The high strength sewage surcharge was adopted in 1976 by the Loveland City Council. The high strength sewage discharge program recovers the costs of treating wastes that are of a higher concentration than domestic wastewater. Businesses covered by the high strength sewer surcharge fee are restaurants, fast food services, automobile repair shops, car washes, laundries, hotels and motels, grocery stores, school kitchens, bakeries and hospitals, and funeral homes. The amount of the fee is based on the average monthly water use of the facility, and the expected strength of sewage measured in BOD and TSS that is higher than typical domestic wastes. The Industrial Pretreatment Program Coordinator calculates the surcharge.
Customers can request that the rate be reviewed.
The rate review process includes filing an application for review, and having analytical tests performed to have the actual discharge strength determined. The surcharge will be adjusted to whatever the results of the tests show, whether higher or lower.