Marin County Municipal Code Ch. 18.10 Sewer User Service Charges

(a) Assessor's Use Code. "Assessor's Use Code" means the number coding and classification of property in use by the Marin County assessor.

(b) Connection. "Connection" means any physical connection between any type of piping not owned by the district to any other type of piping which is directly or indirectly connected to the district sewer system.

(c) Districts. "Districts" means Kay Park Sewer Maintenance District, San Quentin Village Sewer Maintenance District, and Murray Park Sewer Maintenance District.

(d) District Sewer System. "District sewer system" means any sewer which is part of the sewage facilities owned and operated by the aforesaid districts.

(e) Dwelling Unit. "Dwelling unit" means any residence, portion of apartment house, or other habitation occupied by a single person or single family which requires sewage disposal services.

(f) Engineer. "Engineer" means the Marin County director of public works.

(g) Owner. "Owner" means the person holding fee title to any premises as shown by the official records of the county recorder of Marin County.

(h) Person. "Person" means any person, firm, company, corporation, partnership, association, any public corporation, political subdivision, city, county, district, the state of California, or the United States of America, or any department or agency of any thereof. The singular in each case shall include the plural.

(i) Premises. "Premises" means any lot, piece or parcel of real property improved or unimproved within the territorial limits of the districts.

(j) Sewer User Unit. "Sewer user unit" means any dwelling unit or any building, commercial establishment, industry, or other improvement which discharges a sewage flow equivalent to one dwelling unit.

(Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)

No facilities or services of the districts' sewer systems shall be furnished to any premises or to any owner or other person free of charge.

(Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)

For each premises connected or required by the districts to be connected to the sewer system, a minimum monthly sewer service charge shall be established by resolution of the board of supervisors, adopted and amended from time to time.

(Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)

As used herein, the minimum monthly sewer service charge shall be construed to mean the minimum amount chargeable for sewer service; however, for any of the classifications listed herein, the monthly service charge may be more than that adopted by the board of supervisors pursuant to Section 18.10.060 when it is determined by the director of public works that it is uneconomical for the district to supply sewer services to the user for the minimum sewer service charge.

(Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)

The following are sewer user classes defined by the Marin County assessor:

(Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)

(a) One Unit Minimum. All premises connected to the district facilities will be assigned a minimum of one sewer user unit.

(b) Residential Dwellings. One sewer user unit shall be assigned to each single-family residential dwelling unit, each dwelling unit of a multiple residential building and each dwelling unit contained in a commercial, industrial, or other improved premises.

(c) Nonresidential Premises. For premises other than dwelling units, sewer user units shall be assigned based on the sewage discharge and strength of the premises. The winter water use for each nonresidential user shall be divided by the average residential water use for the same winter season to determine the sewer user units to be assigned. Premises discharging residential strength sewage shall be assigned one sewer user unit for each one thousand two hundred cubic feet of average monthly water consumption as measured during the winter season of a base year. Sewer user units as calculated above shall be rounded to the nearest integer (not less than one).

(d) Base Year Water Consumption. Sewer user unit assignments are based on the latest winter season water consumption records available at the time of the first adoption of the ordinance codified in this chapter and may be revised from time to time. Irrigation flows and other flows not discharging to the sewerage system are assigned zero sewer user units.

(e) High Strength Sewage. For certain nonresidential premises which discharge sewage having significantly greater strength characteristics than residential sewage, the total sewer user unit assignment shall be determined by multiplying the units determined in section 6(c) above by the strength factor shown.

For other users, if any, discharging high strength sewage, the strength factor shall be as determined by the director of public works.

(f) Inquiry Regarding Assignment of Sewer User Units. Questions or inquiries regarding the assignment of sewer user units must be submitted to the county in writing before changes in unit assignment will be made.

(g) Nonretroactive User Charges. Each property owner is responsible for the correctness of sewer user charges. Corrections or revisions due to changed circumstances shall not entitle a premises to repayment by the district for prior years user charges. Similarly, the county shall not back charge a premises for underpayment of user charges due to mistakes or omissions in the assignment of sewer user units.

(Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)

Commencing upon July 23, 1980, the sewer user service charge shall be those fees as are established by the board of supervisors by resolution for the users in the Kay Park Sewer Maintenance District, San Quentin Village Sewer Maintenance District, and Murray Park Sewer Maintenance District.

(Ord. 2567 § 1, 1980: Ord. 2415 § 1, 1979: Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)

The owner of record of each premises shall be responsible for payment of all charges.

(Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)

Sewer service charges shall become effective against all premises immediately upon connection to the district's facilities.

(Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)

If any premises shall become vacant, the applicable minimum monthly service charge shall continue to be charged to and collected from the owner of such premises, until the director of public works receives a written statement or request from the owner to disconnect the premises from the sewer system.

(Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)

In accordance with the provisions of Health and Safety Code Section 5473, said charges shall be collected on the county tax roll, in the same manner, by the same persons, at the same time as, together with, general Marin County taxes.

(Ord. 2355 § 1 (part), 1978)