Chapter 13.12
SEWER SYSTEM POLICY
Sections:
13.12.040 Replacement cost responsibility.
13.12.050 Connection to existing line.
13.12.060 New installation inside city.
13.12.070 Installation through undeveloped area.
13.12.080 Delayed benefit charge.
13.12.090 New installation outside city.
13.12.010 Purpose.
To ensure the orderly growth of the sewer system of the city and to create consistent standards to sewer system infrastructure. (Ord. 2124 § 1 (Exh. C), 2024)
13.12.020 Intent.
It is the express intent of the city council that the sewer department shall be a self-supporting utility operated without drawing upon the general funds of the city.
All specifications for extensions, expansions, additions, betterments and replacements to the existing sewer system shall be determined by the Sewer Construction Standards Manual. (Ord. 2124 § 1 (Exh. C), 2024)
13.12.030 Definitions.
Whenever the following terms are used in this chapter they shall be construed to mean as follows:
“Sewer Construction Standards Manual” means the city’s adopted Sewer Construction Standards Manual. It is the most current “Orange Book” by Washington State Department of Ecology.
“Standard commercial sewer collection line” means sewage pipes constructed of concrete eight inches in diameter.
“Standard construction costs” means the cost of the pipe for either the standard residential sewer collection line or standard commercial sewer collection line, whichever is to be installed, plus the total cost of all tees and junctions and the total cost of all installation and incidental work necessary to place the sewer collection line in service regardless of its size.
“Standard residential sewer collection line” means sewage pipes constructed of cement concrete six inches in diameter.
“Wastewater superintendent” means the city staff designated responsibility of oversight of the wastewater system. (Ord. 2124 § 1 (Exh. C), 2024)
13.12.040 Replacement cost responsibility.
Whenever any collection line for sewage service, now or hereafter installed, requires replacement due to obsolescence, inadequacy, or deterioration the cost of the replacement shall be paid for out of the revenues of the sewer department; however, any property abutting on any such collection line, which has never been connected or which has not previously been assessed or has not previously contributed to the standard construction costs of the line, shall be required to connect and pay the appropriate costs to connect as set forth in the current fee schedule. If the property has, prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, been connected to the sewer system and has been paying the established sewer charges, the property shall be exempt from the provisions of this section. (Ord. 2124 § 1 (Exh. C), 2024)
13.12.050 Connection to existing line.
When any property abutting on a standard commercial sewer collection line or standard residential sewer collection line, as defined in NMC 13.12.030, has not previously been assessed or has not previously contributed to the standard construction cost of the line, the property shall, at the time of connection to the sewer system, pay a delayed benefit charge, which charge shall be the abutting property’s proportionate cost of the standard construction cost of the line based on the front foot method of assessment. The delayed benefit charge shall be in addition to any and all connection charges and other charges required to be paid for such services by any ordinance of the city; provided, however, the payment of any such delayed benefit charge shall exempt the property for which the payment was made from any subsequent local improvement district assessment for sewer facilities of any nature. (Ord. 2124 § 1 (Exh. C), 2024)
13.12.060 New installation inside city.
Whenever any area or areas within the city which are not now served by the sewer system request such service, the person or persons making the request shall provide for the payment of the standard construction costs by means of local improvement districts in the manner provided by law or by direct installation in compliance with the specifications of the Sewer Construction Standards Manual and under supervision of the wastewater superintendent. In the event the city requires the installation of collection lines in excess of those defined as standard in the Sewer Construction Standards Manual, the actual cost of the collection line in excess of the standard size shall be paid for out of the revenues of the sewer system. Only areas within the city limits or within the urban growth area will be allowed connections. (Ord. 2124 § 1 (Exh. C), 2024)
13.12.070 Installation through undeveloped area.
Whenever the services of the sewer system are required to be extended through an undeveloped area within the city, in order to provide the service to a newly developed area and where in the opinion of the city council it is not feasible to finance the improvement by the formation of a local improvement district in the manner provided by law to pay the standard construction costs as defined in NMC 13.12.030, the property in the undeveloped area directly abutting on the sewer service extension shall be subject to a delayed benefit charge, which shall be paid by the owner or owners of the abutting property within the undeveloped area at the time they request such service and prior to their receiving it. The amount of the delayed benefit charge shall be the property’s proportionate share of the standard construction costs based on the front foot method of assessment as determined from the books and records of the city which paid for the total original cost of the installation. The delayed benefit charge shall be in addition to any and all connection charges provided for the service by other ordinances of the city; provided, however, payment of any such delayed benefit charge shall exempt the property for which the payment was made from any subsequent local improvement district assessment for sewer facilities of any nature. (Ord. 2124 § 1 (Exh. C), 2024)
13.12.080 Delayed benefit charge.
Whenever provision is made throughout this chapter for the payment by the property owner of a delayed benefit charge, the delayed benefit charge may be paid in cash or in annual installments over a five-year period from date of connection. If any such property owner elects to make payments on the annual basis, he shall execute a contract in such form as shall be prescribed by the city attorney, which contract shall contain the provision that any unpaid balance may be paid in full on the date of any annual payment and the further provision that interest shall be paid on the deferred balances at the rate of five percent per year. The contracts shall be made a covenant running with the land and shall provide that the unpaid balances shall be a lien upon the property to which the connection is made, superior to all other liens and encumbrances except those for general taxes and special assessments, which may be foreclosed in the same manner provided by law for the foreclosure of delinquent local improvement district liens. The contract shall be recorded in the office of the county auditor at the expense of the property owner and upon payment in full a release of the lien shall be executed by the mayor and attested by the city clerk/treasurer. The contract shall further provide that in the event of delinquency in the payment of any installment thereunder the sewer superintendent, or his/her employees, may give immediate notice of the city’s election to foreclose the lien as provided in this section, and the contract shall further provide that the property owner waives the statutory requirements as to the commencing of any action to foreclose the lien, and as to the delinquencies required to foreclose the lien, and that the city shall have the right to declare the entire unpaid balance due and payable upon default in the payment of any installment. (Ord. 2124 § 1 (Exh. C), 2024)
13.12.090 New installation outside city.
Whenever sewer service is requested by any person or persons residing outside the corporate limits of the city, but within the urban growth area, the following provisions shall apply:
A. Any person desiring sewer service outside the city limits shall pay the applicable connection charge as established by ordinance or resolution; annexation may be a condition of approval.
B. Any person developing property outside the city limits and desiring city sewer service shall pay the total cost of all collection lines to be installed within the area being developed, including all costs of installation. All requirements of the sewer system construction standards shall be met.
C. The cost of all catch basins, pumps, pumping stations and incidental piping to the area to be served shall be paid for by the person requesting the service, based on the estimated cost, as determined by the city engineer, prior to the installation of the service; provided, however, that the cost to be paid by such person shall not exceed that proportion of the total costs of the facilities which the newly developed area bears to the total area which may be served by said facilities. The person requesting such facilities and paying the cost thereof may receive credit for the amount so paid for the facilities by designating to the city engineer by legal description the lots within the newly developed area which are to be served by the sewer system. As to the lots, the cost provided in subsection A of this section shall not apply until the credit has been fully exhausted.
D. The delayed benefit charges as provided in this chapter shall apply equally to areas beyond the limits of the city; provided, however, the total cost of the delayed benefit charges shall be paid prior to allowing any person beyond the limits of the city to connect to the sewer utility service.
E. No services will be extended outside of the urban growth area. (Ord. 2124 § 1 (Exh. C), 2024)