Arcata Municipal Code Art. 8 Wastewater User Charges and Fees

A schedule of charges and fees for connection to and use of the POTW shall be adopted by resolution of the City. Said charges and fee schedule may include, but not be limited to, fees for the following:

A. Permit application fees, including sewer connection applications and wastewater discharge permit applications;

B. Sewer connection fees;

C. Capital improvements fees;

D. Engineering plans and specifications review fees;

E. Fees for inspecting the installation and/or operation of private sewer systems including mains, laterals and all appurtenances thereto;

F. Permit compliance fees;

G. User classification charges;

H. Grease trap or grease interceptor fees;

I. Fees for monitoring and inspection, including the cost of collection and analyzing an industrial user’s discharge, and reviewing monitoring reports submitted by industrial users;

J. Appeal fees;

K. Charges and fees based on wastewater constituents and characteristics to include cost recovery provisions of the Clean Water Act;

L. Fees for reviewing and responding to accidental discharge procedures and construction;

M. Fees for enforcement which shall include all charges for labor, materials, testing, equipment, and an administrative charge;

N. Sewer service charges for any direct or indirect connection into the POTW, based on the following:

1. Private water supplies shall be metered whenever required by the City Council and shall be considered on the same basis as water supplied by the City for the purpose of computing sewer service charges.

2. If any source of water is unmetered, the rate of water consumption shall be estimated by the City for the purpose of computing sewer service charges;

O. A deposit for services;

P. Fees for discharging holding tank waste into the POTW;

Q. Other fees as the Council may deem necessary to carry out the requirements of this Chapter. (Ord. 1461, eff. 9/18/2015)

In the event of a leak in a user’s private water system where an adjustment has been made to the water service charges, a similar adjustment will also be made to the sewer service charges. If it is determined that the water discharged as a result of the leak did not enter the POTW, no sewer service charges will be applied to the excess water. No written application for adjustment is necessary in the case of water system leaks. (Ord. 1461, eff. 9/18/2015)

A. Billing Period. In the event sewer service charges are not collected with other utility charges of the City, the regular billing period will be for each calendar month, or bimonthly, as determined by the City Council.

B. Opening and Closing Bills. Opening and closing bills for less than the normal billing period shall be for not less than two (2) weeks.

C. Billing Time. Bills for sewer service shall be rendered at the end of each billing period and are payable upon presentation. (Ord. 1461, eff. 9/18/2015)

All sewer service charges shall be billed to the following persons:

A. In the case of any person whose premises are connected with the water system, then to the person who requested such connection to the water system, or his/her successor in interest, or to any person requesting that such bill be charged to him; or

B. In the case of any person whose premises are not connected to the water system, then to the person who requested such connection to the POTW, or his/her successor in interest, or, if no such request was made, then to the owner of such premises on the date on which such premises are required hereby to connect to the POTW, or to the successor in interest to such person, or to any person requesting that such bill be charged to him. (Ord. 1461, eff. 9/18/2015)

All fees and charges imposed pursuant to this Article not paid sixty (60) days after the billing date shall be delinquent and a penalty of ten percent (10%) of the delinquent amount shall be assessed. (Ord. 1461, eff. 9/18/2015)

The City reserves the right to take any, all, or a combination of methods authorized by law, in the alternative or concurrently, in its sole discretion, to collect unpaid deposits, charges, penalties and interest of delinquent accounts. Such remedies include, but are not exclusive to:

A. Pursuant to and in accordance with Health and Safety Code Section 5474, any unpaid charges and interest may constitute a lien against the respective property to which the sewer service is then connected; or

B. Pursuant to and in accordance with Health and Safety Code Section 5473, the City may collect any unpaid charges on the tax roll and in the same manner, by the same persons, and at the same time as, together with and not separately from, its general taxes; or

C. A court action for, in which event the City shall have judgment for the cost of suit and reasonable attorney’s fees; or

D. Discontinuance of City services charged on a unified bill, including water. (Ord. 1588, eff. 8/14/2026)

Repealed by Ord. 1588. (Ord. 1461, eff. 9/18/2015)

The sewer service charges may be collected with the rates for services, facilities and water of the water system or other utility services furnished by the City. The sewer service charges shall, in such event, be itemized, billed upon the same bill, and collected as one (1) item, together with and not separately from such utility service charge. (Ord. 1461, eff. 9/18/2015)

Charges and fees established for each user or user classification, including permitted users, shall be based on measured or estimated wastewater constituents and characteristics of the discharge of each user or user classification, which may include, but not be limited to, BOD, COD, SS, oil and grease, chlorine demand, volume, and rate of flow. (Ord. 1461, eff. 9/18/2015)

A. Sewer service charges and fees shall be based on the total water usage at the premises as measured by City meters or City-approved privately installed and maintained meters.

B. If the City reasonably determines that due to the principal activity of the user or other type of diversion of water from the property a significant amount of water received by the property is not discharged into the POTW, a user may apply in writing to the City to have sewer service charges and fees based on either the actual or estimated volume of wastewater discharged into the POTW. The City shall determine in its discretion which alternate methodology below, if either, shall form the basis of sewer service charges:

1. With City approval, the user may install and maintain a meter to measure either the actual amount of wastewater discharged into the POTW or the amount of water diverted from the property and not discharged into the POTW. Such meters shall be maintained at the expense of the user and be tested for accuracy at the expense of the user when deemed necessary by the City.

2. The City may estimate the volume of wastewater to be discharged, considering such factors as the number of drainage fixture units, seating capacity, population equivalent, annual production of goods and services or such other determinations of water use necessary to estimate the wastewater volume discharged. (Ord. 1461, eff. 9/18/2015)