Water Service Rates and Charges

The water rate schedules for the City of Longview, Washington, shall be, and are hereby established, as follows:

Section 1. Water for All Uses Within the Corporate Limits.

All water supplied for domestic or commercial purposes within the corporate limits of the City shall be supplied by meter only. The rates for such metered water supplied in any one month or fractional part thereof shall be in accordance with the following schedule but not less than the minimum monthly meter charge:

MONTHLY RATES

Minimum for first 200 cu. ft. or any portion thereof – $8.75

For the next 800 cu. ft. at $1.29 per 100 cu. ft.

For all over 1,000 cu. ft. $1.31 per 100 cu. ft.

MINIMUM MONTHLY METER CHARGE
3/4" Meters	$8.75 per month
1" Meters	13.32 per month
1-1/2" Meters	21.17 per month
2" Meters	29.77 per month
3" Meters	53.24 per month
4" Meters	84.89 per month
6" Meters	169.81 per month
8" Meters	281.30 per month
10" Meters	367.47 per month
12" Meters	481.49 per month

The rates for such metered water supplied in any bi-monthly period, or fractional part thereof in excess of one month, shall be in accordance with the following schedule:

BI-MONTHLY RATES

Minimum for first 400 cu. ft. or any portion thereof – $17.50

For the next 1,600 cu. ft. $1.29 per 100 cu. ft.

For all above 2,000 cu. ft. $1.31 per 100 cu. ft.

All bi-monthly minimum charges per meter shall be double the monthly minimum meter charge.

Section 2. Water for all Uses Outside the Corporate Limits.

All water supplied for domestic or commercial purposes outside the corporate limits of the City shall be supplied by meter only. The rates for such metered water supplied shall be in accordance with the schedule in Section 1, plus an additional charge of sixty-five percent (65%) to cover public fire protection costs of the water system serving outside customers and other costs applicable thereto.

Section 3. Partial Monthly Charges.

When water has been supplied to any one customer for less than a calendar month and where the amount of the charge therefor at the applicable rates is less than the minimum monthly charge, the amount to be charged such customer for the water furnished during said partial period shall be determined by dividing the applicable monthly minimum charge by thirty and multiplying the quotient times the number of days water was so supplied.

Section 4. Water Minimums for Multiple Living and Commercial Units.

Minimum monthly water rates shall be as follows for multiple residences without separate meters:

Duplex or 2 Residences	2 times the minimum monthly meter charge
Triplex or 3 Residence through 6-plex	Minimum monthly meter charge for actual meter size (but not less than 1") plus $2.19 per unit.
7 units and above	Minimum monthly meter charge for actual meter size (but not less than 1-1/2") plus $2.19 per unit.
Commercial – 3 or more units	Minimum monthly meter charge for actual meter size plus $2.19 per unit.

Section 5. Water Service Connection Charges.

(a) All water installations shall meet or exceed the existing standards and specifications of the City of Longview, as set forth in the Longview Municipal Code or as determined by the City Engineer. Prior to the installation, the owner/contractor shall request an inspection of materials by the City Engineer, or his representative. No water installations or taps into the city water mains shall occur without a permit issued under LMC 15.44. Said permits include, as a minimum, a right-of way permit and a utility permit. Any utility construction within a public right-of-way or easement shall comply with the authorizing agency’s requirements and permitting regulations. In addition, no water installation or taps shall occur except upon 48 or more hours advance notice to the City Engineer, or his assigned representative. All water installations requiring taps into a water main, shall be performed by a licensed plumbing contractor qualified to perform tapping connections, per the standards set forth by the City.

(b) The City Engineer, or his representative, shall inspect all materials to ensure compliance with the current City of Longview standards and specifications. Once the materials, location, and permits are approved, the contractor shall be permitted to install the service. The work shall be inspected by the City Engineer, or his assigned representative.

(c) No water installations or taps into the city’s water main shall be covered or obscured until inspected and approved by the City Engineer, or his assigned representative. An inspection fee of $150 shall be charged for such inspection and shall be paid at the time that a permit is granted under LMC 15.44. Where the developer of newly platted land has installed a complete water service to City standards, including corporation stop, service line, meter stop and meter box, the inspection fee is waived.

(d) A meter set-in fee shall be charged according to the following schedule:

CONNECTION SIZE	INSIDE CITY	OUTSIDE CITY
3/4" and 1" Service	$200.00	$200.00

For services greater than 1", the developer, owner or contractor shall furnish new, city-approved meters.

(e) In addition to the foregoing charges, a capital recovery fee will be charged according to the meter size as follows:

CONNECTION SIZE	CAPITAL RECOVERY FEE
0.75"	$928.00
1"	2,320.00
1.5"	4,645.00
2"	7,430.00
3"	14,860.00
4"	23,220.00
6"	46,445.00
8"	74,310.00
10"	106,820.00
12"	153,270.00

Section 6. Monthly Rates for Private Fire Sprinkler Systems and for Hydrants on Private Property.

The monthly charges for private fire sprinkler systems and hydrants installed on private property shall be, and are hereby established, as follows:

CONNECTION SIZE	INSIDE CITY		OUTSIDE CITY
2"	$12.76		$21.05
3"	15.92		26.27
4"	19.14		31.58
6"	25.51		42.09
8"	38.25		63.11
10"	50.99		84.13
12"	63.76		105.20

Private fire protection systems must be metered as provided in Section 15.64.080 of the Longview Municipal Code and payment of the costs of such installation shall be the responsibility of the property owner.

Section 7. Charges to City Owned Facilities.

(a) Unmetered Service: For each unmetered water service to a City park or other City facility, the City shall pay into the Water/Sewer Utility Fund, $1,149.22 per year for each such service.

(b) Youth Athletic Leagues: Water consumed by Youth athletic leagues utilizing City park facilities under a Longview-Kelso Parks and Recreation Department Facility Use Agreement shall be charged at forty percent (40%) of the rates set forth in this resolution. In order to qualify for this reduced rate, the youth athletic league facilities must be metered to determine actual usage. Where the league is the account customer and is billed directly by the City, the league shall be billed at 40% of the account total determined by the rates set forth in this resolution, except that penalties, turn on charges, and other related charges shall be billed at 100% of the amounts set forth in this resolution. Where the league is not the account customer, the Parks and Recreation Department shall install and monitor sub-meters to determine the league’s actual usage. The City Engineer, or his representative, and the Parks and Recreation Department shall implement procedures to determine the league’s usage and charge the Parks and Recreation Department account 40% of the league’s consumption, plus the full amount of all other consumption on that account. That may be accomplished by appropriately reducing each bill to the Parks and Recreation Department account, or by reimbursing the Parks and Recreation Department account from the Water Utility Fund. Penalties, turn on charges, and other related charges shall be billed at 100% of the amounts set forth in this resolution.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all money due the City for furnishing water service for any customers shall be due and payable within fifteen (15) days of the billing date shown on each bill, and if not paid within fifteen (15) days thereafter, shall be deemed delinquent. For those accounts determined to be in delinquent status, the City will issue a notice advising the customer that payment is past due, and that such payment should be made within ten (10) days after receipt of such notice. In accordance with Longview Municipal Code Section 15.56.010(2), if full payment on a utility account has not been received at the Longview City Hall Administrative Services Department by the fortieth (40) day after the bill date, a penalty in the amount of ten dollars ($10.00) shall be assessed should it become necessary for the City to make a personal call upon a delinquent utility account debtor for the purpose of attempting to collect such delinquent account, regardless of whether or not such an account is collected as a result of such personal demand for payment or otherwise. In the event that the utility account remains delinquent beyond the forty-first (41) day after the bill date, and after such contact has been attempted by the City, the utility service shall be disconnected or shut off until such time as the balance is paid in full. In accordance with the Longview Municipal Code Section 15.56.010(3), a penalty charge of twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be assessed if the City is required to turn on the utility service, once the balance, including penalty fees, are paid in full. In accordance with Longview Municipal Code Section 15.56.020, there is hereby established a charge of twenty dollars ($20.00) if the City is required to turn on a water service which has been disconnected or turned off due to a user failing to apply for water service as provided in Longview Municipal Code Section 15.44.010. A charge of thirty dollars ($30.00) is hereby established if the City is required to turn on a water service after regular working hours.

Section 9. Water Obtained from Fire Hydrant.

Anyone desiring to obtain water from a city-owned fire hydrant shall first obtain a Fire Hydrant Use Permit, and pay all applicable fees and deposits. Use of a fire hydrant to obtain water shall be temporary only, and shall not exceed a 12-month duration unless otherwise approved by the Water & Sewer Superintendent.

All water obtained from a hydrant shall be through a water meter provided by the city, except that the Water & Sewer Superintendent may authorize the permittee to provide their own meter. The permittee shall pay a deposit of $500.00 in advance of receiving a city-provided meter, and shall pay a meter rental charge of $5 per calendar day. Such deposit is for the purpose of assuring that said meter will be returned to the city, and that it will not be damaged. Upon return of the meter, said deposit may be used to pay the cost of meter use, repair to the meter, and for the cost of water obtained by the permittee. Any unused deposit will be returned to the permittee. If a meter is returned to the City in a damaged condition, the permittee shall be responsible to pay all meter replacement or repair costs that exceed the deposit amount, in addition to the costs of meter use and water used. Meter replacement or repair costs shall become payable to the City within thirty (30) calendar days after notification and subsequent delivery of an invoice.

If the period of hydrant use is for thirty (30) calendar days or less, the minimum charge for water shall be the monthly rate of meter and consumption charges identified in Section 1 of this resolution. If the period of hydrant use is greater than thirty (30) calendar days, the permittee will be required to sign up for a regular customer account based upon the hydrant meter size, and shall pay the applicable monthly rates and minimum monthly meter charge for such meter size as set forth in Section 1 of this resolution. A Capital Recovery Fee will not be charged for hydrant meter accounts.

The permit shall be in the possession of the person obtaining water pursuant thereto, and shall be subject to examination on request of employees of the water department. The permittee shall comply with the requirements set forth in 97 UFC (Uniform Fire Code), Section 1001.6.2; LMC Section 15.60.050 and 15.60.070. Permittee shall be fully responsible for any damage or loss to the hydrant, and/or the hydrant meter. All charges shall be based on a time and materials basis. The permittee shall certify that the water truck or tank (if used) has an approved air gap or backflow preventor. The permittee shall contact the water department by the 25th of each month to have the meter read, and/or to determine fees for the period the hydrant was in use. The city finance department shall determine the final billing and either process a refund of any balance remaining from the deposit, or issue an invoice to the permittee should the final charge be in excess of the deposited amount. (Res. 1799, 2004).