(a) Upon written notice of the Building Commissioner that a building is vacant and upon the Building Commissioner's request to the Department of Water Management to shut off the water supply to the building, the Department of Water Management shall shut off the building's water service supply and provide notice to the Department of Finance that all applicable fees, including a water shut off fee, as determined by the Department of Water Management, shall be billed and collected by the Department of Finance. The Department of Finance shall thereafter cease billing and charging of all prospective fees and charges included in the unified statement of charges against the person responsible for the water account of the building from the time the water supply is shut off until such time as the water supply is restored.
(b) Upon written notice of the Department of Buildings to the Department of Water Management, or upon notice of the building owner to the Department of Water Management, that the building is no longer vacant, the Department of Water Management shall restore water supply to such building and provide notice to the Department of Finance to resume billing and charging of all fees and charges included in the unified statement of charges against the person responsible for the water account established for the building; provided, however, no water supply shall be restored unless all outstanding fees and charges included in the unified statement of charges, including a water restoration fee as determined by the Department of Finance, are paid in full, or the owner or occupant enters into an approved payment plan with the Department of Finance for said amounts.
(c) If water supply that is shut off in accordance with this section is illegally restored, the Department of Water Management shall cause an unauthorized water restoration fee to be charged in accordance with Section 11-12-485 of this Code, and the Department of Finance shall pro-rate the unified statement of charges for such building calculated in accordance with Sections 11-12-270 and 11-12-280, or 11-12-310 and 11-12-320 of this Code from the end of the last billing period prior to the water shut off.
(d) It shall be the responsibility of the owner of the vacant building to vacate, repair and maintain water supply pipes on private property leading to or located within such building.
(Added Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 13798, Art. XII, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 7-20-22, p. 50569, § 4)