(a) Service connection fees. A service fee shall be charged for each connection to the water system. The connection fee calculation includes the water transmission development fee and all other costs associated with connection to the water system. The service connection fee calculation is the average daily recoverable usage (gallons per day) multiplied by $80.44 plus nonrecoverable usage (gallons per day) multiplied by $112.89. New connections platted before January 1, 2017, may be subject to a credit for the water transmission fee paid. The service connection fee for each customer class is listed below:

(b) Time of payment.

(c) Limitations. A tap on the water system shall be used for the sole purpose of providing water service to the lot or parcel identified in the service connection application and for which a building permit is issued. If the building permit is canceled or expires at any time prior to the tapping of the water system, the applicant shall be required to submit a new service connection application and pay the service connection fee in effect at the time of such application; provided, however, that a credit for the service connection fees previously paid to the city will be applied toward the fee schedule in effect at the time a new building permit for such lot or parcel is issued.

(d) Transfers. Upon request of the applicant, and in the city manager's sole discretion, the city manager may authorize the application of the service connection fee previously paid for one lot or parcel towards payment of the service connection fee for a substitute property; provided, that the applicant is the owner of both lots or parcels or the owner of the lot or parcel for which the service connection fee was originally paid; and provided, that the applicant submits to the city a request for the transfer and a written release of any claim to the fee. Such transfer may only occur after the issuance of a building permit for the substitute property. Payment of any deficiency between the amount transferred and the fee in effect at the time the payment is made will be required prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy. Such transfer may only be approved if the city manager determines that such transfer is consistent with the operational efficiency of the water system. This authorization does not grant authority to reduce, waive, defer, or assume service connection fees.

(e) Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Capital recovery fee means a fee paid in addition to the regular water rates for any property granted a reduced connection fee and allocation when the water usage exceeds the agreed upon allocation.

City manager means the city manager of the city; the term "city manager" shall also include such person's designee.

Commercial user means any lot or parcel which contains a building or structure that does not fall within any of the single-family attached, single-family detached, multi-family, or irrigation users as defined in this subsection (e).

General manager means the general manager of Aurora Water or designee.

Irrigation user means any lot or parcel served by a tap on the water system used for the sole purpose of providing water to operate and maintain a permanent, underground, and automatically controlled artificial watering system, which system is designed to transport and distribute water to plant materials on said lot or parcel. A single-family attached, single-family detached, commercial, or mixed-use user may also be an irrigation user for purposes of this section.

Master metered means any user where one meter serves two or more independent dwelling units.

Mixed-use user means any lot or parcel which contains a building that includes both residential and commercial uses and where customers receive master-metered water service. A mixed-use user will be considered a commercial user for purposes of calculating and billing rates and fees.

Multi-family user means any lot or parcel which contains a building with two or more separate independent dwelling units for permanent occupancy arranged in a stacked configuration where residential customers receive master-metered water service. The term "multi-family user" shall also include any master-metered manufactured housing.

Nonnative area(s) means those areas identified as nonnative in the landscaping plan for the property.

Nonrecoverable means any water used by an Aurora Water customer where the unconsumed portion of the water after such use is not discharged to the sewer system and of which Aurora Water is not able to maintain dominion and control. Examples include but are not limited to irrigation use, cooling towers, and other uses not discharged to the sewer system.

Recoverable means any water used by an Aurora Water customer where the unconsumed portion of the water after such use is discharged to the sewer system and of which Aurora Water is able to maintain dominion and control such that Aurora may use its reusable water to extinction.

Service connection means the connection of a service line to a city water main which, upon application to and approval by the general manager and payment of the appropriate service connection fee, results in water service to the lot or parcel and for the particular user class identified in the application.

Service connection fee means a one-time charge assessed to an applicant to connect into the city's water system, including but not limited to transmission and distribution lines, treatment facilities, and source of supply, to permit water service to the lot or parcel and for the particular user class identified in the application.

Single-family attached user means any lot or parcel which contains two or more dwelling units attached as described in section 146-6.2 where each dwelling unit receives individually metered water service.

Single-family detached user means any lot or parcel which contains a single dwelling unit in a single building not attached to any other buildings other than those accessory to the dwelling where residential customers receive individually metered water service.

Tap means the physical connection of a service line to a city water main.

Tapping means the act of making a physical connection of a service line to a city water main.

Water system means the municipal water system presently owned and operated and maintained by the city acting by and through its utility enterprise, together with all equipment of and improvements to such water system.

Z zone means landscaped area that incorporates native plants that do not require supplemental watering once the plants are established. All plant material within these areas must be listed in the "no-water" plant list—Z-rated plants, as found in the landscape manual.

(f) Determination of user class. When there is a dispute about the classification of customers within one of the user classes, the decision of the general manager shall be final and subject only to judicial review.

(g) Meter required. All single-family detached and attached users shall be individually metered. Unless otherwise authorized by the general manager, each building occupied by any multi-family or commercial user shall be separately metered. The landscape area associated with a multi-family user and/or a single-family attached common area must be irrigated through an irrigation meter. Clubhouses, swimming pools, and recreation facilities of a single-family attached or detached user cannot be served by an irrigation meter. Appropriately sized taps will be required to serve these facilities.

(h) Installation of meter. The city shall, as part of its connection service, remuneration for which is to be considered part of the service connection fee, furnish and install the water meter. The applicant for the service connection shall, at his or her sole expense, make the tap, provide and backfill the trench, and provide and install the corporation stop, service line pipe, meter yoke where required, meter pit or vault, curb stop with box, pressure reducing valves where required, and backflow preventer where required, all in accordance with the specifications of the city.

(i) Size of service connection. All service connections larger than three-fourths-inch shall be of uniform size from the tap to the building or structure. The general manager shall reserve the right to reevaluate the size of the service connection when any existing building, structure, or development with a tap is remodeled or the existing usage of such building, structure, or development is changed. The general manager may require a larger service connection to any building, structure, or development if the water requirements when calculated by the fixture unit method, as specified in chapter 22, article X, cause the service line velocity to exceed 10 feet per second.

(j) Stub-out of service line. If the applicant for a service connection desires to stub-out service line connections from the water main to the property line for the purpose of paving, a permit for stub-out shall be requested.

(k) Backflow preventer required. Wherever, in the opinion of the general manager, a reduced pressure backflow preventer is required to eliminate contamination of the public water supply through a specific service connection, such backflow preventer of a type and design approved by the general manager shall be furnished and installed by the applicant, at its expense, in accordance with the specifications of the city.

(l) Banking of meters prohibited. Each service line and meter shall supply a specific building. The banking of meters where a particular building or group of buildings may be supplied by two or more meters shall be prohibited, except in unusual circumstances where two meters may be allowed by the general manager.

(m) Building additions or improvements. If a building or structure undergoes an addition or improvement in which the current meter size is incapable of servicing the resultant total demand per subsection (i) of this section, the applicant will have the option to either replace the existing meter and service line with the appropriately sized meter and service line or install a separate meter and service line to directly service the addition. It is prohibited to interconnect any two or more meters in any situation.

(n) Deferral of service connection fees. The city council declares that assisting owners of residential properties within the city which are not connected to the water system with the financial burden of making such connections serves the public interest by encouraging the use of a safe and reliable source of potable water by all city residents. Therefore, upon application by the owner of any residential property located within the city which is served by an independent water system permitted by section 138-154, the general manager shall defer payment of all service connection fees associated with the connection of such property to the water system. An interest rate of five percent per annum shall be charged on each deferral, with payment of all fees and the interest thereon to occur at such time as title to the property is transferred or five years from the date the deferral is granted, whichever is earlier. Upon request, the owner may enter into an agreement to make monthly payments of fees and interest, upon such terms and conditions as the general manager may authorize; provided, however, that the term of such agreement shall not exceed five years from the date the deferral is granted. As security for payment, a lien shall be placed upon the property at the time the deferral is granted. Any failure of the owner to make payment when due shall result in the immediate certification of all unpaid amounts for collection to the treasurer of the county in which such property is located. This subsection shall apply only to those residential properties which have been developed as of January 1, 1995.

(o) Wet tap fees. Fees for taps for distribution line extensions and fees for taps for private fire protection facilities (wet tap fees) shall be set pursuant to section 2-587. These fees shall be charged in addition to any applicable service connection fee charged for tapping into the distribution line extension. (Code 1979, § 39-83; Ord. No. 2023-55, § 1, 11-27-2023; Ord. No. 2023-44, § 19, 9-11-2023; Ord. No. 2022-62, § 1, 11-14-2022; Ord. No. 2021-57, § 1, 11-8-2021; Ord. No. 2020-54, § 1, 10-19-2020; Ord. No. 2019-83, § 1, 11-4-2019; Ord. No. 2018-57, § 4, 10-29-2018; Ord. No. 2017-51, § 1, 10-30-2017; Ord. No. 2016-51, § 1, 11-14-2016; Ord. No. 2015-25, § 16, 6-29-2015; Ord. No. 2013-33, § 1, 10-14-2013; Ord. No. 2011-36, 11-14-2011; Ord. No. 2010-27, § 1, 8-9-2010; Ord. No. 2009-49, § 1, 11-16-2009; Ord. No. 2009-15, § 1, 4-13-2009; Ord. No. 2008-61, § 1, 11-24-2008; Ord. No. 2006-65, § 1, 11-13-2006; Ord. No. 2005-76, § 1, 10-24-2005; Ord. No. 2005-74, § 1, 10-10-2005; Ord. No. 2005-02, § 1, 2-7-2005; Ord. No. 2003-12, § 1, 4-14-2003; Ord. No. 2003-04, § 1, 1-27-2003; Ord. No. 2003-03, §§ 1, 2, 1-27-2003; Ord. No. 2002-65, § 1, 11-18-2002; Ord. No. 2000-139, § 1, 12-18-2000; Ord. No. 96-66, § 2, 12-16-1996)