[Adopted 3-27-2001 by Ord. No. 01-8]
A.
The federal government has enacted the amended Federal
Water Pollution Control Act, now known as the "Federal Clean Water
Act" (33 U.S.C. § 150 et seq.).
B.
The Bergen County Utilities Authority has enacted
rules and regulations, as required by the Federal Clean Water Act,
in incorporating an industrial cost recovery system, a user charge
system and regulations pertaining to the use of sanitary sewers.
C.
The Borough of Paramus is within the district serviced
by the Bergen County Utilities Authority and has contracted with the
Bergen County Utilities Authority for the removal and treatment of
the wastewater contained within the sanitary sewers of the Borough
of Paramus.
D.
The Borough of Paramus desires to assure that the
sanitary sewers operated and maintained by it will conform to the
best sanitary engineering practices and comply with the requirements
of the Federal Clean Water Act.
The use of all sanitary sewers of the Borough
shall be in compliance with the rules and regulations enacted by the
Bergen County Utilities Authority.
A.
The Borough hereby adopts and enacts the user charge
system contained in the rules and regulations of the Bergen County
Utilities Authority, as if set forth herein at length, and authorizes
the immediate implementation by the appropriate municipal official,
to be designated by resolution of the governing body.
B.
Nothing contained herein shall preclude the Borough
from challenging any amendments to the rules and regulations which
may be hereafter adopted.
Not fewer than three copies of the rules and
regulations of the Bergen County Utilities Authority have been and
are filed in the office of the Borough Clerk and are available for
public inspection during normal business hours.
Copies of the rules and regulations of the Bergen
County Utilities Authority can be obtained from the Bergen County
Utilities Authority for the cost of publication.
The annual user charge shall be computed on
the previous calendar year's amount of water used and the current
calendar year's charges imposed by the Bergen County Utilities Authority
upon the Borough of Paramus, together with all appropriate administrative
costs for the operation and maintenance of the Paramus sewer system.
There shall be allowed an exemption from the
annual user charge for all residential usage less than 300,000 gallons
of water used, with the exception of hotels, motels and apartments
for which provision is made hereinafter. With respect to hotels and
motels, the exemption shall apply if water usage is less than 300,000
gallons of water used with respect to every eight rooms used for residential
occupancy. With respect to apartments, the exemption shall apply to
usage less than 300,000 gallons of water used with respect to each
separate and individual living unit within the apartment complex.
All privately owned water wells which are connected
to water systems eventually discharging into the sanitary sewers of
the Borough of Paramus shall be subject to the following provision:
A.
The owners of wells existing at the date of adoption
of this article shall notify the Borough Clerk of Paramus, in writing,
of the existence and location of such wells within 30 days after the
date of passage of this article.
B.
The owners of wells constructed or completed after
the adoption of this article shall notify the Borough Clerk of Paramus,
in writing, of the existence and location of such wells within 30
days of the first usage of such well.
C.
The Borough Engineer of Paramus may inspect such wells
to determine the usage thereof if, in the opinion of the Borough Engineer,
such well's actual water production, together with the other water
usage of the owner thereof, exceeds 400,000 gallons of water per year.
The Borough Engineer shall transmit his opinion, in writing, to the
Borough Council of Paramus. After receiving such opinion, the Borough
Council may require the owner of such well to install and maintain
a water meter thereon, at the owner's expense, by adoption of a resolution.
D.
If a water meter is required by resolution as provided in Subsection C hereof; the owner must install such meter within 60 days of adoption thereof. If the owner shall fail to do so, the Borough Council of Paramus may, by resolution, provide for the installation of such meter and add the cost thereof to the user charge levied under this article.
A.
No allowance shall be made for water which is metered
but which does not enter the sanitary sewer system, unless the owner
installs and maintains, at his expense, a meter approved by the Borough
to measure the water so diverted from the sewer lines.
B.
In case of business or industry, where water is lost
by evaporation, the Borough Engineer, with the approval of the Council,
may make a proper allowance for such evaporation.
C.
Where sprinkler systems are maintained, a proper credit
shall be given for water contained or passing through such sprinkler
system, which water does not reach a sanitary sewer line.
D.
Any owner may install and maintain, at his expense,
a sewage flow meter, approved by the Borough Engineer, to measure
the flow into the sewer lines. Where such a sewage flow meter is maintained,
the owner shall be billed on the actual readings of such meter at
the same rate as determined hereinabove.
E.
In any specific case not contemplated or not clearly
defined herein or where the type of waste will place an extraordinary
burden on the sewerage facilities either because of its quantity or
its quality, the Borough Council is hereby authorized, by contract
or otherwise, to establish a specific rate as may be necessary.
The following billing procedures shall apply
to user charges for the full calendar year 2001:
A.
As soon as practical after the passage of this article,
the Chief Financial Officer and the Tax Collector shall attend to
the preparation of bills for the period beginning the first day of
the month following final passage and publication of this article
and ending December 31, 2001, such period being hereinafter referred
to as the "billing year 2001."
B.
User charges for the billing year 2001 shall be equal
to the pro rata amount of the user charges which would have been imposed
upon each user for the calendar year 2001 under the terms of this
article.
C.
Bills for the billing year 2001 shall be mailed by
the Tax Collector of the Borough of Paramus to the owners of all properties
incurring such charges not later than July 1, 2001.
D.
Bills for the billing year 2001 are due and payable
to the Tax Collector on October 1, 2001. If such charges are not paid
in full as of that date, the unpaid charges shall be deemed delinquent
as of that date, and such unpaid charges shall become a lien upon
the properties incurring them as of that date.
