Montclair Municipal Code Art. VII Sewer-Maintenance Fees

An occupant, owner or tenant whose premises is served by a connection to the City sewer system, whereby the domestic wastewater or nondomestic wastewater, or either or both, are disposed of by the City through the facilities of the regional treatment and disposal works owned by the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, or otherwise, shall pay a sewer-maintenance fee based on the number of service units for the various property classifications as determined by the following formula:

A. A sewer unit factor is developed by the following formula:

B. Conversion from gallons per day (GPD) to hundreds of cubic feet (HCF):

1. Residential Sewer Fees. The residential sewer rate is based on 270 GPD, regardless of actual water consumption; therefore, it is not necessary to make the calculation from GPD to HCF for residential rates.

2. Commercial and Industrial Sewer Fees. Commercial and industrial sewer fees are based on actual water consumption. The SU formula is based on GPD of sewer discharge, and meter readings are based on HCF of water consumption. One HCF is equivalent to 748 gallons of water. In order to establish a sewer billing formula based on metered consumption, a conversion from GPD to HCF has to be made. The following is how this conversion is accomplished:

270 GPD × 365 days ÷ 6 billing periods ÷ 748 = 21.96

(Sewer bills are generated bimonthly, resulting in six billing periods per year.)

21.96 represents the equivalent daily discharge (EDD) over a two-month period as measured in HCF.

C. Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) Calculation. The next step in the rate-development process is to determine the number of EDU's by using the SU formula, substituting 270 GPD with the equivalent daily discharge factor, and then multiplying the result by the bimonthly water consumption (BWC) as follows:

* Add landscape factor to (F) if applicable. If an account has combined domestic and landscape usage in the HCF-metered water consumption reading, then the HCF reading shall be multiplied by 0.55 prior to the EDUs being calculated in the formula. Fifty-five (55) percent represents the amount of consumption that is contributable to the domestic consumption. If an account has a special circumstance and can show that the landscape usage is different than the norm established in this section, that account can be so adjusted, provided the billing agency documents the change in the landscape factor and can provide that information to the auditor if required.

Sewer EDU Determinations for Commercial Categories

The sewer-maintenance fee for schools is based on the number of students as reported by the schools in October of each year.

D. The final step in development of the sewer bill is to multiply the EDUs by the EDU billing rate as established in Section 9.20.460.

(Ord. 99-791 Exh. A (part); prior code § 6-6.801)

The fees fixed by the provisions of this chapter shall be applicable only to premises to which a main line sewer is available.

(Ord. 99-791 Exh. A (part); prior code § 6-6.802)

When water services have been discontinued, no sewer-maintenance fee shall be levied on such premises during the period of such discontinuance.

(Ord. 99-791 Exh. A (part); prior code § 6-6.803)

The sewer-maintenance fee, as authorized in Section 9.20.360, shall be composed of three parts, to wit:

Part 1 - Sewage Treatment - That fee charged by the Inland Empire Utilities Agency for sewage treatment

Part 2 - Sewer Maintenance - That fee necessary to maintain the City sewer system including all sewer mainline, manholes, and cleanouts

Part 3 - Sewer Rehabilitation/Replacement - That fee necessary to develop a fund to construct, repair, replace, and/or rehabilitate the City Sewer System

The following maximum rates per month per equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) for the use of sewer services is established for structures discharging domestic or nondomestic waste into the City sewer system as follows:

Any revision of these fees shall be made in accordance with State statute and other applicable laws.

(Ord. 07-890 § 1: Ord. 99-791 Exh. A (part); prior code § 6-6.804)

The rate for the sewer-standby assessment is established at Two Dollars and Thirty-Five Cents ($2.35) for structures or vacant lot units having access, but not being connected, to the City sewer system. Any revision of this assessment shall be made upon satisfaction of any conditions imposed by state statute or other applicable laws.

(Ord. 99-791 Exh. A (part); prior code § 6-6.805)

The City Council may contract with Monte Vista Water District, or such other agency as designated by the City Council, the duty of collecting the sewer-maintenance fee or sewer-standby assessment on developed properties as provided for in this chapter. The City will collect the sewer-standby assessment on vacant land to which sewer service is made available as part of the property owner's annual San Bernardino County tax bill.

(Ord. 99-791 Exh. A (part); prior code § 6-6.806)

All moneys received from the collection of sewer maintenance fees and sewer-standby assessments as established by this chapter shall be deposited in the sewer fund. The money in such fund shall be used as permitted by Section 5471 of the California Health and Safety Code.

(Ord. 99-791 Exh. A (part); prior code § 6-6.807)