7-6-1992 by Ord. No. 409B; 4-18-1994 by Ord. No. 466B; 8-7-1995 by Ord. No. 492BB]

Any private hauler, except recreation vehicles, serving establishments not having access to a sewage treatment system shall be permitted to discharge sanitary sewage into the sewer system of the City of Lock Haven, provided that he makes application therefor to the Director of Public Works.

All sanitary sewage discharged into the sewage system as specified in Subsection A, above, shall be discharged only at such site or sites as shall be designated by the Director of Public Works, and the Director of Public Works is authorized to establish such administrative rules and regulations as he may deem necessary. The violation of any such rules and regulations shall result in revocation by the Director of Public Works of the privilege of so discharging sanitary sewage.

Hauled waste shall be classified in one of the following categories of waste:

Septic tank waste: concentrated domestic waste as pumped from a septic tank.

Trucked domestic waste: unconcentrated domestic waste with a holding tank detention of 24 hours or less.

Holding tank waste: unconcentrated domestic waste with a holding tank detention greater than 24 hours.

(4)

Commercial waste: unconcentrated commercial waste with a holding tank detention greater than 24 hours.

(5)

Portable toilet waste: domestic waste collected from portable toilets or pit toilets.

(6)

Other: odd wastes which do not fall into the above categories.

Charges for treatment of hauled waste shall be based on the category of waste discharged and shall be billed monthly.

The amounts charged shall be based on the number of gallons of waste discharged in the month and shall be in an amount as established from time to time by resolution of City Council.

[Amended 12-16-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-10]

The above rates shall be reviewed annually and revised to reflect the actual costs of treating the hauled wastes.

The charges due from each producer of waste shall be calculated separately and the City may, at its option, invoice the producer of the waste or the discharger who hauls the waste to the disposal plant.

Owners of recreation vehicles shall be permitted to discharge sanitary sewage into the system and such discharge will only be made at the treatment plant. A fee shall be charged for each and every time sewage is accepted for discharge to the system and shall be paid at the time of discharge to the treatment plant attendant in an amount as established from time to time by resolution of City Council.

[Amended 12-16-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-10]

§ 328-10 Billing and payment; right of City to shut off water.

The above rentals or charges shall be paid quarterly and quarterly billings will be made with or at the same time water rent billings for each quarter are made by either the City of Lock Haven or the Suburban Lock Haven Water Authority. Quarterly charges for sewerage service shall be payable on or before the 30th day of the date of the bill. The City shall have the right to cut off sewerage service from delinquent premises and not restore the same until all delinquent and the cost of cutting off and restoring service shall have been paid.

§ 328-11 Late payment; action by City.

[Amended 7-12-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-03]

The sewer rent or charge hereby imposed shall be a lien on the property served. All such sewer rentals or charges not paid on or before the end of one year from the date on which such bill was rendered shall be deemed to be delinquent for the purposes of this article. All delinquent sewer rentals or charges shall be filed and entered as a lien against the property served, in the office of the Prothonotary of Clinton County, in the manner provided by law for the filing and collection of municipal claims.

Collection procedures. The following collection procedures are hereby established:

At least 30 days prior to assessing or imposing attorney fees in connection with the collection of a sewer rent or charge, the City shall mail or cause to be mailed, in accordance with statute, a notice of such intention to the owner of record established by current real estate tax records (the "account debtor").

All notices required by this section shall be mailed in accordance with statute to the account debtor's last known post office address as recorded in the Tax Assessment Office of Clinton County, Pennsylvania.

Each notice as described above shall include the following:

(a)

The amount of the claim for sewer charges, including penalty and interest;

(b)

A statement of the City's intent to impose or assess attorney fees within 30 days after the mailing of the notice in accordance with Subsection A(1);

(c)

The manner in which the assessment or imposition of attorney fees may be avoided by payment of the account; and

(d)

The place of payment for accounts and the name and telephone number of the Authority official designated as responsible for collection matters.

Schedule of fees.

The City hereby approves the following schedule of attorney fees for services in connection with the collection of delinquent sewer rentals or charges, which is hereby determined to be fair and reasonable compensation for the services set forth below, all in accordance with the principles set forth in Section 3(a)(1) of the Municipal Claims Law:

Legal Services	Fee For Services
Collection letter by certified mail, examination of courthouse records and deed	$75
Collection letter by ordinary mail	$25
Municipal claim	$60
Praecipe for writ of scire facias sur municipal claim and writ of scire facias sur municipal claim	$60
Notice of default judgment and transmittal letter	$50
Praecipe to dismiss claim	$10
Execution proceedings for sale of real estate - (uncontested)	$350
Hourly rate	$120

There shall be added to the above amounts reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of counsel in connection with each of these services, as itemized in the applicable counsel bills, which shall be deemed to be part of the fees.