Sec. 23-17. Reading Water Meters; Right Of Access; Manual Read Surcharge; Water Meter Replacement Fee:
   (a)   The village manager or his designated representative shall read or cause to be read every meter connected to the municipal water supply at such times as are necessary that bills for water and sewer utility service may be sent out at the proper time.
   (b)   The village manager or his designated representative shall have the right to enter upon, at reasonable hours, properties serviced by the municipal water supply to make meter readings, inspections, repairs and replacements, or to enter upon other properties to make investigations should he have cause to believe water is being used in violation of the provisions of this chapter.
   (c)   It is the duty of all customers serviced by the municipal water supply, and of all persons, firms or entities having an ownership or occupancy interest in customer premises that are serviced by the municipal water supply, to cooperate with the village and its representatives, employees, agents and contractors, to provide and permit prompt and efficient access to the customers' premises for delivering utility service to the customer premises, including, but not limited to: 1) inspecting, removing, replacing, repairing and installing water meters; 2) making meter readings or inspections as required.
   (d)   If a customer refuses or fails to allow village officers, employees or contractors access to the customer premises to enter and install a remote read water meter before: 1) September 1, 2015, 2) the date on which water service is first provided to a customer's premises, or 3) the date on which terminated water service to a customer's premises is reinstated, a manual meter reading fee in an amount determined by the annual fee resolution adopted by the corporate authorities of the village shall thereafter be added to the customer's water bill for each and every month, or part thereof, that the customer is receiving the use and benefit of the water supply system until the customer allows the village representatives to enter the premises and install a new or replacement remote read water meter.
   (e)   If customer premises have been constructed or arranged in a fashion to impede or prevent access to the village water meter, or to require that customer premises property be opened, cut, moved, damaged, demolished or destroyed to provide access to the village water meter for repair, replacement, reading or other purposes, customer shall perform such work as may be necessary to provide access to the village water meter at customer's sole expense. If customer fails or refuses to perform such work as may be necessary or required to provide village and its representatives, employees, agents and contractors with reasonable access to the village water meter on the customer premises, the village representative is authorized to perform such necessary work, and will leave the customer premises in a neat and clean condition, excluding any work, repairs or replacements that may be required to restore the customer premises due to cutting, opening, damaging, moving or demolishing any customer premises property as was required to provide access to the village water meter.
   (f)   A water meter replacement fee in an amount determined by the annual fee resolution adopted by the corporate authorities of the village shall be added to the customer's water bill for each and every month, or part thereof, that the customer is receiving the use and benefit of the water supply system, which fee is imposed by the Village to facilitate the ongoing maintenance and replacement of water meters and their component parts throughout the Village pursuant to the Village's water main replacement program. (Ord. 0-15-17, 6-15-2015; amd. Ord. 0-20-26, 12-7-2020)