The Burleson City Council has approved Ordinance C-605-06, establishing a Class Surcharge for certain non-residential wastewater (sewer) customers in the City of Burleson service area.  This surcharge has been discussed at City Council workshops and meetings, which were posted and open to the public, as well as reported in local newspaper articles.

Residential customers will not be subject to this surcharge.  Similarly, commercial business offices whose wastewater mirrors residential uses will not be subject to the surcharge.

All of the City of Burleson’s wastewater is treated by the City of Fort Worth.  Fort Worth charges Burleson based on both the volume and the strength of the wastewater piped to the treatment facility.  This surcharge allows the City of Burleson to charge certain non-residential customers for the strength of the wastewater they discharge or contribute to the wastewater system.

There are two primary measures used by Fort Worth to determine the strength of the wastewater: Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD).  The surcharge program adopted by the Burleson City Council allows Burleson to pass through or reciprocate the TSS and BOD charges from the City of Fort Worth to certain non-residential customers.  Because certain non-residential customers contribute higher levels of BOD and TSS than residential users, the City Council has determined the wastewater bills for these businesses should include a surcharge so the City can recover the actual cost of having this wastewater treated. 

This surcharge makes the City’s wastewater billing fairer because customers will be charged what it actually costs to treat the wastewater they contribute.  In the past, when strength of wastewater was not included in the billing calculation, customers with less polluted (weaker) wastewater subsidized treatment costs of customers with more polluted (stronger) wastewater.  This surcharge brings that inequity into balance.

Listed below are the initial classes that will be affected and an example of the impact to wastewater treatment costs by volume.

Class I            Eating establishments:  includes restaurants, bars, lounges, and other establishments which engage in preparation of food or beverage which is served directly to the customer.

For Customers in Class I, the surcharge will be $3.18 for each 1,000 gallons

Class II            Equipment Service Facilities:  includes establishments which perform or provide washing, cleaning, or servicing of automobiles, trucks, buses, machinery, or equipment.   This class includes public facilities, facilities limited to specific companies, attended and coin operated establishments.

                        For customers in Class II, the surcharge will be $1.59 for each 1,000 gallons

Class III           Food and kindred products processing:  includes commercial establishments which engage in the preparation, packaging, processing, or distribution of food, food other than those included in Class I and which discharge less than 150,000 of wastewater per month.

                        For customers in Class III, the surcharge will be $1.80 for each 1,000 gallons

Again, this charge is a ”pass through” of charges placed on the City of Burleson by the City of Fort Worth for the treatment of wastewater.  This additional charge will be implemented October 1, 2006 and included on November 2006 utility bills.

For additional information regarding ordinance C-605-06 go to the Class Surcharge Q and A page, or contact the City of Burleson Public Works Department at 817-426-9830.

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