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§ 51.049 INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE.
   (A)   It shall be the duty of the consumer at any premises on which backflow prevention devices required by these regulations are installed to have inspection, tests, maintenance and repair made per the following schedule or more often where inspections indicate a need or are specified in manufacturer's instructions.
      (1)   Fixed proper air gap separations shall be inspected to document that a proper vertical distance is maintained between the discharge point of the service line and the flood level rim of the receptacle at the time of installation and at least annually thereafter. Corrections to improper or bypassed air gaps shall be made within 24 hours.
      (2)   Double check valve assemblies shall be inspected and tested at time of installation and at least annually thereafter and required service performed within five days.
      (3)   Reduced pressure principle backflow prevention assemblies shall be tested at the time of installation and at least annually or more frequently if recommended by the manufacturer and required service performed within five days.
   (B)   Testing shall be performed by a person who has been approved by the IEPA as competent to service the device. Proof of approval shall be in writing.
   (C)   Each device shall have a tag attached listing the date of most recent test or visual inspection, name of tester and type and date of repairs.
   (D)   A maintenance log shall be maintained and include:
      (1)   Date of each test or visual inspection;
      (2)   Name and approval number of person performing the test or visual inspection;
      (3)   Test results;
      (4)   Repairs or servicing required;
      (5)   Repairs and date completed; and
      (6)   Servicing performed and date completed.
   (E)   Whenever backflow prevention devices required by these regulations are found to be defective, they shall be repaired or replaced at the expense of the consumer without delay as required by division (A) above.
   (F)   Backflow prevention devices shall not be bypassed, made inoperative, removed or otherwise made ineffective without specific authorization by the PWD.
(Ord. 1122, passed 12-20-99)
§ 51.050 BOOSTER PUMPS.
   (A)   Where a booster pump has been installed on the service line to or within any premises, such pump shall be equipped with a low pressure cut-off device designed to shut-off the booster pump when the pressure in the service line on the suction side of the pump drops to 20 psi or less.
   (B)   It shall be the duty of the property owner to maintain the low-pressure cut-off device in proper working order and to certify to the PWD, at least once a year, that the device is operable.
(Ord. 1122, passed 12-20-99)
§ 51.051 VIOLATIONS.
   (A)   The PWD shall deny or discontinue, after reasonable notice to the occupants thereof, the water service to any premises wherein any backflow prevention device required by these regulations is not installed, tested, maintained and repaired in a manner acceptable to the PWD, or if it is found that the backflow prevention device has been removed or bypassed, or if an unprotected cross-connection exists on the premises, or if a low pressure cut-off required by these regulations is not installed and maintained in working order.
   (B)   Water service to such premises shall not be restored until the property owner has corrected or eliminated such conditions or defects in conformance with these regulations and to the satisfaction of the PWD and the required reconnection fee is paid.
   (C)   Water service to such premises shall not be restored until the property owner has corrected or eliminated such conditions or defects in conformance with these regulations and to the satisfaction of the PWD.
   (D)   Neither the city, the PWD or its agents or assigns shall be liable to any customers for any injury, damages or lost revenues which may result from termination of said customer's water supply per the terms of this chapter, whether or not said termination of the water supply was with or without notice.
   (E)   The property owner responsible for backsiphoned material or contamination through backflow, if contamination of the potable water supply system occurs through an illegal cross-connection or an improperly installed, maintained or repaired device, or a device which has been bypassed, must bear the cost of clean-up of the potable water supply system.
   (F)   Any person found to be violating any provision of this subchapter shall be served with written notice stating the notice of the violation and providing a reasonable time limit for the satisfactory correction thereof. The offender shall, within the period of time stated in such notice, permanently cease all violation.
   (G)   Any person violating any of the provisions of this subchapter in addition to any fines shall become liable to the city for any expense, loss or damage occasioned by the city by reason of such violation, whether the same was caused before or after notice.
(Ord. 1122, passed 12-20-99)
RATES, CHARGES AND PROCEDURES
§ 51.065 ESTABLISHMENT OF RATES AND CHARGES.
   Rates or charges for the use of and for the service supplied by the waterworks system of the city shall be based upon the amount of water consumed as shown by the water meter and shall be charged monthly according to rates established by a separate ordinance. Rates will be reviewed annually.
   (A)   Within the corporate limits.
      (1)   For each user of the water services, the monthly charge shall be a per 1000 gallon rate plus a debt service charge equal to 100% of revenue bond and/or loan principal and interest plus 25% for debt service reserves.
      (2)   (a)   The schedule of rates for water service for all connections inside the corporate limits of the city shall be as follows:
            Debt service charge per customer plus                  $12.52
 
Number of Gallons
Variable Cost
1,000 or less
$4.75 per 1,000 gallons or less
Next 5,000
$6.69 per 1,000 gallons or fraction thereof
Next 5,000
$7.04 per 1,000 gallons or fraction thereof
Next 5,000
$7.42 per 1,000 gallons or fraction thereof
All over 16,000
$7.88 per 1,000 gallons or fraction thereof
 
         (b)   The debt service charge per customer shall be charged for each dwelling, apartment, trailer, unit or structure served by a single water meter. The city shall have the right to inspect the premises at any time to insure compliance with this provision. This provision shall apply to any trailer coach park or multiple dwelling.
   (B)   Outside the corporate limits. The rates for water service for all connection outside the corporate limits of the city shall be twice the amount stated in division (A) of this section for water service connections inside the corporate limits of the city.
(Ord. 1122, passed 12-20-99; Am. Ord. 1119, passed 1-20-99; Am. Ord. 1139, passed 8-7-00; Am. Ord. 1209, passed 4-15-03; Am. Ord. 1279, passed 5-2-05; Am. Ord. 1387, passed 4-6-09; Am. Ord. 1405, passed 4-5-10; Am. Ord. 1449, passed 4-16-12; Am. Ord. 1522, passed 3-16-15; Am. Ord. 1565, passed 6-1-17; Am. Ord. 1595, passed 5-14-18; Am. Ord. 1628, passed 5-13-19; Am. Ord. 1651, passed 5-18-20; Am. Ord. 1680, passed 5-24-21; Am. Ord. 1696, passed 3-28-22; Am. Ord. 1732, passed 2-26-24)
§ 51.066 APPLICATIONS FOR SERVICE CONNECTIONS; DEPOSIT.
   (A)   Applications for water or sewer connections must be made in writing to the city upon forms provided by the city. A separate application will be made for each service connection, each building and each residence or business place to be supplied. All applications shall contain the common address and parcel number of the property to which service is requested to be made and shall be signed by the property owner, or by the owner's authorized agent, with satisfactory proof of such agency required and the tenant, if the tenant will be billed for such service. In such application, the owner of the real property, or his or her authorized agent, and the tenant, if the tenant is to be billed for water service, must agree to the provisions of this chapter and all other applicable provisions of the city code, as amended. The submission of such written application shall be prima facie proof of the owner's and tenant's agreement to be so governed and shall be conclusive proof of such agreement in a court of law. If after the initial application the tenant, who is being billed for water service, is replaced by another tenant, a new application must be submitted to the city by the new tenant and owner. In all cases the owner is responsible for any unpaid fees and charges of the owner.
   (B)   Each application for any city utility service shall be accompanied by a deposit of $75 as security for such service(s) to be furnished. Deposits for utility service(s) shall be maintained and accounted for separately and shall be returned to the applicant without interest upon the written request for the discontinuance of all service by the applicant. Should any utility service remain connected, the deposit will be maintained by the city until such time as all services are discontinued. There shall be deducted from said deposit any moneys due and owing to the city for any city utility service.
(Ord. 1122, passed 12-20-99)
§ 51.067 PAYMENT OF BILLING; PROCEDURE; DELINQUENCY.
   (A)   The person in whose name any city utility service(s) to a premises is billed, the occupant of the premises, the owner of the premises and the user of the service shall be jointly and severally liable to pay for such service, and the service(s) is furnished to the premises by the city only upon the condition that said persons are jointly and severally liable therefore to the city.
   (B)   Regular bill (white). Water, sewer and solid waste service charges (hereinafter referred to collectively as utility services) shall be sent using a white post card on or near the first day of the month succeeding the monthly period for which service was supplied. All bills for utility services shall be due and payable for the period that the service is billed, not later than the close of business on the twentieth day after bills have been sent.
   (C)   Penalty bill (yellow). If payment of the full amount of the bill is not made by the due date of the white post card bill, then a penalty of 10% of the amount of the balance of the utility services bill will be added to the amount due. The billing addressee will be notified of the 10% penalty by the mailing of a yellow post card, which will allow an additional five days for the bill plus the penalty to be paid. If the billing addressee is a tenant, the owner will be sent a notice informing the owner that the tenant is overdue on the utility services billing and the consequences if the bill is not paid. If in the opinion of the City Administrator or his or her designee, the balance owed is not of a sufficiently large amount to justify the administrative costs required to collect said balance, the balance can be retained on the account and will become payable on rendition of the next bill. Such determination to retain balances on account will be made following guidelines put forth by the City Administrator in a standing order. Said standing order may be amended from time to time as is determined by the City Administrator to be prudent. If upon expiration of the five day grace period the bill remains unpaid, the landlord may provide notice to the city, upon such form as provided by the city, to suspend service.
   (D)   Termination warning (red). If payment of the full amount of the bill plus penalty is not made by the due date of the yellow post card bill, then a red tag will be attached to the front door of the service address warning that the water service will be shut off if the full amount of the bill including penalties and the red tag fee is not paid by 12:00 noon the next working day. The city may proceed with termination of water service at 12:01 the next working day following the termination warning unless the person so notified shall request a hearing prior to 12:00 noon the next working day following the day that the termination warning is attached to the front door of the service address. The hearing shall be held by the City Administrator or a person so designated. Unless the hearing officer determines that the proposed termination is not justified, or unless other arrangements for payment of the bill are approved by the City Administrator or his or her designee, the city may proceed with termination of the water service on the date stated in the termination notice.
   (E)   Shut off.
      (1)   In the event the charges for utility services, penalties and fees are not paid as demanded by the red termination warning, such service shall be immediately terminated and shall not be reinstated until all past-due bills, including the penalties and red tag fee, (as established by separate ordinance), are paid in full or other arrangements for the payment of the obligation are approved by the City Administrator or person so designated. If the premises is occupied by a tenant, the owner shall be informed in writing that the water has been shut off and that the past-due bill, penalties, fees and the current bill must be paid in ten days.
      (2)   All shut off provisions in this chapter shall apply equally to anyone using water only service, anyone using sewer only service, or anyone using water and sewer service. The city has the option to shut off either water or sewer service or both in its sole discretion in the event that utility services may be terminated or shut off pursuant to the terms of this chapter. If the city elects at its option to discontinue sewer service, the city may cap the sewer service to the customer’s property and the property owner and user shall be responsible for all expenses incurred by the city in capping the sewer line.
   (F)   Reconnection of service. In the event that water services are terminated for nonpayment of rates or charges for water, sewer or solid waste services, there shall be a reconnection fee paid for reconnecting such service, plus all costs incurred in filing and recording of any lien upon the real estate.
   (G)   Delinquent bill. In the event the charges for service are not paid as required by this chapter, such charges shall be deemed and are hereby declared to be delinquent, and thereafter such delinquencies shall constitute liens upon the real estate for which such service was supplied, and the City Clerk is hereby authorized to file sworn statements showing such delinquencies in the office of the County Recorder of Deeds, and the filing of such statements in the pertinent office shall be deemed notice for the payment of such charges for such service. The City Clerk may, in lieu of filing a lien upon the property, refer the delinquent bill to the City Attorney for the purpose of filing a claim in small claims court for the collection of said delinquent bill.
   (H)   Payment date. All payments made on any obligations required by or pursuant to the terms of this title shall be deemed paid on the date the payment is received by the city, except that all payments received after 3:00 p.m., central time, on a business day, shall be considered paid on the following business day. A business day is a day in which the city offices are open for business to the general public.
   (I)   Payment plan policy. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this code, a payment plan policy is hereby established. The payment plan policy shall be administered by the City Administrator or his or her designee. The policy shall be defined and adopted by the Administrator in a standing order as may be amended from time to time in the determination of the Administrator and approved by the City Council. The policy may grant the Administrator the power to permit an applicant to make the payment of any delinquent water, sewer or solid waste service charges on an installment basis and the power to waive any penalty, shut off charge or fee that may be required under this code.
(Ord. 1122, passed 12-20-99; Am. Ord. 1137, passed 8-7-00; Am. Ord. 1162, passed 6-19-01)
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