(A) Meters will be read and bills rendered monthly, and there shall not be a variance of more than five days in reading a particular meter and rendering a bill thereon in the subsequent month.
(B) Bills for water will be computed in accord with the company's authorized rate schedule and will be based on the amount of water consumed for the period covered by the meter readings, except that where a consumer orders a turn-on resulting in a period of availability of service of less than 16 days. This consumption will be carried over to the next month's billing.
(C) Charge for service commences when the meter is installed and connection made, whether used or not.
(D) Bills are due when rendered and delinquent on the last of the month following billing. Delinquent notices with a ten-day cut-off notice with a re-connection charge will be sent to each delinquent account. If the account is not paid at the end of the ten-day period, the service may be discontinued. Service discontinued for delinquency of bills will be restored only after all due bills are paid in full, redeposit made, if required, and a service charge paid for each service established (see Town of Florence Schedule of Fees).
(E) Failure to receive bills or notices shall not prevent the bills from becoming delinquent nor relieve the consumer of his or her obligations therein.
(F) If the consumer believes his or her bill to be in error, he or she shall present his or her claim at the company's office before the bill becomes delinquent.
(G) The company will make special meter readings at the request of the consumer for a fee; provided; however, that if the special reading discloses that the meter was over read, no charge will be made (see Town of Florence Schedule of Fees).
(H) Meters will be tested at the request of the consumer upon payment of a testing fee; provided, however, that if the meter is found to over-register beyond 3% of the correct volume, no charge will be made (see Town of Florence Schedule of Fees).
(I) If the seal of the meter is broken by someone other than the company's representative, the consumer shall pay an amount estimated from the record of his or her previous bills or from other proper data.
(J) If the meter fails to register or stops for any cause of which the consumer is not responsible, the first month's bill may be estimated by the company, but thereafter the consumer shall be billed the regular monthly minimum until the meter is repaired or replaced.
(K) When an apparent or hidden leak has been determined or discovered in the customer water service, and the customer has the leak repaired within five days after being notified by town personnel or electronically by the WaterSmart system, or having discovered the leak, or if the customer does not own the premises to which the water service is furnished, if certified in writing to the town that he or she notified the owner of the premises of the leak within ten days after being notified or having discovered the leak, and adjustment of the customer's water and sewer charge may be made after evaluation from the Utility Department and the determination of the Finance Director. The water bill adjustment shall be for a period not exceeding 30 days prior to repair of the leak or, in the case of a customer who does not own the premises, 30 days prior to the notification of the leak, by the customer to the owner, and the charge for water service for the 30-day period may be adjusted downward in the amount of one-half the normal charge for the water service as to the owner of the premises. No adjustment shall be made to the charge for water service to any customer more often than once every two years for any one location. Sewer charge shall be made at the normal or average water usage for the period being adjusted. Consideration may be given to average monthly usage in the same year or prior period(s) in the previous year. The Finance Department will provide the adjustment and provide communications with the customer. Only the responsible party on the utility billing shall be able to request and receive adjustments.
(L) The Water Division shall maintain all service lines from the main to, and including the first valve or meter yoke, but not the house side connection thereto. In the case where no valve is located in the service line and the meter is located on the private property of the owner, it shall be the responsibility of the owner to maintain the service line from the main to the building being served. On branch service piping, the first valve is the tapping valve or gate valve fitting to the tee. Apparent leaks in the customer's water installation, whether registered on the water meter or not, shall be repaired by the customer within five days of receipt of written notice by the Water Division. If repairs are not made, the town shall issue a written notice of an intended disconnect and, five days thereafter, may discontinue water service until the leak is repaired. If, in the judgment of town personnel, the leak endangers public safety, constitutes a serious nuisance or wastes substantial amounts of water, water service may be discontinued without prior notice to the customer. Hidden leaks in the customer's water installation shall be repaired, after discovery under the same provisions as apparent leaks.
(Prior Code, Ch. 18, Art. II, § 18-103) (Ord. 346-04, passed 6-21-2004; Ord. 385-05, passed 6-20-2005; Ord. 712-22, passed 2-22-2022)
Cross-reference:
For similar sections, see Ch. 51