(A) The rates and charges established for water service may be billed at regular intervals and as infrequently as bimonthly. All revised rates or charges shall first be billed under the next full billing cycle on or after the effective date of the City Council action revising the amounts. The Director or designee may collect all water rates and charges in behalf of the city, including sewer, refuse, emergency medical services subscription, as well as water rates.
(B) Water and sewer bills, including service and penalty charges, are due and payable upon deposit by city in the United States mail (“date billed”), and shall be delinquent 21 calendar days after the date billed, at which time a delinquent fee equal to 10% of the past due amount shall be assessed. The Department may discontinue water and sewer service for any delinquent accounts in accordance with the procedures set forth in Administrative Policy 03620.003 - Disconnection of Water and Sewer Service for Non-payment.
(C) If the city has made a service call to turn off the service for nonpayment of a delinquent bill, a disconnection fee - water turn on/turn off, as established by resolution of the City Council, will be charged. Additionally, a cash deposit equal to three times the average monthly bill will be required. If the service is turned off for such delinquency and it is requested that service be turned on less than one hour prior to the close of business, legal holidays excepted, the applicant shall pay an after-hours service fee. In the event that the current billing account has been closed, a new account setup fee will also be required. These fees shall be established by resolution of the City Council.
(D) After the Department has turned the service off under this section and the service has subsequently been turned back on, without the authorization of the department, the department may again turn off the service and remove the meter. Damages to the meter and/or service connections will be assessed and fees will be charged to recover the cost of replacing or repairing the damaged items.
(E) No service shall be restored until all delinquent rates, charges, fees, deposits, and penalties due at the time of the request for such restored service are paid in full.
(F) If and when the customer pays an outstanding bill along with other rates or charges in a lump sum, and if the total amount billed and owed for all rates and charges by that customer exceeds the amount paid, the Director shall apply the amounts paid first to the emergency medical subscription, then to sewer, then to refuse, then to reclaimed water, then to electric, and finally to water rates and charges owed.
(G) Notwithstanding any remedial procedure provided herein, the city may exercise any available legal or equitable remedy, including but not limited to court action, to recover all delinquent rates, charges, fees, and penalties.
(H) If the delinquency date or the shutoff date falls on Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the delinquency, penalty or shutoff date shall be the next following city working day.
(I) If a water and/or sewer service customer fails to comply with any provision of this chapter, the Director shall have that service turned off pursuant to the procedures provided herein. However, the Director shall have the right upon request to grant reasonable extensions of time beyond the periods provided herein for payment of delinquent accounts or reverse any delinquent charge, final notice fee, disconnection - water turn on/turn off fee or deposit if, in his/her judgment, unusual circumstances, including but not limited to a customer's extreme financial difficulty, warrant such an extension of time or reversal. Such extension of time for payment, however, shall not eliminate the accrual of the penalty due or the final notice fee unless approved in advance by the Director.
(Ord. 3346 § 5, 2022; Ord. 3308 § 3, 2019; Ord. 2965 § 2, 2009; Ord. 2918 § 1 (part), 2007.)