§ 58-222. Basis.
(a)
Water from the municipal water utility. The sewer charges made for sewerage service rendered to each lot, parcel of real estate or building having any connection with the city's sewerage system or otherwise discharging sewage into such system, either directly or indirectly, shall be based upon the quantity of water presumed to enter the public sewers after being used in or on the property, as the quantity is measured by the water meter or meters therein used by the municipal water utility, except as otherwise provided in this article.
(b)
Water from other sources. Where the property obtains any part or all of the water used from sources other than the municipal water utility, the owner or tenant may be required by the city to install and maintain, at his own expense, a meter acceptable to the city for the purpose of measuring the quantity of water obtained from the other sources, or the city may determine the quantity of such water by whatever means and methods it may find practicable.
(c)
Water not entering sewerage system. Where a significant portion of the metered water does not and cannot enter the sewerage system, either directly or indirectly, and where the quantity of water entering the premises averages more than 20,000 gallons per month, the person having charge of the property may request permission from the city to install, at his own expense, either an approved meter to determine the quantity of water that cannot enter the sewerage system or an approved sewage measuring device to determine the volume of sewage that actually enters the sewerage system. When appropriate, the city reserves the right to determine, by whatever other means and methods it may find practicable, the percentage of the property's metered water that enters the sewerage system. In any case, the sewer charge shall be applied to the quantity of water that can or actually does enter the public sewers.
(d)
Metering of sewage. The city may require a user to install and maintain, at his own expense, an approved device to directly measure the volumes of wastes discharged to the sewerage system if the volumes cannot otherwise be determined from the metered water consumption records. Any nonresidential user whose monthly water consumption is 2,000 gallons or more shall install an influent water meter. The city shall inspect and approve such installations and no such device, once installed, shall be removed without the city's approval.
(Code 1974, § 15-162)