Borough of Oakmont, PA Article VI Sewerage Service Charges and Billing Practices

§ 157-32 Basic sewerage service charge.

A. There is hereby imposed upon the owners of or the users of water in or on all properties situated within the corporate limits of the Borough and served by the public sanitary sewerage system a sewerage service charge for the use of said system. Said sewerage service charge shall be payable as hereinafter provided and in the amounts as provided in the prevailing Sewer Rate Ordinance adopted by the Borough and as it is hereinafter amended and modified from time to time.[1] Sewerage service charges shall begin to accrue from and after April 1, 1961, and said owners and users shall be jointly and severally liable for the payment of the service charges and any penalties herein prescribed for delinquent payment thereof.

[1] Editor's Note: The current Sewer Rate Ordinance is on file in the Borough offices.

B. The service charge for any person discharging sewage or industrial wastes to the public sanitary sewerage system shall be based upon the quantity of water used in or on said property, as the same is measured by the Water Authority meter or meters there in use, and shall be charged at the rates prescribed in the Borough prevailing Sewer Rate Ordinance.

C. Owners and/or users will be billed quarterly or monthly, at the discretion of the Borough, for the service charges on forms adopted and approved from time to time by the Borough Council. The billing for each three-month period or monthly period will be for the actual water used during that period, based and computed on the Water Authority's meter water service reading for that period and the sewer service rate adopted by the Borough's prevailing Sewer Rate Ordinance. Bills or statements shall be dated and mailed not later than the end of the month next succeeding each respective billing period.

D. In the event that the water used in or on any property served by the public sanitary sewerage system is obtained from the Water Authority, but is not measured by a meter or meters there in use, the sewerage service charge shall be in an amount equal to 200% of the bill rendered by the Water Authority for the water used in or on such property.

E. The measurement by two or more meters of the quantity of water used in or on one property by one owner or user may be combined and the service charge billed to said owner or user as though the quantity of water was measured by one meter, if the Borough so elects.

F. In the event that the owner of or the user of water in or on any property served by the public sanitary sewerage system obtains part or all of the water used in or on such property from sources other than the Water Authority, such owner or user shall, upon demand of the Borough, at no expense to the Borough or the Water Authority, install and maintain a water meter or meters satisfactory to the Borough and to the Water Authority for measuring all water used other, than that obtained from the Water Authority, and the quantity of water used to determine the sewerage service charge shall be the quantity of water measured by all such meters plus the quantity of water obtained from the Water Authority.

G. In the event that it is established to the satisfaction of the Borough that a portion of the water used in or on any property served by the public sanitary sewerage system does not and cannot enter the system and in the event that the total water used in or on said property exceeds 100,000 gallons per quarter, the Borough may determine, in such manner and by such method as it may deem practical, the percentage of the water entering the public sanitary sewerage system or the Borough may require or permit the installation of additional meters, at the user's expense, in such manner as to determine either the quantity of water excluded from the public sanitary sewerage system or the quantity of water, sewage or industrial waste actually entering the public sanitary sewerage system, exclusive of stormwater runoff. The service charge shall be based upon the quantity of water estimated, measured or computed by the Borough to be actually entering the public sanitary sewerage system, exclusive of stormwater runoff, subject to the minimum charges set forth in the Borough's prevailing Sewer Rate Ordinance.

H. Any person requesting a reduction of the amount of the service charge because of water purchased which does not enter the public sanitary sewerage system shall make written application to the Borough giving the name of such person, his address and setting forth supporting data fully describing other sources of water, if any, as well as the disposition of water alleged not to be entering the public sanitary sewerage system. The application shall be accompanied by a sketch to approximate scale showing the plan of the property, the water distribution system, sewer layout, existing meters and proposed meters in the scheme to determine the quantity of flow entering or not entering the public sanitary sewerage system. The cost of furnishing, installing and maintaining any meters other than those utilized to measure water purchased from the Water Authority shall be borne by the applicant. The type, size, location, arrangement and maintenance of such meters shall be subject to the approval of the Borough and the Water Authority.

§ 157-33 Additional charge for garbage grinders.

A. Although the sewage treatment works are capable of treating properly shredded garbage, the actual treatment of such waste will increase the cost of operating and maintaining the treatment plant and the public sewer system. Therefore, it is hereby imposed upon each person discharging properly shredded garbage into the public sewerage system an additional charge or surcharge which is intended to cover such additional cost. Such surcharge shall be in addition to the regular basic sewerage service charge set forth in this article and shall be payable as hereinafter provided.

B. The additional surcharge for garbage grinders shall be charged at the rates prescribed in the Borough's prevailing Sewer Rate Ordinance. The surcharge shall be added to the regular sewerage service charge and shall be due at the same time and subject to the same late payment penalties and delinquency remedies established by the Borough for regular sewerage service charges.

§ 157-34 Supplemental industrial user charges.

A. The Borough reserves the right to adopt special industrial user charges and fees, as deemed necessary by the Borough, to recover the costs of implementing the pretreatment program established by this chapter from industrial users. The Borough may adopt special industrial user charges and fees such as:

(1) Fees for reimbursement of the costs of setting up and operating the Borough's pretreatment program;

(2) Fees for compliance monitoring, inspections and surveillance procedures;

(3) Fees for reviewing accidental discharge procedures and construction;

(4) Fees for applications to discharge industrial wastes;

(5) Fees for filing appeals;

(6) Fees for consistent removal (by the Borough's POTW) of pollutants otherwise subject to federal pretreatment standards; and

(7) Other fees as the Borough may deem necessary to carry out the requirements contained herein.

B. The applicable charges and fees for these special industrial user charges shall be billed by the Borough in accordance with the prevailing Sewer Rate Ordinance adopted by the Borough. Such charges shall be in addition to the regular sewerage service charge and any applicable industrial surcharge provided under Article VII of this chapter. Such charges shall be due when rendered, and shall be subject to the same late payment penalties and delinquency remedies established by the Borough for regular sewerage service charges.

§ 157-35 Billing and collection.

A. The basic sewerage service charge and any additional charges and surcharges, where applicable, provided for in this chapter shall be payable in four quarterly payments or 12 monthly payments each year.

B. The Borough, either directly or through any person whom it may by resolution appoint or with whom it may contract, will render such bills for the service charges, additional charges and surcharges imposed by this chapter and will make collections thereof in accordance with this chapter and any agreement or agreements entered into between the Water Authority and the Borough relating to such billing and collection.

C. Bills and notices relating to the service charges, additional charges and surcharges will be mailed or delivered to the property owner's or user's last address as shown on the books of the Water Authority, and neither the Borough nor the Water Authority shall be otherwise responsible for delivery. No change of address will be honored unless and until such change shall have been furnished in writing to the Water Authority.

§ 157-36 Late payment penalty.

[Amended 2-14-2011 by Ord. No. O1-2011]

All bills for sewerage service charges, additional charges and surcharges shall be due when rendered and shall be subject to a late payment penalty of 6%, if not paid within 15 days from the date of the bill, until and unless otherwise provided by ordinance of the Borough.

§ 157-37 Service charge review.

A. The Borough reserves the right to revise by ordinance the service charges levied and assessed against all persons using the public sanitary sewerage system by the Borough's prevailing Sewer Rate Ordinance. On at least a biennial basis, the Borough Council shall review all service charges, fees and surcharges and revise the charges accordingly to reflect the actual sewage collection and treatment costs and any applicable debt service costs.

B. The Borough shall notify all persons using the public sanitary sewerage system of the applicable service charges by publishing the prevailing service charge rate schedule in the area's largest daily newspaper on at least an annual basis.