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A. Monthly User Charges.

1. Residential Customers. Each residential customer shall pay a monthly user charge as follows:

Effective January 1, 2022

Customer Class

Inside City Limits

Outside City Limits

a. Single-Family Residential

$49.28 per mo. or $6.16 per CCF

$73.92 per mo. or $9.24 per CCF

b. Multifamily Residential

$49.28 per mo. or $6.16 per CCF

$73.92 per mo. or $9.24 per CCF

c. Nonprofit Shelter

$1.66 per CCF

$2.50 per CCF

Effective January 1, 2023

Customer Class

Inside City Limits

Outside City Limits

(1.483 x Inside)

a. Single-Family Residential

$52.24 per mo. or $6.53 per CCF

$77.47 per mo. or $9.68 per CCF

b. Multifamily Residential

$52.24 per mo. or $6.53 per CCF

$77.47 per mo. or $9.68 per CCF

c. Nonprofit Shelter

$1.76 per CCF

$2.61 per CCF

Effective January 1, 2024

Customer Class

Inside City Limits

Outside City Limits

(1.466 x Inside)

a. Single-Family Residential

$55.36 per mo. or $6.92 per CCF

$81.16 per mo. or $10.14 per CCF

b. Multifamily Residential

$55.36 per mo. or $6.92 per CCF

$81.16 per mo. or $10.14 per CCF

c. Nonprofit Shelter

$1.87 per CCF

$2.74 per CCF

2. Sewer charges for each single-family or multifamily residential customer shall be based upon that customer’s average water usage, recorded when meters are normally read for billing purposes, within the previous January through March window. Each customer, other than qualifying low-income seniors as defined in subsection (A)(2)(e) of this section, is subject to a minimum volume charge of three CCF per month.

a. Single-family or multifamily residential customers shall be charged an average 60-day consumption of the billing periods specified above at the applicable inside city or outside city rate per CCF for sewer as set forth in subsection (A)(1) of this section. For new accounts in which the two-month water consumption history has not been established, the director may establish an interim rate in accordance with department policies. The director shall approve a written policy for the setting of this interim rate that will include, but not be limited to, how the interim rate is calculated.

b. The applicable inside city or outside city flat rate set forth in subsection (A)(1) of this section shall be used as the monthly sewer billing rate for any customer for whom for any reason the provisions of this subsection cannot be used.

c. The utilities division shall develop written rules consistent with this subsection and the ordinance codified in this section for the fair and efficient administration of such sewer rate.

d. For the purpose of applying the rates as set forth in subsection (A)(2)(c) of this section, the term “nonprofit shelter” shall be defined to mean a facility operated by a nonprofit organization that provides clients with on-site food, beds or shelter for free or at significantly below-market rates.

e. For the purpose of applying the low income senior minimum sewer flow waiver as set forth in subsection (A)(2) of this section, applicants shall meet the following:

i. Applications shall be obtained from and filed with the director or their designee. The application shall be on a form prescribed by the director, and shall contain the information necessary to evaluate the applicant’s qualification for the low income senior minimum sewer flow waiver.

A. Submission of an application for a utility discount shall constitute a verification by the applicant that all information provided in such application is true and correct to the best of the applicant’s knowledge.

B. Once approved by the department, the application shall become effective the next billing cycle after approval of the application.

C. Each application is effective for 12 months commencing the first month the reduced rate becomes effective for the applicant. It shall be the sole responsibility of the applicant to reapply for successive 12-month periods of eligibility.

D. The rate reduction shall only apply to utility charges for service to a residence. The residence for which the rate reduction is requested must be the applicant’s principal place of residence.

E. The applicant must be the head of the household for the residence for which the rate reduction is requested.

F. The utility account must be in the applicant’s name or the name of the applicant’s spouse.

ii. For purposes of this section, the term “low-income senior” shall be defined as follows:

A. Be 62 years of age or older at all times during any period for which a minimum sewer flow waiver is requested; and

B. Have been a sewer customer of the city at all times during any period for which a minimum sewer flow waiver is requested; and

C. Have an income during the calendar year or portion thereof for which a minimum sewer flow waiver is requested, from all sources whatsoever, either (1) not exceeding 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for a household of any size as published by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development or (2) not exceeding the income qualification for low-income seniors set forth in RCW 84.36.381(5)(a), whichever is greater.

3. Commercial, Industrial, Electronics and Government Customers. Each such customer shall pay a monthly user charge per hundred cubic feet (CCF) as follows; provided, each such customer is subject to a minimum user charge equal to the applicable inside or outside city flat monthly rate for one single-family service set forth in subsection (A)(1) of this section:

Effective January 1, 2022:

Customer Class

Inside City Limits

Outside City Limits

a. Commercial

$7.22 per CCF

$10.82 per CCF

b. Government

$4.41 per CCF

$6.62 per CCF

c. Industrial

$7.47 per CCF

$11.20 per CCF

d. Electronics

$5.49 per CCF19

$8.24 per CCF20

Notes for Electronic Customer Class – Effective January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022:

19For monthly average flows above 2.88 million gallons per day, the rate shall be $4.39 per CCF.

20For monthly average flows above 2.88 million gallons per day, the rate shall be $6.59 per CCF.

Effective January 1, 2023:

Customer Class

Inside City Limits

Outside City Limits

(1.483 x Inside)

a. Commercial

$7.65 per CCF

$11.34 per CCF

b. Government

$4.67 per CCF

$6.93 per CCF

c. Industrial

$7.92 per CCF

$11.75 per CCF

d. Electronics

$5.82 per CCF21

$8.63 per CCF22

Notes for Electronic Customer Class – Effective January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023:

21For monthly average flows above 2.88 million gallons per day, the rate shall be $4.65 per CCF.

22For monthly average flows above 2.88 million gallons per day, the rate shall be $6.90 per CCF.

Effective January 1, 2024:

Customer Class

Inside City Limits

Outside City Limits

(1.466 x Inside)

a. Commercial

$8.11 per CCF

$11.89 per CCF

b. Government

$4.95 per CCF

$7.26 per CCF

c. Industrial

$8.40 per CCF

$12.31 per CCF

d. Electronics

$6.17 per CCF23

$9.05 per CCF24

Notes for Electronic Customer Class – Effective January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024:

23For monthly average flows above 2.88 million gallons per day, the rate shall be $4.93 per CCF.

24For monthly average flows above 2.88 million gallons per day, the rate shall be $7.23 per CCF.

4. The rate for discharging septage at the city’s publicly owned treatment works (POTW) as provided for in Chapter 5.72 VMC effective January 1, 2021, shall be $155.00 for each 1,000 gallons, or fraction thereof, discharged into the POTW. The rate for discharging septage at the city’s POTW may be adjusted not more than once per calendar year by the director to address the unique operational and capital needs associated with providing this service.

5. “Industrial customer” is defined as an industrial user of the public sewer system who:

a. Has a discharge flow of 10,000 gallons of processed wastewater or more per average workday; or

b. Has a concentration of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS) in excess of 200 milligrams per liter per average work day; or

c. Is found by the city, State Department of Ecology or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to have potential for a significant impact on the wastewater treatment system.

6. “Electronics user” is defined as an industrial user of the public sewer system who:

a. Has a discharge flow of 500,000 gallons or more per average work day; and

b. Has a concentration of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS) less than 200 milligrams per liter per average work day.

B. Liquids Not Originating From City Water System. Any person discharging into the city sanitary sewerage system sewage which has in it liquids which did not originate from the city water system shall meter or measure by some method approved by the director all water used in the premises, whether the water is obtained from the municipal water supply system or from wells, private water systems or other sources.

C. Used Water Not Flowing Into Sewer System. Where the user of water is such that a portion of all of the water used does not flow into a city sewer but is lost by evaporation or is used in manufacture or processes such as ice, beverages, foods or the like and the person in control provides proof of this fact and installs a meter or other measuring device approved by the director to measure the amount of water so used or lost, no charge shall be made for sewerage because of water so used or lost.

D. Computation of Utility Rates. For the purpose of computing water and sewer bills, all residences, regardless of number of units, shall be deemed residential, and each unit therein shall be deemed a residence. All other uses shall be deemed commercial, industrial or government. (Ord. M-4391 § 2, 2022; Ord. M-4359 § 1, 2021; Ord. M-4327 § 2, 2021; Ord. M-4315 § 2, 2020; Ord. M-4257 § 5, 2018; Ord. M-4239 § 11, 2018; Ord. M-4193 § 5, 2017; Ord. M-4184 § 3, 2016; Ord. M-4143 § 3, 2015; Ord. M-4143 § 3, 2015; Ord. M-4099 § 2, 2014; Ord. M-4032 § 2, 2012; Ord. M-4022 § 20, 2012; Ord. M-3968 § 1, 2010; Ord. M-3924 § 1, 2009; Ord. M-3899 § 2, 2008; Ord. M-3690 § 1, 2005; Ord. M-3651 § 2, 2004; Ord. M-3609, 2002; Ord. M-3514, 2000; Ord. M-3398, 1998; Ord. M-3386, 1998; Ord. M-3337, 1997; Ord. M-3096 § 2, 1993; Ord. M-3061 § 2, 1993; Ord. M-2923 § 1, 1990; Ord. M-2913 § 2, 1990; Ord. M-2867 § 1, 1990; Ord. M-2848 § 2, 1989; Ord. M-2792 § 2, 1988; Ord. M-2659 § 3, 1986; Ord. M-2520 § 4, 1985; Ord. M-2278 §§ 2-3, 1982; Ord. M-2256 §§ 5-9, 1981; Ord. M-2144 §§ 9-13, 1980)