Oregon Administrative Code

860-037-0030 Applications for Water/Wastewater Utility Service (1) An application for water/wastewater utility service must be made when: (a) Service is requested by an applicant who has not previously been served by the water/wastewater utility; (b) Service has been involuntaril…

860-037-0035 Establishing Credit for Residential Service (1) An applicant or customer may demonstrate satisfactory credit for new or continuing service by showing any of the following, provided that a deposit is not required under section (2) of this rule: (a) Received 12 months …

860-037-0040 Deposit Payment Arrangements for Residential Wastewater Service (1) When a wastewater utility requires a deposit, the customer or applicant may pay the deposit in full or in three installments. Installments shall be one-third of the deposit. The first installment is …

860-037-0045 Interest on Deposits for Residential and Nonresidential Service (1) Each year, the Commission shall establish an annual interest rate that must be paid on customer deposits. The Commission will base the rate upon consideration of the effective interest rate for new i…

860-037-0050 Refund of Wastewater Utility Deposits (1) A wastewater utility shall promptly refund a customer’s deposit with accrued interest when service is terminated, provided a refund due shall first be applied to any unpaid balance on the customer’s account. (2) A wastewater …

860-037-0055 Installation of Wastewater Service Connection (1) A wastewater utility shall furnish and install that portion of the sewer pipe from the sewer main to the customer's property boundary line oreasement, public road, or street, under which such main is located. Such ins…

860-037-0060 Installation of Main Line Extension (1) A wastewater utility shall develop a Commission-approved uniform policy governing the amount of main line extension and applicable fee charged to the customer or applicant to receive service. This policy shall be related to the…

860-037-0065 Design, Construction, and Operation (1) The wastewater utility owner is responsible and liable for meeting the requirements for all applicable laws, rules, and codes and for the wastewater (sewage) that passes through the collection, treatment, and disposal plants. (…

860-037-0067 Wastewater Disposal (1) The wastewater utility must ensure proper handling and treatment of all wastewater, sewage, effluent, solids, and biosolids (generated or pumped). (2) The wastewater utility must ensure proper transport of all wastewater, sewage, effluent, sol…

860-037-0070 Interruption of Service (1) A wastewater utility shall keep a record of any interruption of service affecting its whole system, or a major section thereof, including a statement of the date, time, duration, and cause of interruption, remedy, and steps taken to preven…

860-037-0075 Refusal of Service (1) A wastewater utility may refuse to provide wastewater service to an applicant applying for wastewater service until it receives full payment of any overdue amount of an Oregon tariffed or price-listed charge and any other like obligation relate…

860-037-0080 Restrictions on Entering a Customer Residence No wastewater utility employee shall enter the residence of a customer without proper authorization except in an emergency endangering life or property. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 183, 756 & 757 Statutes/Other Impleme…

860-037-0095 Annual Fees Payable to the Commission by a Wastewater Utility (1) On statement forms prescribed by the Commission, each wastewater utility must provide the requested information for the subject year. (2) Each wastewater utility must pay to the Commission an annual fe…

860-037-0097 Estimated Annual Fees Payable to the Commission by a Wastewater Utility (1) For any year in which a wastewater utility fails to file a completed statement form, the Commission may determine a proposed annual fee based upon any information available to the Commission.…

860-037-0101 Wastewater Service Charges In general, wastewater service charges are based upon the volume of water delivered to the customer's property. The water meter serving the premises measures this volume. In cases where a significant volume of the water delivered to the pre…

860-037-0105 Bill Forms Every wastewater utility providing service shall indicate clearly on the bill the date of the billing period, the schedule number under which the bill was rendered, and any other information needed to compute the bill. Each bill shall bear on its face the …

860-037-0110 Due and Payable Period; Time-Payment Agreements for Residential Service (1) Each wastewater utility shall establish procedures to ensure that the period from the billing transmittal for all current charges, including payment of the final bill, to the due date is not …

860-037-0115 Late-Payment Charge (1) Except as provided in section (2) of this rule, a wastewater utility may apply a late-payment charge to customer accounts not paid in full each month, provided the wastewater utility has filed the late-payment charge in its tariffs. (2) The ch…

860-037-0120 Adjustment of Bills (1) Except as provided in sections (4) and (5) of this rule, if a wastewater utility determines that a current or former customer of the utility was under-billed or over-billed for a service provided by the wastewater utility under rate schedules …

860-037-0125 Transfer Billings (1) If a wastewater utility identifies a balance a customer owes the wastewater utility from the customer’s prior account for Oregon service, the wastewater utility shall have the option to transfer the amount to the customer’s current account. The …

860-037-0205 Grounds for Terminating Customer Wastewater Service by Disconnecting Water Service A wastewater utility may disconnect water service to a wastewater customer for: (1) Failure to establish credit by: (a) Failing to pay a deposit or make payments in accordance with the…

860-037-0210 Voluntary Water Disconnection for Wastewater Service A customer who wishes to have service discontinued, shall provide the wastewater utility with a five-business-day notice in advance of the requested date of discontinuance of service. Until the wastewater utility r…

860-037-0215 Emergency Water Disconnection for Wastewater Service A wastewater utility may terminate water service in emergencies endangering life or property without following the procedures set forth in OAR 860-037-0245. However, the wastewater utility shall immediately thereaf…

860-037-0220 Disconnection of Water Service on Weekends and Holidays Water service shall not be disconnected for non-emergencies on a weekend or a state or wastewater utility-recognized holiday. Water service shall not be disconnected for non-emergencies on a Friday or the day be…

860-037-0225 Accounts Not Related to Residential Service A wastewater utility may not deny or disconnect residential water service due to the failure to pay for nonresidential wastewater service, or to meet obligations in connection with nonresidential wastewater service. Statuto…

860-037-0230 Disconnection of Wastewater Service to Tenants (1) If a wastewater utility’s records show that a residential billing address is different from the service address, the wastewater utility must provide a duplicate of the five-business-day water disconnect notice requir…

860-037-0235 Multilingual Disconnection Notice (1) Except as provided in section (2) of this rule, all disconnect notices shall contain the following information translated into Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Russian (translations are available from the Consumer Ser…

860-037-0240 Reconnection Fee When a wastewater service is disconnected for wastewater service, pursuant to OAR 860-037-0245, the wastewater utility may charge the reconnection fee in its tariff. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 183, 756 & 757 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 756.04…

860-037-0245 Disconnection Procedures for All Customers of Wastewater Utility Services (1) Involuntary termination of wastewater service for all customers shall be under the provisions of this rule. (2) Notice Requirements: (a) At least five business days before a wastewater util…

860-037-0307 Wastewater Utility Compliance Enforcement by Commission Appointment of Regent to Operate and Manage a Wastewater System (1) In extreme circumstances where a wastewater utility owner, operator, or representative demonstrates to the Commission's satisfaction an unwilli…

860-037-0308 Expenditure of Fees Collected Under ORS 756.310 to Make Emergency Repairs (1) The Commission may use up to $5,000 per biennium of the fees collected under ORS 756.310 to make emergency repairs for privately-owned wastewater utilities that provide service within the b…

860-037-0309 Commission-Assessed Civil Penalties for Noncompliance (1) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, the Commission may impose a civil penalty not to exceed $500 for each violation of state statutes, Oregon administrative rules, or Commission orders related to…

860-037-0310 Maps and Records (1) A wastewater utility shall keep on file current maps and records of the entire system showing size, location, and date of installation of the collection system and wastewater plant. (2) Upon request, a wastewater utility shall file with the Commi…

860-037-0320 Location of Underground Facilities A wastewater utility and its customers shall comply with requirements of OAR chapter 952 regarding the prevention of damage to underground facilities. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 183, 756 & 757 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 756…

860-037-0325 Construction, Safety, and Reporting Standards for Wastewater Utilities If a wastewater utility engages in the management, operation, ownership, or control of gas pipelines or communication, signal, or electrical supply lines within Oregon, the wastewater utility shal…

860-037-0330 Attachments to Poles and Conduits Owned by Public, Telecommunications, and Consumer-Owned Utilities Pole and conduit attachments shall comply with the rules set forth in OAR chapter 860, division 028. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 183, 756, 757 & 759 Statutes/Other …

860-037-0405 Relating to New Wastewater Utilities This rule applies to newly constructed investor-owned wastewater utilities that have not previously offered wastewater service to the public during the past 12 months. A new wastewater utility shall initially and immediately file …

860-037-0407 Request for Rate Regulation of an Association within the Boundaries of a City (1) Association members may submit a petition to the Commission at any time for full rate regulation of a wastewater utility owned or operated by an association located within the boundarie…

860-037-0410 Tariff Specifications (1) Form and style of tariffs: (a) Each wastewater utility must designate the initial tariff as PUC Oregon No. 1, and designate successive tariffs with the next number in consecutive numerical order. Supplemental information not otherwise provid…

860-037-0415 Tariff Contents (1) Tariffs must explicitly state the rates and charges for each class of wastewater service rendered, designating the area or district to which they apply. (2) Rules and regulations of the wastewater utility that in any manner affect the rates charge…

860-037-0420 Tariff Changes Require 30 Days’ Notice to the Commission Except as hereinafter provided in this division, a wastewater utility must file with the Commission all tariffs, rate schedules, revisions, or supplements thereto containing any change in rates, tolls, charges,…

860-037-0425 Announcement of Tariff Changes (1) Within 15 days of filing with the Commission new or revised wastewater tariff schedules that constitute a general rate revision, a wastewater utility shall inform its customers of the filing. A "general rate revision" is a filing by…

860-037-0430 Applications to Make Tariffs or Rate Schedules Effective on Less Than Statutory Notice A wastewater utility seeking authority to make tariffs or rate schedules effective on less than statutory notice must use application forms approved by the Commission. Statutory/Ot…

860-037-0435 Requirements for Filing Tariffs or Schedules Changing Rates (1) A wastewater utility may make wastewater tariff changes by filing an entirely new tariff or by filing revised sheets that shall refer to the sheets of the tariffs on file. Additions to the tariff on file…

860-037-0440 Requirements for Filing Tariffs or Schedules Naming Increased Rates (1) A wastewater utility filing tariffs or schedules that increase rates shall submit, in addition to the requirements of OAR 860-037-0435, the following information: (a) A statement setting forth fo…

860-037-0445 Tariff Changes Effective with Service Rendered All tariff changes apply to service rendered on and after the effective date of the changes, unless the Commission by order provides otherwise. As used in this rule, "service rendered" means basic service provided, or li…

860-037-0450 Notice to Interested Persons (1) This rule applies to any tariff filing that is filed under ORS 757.205. (2) Any person who requests of the Commission, in writing, to be notified of wastewater utility tariff filings covered under section (1) of this rule must be incl…

860-037-0505 Form and Filing of Applications (1) The Commission will furnish to applicant such information from the records on file as will assist in a full presentation of material facts required by OAR 860-037-0510 to 860-037-0535. (2) When any document required to be filed und…

860-037-0510 Notice and Approval Requirements Relating to the Sale, Transfer, Merger, Termination, Abandonment, or Disposal of a Wastewater Utility (1) Approval Requirements: (a) Each wastewater utility must file an application to obtain Commission approval prior to the sale, tra…

860-037-0515 Applications for Authority to Sell, Lease, Assign, Mortgage, Merge, Consolidate, or Otherwise Dispose of or Encumber its Property, or to Acquire Stock, Bonds, or Property of Another Public Utility Requirements of this rule apply to wastewater utilities seeking author…