13.24.010   Monthly rates designated.

Effective January 1, 2020 sewer service charges shall be as follows:

A.

General. The sewer service charge shall be the total of the base sewer service charge, the King County surcharge, and, for commercial and industrial customers, the applicable additional flow and unit charges.

B.

Base Sewer Service Charge. The base sewer service charge shall be per equivalent residential unit as set by the city utility rate schedule. The base sewer service charge is for the City of Black Diamond local costs of providing sewer connection services.

C.

King County Surcharge. There shall be, in addition to the city base sewer service charge, a surcharge reflecting the cost of service charged to the city by King County for wastewater transmission, storage and treatment. The surcharge shall be as set by the city utility rate schedule.

D.

Residential Sewer Charge. Residential customers shall be subject to the base sewer service charge plus the King County Surcharge. Owners of multiple residential units, whether apartments, condominiums, manufactured home parks, or other multi-family residential structures, shall also be subject to the base sewer service charge plus the King County Surcharge for each permitted residential unit in the manufactured home park, structure, or complex served by a single meter. For purposes of this chapter, a "permitted residential unit" in a manufactured home park means a manufactured home for which a landing permit has been issued.

E.

Lifeline Utility Program. Residential users who have been approved under the lifeline utility program will receive a discount on the city base sewer service charge as shown on the city utility rate schedule.

F.

Commercial and Industrial Customers. For each water meter in use, commercial, industrial, institutional, and non-residential customers shall be subject to the base sewer service charge plus the King County Surcharge plus additional flow charges as set by the city utility rate schedule for monthly water consumption in excess of seven hundred fifty cubic feet, as measured by such water meter. The user shall, for each water meter in use that serves more than one unit, be subject to an additional unit charge as set by the city utility rate schedule for each additional unit served by that water meter. For purposes of this section, the word "unit" shall be defined as any structure or location at which a distinct business, service, or industry is conducted.

G.

Irrigation and Landscaping. Any user subject to an additional flow charge may apply to the city for installation of a separate meter to monitor water usage solely for irrigation and landscaping purposes. The individual or entity requesting such a meter shall pay the city for the cost of the meter and cost of installation according to the city utility rate schedule. Water consumed for these purposes shall not be subject to any sewer service charges and surcharge but shall be subject to the water service charges according to the city utility rate schedule.

H.

Home Occupations. For purposes of this chapter, home occupations shall not be considered a second use.

I.

Taxes. Federal, state and local taxes, where applicable, shall be added to the sums as set forth above.

J.

CPI-U Annual Adjustment. The monthly base sewer service, additional flow and unit charges set forth in the city utility rate schedule shall be adjusted annually at 12:01 a.m. on January 1st of each year by the annual percentage of change in the all urban consumer price index ("CPI-U") published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor for the Western Region, using the July index for the year immediately preceding the year of the adjustment.* In no event shall the monthly charges decrease as a result of the CPI-U adjustment without separate and specific action by the city council. The CPI-U adjustment shall apply to the base sewer service, additional flow and unit charges, as annually adjusted pursuant to this section.

(Ord. 842 § 1, 2007: Ord. 823 § 1, 2007: Ord. 807 § 1, 2005: Ord. 772 § 1, 2004: Ord. 751 § 1, 2003: Ord. 736 § 1, 2002: Ord. 722 § 1, 2002: Ord. 709 § 1, 2000: Ord. 686 § 1, 1999: Ord. 652 § 1, 1998: Ord. 630 § 1, 1998: Ord. 588 § 2 (part), 1996)

(Ord. No. 877, § 1, 11-20-2008; Ord. No. 926, § 1, 12-17-2009; Ord. No. 955, § 1, 12-16-2010; Ord. No. 977, § 1, 9-6-2012; Ord. No. 1007, § 2, 8-1-2013; Ord. No. 1080, § 1, 12-15-16; Ord. No. 1109, § 1, 11-15-2018; Ord. No. 1133, § 1(Att. A), 12-5-2019)

* Note: For example, if the annual percentage increase in the CPI-U for the Western Division for July 2016 was 1.4 percent (the percentage of change in the CPI-U from July of 2015 to June 30, of 2016), the monthly base sewer service, additional flow and unit charges for 2017 is increased on January 1, 2017 by 1.4 percent.

13.24.020   Failure to pay—Delinquent bills—Liens—Water shutoff authorized.

A.

The sewer rates established in Section 13.24.010 are due and payable in full at city hall and, if not paid within thirty days of the billing date identified on the billing notice, shall be delinquent.

B.

All delinquent sewer charges shall be a lien against the property to which such service has been furnished or is available, which lien shall be superior to all other liens and encumbrances except general taxes and local and special assessments. Said lien may be enforced according to the procedure established in RCW 35.67.210 through 35.67.280, as currently enacted or hereafter amended.

C.

As an additional and concurrent method of enforcing the lien authorized in this section, the city may cut off water service to the premises to which the sewer service was furnished, in accordance with the procedure established in Section 13.04.270. Once water service is properly terminated, it shall not be restored to the premises until all delinquent sewer rates and fees and a turn-on charge in the amount set forth in the city's official fee schedule, as authorized in Section 2.62.010, are paid in full at city hall.

(Ord. 588 § 2 (part), 1996)

(Ord. No. 901, § 3, 4-23-2009)

13.24.025   Interest added to past due accounts—Use of collections authorized.

Interest may be added to delinquent accounts and unpaid charges and costs sent to a collections agency according to the procedures established in Section 13.04.310.

(Ord. No. 901, § 6, 4-23-2009)

13.24.030   Periodic review.

The charges and fees established by this chapter shall be reviewed periodically by the city council. As part of such review, the city's finance department shall present to the city council proposed amendments to any rates and charges necessary to enable the city to pay all costs to be incurred by the city's sewer system. Amendments to rates and charges shall be adopted by city council resolution and shall be reflected in the city utility rate schedule.

(Ord. 588 § 2 (part), 1996)

(Ord. No. 901, § 7, 4-23-2009; Ord. No. 1133, § 1(Att. A), 12-5-2019)