Marvin Mandel, Governor                        1073

however, that the connection charge on either side of the street,
road, alley or right-of-way shall be uniform. All of the revenue above
actual cost derived from such charges shall be retained by the
[commission] Department as a fund for repairs, replacements or
any extraordinary expense in the maintenance and operation of the
water supply, sewerage or drainage systems under its control.

19-13.

All sums collected by the [commission] Department for benefits
levied against the property for water supply, sewerage or drainage
construction shall be set aside as a separate fund to be known and
designated as the [metropolitan district] Department account. The
[commission] Department, in order to determine the amount which
it may deem necessary to be levied under Section 19-7 shall deduct
such amount as the [commission] Department may estimate that
it will be able to collect out of the benefits theretofore levied by it
but not yet paid, from the whole amount necessary to be raised in
any one year for interest and principal payments on outstanding
bonds, and the balance then remaining to be raised shall be the
amount to be certified to the county commissioners of Cecil County
for collection by taxation as provided by Section 19-7.

19-14.

For the purpose of providing funds for maintenance, repairing and
operating its water supply, sewerage or drainage systems, and for
its operation and other expenses, including proper depreciation
allowances, and for interest on, and the retirement of bonds as
specified in this chapter, the [commission] Department is hereby
empowered to make a ready-to-serve charge on water and a charge
for the upkeep of sewers chargeable against all properties having a
connection with any water pipe or sewer pipe under its supervision
or ownership. Said rate for both ready-to-serve and such charge for
the upkeep of sewers shall be uniform throughout such sanitary
district, subject to such changes from time, to time as may be neces-
sary. The charge for the upkeep on sewers shall be reasonable and
collected annually in the same manner as benefit assessments are
collected and shall be a first lien against all property having a con-
nection with any sewer pipe under its supervision and ownership.
If a sewerage system in any sanitary district is connected with a
sewage treatment plant of the [commission] Department, said charge
for the upkeep of sewers may include a charge for all or a propor-
tionate share of the cost of maintenance and operation of said sewage
treatment plant and, if the [commission] Department shall so elect,
said charge may be imposed and collected as a service charge on the
same basis and in the same manner as the [commission] Department
is authorized herein to impose and collect rates for water service.
The rate for water service shall consist of a minimum or ready-to-
serve charge, which shall be based upon the size of the meter on the
water connection leading to the property, and of a charge for water
used, which shall be based upon the amount of water passing through
the meter during the period between the last two readings, said
meter being required to be placed on each water connection by and
at the sole expense of the [commission] Department. If the [com-
mission] Department at any time shall not have meters available to
install in all the properties in a given locality that are connected to