(a) The county government may charge and collect rents, rates, fees or other charges (in this chapter sometimes referred to as “service charges”) for direct or indirect connection with, or the use or services of, any sewerage or water system. Such service charges may be charged to and collected from any person contracting for such connection or use or service, or from the owner or occupant, or both of them, of any real property which directly or indirectly is or has been connected with a sewerage or water system, or from or on which originates or has originated sewerage which directly or indirectly has entered or may enter into a sewerage system, or into which water from a water system may enter directly or indirectly, and the owner or occupant, or both of them, of any such real property shall be liable for and shall pay such service charges to the County at the time when, and place where, the county government by ordinance, resolution, rule or regulation determines that such charges are due and payable.
(b) Such service charges shall, as near as the county government deems practicable and equitable, be uniform throughout the area served by the sewerage or water system, and may be based or computed either on the consumption of water on or in connection with the real property, making due allowance for commercial use of water, or on the number and kind of water outlets on or in connection with the real property, or on the number and kind of plumbing or sewerage fixtures or facilities on or in connection with the real property, or on the number of persons residing or working on or otherwise connected or identified with the real property or on a front footage basis, or on other factors determining the type, class and amount of use or service of the sewerage or water system, or on any combination of any such factors.