ORS 454.030: Rates and charges to meet costs of treatment works; use of funds; enforcement.

(1) A municipality is authorized to adopt a system of charges and rates to assure that each recipient of treatment works services within the municipality’s jurisdiction or service area will pay its proportionate share of the costs of operation, maintenance and replacement of any treatment works facilities or services provided by the municipality. (2) A municipality is authorized to require industrial users of its treatment works to pay to the municipality that portion of the cost of construction of the treatment works which is allocable to the treatment of such industrial user’s wastes. The Department of Environmental Quality is authorized to determine whether the payment required of the industrial user for the portion of the cost of the construction of the treatment works is properly allocable to the treatment of the industrial user’s wastes. (3) A municipality is authorized to retain the amounts of the revenues derived from the payment of costs by industrial users of its treatment works services and expend such revenues, together with interest thereon, for: (a) Repayment to applicable agencies of government of any grants or loans made to the municipality for construction of the treatment works; and (b) Future expansion and reconstruction of the treatment works; and (c) Other municipal purposes. (4) A municipality shall keep records, financial statements and books regarding its rates and charges and amounts collected on account of its treatment works and how such revenues are allocated. The Department of Environmental Quality may inspect such records, financial statements and books, audit them, or cause them to be audited, at such intervals as deemed necessary. (5) In the event a municipality fails, neglects or refuses when required by the Environmental Quality Commission to adopt the system of charges and rates authorized by this section, or fails, neglects or refuses to comply with ORS 454.010 to 454.060, the commission may adopt a system of charges and rates as provided for in subsection (1) of this section and collect, administer and apply such revenues for the purposes of subsection (3) of this section. (6) In lieu of proceeding in the manner set forth in subsection (5) of this section, the commission may institute actions or proceedings for legal or equitable remedies to enforce compliance with, or restrain violations of, ORS 454.010 to 454.060. [1973 c.101 §3; 1979 c.284 §147]