A. The Department will identify all sewer accounts in its records by the address of the property served. The Department will send all notices regarding sewer accounts and all notices regarding any other matter pertaining to the City sewer system to the account address on record. The customer may submit a written request to have notices sent instead to an email address or to an address other than the service account address. Changes of address or notifications of an incorrect address must be promptly submitted to the Department.

B. The sewer account will distinguish the amount of the sewer user charge from any industrial cost recovery charge, if applicable.

C. All City service charges are due and payable when billed. The customer must pay all amounts by the due date printed on the City services bill. If the total amount owed is not fully paid to the Department by the monthly bill’s published due date, the Department will assess a late fee of three percent per month on the delinquent amount. The next month’s bill will indicate the amount past due, all late fees, and the current balance due. The Department will assess a late fee each month on any delinquent amount, including unpaid late fees.

D. If water service is suspended as prescribed by Section 37-88 to a single-family residence, the Department will not assess additional late fees to the customer as of the date of the suspension of water service; however, the customer must pay late fees already assessed as of that date, along with any other amounts due and owing, to restore water service in accordance with Section 37-88.

E. The Department may file a lien on a property served for nonpayment by the property owner of sewer service charges after 90 days. Before recording the lien, the Department will send to the customer a notice of nonpayment informing the customer of the amount that needs to be paid and the date by which payment must be received to avoid recordation of the lien. The notice will be sent by mail or electronically if the customer has previously elected to receive bills electronically. The Department will provide no further notice. The customer must pay all amounts due and owing, including any fees and any assessed late fees, before the Department will remove the lien.

F. The Department may send accounts with unpaid service charges to a collection agency for purposes of collecting on that unpaid debt.

G. If a sewer customer disputes the amount of the bill or protests the Department’s filing of a lien on the property for nonpayment of sewer services charges, the customer may present its objections by following the procedures set forth in Section 37-95.

H. The customer or their authorized agent must make any request to discontinue service. When a request to discontinue service is submitted, the Department will calculate and bill for all unpaid charges for services supplied to the premises. The customer must pay all charges by the date specified on the bill. The customer requesting discontinuance of service must also furnish the Department with a change of address.

I. Until the customer provides the Department with a notice of discontinuance of service, the customer remains responsible for sewer service at the service location.

J. If the customer has a deposit on account with the Department, the Department will apply the deposit amount to any balance owing on the account. The Department will refund to the customer any credit in excess of any balance owed by the customer. (Ord. No. G-1935, § 2; Ord. No. G-2473, § 1; Ord. No. G-2649, § 2; Ord. No. G-5158, § 1a, 2008; Ord. No. G-6740, § 1, 2020)