Chapter XV · Utilities

Article 3. Sewer Service

Sections 15-301 to 15-308 · 8 sections

15-301 Operation and maintenance funds.

Revenue received into the Water and Sewage Fund shall be used for the operation, renewing and maintenance of the city sewer system.

(Code 1996)

15-302 Charges; schools.

A charge of $1,000 for each school attached to the system for the use thereof shall be made and due each year, to be paid in the same manner and place as the city water bill.

(Ord. 222; Ord. 309; Ord. 315; Code 2001)

15-303 Charges; residence and business.

(a)All persons whose premises are or shall hereafter be connected to the city’s sanitary sewage disposal system (sometimes referred to as “customer”) shall pay to the city a monthly sewer service charge for the use of and/or availability of such sanitary sewage disposal system (sewer service charge).

(b)CHARGES; RESIDENCE AND BUSINESS

(1)For all contributors, monthly user charges will be based on average monthly water usage. Average monthly water usage will be determined from the average actual meter readings taken from the contributor during the previous months of January, February, and March except that if such readings are clearly inaccurate in reflecting actual water usage for domestic dwelling purposes, the average monthly water usage will be determined from the average actual water meter readings taken during the prior year’s months of January, February, and March. If a residential contributor has not established a monthly average, the premises of residential contributor is not occupied at any time during a particular month, the user charge for that month will be the minimum charge as hereafter stated. The minimum charge per month shall be $28.00 plus an additional $2.60 per 1,000 gallons in excess of 3,000 gallons usage per month per connection, to a maximum of $34.00 per month per connection, for all customers located in the City of Bennington. This charge shall be made and due to the city each month, from every other user except those set forth in Section 11-203 and said amount shall be paid in the same manner, time, and place as the city water service bill, and are hereby declared to be a part thereof, and that the refusal to pay any part of such bill, for any period of service, shall be sufficient cause of discontinuing water service. All bills shall be payable in the same manner as water bills, as provided in Section 11- 203.

(c)PROPERTY OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS

That the monthly sewage fee to be charged and collected for the use and services rendered by sanitary sewage system of the City of Bennington for all customers whose premises are located outside the City of Bennington and which are connected or may hereafter be connected, directly or indirectly to the city sanitary sewage system shall be the sum of $28.00 plus and additional $2.60 per 1,000 gallons in excess of 3,000 gallons usage per month per connection, to a maximum of $34.00 per month per connection.

(1)Based on such monthly average water consumption, the monthly sewer service charge for that customer shall be as follows, for utility billings issued after January 1, 2016:

(A)First 3,000 gallons $28.00

(B)All over 3,001 gallons, per 1,000 gallons $2.60

If the premises is located within the corporate limits of the city but has rural water or a well and is connected to city sewer service, than the customer shall be required to purchase and maintain a water meter and shall be charged the same rates as any other customer within the city limits.

For customers whose premises are situated outside the corporate limits of the city, such a customer shall be required to purchase and maintain a water meter, arid all rates shall be 50 percent greater than the rates set out in this section for customers within the corporate limits of the city.

(Ord. 201; Ord. 222; Ord. 270; Ord. 288; Ord. 309; Ord. 315; Ord. 395; Ord. 397; Code 2018)

15-304 Charges; trailer houses in trailer courts.

Trailer spaces occupied shall be counted at the same time as water meters are read each month and monthly charge shall be made the same as customers charged in Section 15-303. Said charges shall be paid in the same manner, time and place as City water bills.

(Ord. 222; Ord. 270; Code 2018)

15-305 Property outside the city limits.

(a)Monthly Charges. The monthly sewerage fee to be charged and collected for the use and services rendered by the sanitary sewerage system of the City of Bennington, for all customers whose pren1ises are located outside the City of Bennington and which are connected or may hereafter be com1ected, directly or indirectly to the city sanitary sewerage system, shall be the sum of Twenty-Eight Dollars ($28.00) plus an additional Two Dollars and Sixty Cents ($2.60) per thousand gallons in excess of 3,000 gallons usage per month per connection, to a maximum of Thirty-Six Dollars ($36.00) per month per connection.

(b)Connection Fee. There shall be a Fifty Dollar ($50.00) charge for customers outside the city limits to connect to the city sewer system.

(c)Permit Fee. There shall be a One Dollar ($1.00) charge for a permit to customers outside the city limits to connect to the city sewer system.

(Ord. 225; Ord. 270; Ord. 288; Ord. 309; Ord. 315; Ord. 395; Code 2018)

15-306 Sewer rehabilitation fund established.

Purpose of the fund is to provide funds for the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of aging sewer mains within the corporate limits of the City of Bennington. Funds remaining each year will be placed in the Capital Improvement Fund to offset budget expenditures for the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of sewer mains within the corporate limits of the City of Bennington.

(Ord. 361; Code 2018)

15-307 Monthly fee.

The monthly sewer rehabilitation fund fee shall be $5.00 per month per water meter at each location that is connected to the city sewer system.

(Ord. 361; Code 2018)

15-308 Penalty.

Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this article, or doing any of the acts or things prohibited by this article or failing or refusing to perform any duty imposed by this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined in any amount not to exceed $200, or be imprisoned not to exceed 30 days, or be both so fined and imprisoned. Each month of sewer use without payment of the sewer service charge shall constitute a new offense.

(Ord. 361; Code 2018)