At a meeting of the Greene County Regional Service District Board, members voted to amend and adopt Ordinance 20 25 01 to require billing when an industrial user’s average daily flow exceeds its allocated wastewater allocation over a measured period.

The change, added as an amendment to paragraph 4(b), directs that “if the average daily flow calculated on a monthly basis over a calendar year exceeds the allocation, then the industrial user shall be billed for the excess allocation, and a new allocation of the amount is thereby established.” The board approved the amendment and then voted to adopt the ordinance as amended.

The ordinance discussion focused on how to measure and charge for industrial wastewater uses when meter size does not reflect actual flow. Jeff Farmer, a staff member who has been reviewing design and permit materials, explained that meter size and stated intent letters can diverge from actual average daily flow. Farmer noted that the board uses 310 gallons per day as the benchmark for one equivalent dwelling unit (EDU) when converting flow into EDUs for billing and capacity accounting.

Board members and staff described practical consequences of relying on meter size rather than measured flow. One speaker calculated that an asserted 12,000 gallons per day would consume roughly 24% of a $1.2 million wastewater treatment plant’s capacity and that charging by meter size could under-collect the funds needed to reserve or replace that treatment capacity. The board discussed using measured flow and converting that flow into EDUs so fees align with capacity consumption.

Members debated whether the ordinance should be retroactive to any past date. The board discussed the difficulties of making changes apply to previously submitted letters of intent and concluded it would not adopt a retroactive rule; new connections will be bound by the existing ordinances and any application documents signed at the time of connection.

The board also discussed how the district will monitor usage. Staff said industrial users will submit required monthly reports to IDEM (Indiana Department of Environmental Management) and the district will have access to those reports; the district plans to review monthly flows and perform an annual average calculation to determine whether a billing event is triggered. The draft amendment contemplates an invoicing process: the district may invoice for overage and set a new allocation, with the invoiced amount due within 30 days of mailing.

The board’s legal/staff speaker recommended adding a definable standard to ensure consistent treatment of all customers; the amendment reads as a measurable standard tied to average daily flow calculated monthly across a calendar year. After discussion, the board moved, seconded and approved the amendment to 4(b) and then adopted Ordinance 20 25 01 as amended by voice vote.

The board recorded no roll-call tally in the transcript; votes were taken by voice and passed. The ordinance directs staff to track industrial permits and flows and to pursue pretreatment and enforcement steps required by IDEM for industrial dischargers.

Ending: The ordinance takes effect on adoption for new connections; staff will prepare implementation steps including billing procedures, monitoring cadence and related permit reviews.