Chapter 13.08
SEWER SERVICE RATES AND CHARGES
Sections:
13.08.010 Residential rates and charges.
13.08.030 Building housing more than one business.
13.08.040 Determination – Appeal.
13.08.060 Policy guidelines behind classification of high-strength waste.
13.08.070 Classification of commercial and industrial users – Appeal.
13.08.080 Strength of waste classification by type of commercial/industrial user.
13.08.090 Commercial base and volume rate structure.
13.08.005 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish such rates and charges applicable to different customer classes receiving sewer service within the city’s sewer service area, both within and without the city. Further, the purpose of this chapter is to set forth the kinds and types of uses as the council shall determine generate high-strength wastewater, identify pretreatment requirements for such uses, and to establish special wastewater rates for those users of the city’s sewer system which generate certain high-strength wastes or have high variability in waste loadings. It is intended that such special rates will provide a system of charges which equitably reflect the costs to the city of treating such wastes. (Ord. 1187 § 13, 2017).
13.08.010 Residential rates and charges.
The following monthly sewer rates and charges are hereby imposed on residential and multifamily customers:
A. Residential. This customer class includes each separately metered single-family residence, trailer or mobile home in a trailer court or mobile home park, and each separately metered townhome or duplex residential unit.
|
Residential Rate (per unit) |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 |
|
$78.99 |
$80.57 |
$82.16 |
$84.62 |
$85.37 |
$86.99 |
B. Multifamily. This customer class includes apartment, condominium, multiplex, and duplex structures that are served by a single master water meter rather than individual residential unit meters.
|
Multifamily Rate (per unit) |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 |
|
$62.87 |
$62.13 |
$61.35 |
$63.19 |
$59.67 |
$58.76 |
C. Rates for residential sewer service outside the corporate limits shall be one and one-half times the rates within the city limits.
D. A “low income residential customer” means an individual:
1. Who owns or rents and resides in the residence where the discounted rate(s) are being requested;
2. Whose residence has a separate water meter;
3. Whose total household annual income meets the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development income limits for very low income in King County, Washington. Household annual income shall include income of a spouse or any co-resident(s), where “annual income” is defined as adjusted gross income as indicated in the most recent federal income tax return. In the absence of a federal income tax return, the finance director may consider other documentation of household annual income;
4. Who is not nor is any other adult member of the household claimed as a dependent on another federal income tax return; and
5. Who is named customer on the city’s utility bill or can prove that he or she is the named tenant in a lease or rental agreement for that residence.
E. The finance director shall create an application form and a renewal form for residential customers requesting the low income residential customer discount.
1. Applications shall be available at City Hall or mailed to any city customer upon request.
2. The low income residential customer seeking the low income discount must complete an application renewal form annually in order to continue receiving the low income residential customer discount.
3. A notice of renewal of application will be mailed annually by the city to low income residential customers then receiving the discount. The completed renewal application form and required attachments must be returned to the city within 30 days or the discount will no longer apply.
4. Discounts will commence on the next subsequent billing date following application.
5. A low income residential customer who applied for and received the discount in the prior year, but who has failed to submit the renewal form within the required 30 days and whose low income customer discount was discontinued as a result, may request a one-time-only retroactive application of the low income discount for not more than two billing cycles or two months.
6. A low income residential customer is not eligible for the low income discount if his or her annual water consumption is in excess of 100 cubic feet (ccf) per year on a calendar year basis. An applicant may appeal the criteria to the finance director and must provide a convincing justification for the excess usage.
F. The sewer bill for a low income residential customer whose application is determined by the finance director to meet the criteria of subsections D and E of this section will be discounted by 30 percent. (Ord. 1284 § 1, 2023; Ord. 1248 § 2, 2021; Ord. 1242 § 1, 2020; Ord. 1187 § 14, 2017).
13.08.030 Building housing more than one business.
Any building which is used for more than one purpose or business shall pay the combined rate for each purpose or business. (Ord. 734 § 1, 1994; Ord. 398 § 3, 1973; Ord. 361 § 3, 1967).
13.08.040 Determination – Appeal.
Rates to be applied to each building shall be determined by the city administrator, and his decision shall be final, except that appeals from such decisions may be made to the city council in writing within 60 days from the date due. (Ord. 734 § 1, 1994; Ord. 398 § 4, 1973; Ord. 361 § 4, 1967).
13.08.050 Payment – Due date.
The charges for any monthly billing remaining unpaid 15 days after the current billing due date shall be deemed delinquent. For any monthly billing that is delinquent, a finance charge of one and one-half percent per month shall be assessed on the delinquent amount. (Ord. 734 § 1, 1994; Ord. 522 § 1, 1983; Ord. 398 § 5, 1973; Ord. 361 § 5, 1967).
13.08.060 Policy guidelines behind classification of high-strength waste.
In order to carry out its authorized function of water pollution abatement and operation of a system of sewerage, as provided for in Chapters 35.67 and 35.92 RCW, and to comply with federal and state laws and regulations, it is necessary and in the best interests of the residents of the city and users of the city’s sewerage systems that the council adopt policies and procedures for the disposal of sewage and disposal of commercial and industrial waste into the sewerage system as set forth in this chapter.
A. It is the policy of the city to provide sewerage facilities for the transportation, treatment, and disposal of industrial and residential wastes while operating the sewerage system in such a manner that protects public health and the environment. This chapter sets forth some of the uniform requirements for users of the sewerage system and enables the city to comply with all applicable state and federal laws including the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251) and the general pretreatment regulations (40 CFR 403). In carrying out this policy, the objectives of the city are:
1. To prevent pollutants from entering the sewerage system that will interfere with its normal operation, damage the collection system or treatment systems, or contaminate the resulting biosolids product produced.
2. To prevent the introduction of pollutants into the sewerage system that will not be adequately treated and will pass through to the environment.
3. To improve opportunities for recycling and reclamation of wastewater and biosolids.
4. To ensure protection of utility workers’ safety and health.
5. To reduce the infiltration of clean, potentially potable water into the sewerage system while simultaneously preventing the exfiltration of sewage into hydrologic structure or groundwater.
6. To implement waste reduction and recycling to prolong the useful life of existing and planned wastewater facilities and to protect the environment.
7. To focus sampling and inspection efforts on those commercial businesses and industries discharging the greatest volume of and concentration of pollutants, while still recognizing the impact of small dischargers.
8. To implement, administer and enforce a fee program that ensures that commercial and industrial users pay a fair cost for monitoring and treatment.
9. To implement an enforcement response plan aimed at achieving compliance in the shortest time frame possible and promoting continually the responsibility of commercial and industrial users to engage in waste reduction and pollutant mitigation activities.
10. To make information on commercial/industrial users available to the public in accordance with state law. (Ord. 1187 § 15, 2017).
13.08.070 Classification of commercial and industrial users – Appeal.
A. The city shall establish the average annual waste strength for each commercial or industrial user by classification. Those users will be classified by user group and assigned a waste strength based upon measured values for representative commercial users within each group as published in state, county, and municipal study data.
B. Commercial and industrial users discharging waste with strength greater than domestic waste, called “low commercial users,” shall pay a volume charge based on strength classification for biological oxygen demand (BOD) and total suspended solids (TSS). “Low commercial users” shall include businesses with domestic (office) type activities.
C. Any person or business proposing to discharge high-strength wastes to the city’s sewer system shall apply to the director for approval to discharge. The director may establish conditions for discharge and monitoring requirements as further established in this chapter and in Chapter 13.04 SMC.
D. When the director deems necessary, or when any sewer customer believes they have been assigned a classification which is not appropriate, industrial or commercial users shall have the right to challenge the classification of the city by submitting a series of analyses from a state-certified laboratory documenting the substitute values proposed by the business owner.
E. Satisfactory sampling techniques and sampling site improvements may be required prior to approval of the challenge by the city. If the industrial/commercial customer is situated in a manner that sampling cannot be tied directly to said business without interference from the collection system, the sewer customer may be required to install a sampling well, at his/her own expense, in order to challenge the classification by the city. (Ord. 1187 § 16, 2017).
13.08.080 Strength of waste classification by type of commercial/industrial user.
A. The following business types shall be assigned a strength class as follows:
|
Business Type |
BOD (ppm) |
TSS (ppm) |
Category |
Strength Class |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BOD |
TSS |
||||
|
Residential (average varies depending on average water usage) |
175 – 250 |
175 – 250 |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
Auto Steam Cleaning |
1,150 |
1,250 |
High |
High |
High |
|
Bakery, Wholesale |
1,000 |
600 |
High |
High |
High |
|
Bars without Dining Facilities |
200 |
200 |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
Brewery Dischargers |
10,000 |
5,000 |
High |
High |
High |
|
Car Wash |
20 |
150 |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
Department and Retail Store |
150 |
150 |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
Hospital and Convalescent |
250 |
100 |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
Hotel with Dining Facilities |
500 |
600 |
High |
High |
High |
|
Hotel/Motel without Dining |
310 |
120 |
High |
Low |
High |
|
Industrial Laundry |
670 |
680 |
High |
High |
High |
|
Laundromat |
150 |
110 |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
Laundry, Commercial |
450 |
240 |
High |
Low |
High |
|
Market with Garbage Grinders |
800 |
800 |
High |
High |
High |
|
Mortuary |
800 |
800 |
High |
High |
High |
|
Professional Office |
130 |
80 |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
Repair Shop and Service Station |
180 |
280 |
Low |
High |
High |
|
Restaurant |
1,000 |
600 |
High |
High |
High |
|
School and College |
130 |
100 |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
Septate |
5,400 |
12,000 |
High |
High |
High |
|
Soft Water Service |
3 |
55 |
Low |
Low |
Low |
|
DSHS |
Measured |
Measured |
Measured |
Measured |
Measured |
|
Casino |
Measured |
Measured |
Measured |
Measured |
Measured |
|
Winery Dischargers |
>1,000 |
260 |
High |
High |
High |
B. Each commercial and industrial account shall be assigned to a strength classification by the director or designee based on a review of the wastewater discharges from each account.
C. The director may classify any emerging business or industrial types not listed above, after comparing the sewer customer’s waste strength to measured values for similar, representative users as published in any available state, county, and/or municipal study data. (Ord. 1187 § 17, 2017).
13.08.090 Commercial base and volume rate structure.
A. The following monthly sewer rates and charges are hereby imposed on the commercial and industrial customer classifications. This customer class includes without limitation hotels, restaurants, schools, hospitals, churches, lodges, intermittently used buildings, government uses, potable irrigation, and commercial or industrial uses. This customer class includes all business/industrial types identified in SMC 13.08.080 as well as emerging business or industrial types the city may classify in the future to protect the sewerage system and prevent cost of service inequities.
|
Commercial Rate |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Base monthly unit charge for water consumption up to 600 cubic feet |
|||||||
|
|
Low Commercial |
$97.92 |
$99.88 |
$101.85 |
$104.91 |
$105.83 |
$107.84 |
|
|
High Commercial |
$121.72 |
$126.19 |
$130.78 |
$134.70 |
$140.31 |
$145.20 |
|
Volume charge for each additional 100 cubic feet or portion thereof (above 600 cubic feet) |
|||||||
|
|
Low Commercial |
$7.09 |
$7.23 |
$7.37 |
$7.59 |
$7.65 |
$7.80 |
|
|
High Commercial |
$9.64 |
$9.99 |
$10.35 |
$10.66 |
$11.11 |
$11.50 |
B. For commercial customers, the base monthly unit charge will be added to an estimated volumetric charge for the water used at the premises, based upon the average usage for the corresponding month of the preceding year, averaged over a three-month period including the preceding and following month. In the event there is no prior history for the preceding year, the charge shall be based upon the average water usage for the month for all customers of the municipal water supply system in the same service class. (Ord. 1284 § 2, 2023; Ord. 1248 § 3, 2021; Ord. 1242 § 2, 2020; Ord. 1187 § 18, 2017).