Needles Municipal Code Art. 17 II Conditions Governing The Extension Of Wastewater Collection And…

Application for city’s wastewater collection and treatment service often involves construction of new facilities for various distances and costs depending upon customer’s location, size and characteristics. With such variations, it is necessary to establish conditions under which the city will extend its facilities.

All extensions are subject to the availability of adequate capacity and city facilities at the beginning point of an extension. These rules shall govern extensions of the wastewater collection systems and expansion o treatment facilities to serve customers, when such requirements are deemed by the city to be usual and reasonable in nature.

1. Basis for extensions.

1.2 Responsible resource development basis:

residential service only. 1.3 Economic development basis: specific applications only. 1.4 Doubtful permanency basis: all classes of service. 1.5 Temporary basis: all classes of service. 1.6 Seasonal customer basis: all classes of service.

2. Extension conditions.

Extensions of wastewater collection and treatment facilities to customer’s

premises which will be continuously occupied less than nine months out of each twelve-month period may be made only if the customer pays two times the connection fees established by this chapter of the City Code for the type of premises being connected.

3. Refunds.

No person shall construct, use or alter any municipal

wastewater system or house connection sewer without first obtaining a public works permit from the city.

All suitable easements or rights-of-way required by city for any portion of the extension

shall be furnished in city’s name by customer without cost to or condemnation by city, and in reasonable time to meet proposed service requirements. All easements and rights-of-way obtained on behalf of city shall contain such terms and conditions as are acceptable to the city.

Except for customer-owned facilities, which includes the connecting sewer pipe to the

municipal wastewater system, all construction, including that for which customers have made advances and/or contributions, will be owned, operated and maintained by city, after acceptance by the city.

In unusual circumstances, as determined by the city, when the application

and provisions of this policy appear impractical, or in case of extensions of the municipal wastewater system is different than specified in the applicable rate structure, or in case customer’s requirements exceed the municipal wastewater system capacity or other similar limitation, the city will make a special study of the conditions to determine the basis on which service may be provided.

Where extensions of wastewater collection and treatment facilities require

construction that is in any way nonstandard, as determined by city, or if unusual obstructions are encountered, customer may request city approval for a variance prior to beginning construction or modifications.

Customer may rebuild or modify existing facilities to

meet customer’s added discharges or change in service requirements only after obtaining a permit from the city. The city reserves the right to refuse such rebuild or modification requests, when such requests are not consistent with the terms and conditions for the sale of wastewater collection and treatment services, or the city’s engineering standards, or state or federal regulations.

An applicant(s) who is not a real estate development may request the city to prepare

detailed plans, specifications or cost estimates for the extension of the municipal wastewater system. The preparation of such detailed plans, specifications or cost estimates will be completed by the city, or a contractor hired by the city, at city option, and may require a payment from the applicant of an amount equal to the estimated costs of preparation. If the plans, specifications or cost estimates are prepared for an applicant(s), the city, at its option, may credit the design costs to the cost of construction, if the applicant(s) decide to complete the construction within twelve months after the design is prepared. City, at its option, may prepare for the applicant, without charge, a preliminary sketch and rough estimate of the costs to extend wastewater service to a premises upon request.

5. Improvement, assessment and lien agreements.

Improvement, assessment and lien agreements are not available to real estate

developments or to customers where the extension is serving within a development that has been built since 1980, unless such development was built in an area where municipal wastewater service was not previously available. The purpose of improvement, assessment or lien agreement is to aid property owners, within existing developments with installing sewage connections to the municipal wastewater system from a cesspool, septic tank or similar sewage treatment system.

system to serve premises currently not being served by the system. However, no sewer line, lateral or drain shall be constructed unless three-fourths of the adjoining property owners to such wastewater lines have paid the fees required for construction, or executed appropriate assessment or improvement district documents or payment of such fees. The individual or group of property owners requesting service is responsible for securing commitments and having documents executed by the required three-fourths of the adjoining property owners.

written agreement, and the agreement shall contain a description of the work to be performed, a schedule of construction, an estimate of costs, and shall provide for the city to perform the work or for the city to contract with others with the completion of the work, at its option.

6. Economic feasibility basis extensions.

Extensions shall be allowed, when the conditions in Section 6.1 are met and

the extension is determined to be economically feasible by the city. “Economic feasibility” shall mean that the estimated revenues from the completed project, less the estimated wastewater collection and treatment maintenance and operating costs, provide an adequate rate of return on investment to the city.

City, at its option, may extend its facilities to customers whose use does not

satisfy the economic feasibility requirements of Section 6.2, provided such customers sign an extension agreement and agree to pay a special rate or an annual facilities charge to make the facilities economically feasible.

subject to refund.

7. Responsible resource development basis (residential real estate developments only).

If an extension does not qualify or is not accepted, it may be evaluated at

developer’s request to determine if it qualifies for the economic feasibility basis.

to refund.

8. Economic development basis.

Extensions shall be allowed when the conditions in Section 8.1 have been

met and approval for an economic development extension is granted by the board of public utilities and city council.

determined on an individual application basis by the board of public utilities and city council.

If an extension does not qualify or is not accepted by the board of public

utilities or the city council, the customer/developer may request an economic feasibility basis extension.

subject to refund.

9. Doubtful permanency basis.

application for service is not expected to be permanent, but is expected to be an active customer for more than twelve consecutive months. Doubtful permanency customers will be required to advance the total construction and removal or abandonment cost, less any salvage value of the extension.