(A) The general rules and regulations adopted by the State Public Service Commission are hereby adopted as the general rules and regulations of the city water system. The following special rules and regulations are required by local conditions and supplement the general rules to govern the city water system.
(B) The rules, regulations and water rates of this chapter, shall be considered a part of the contract with each person, company or corporation supplied water service by the city. Any person, company or corporation using the service shall be considered to have given his, her or their express consent to be bound by these rules and regulations. When in violation, water service may, upon due notice, be disconnected from the building or other place of such violation, and shall not again be turned on, except by the order of the Mayor/City Administrator and upon payment of the sum of past due amounts, and a shut-off and turn-on charge.
(1) The owner or owners of property requiring a connection to the water mains of the city shall pay a water main connection fee. In addition to the connection fee, the property owner will pay for all parts/supplies including the curb stop, water meter, and labor costs incurred to complete the connection. The hook-up fee for a new connection and for disconnection and reconnection shall be established by resolution of the City Council.
(2) All service lines from the main water line to the premises of consumers must be at least six feet deep, and upon the installation of a service line, the depth must be measured and approved by the Public Works Director or some person appointed by him or her, before the service line is connected to the water main and water is furnished by the city.
(3) The service lines from the water mains to the user’s premises must be of suitable tubing consistent with the standards of the American Waterworks Society.
(4) In the event disputes or complaints are tendered on the part of consumers, such disputes or complaints must be presented to the Mayor/City Administrator in writing. In the event disputes or complaints are not resolved, the consumer must present his, her or their dispute or complaint to the City Council for its consideration and the Council will render the decision on the matters presented.
(5) Curb boxes when installed must be installed one foot outside of the property line on residential hook-ups and one foot in from the outside edge of the curb on business hook-ups.
(6) There shall be a water meter installed upon the service pipe at the service location of each water consumer in an approved outside meter pit or vault. This meter is to be selected by the Public Works Director and installed under the direction of the employees of the Water Department, who shall select the place on the property where the meter will be installed.
(C) The meter pit or vault for the meter to be located in will be installed at a location to be determined by the employees of the Water/Sewer Department. The meter must be protected from freezing and other damage. The cost of initial installation will be borne by the city at no cost to the property owner for those water consumers on the existing system as of September 13, 2015 (completion of the water meter project). After the initial installation, all new connections and/or changes to water service lines requiring a new meter, meter pit or vault; the costs will be borne by the property owner. Such costs will be included in the hookup fees charged by the city for new users and changes. The city shall not be liable in any manner should any alteration of the premises required to repair, access or change a water meter.
(D) Meters for those buildings existing on Main Street will not be required to install a meter pit or vault; those meters are to be installed on the main service line at a location inside the building. If, for any reason, the Public Works Director deems an outside meter pit or vault would not be feasible at a certain location, the city will be allowed to install a meter on the main service line of that property inside the building.
(E) If any water consumer interferes with the installation of a meter or refuses to allow the installation of a meter at a place on the premises selected by the Water Department, the water shall be turned off and shall not be turned on again until a water meter is installed as required and a fee as established by the City Council is paid for turning on the water. In addition, the party interfering with the installation of the meter or refusing to allow the installation of a meter may be guilty of a misdemeanor for each day the meter is not installed and fined according to § 55.99.
(F) Water consumers are not permitted to interfere in any way with the meter pit and/or water meter after they are set in place. In case a meter seal is broken or the working parts of the meter have been tampered with or the meter or pit damaged, the city may render a bill for water charges together with the full cost of repairs or replacement of the damaged meter or meter pit. In addition, a person found tampering with the water meters or his or her installation may be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and fined according to the penalties in § 55.99.
(G) All water meters, meter pits or vaults installed in the city must be of a type and brand approved by the Public Works Director or his or her designee. All meters shall be capable of being radio read and shall be compatible with the city’s meter reading system.
(H) The water shall not be turned on to any house or service pipe except by permission of the Public Works Director, and then not until the applicant has fully complied with every requirement in this chapter. Plumbers are strictly forbidden from turning water into any service pipe, except by order or permission in writing from the Public Works Director. This rule shall not be construed to prohibit plumbers from turning water into pipes for the purpose of testing them, and for that purpose only.
(I) All property owners using the city’s water service shall keep their own service pipes in good repair and protected from freezing at their own risk and expense. It is the policy of the city that no claims or demands against the city shall be accepted by the city by reason of broken or plugged service lines on the water user’s property. All costs of repair and/or equipment for existing waterlines from the mainline to the residence or served structure shall be borne by the person receiving the water service.
(J) Should the property owner desire to discontinue water service, whether temporary or permanent discontinuance, the city must be notified by the property owner in writing at the time service is to be discontinued.
(K) Any person tapping the mains or opening or closing any valves, corporation cocks or curb cocks, or opening or closing any fire hydrant, without authority from the city to do so shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
(L) The city reserves the right at any time, without notice, to shut off the water in the mains for the purpose of dealing with emergency situations or making repairs or extensions or for any other purpose. The city shall have access at all reasonable times to all parts of any buildings or premises for the purpose of inspecting the size and condition of the pipes and fixtures and the manner in which the water is used.
(M) The city has jurisdiction over the city water system, including the wells, pipe lines, storage tanks, conduits, rights-of-way, curb boxes, meters and any other appurtenances. Any person found guilty of trespassing thereon with the intent to deface or defraud, or any tampering or interfering with any of the appliances, fixtures, meters, valves or property, with malicious or fraudulent intent, or any person found guilty of interfering with the water supply shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to § 55.99.
(N) Property owners sharing a common building or structure shall provide, at their own expense, separate shut off valves as approved by the Director of Public Works for the delivery of water services from the city and shall allow sole control over any and all of the valves in the event of non-payment by any property owners sharing the common building or structure.
(Ord. 2015-01, passed 3-16-2015) Penalty, see § 55.99