(a) The amount of sewage discharged to the wastewater system of the city shall be determined by the quantity of water metered to the user; provided, however, that if actual sewer service cannot reasonably be determined from the water or sewage so metered, whether due to defect, tampering or causes unknown, the amount of sewage, waste or waters discharged into such system shall be estimated and billed as provided for in section 22-263 of this Code.

    (b) Each person from whose property or premises sewage in any quantity is discharged into the wastewater system of the city, but who is not a water customer of such city, is hereby required to meter, at its source, the quantity of water used, with an appropriate meter to be approved by such city, and to pay a monthly sewer service charge based upon the amount of water thus metered, to be computed in like manner as provided in section 22-263 of this Code.

    (c) Each user of the wastewater system of the city who is a water customer of such city, but who also obtains water from any source other than from such city, is hereby required to meter, at such other source, the quantity of water used, with an appropriate meter to be approved by said city, and to pay a monthly sewage service charge, based upon the amount of water thus metered, to be computed in like manner as is provided in section 22-263 of this Code.

    (d) If any user desires to establish eligibility for a sewage service volume base of less than one hundred (100) percent of water used the user may, at the user’s  sole expense:

    (1)    Install a sewage meter acceptable to the director to measure the volume of liquid actually discharged into the wastewater system from his premises. Such meter shall be maintained and calibrated by the customer and the readings from the meter shall be taken at least twice weekly and shall be provided to the city on a monthly basis. In the event a sewage meter is installed the rate schedule as set forth in section 22-263 of this Code shall be applied to:

        a.    The volume of sewage entering the sanitary sewer as measured by the meter each month; or

        b.    A calculated volume based on the percentage of metered water usage discharged to the wastewater system as determined by the historical comparison of water usage and metered sewage.

    (2)    In lieu of a sewage meter, the user may install auxiliary water meter(s) to measure that portion of water usage which is diverted from entering the wastewater system. In the event an auxiliary water meter is installed, the volume of water metered by such meter(s) shall be deducted from the total volume of water usage before the sewage service rate schedule is applied.

No refunds, allowances or reductions from the one hundred (100) per cent water use base will be granted for any time period prior to approval of a wastewater metering or diverted water metering system.

(Code 1964, § 14.840; Ord. No. 14914, § 1, 8-5-96; Ord. No. 19550, § 1, 6-4-07; Ord. No. 20922, § 1, 3-21-11)