(a) Definition. In this section, "public water shortage" means a situation in which the Department is unable to provide public water of sufficient pressure and quality to residents of the County or a part of the County to accommodate normal domestic inside uses of public water exclusive of outside uses, such as sprinkling of lawns, washing of cars, and filling of swimming pools.
(b) Declaration. If the Director determines that a public water shortage exists or is anticipated in the County or in a part of the County, the Director may declare a state of public water shortage.
(c) Rules and regulations. The Director may adopt rules and regulations designed to conserve the public water supply in the County or parts of the County affected by the water shortage by restricting the use of the public water supply in the area affected. The rules and regulations shall be advertised for two successive days in at least one newspaper having a general circulation in the County. The advertisement shall specify the parts of the County affected by the declared state of public water shortage; the terms of the rules and regulations adopted; the manner in which the use of the public water supply is restricted; and the penalties enumerated in subsection (e) for violation of the rules and regulations and water use restrictions.
(d) Effective date of rules and regulations. The rules and regulations shall take effect at the time of the declaration of the state of public water shortage, but liability under subsection (e) may not attach until the rules and regulations have been advertised.
(e) Water service termination. The Director may turn off the water service to a user of public water violating any of the provisions of the rules and regulations restricting the use of public water during a declared state of public water shortage if the Director has advised the user of the violation and has requested the user to cease the activity constituting the violation and the user does not cease the activity within a period of time reasonable under the circumstances. If water service to a non-complying user is turned off in accordance with the provisions of this subsection, the Director may charge the user a turn-off and turn-on charge to be levied and assessed against the non-complying user in a like manner as other charges and assessments for utility services.
(1985 Code, Art. 25, § 25-5-106) (Bill No. 63-04)