“There’s a severe … financial penalty if you go two billing cycles without paying,” Lee said. “We’re not charging for the amount of liquid that you put into our system, we’re charging you for the privilege of being able to discharge it.

“Every individual down there has the right to disconnect from us and put their own septic system in, and that’s the impact fee,” Lee said. “I set the impact fee … for a new structure … it’s going to cost them $2,500.”

Lee said the $25 base rate is less than what residents are paying now.

“We hope, that with all the money we have and the improvements that we’re going to make with it, that that’s going to be enough to do routine maintenance on it, pay for the power, pay for the chemicals and all the things that are involved in running the system,” Lee said.

Twice a month, Lee said, testing will be done on the system. The city will have to submit any presence of oil, grease or other unusual items found to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

Lee said the system is “pay as you go” and residents will pay equally.

“We left the rates down … to allow them to be able to do this,” Lee said. “We intend to do everything we can to keep them (rates) down.”