Columbia Connection fees ordinance (§ 22-264)

(a) The following definitions apply to this section:

Modified user of the wastewater system means the owner or occupant of property that is currently connected to the wastewater system who is increasing the size or number of water meters serving the property or adding dwelling units.

New user of the wastewater system means the owner or occupant of property that is being connected to the wastewater system for the first time.

(b) Each new user of the wastewater system shall pay a wastewater system connection fee. The fee shall be two thousand four hundred dollars ($2,400.00) per dwelling unit. If there are uses on the property other than dwelling units, the new user of the wastewater system shall pay a wastewater system connection fee based on the size of the water meter that would be required to serve the additional use in accordance with the following table:

Size of Water Meter Inches Connection Fee

⅝ .....$2,400.00

¾ .....3,600.00

1 .....6,000.00

1½ .....12,000.00

2 .....19,200.00

3 .....38,400.00

4 .....60,000.00

6 .....120,000.00

8 .....192,000.00

10 .....276,000.00

12 .....516,000.00

(c) Each modified user of the wastewater system who is increasing the size of a water meter shall pay a connection fee equal to the difference between the connection fee shown in subsection (b) for the size water meter which was in place prior to the expansion and the connection fee shown in subsection (b) for the size of the water meter to be installed. Each modified user of the wastewater system who is increasing the number of water meters serving the property shall pay a connection fee for each additional water meter in accordance with the table in subsection (b). Each modified user that is adding one (1) or more dwelling units shall pay the per dwelling unit connection fee in subsection (b). There shall be no refund for a decrease in the size of the water meter installed on the property. (d)

The director may reduce the amount of the connection fee when the new or modified user of the wastewater system clearly establishes that a substantial portion of the water to be metered will not be discharged into the wastewater system. The amount of the reduced connection fee shall be based on the size of the water meter that would have been required to provide that portion of the water to be metered which is discharged into the wastewater system. The director shall not apply the connection fee when metering changes do not change the volume of discharge to the sewer system. In the event the director determines the user is discharging a higher volume of wastewater into the system than allotted by the reduced connection fee, the director may require the user to increase the size of water meter assigned for the purpose of establishing the connection fee in this subsection and the user shall pay an additional connection fee equal to the difference. Each modified user that is adding one (1) or more dwelling units shall pay the per dwelling unit connection fee in subsection (b). There shall be no refund for a decrease in the size of the water meter installed on the property.

(e) The wastewater system connection fees imposed by this section are in addition to plumbing permit fees and all other fees and charges imposed by the city.

(f) A plumbing permit to connect to the wastewater system shall not be issued unless the connection fee has been paid. A plumbing permit to increase the size of a water meter serving property that is connected to the wastewater system shall not be issued unless the connection fee has been paid. A plumbing permit to increase the number of water meters serving property that is connected to the wastewater system shall not be issued unless the connection fee has been paid.