Wasco Municipal Code Ch. 13.14 Sewer Service Charges

There is levied and imposed upon the owner or occupant of any and all parcels within the city of Wasco having any sewer connection with the sewage system of the city, or otherwise discharging sewage which ultimately passes through the sewage system of the city, a sewer service charge as hereinafter provided. All sewer service charges described in this chapter may be revised, modified, or adopted by resolution of the city council. (Ord. 717 §1, 2021; Ord. 576, 2008; Ord. 399 Art. I(1), 1994).

A. The charge imposed upon each residential parcel of property, dependent upon the category within which it is found in the list below, for each month, commencing the first day of the month following thirty days after its adoption, shall be as follows:

Charge Per Unit Per
Category Units
Month

Single-family residences Dwelling unit $23.78

Apartment/mobilehome park Unit 23.78

B. The charge imposed upon each commercial parcel of real property, dependent upon the category within which it is found in the list below, for each month, commencing on the first day of the month following thirty days after its adoption, shall be as follows:

Charge Per Unit Per
Category Units
Month

Bakery Each $ 58.44

Ballpark Each 8.71

Barber and beauty shops Each 34.68

Bars (without dining) Each 75.91

Car wash Each 92.34

Churches Each 15.29

Commercial cleaners Each 129.96

Convenience store Each 17.26

Charge Per Unit Per
Category Units
Month

Doctor and dentist offices Each 30.35

Food market Per 1,000 sq. ft. or 7.88
portion thereof

Hospitals Per Bed 15.29

Hotel/Motel Per Room 13.11

Laundromats Each 298.70

Meeting or convention halls Each 8.71

Mortuaries

(a) with embalming facilities Each 86.67

(b) without embalming facilities Each 8.71

Motion picture theaters Each 58.44

Office buildings Office Unit 8.71

Park (w/wading pool) Each 15.29

Pool halls Each 58.44

Printing and publishing Each 13.17

Auto repair shops and service stations

(a) without wash racks Each 30.35

(b) with wash racks Each 69.41

Restaurants Establishment 166.61

Retail shop Shop 8.71

Schools

(a) grammar Pupil (a.d.a.) 9.02

(b) high school/junior high school Pupil (a.d.a.) 10.91

Charge Per Unit Per
Category Units
Month

Public swimming pool Each .83

Potato shed Each 1.07

Septage receiving station 1,800 gallons 91.50

C. The service charge imposed upon each industrial parcel of real property, and not classified as either residential or commercial in the two preceding divisions, shall be determined by the following formula:

1. General Formula. C = 1,548.9 V + 0.63774 B + 0.50687 S where:

C = Annual service charge in dollars.

V = Annual volume million gallons of wastewater discharged by user in the city of Wasco’s sewage system.

B = Annual pound of five-day biochemical oxygen demand discharge by the user into the city of Wasco sewage system.

S = Annual pounds of suspended solids, discharged by the user into city of Wasco’s sewage system.

The city of Wasco shall examine the available data in its files on the wastewater volume and characteristics on
each industrial user, and its sole decision on the quantity and loadings of the wastewater shall be final.

2. If the fee calculation is defined in the discharge permit for a specific industrial discharger, then that fee
calculation shall supersede the calculation in subsection (C)(1) of this section for said specific discharger.

D. The city shall collect besides the service charge in subsection C of this section, an additional charge known as the industrial cost recovery from those industrial users which discharge either: (a) twenty-five thousand gallons per day or more of equivalent sanitary domestic wastes; or per day or more equivalent sanitary domestic wastes; or (b) toxic materials. The industrial cost recovery shall be determined by the following formula:

C = 845.4 V + 0.1205 B + 0.06443 S where:

C = Annual industrial cost recovery in dollars and V, B and S are defined in subsection C of this section.

E. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this chapter contained, any premises within the city of Wasco boundaries having a sewer connection, but for which a specific category or classification for sewer service charges has not been set forth above, or for any vehicle that discharges sewage or wastes to the city’s sewage treatment plant, the city shall charge such premises or vehicle at a rate based on the formula shown in subsection C of this section. The quantity and characteristics of wastewater discharged shall be estimated by the city of Wasco in its sole discretion and its determination shall be final.

F. Alternatively to all other charges described in this section, any commercial user whose property has a water meter may elect to be charged for sewer service based upon water consumption (the "alternative sewer charge program"). Any election by a customer to utilize the alternative sewer charge program shall be made in writing to the public works director. The election to utilize the alternative sewer charge program may be canceled by the customer by written notice to the public works director any time following twelve months from the date that the customer elects to utilize the alternative sewer charge program. A customer who has canceled the alternative sewer charge program may not elect to utilize it again for a period of twelve months following the cancellation. The city council may adopt the rates to be utilized for the alternative sewer charge program by resolution. (Ord. 663 §2, 2016; Ord. 598 §1, 2009; Ord. 588 §3 (Exh. B), 2009; Ord. 533 §3 (Exh. A), 2007; Ord. 454 Exh. B, 2001; Ord. 435 §§1, 2, 1999; Ord. 417 §1, 1997; Ord. 399 Art. I(2), 1994).

The public works director shall bill each of the users monthly for the charge herein established and the charge shall be imposed upon the firm or person who subscribes for the water services for the premises and the said sewer services charge shall be coupled with the monthly water service billing. For nonpayment of either service, the water service and/or sewer service, same is subject to disconnection or turnoff. Any fine, penalty, interest, or costs imposed on a violator of this chapter under Chapter 1.20 may be, in addition to all other remedies available to the city thereunder, added to the violator’s water bill described in this section and thereafter be subject to enforcement therein including, without limitation, disconnection or turnoff of water service. (Ord. 639 §1, 2014; Ord. 576, 2008; Ord. 399 Art. III, 1994).