2015-05-05 P & Z Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• Require all communities served by the regional wastewater system to include its inflow and infiltration mitigation program in its comprehensive sewer plan, including a program to mitigate sources of inflow and infiltration from private property. • Limit expansion of service within those communities where excessive inflow and infiltration jeopardizes the Council's ability to convey wastewater without an overflow or backup occurring, or limits the capacity in the system to the point where the Council can no longer provide additional wastewater services. The Council will work with those communities on a case-by-case basis, based on the applicable regulatory requirements. • Potentially institute a wastewater rate demand charge for those communities that have not met their inflow and infiltration goal(s), if the community has not been implementing an effective inflow and infiltration reduction program as determined by the Council, or if regulations and/or regulatory permits require Council action to ensure regulatory compliance. The wastewater demand charge will include the cost of wastewater storage facilities and/or other improvements necessary to avoid overloading Council conveyance and treatment facilities, and the appropriate charges for use of capacity beyond the allowable amount of inflow and infiltration. • Work with the State to attempt to (1) make funds available for inflow and infiltration mitigation, and (2) promote statutes, rules, and regulations to encourage 1/1 mitigation. • Develop a program to assist communities with reducing inflow and infiltration from private property sources. Finance The Council uses a regional approach to setting municipal wastewater and industrial rates to optimize equity of costs across the region and support economic development. The Council's approach to rate design is based on a regional cost-of-service philosophy. Communities pay for the wastewater flow originating within their borders. New users pay for the capacity they demand through a sewer availability charge (SAC). Industries pay for the cost of treating their higher-strength discharges through a strength charge. Haulers pay for wastewater loads based on the cost of receiving and treating the loads. In other words, users are charged for the costs that the Council incurs to provide the specific services used. Material changes proposed to SAC or other fees, that may not be improvements to the cost of service basis, will be subject to a stakeholder process, a public hearing, and at least 3 months notice before implementation, including but not limited to the establishment of a task force or work group to make recommendation(s) to the Council. The Council will have final approval of any and all recommendations. Wastewater System Finance Policy: The Council will continue to implement regional wastewater service fees and charges based on regional cost of services and rules adopted by the Council. Implementation Strategies: • Metropolitan wastewater charges will be allocated among local government units based on volume of wastewater treated. 30