The following words and terms, when used in these rules and regulations, shall have the meaning indicated below:

103-502.1. Commission.

The Public Service Commission of South Carolina.

103-502.2. Customer.

Any person, firm, partnership, or corporation, or any agency of the Federal, State, or Local Government, being supplied with service by a utility under the jurisdiction of this commission. Customers shall be classified for purposes of applying rates as “residential”, “commercial”, or “industrial”.

103-502.3. Customer Main Extension Fee.

A fee paid by a customer under a contract entered into by and between the utility and its customer providing terms for the extension of the utility’s mains to service the customer.

103-502.4. Customer Service Line.

The portion of pipe on the customer’s premises which transports sewerage from the customer’s premises to the “utility service line”.

103-502.5. Homeowners Association.

An association of lot owners located in a particular subdivision or development incorporated under the laws of this State as a non-profit corporation, including as one of its purposes, the operation of a sewerage system to serve the particular subdivision or development. Each homeowners association, prior to the commencement of operations of a sewerage system, shall file with the commission and provide a copy to the ORS (a) a certified copy of its certificate of incorporation; (b) a copy of the corporation’s bylaws; (c) a copy of any declaration of covenants, conditions and restrictions on real property in the subdivision or development filed in conjunction with the formation of the homeowners association; (d) a copy of the permit or authorization from the Department of Health and Environmental Control issued to the homeowners association to operate the system, and (e) copies of a statement signed by each lot owner disclosing that the sewerage services in the subdivision are provided by a non-profit homeowners association, in which each lot owner is a voting member, and that an appropriate assessment to meet operating expenses of the Utility must be paid by each lot owner.

103-502.6. Main.

A sewerage pipe owned, operated, or maintained by a utility, which is used to transport sewerage, but does not include the “utility service line”, or “customer service line”.

103-502.7. Premises.

A piece or tract of land or real estate, including buildings and other appurtenances thereon.

103-502.8. Rate.

The term “rate”, when used in these rules and regulations, means and includes every compensation, charge, toll, rental, classification, or availability fee, or any of them, including tap fee, or other non-recurring charges demanded, observed, charged, or collected by any utility for any service offered by it to the public, and any rules, regulations, practices, or contracts affecting any such compensation, charge, toll, rental, classification, or availability fee. An application for approval of any rate schedule will not be accepted for filing under S.C. Code Ann. Section 58-5-240 unless accompanied by the information specified under 103-823.

103-502.9. The Office of Regulatory Staff.

The executive director and employees of the Office of Regulatory Staff.

103-502.10. Tap Fee.

A non-recurring, non-refundable charge related to connecting the customer to the utility’s system which includes the cost of installing the utility’s service line from the main to the customer’s premises and a portion of plant capacity which will be used to provide service to the new customer. Plant capacity shall be computed by using the Guide Lines for Unit Contributory Loadings to Wastewater Treatment Facilities (1972) to determine the single family equivalency rating. Any privately-owned corporation, firm, partnership, or individual empowered by contract, or otherwise, to collect a tap fee from a customer for the provision of sewerage service to that customer shall be considered a utility, and shall obtain commission approval prior to collecting tap fees, or any other rates for sewerage service. An application for approval of any rate change shall not be considered unless the filing contains appropriate exhibits setting forth all cost criteria justifying the tap fee, setting forth the portion of the tap fee related to installing the service line and the portion related to plant capacity.

103-502.11. Utility.

Every person, firm, partnership, association, establishment or corporation furnishing or supplying in any manner sewerage collection and/or sewerage disposal service to the public or any portion thereof, for compensation. A “homeowners association”, as defined in 5 of this rule and subject to the requirements set forth herein, upon commission order, may be found not to be a utility.

103-502.12. Utility Service Line.

The portion of pipe which runs from the customer’s premises to the main, and which receives sewerage from the “customer service line”.

103-502.13. Sewerage or Wastewater Plant.

Plant and property owned by a utility, used in its business operations of providing sewerage collection and/or sewerage disposal service to its customers.

103-502.14. Local Office or Business Office.

These terms mean that in the event a sewer utility operates a local office or business office set forth in this article, then the sewer utility shall comply with the requirements of the section or subsection of the regulation addressing such local office or business office. In the event the utility does not operate a local office or business office, the section or subsection of the regulation does not apply to the sewer utility.

103-502.15. Mail.

The term “mail” means a communication sent by U.S. Mail or the notice method selected by the sewer utility customer and maintained in the customer’s records at the sewer utility.

103-502.16. Municipality.

“Municipality” includes a city, town, county, township, and any other corporation existing, created or organized as a governmental unit under the constitution and laws of this State.

HISTORY: Amended by State Register Volume 14, Issue No. 3, eff March 23, 1990; State Register Volume 31, Issue No. 5, eff May 25, 2007; SCSR 48-5 Doc. No. 5183, eff May 24, 2024.