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(a) It is the policy of the City to charge a surcharge to any person, firm or corporation using more than the amount of water allowed under the terms of this section during any period or periods when the Mayor determines in his discretion that a water emergency exists by reason of insufficient or inadequate water supply or pressure exists to provide safe and adequate water service to the City or any portions thereof, after voluntary requests to reduce water consumption or prohibition of non-essential water use have failed to eliminate or appreciably reduce the problem or appear to an inadequate response to a severe water problem, if such voluntary request or prohibition is possible in view of the extent of water supply or pressure.
(b) The Mayor is hereby authorized to declare a water emergency to exist when a shortage of water available for the customers in the City or insufficient pressure exists within the public water supply system upon adoption of an approving resolution by Council. Upon the declaration of such emergency by the Mayor, he is authorized to place into effect the provisions of this section until such time as the Mayor or Council determines that the emergency is terminated.
(c) During any period or periods of water emergency as declared to exist pursuant to the terms of this section, each water customer shall be allowed an amount of water per month calculated as follows:
(1) Residential customers using over 300 cubic feet per month: Eighty percent (80%) of the water used by the customer during the same month of the preceding year when such water emergency was not in effect. In the event that the customer was not a customer of the Galion water supply during the same month of the preceding year, then quantity allowed shall be calculated upon the basis of 700 cubic feet.
(2) Multiple family buildings served by one meter: The total allowed for all persons served by the meter shall be eighty percent (80%) of the water flow through the meter during the same month of the preceding year when such water emergency was not in effect.
(3) Business and industries. The amounts allowed shall be eighty percent (80%) of the amount used by the same business or industry in the same month of the preceding year. This requirement shall not apply to any business which established to the satisfaction of the Mayor that it has experienced a substantial change affecting water usage since the month used as a basis of measurement of year earlier, in which case the amount allowed shall be determined by the Mayor taking into account the nature and extent of such changes.
(d) In addition to the amount due under the water rates in effect for water consumed, the following surcharges shall be charged for any water used by any customer over the amounts allowed by this section: The amount of ten dollars ($10.00) for the first 100 cubic feet; fifteen dollars ($15.00) for the second 100 cubic feet; and twenty dollars ($20.00) for each 100 cubic feet over the initial 200 cubic feet subject to the surcharge. Fractional amounts of less than 100 cubic feet shall be prorated.
(e) In the event that the situation of any water customer is such that the amount of water allowed for the customer pursuant to the terms of this section without the imposition of the surcharge is unreasonable due to unusual or extenuating circumstances, then the customer may appeal the surcharge placed upon any monthly bill to the Council Water Review Committee, such committee shall consist of the three members of the Laws and Ordinances Committee and an alternate appointed by the Laws and Ordinances Committee, plus three citizens appointed by the Mayor, and shall serve upon all surcharge appeals filed during any water emergency. An appeal shall be filed by a water customer by mailing or delivering a letter requesting an appeal to the Committee at the City Building 301 Harding Way East, Galion, Ohio 44833. Upon receipt of the notice of the appeal, the Water Review Committee shall notify the water customer of the time and place for a hearing upon such appeal. Following the hearing, the Committee shall either approve the original surcharge or make such adjustment as it determines to be reasonable under the circumstances. The filing of such appeal by the water customer shall not excuse the payment of such penalty surcharge when due as initially billed, and in the event that the Water Review Committee makes an adjustment, then a credit shall appear on the next water bill of the customer after such decision has been made.
(f) After deducting all costs attributable to administering and collecting the surcharges provided for in this section, the balance of moneys collected shall be placed in a special water fund to be spent solely for the investigation and implementation of methods and measures intended to increase the capacity of the public water supply and the continued availability of water services to the customers of the system.
(g) The amount of the surcharge shall be added to the customer's monthly water bill until paid, and if not promptly paid when due, the City of Galion may proceed with the termination or shut-off of such customer's water service pursuant to existing provisions relating thereto or the Law Director may file a court action to collect any surcharge provided for and imposed in accordance with this section.
(h) The Mayor shall provide public information at the time the provisions of this section are imposed and in effect, including the following: press releases to all local news media, public service announcements offered to radio, television and cable television stations, and pamphlets or flyers included with water bills or otherwise delivered to water customers.
(Ord. 88-5725. Passed 11-22-88.)
(a) It is hereby declared to be the policy of the City that no person, property owner, corporation, entity, association, or organization, including land subdividers or developers or agents thereof, subject to the exceptions outlined in subsections (c) and (d) below, shall be permitted to connect to or extend in any manner, any City water line unless the property benefitting from such connection or extension is first annexed into the City.
(b) Any property located outside of the City corporation limits that is presently being provided with City water service shall be exempt from such policy and shall be entitled to continue receiving such service upon the following terms and conditions:
(1) The use of such water at said premises shall be subject to all City ordinances and regulations relating thereto, including without limitation, all regulations pertaining to backflow prevention.
(2) Each existing tap shall serve only one principal structure on a lot or parcel of real property, and no taps into an existing tap or service line shall be permitted. Laterals may not be extended from one property to another.
(3) The cost of maintaining, repairing and replacing any existing service line from the point of tapping into the City water line to the premises served by such line shall be at the sole cost of the property owner.
(4) The rate for water service provided to customers outside the City corporation limits shall be the basic rate charged to customers located within the corporation limits, plus a surcharge of fifty percent (50%) for usage reflected in the July 2002 billing cycle and thereafter; provided, however, the City has and reserves a right to change from time to time both the basic rate and surcharge to be assessed and collected from all water customers located outside its City corporation limits.
(5) The City does not represent or warrant that at all times there will be a sufficient supply of water to meet the needs of water customers located outside its corporation limits nor that there will always be adequate pressure in its water lines.
(c) An exception to the policy adopted in paragraph (a) above which requires annexation before City water will be provided outside the corporation limits is granted if there is an agreement between Galion City Council, the Board of County Commissioners having jurisdiction of the territory where such water service may be provided, and the owner(s) of all property(ies) to receive such water service. Said agreement shall require said property owner(s) to file or join in an application with the appropriate County Commissioners to have such property(ies) annexed to the City of Galion as soon as such process can be commenced and to diligently pursue such proceedings to conclusion, and shall require that the Board of Township Trustees having jurisdiction over the subject property(ies) also adopt a resolution agreeing not to object to such annexation of the property(ies) to the City of Galion.
(d) An exception to the policy adopted in paragraph (a) above which requires annexation before City water will be provided outside the corporation limits is granted to any person, property owner, corporation, entity, association, or organization including land subdividers or developers or agents thereof in control of a parcel of property outside the corporate limits which is used for residential purposes and is further one through which or is immediately adjacent to a parcel through which runs an existing water line. Such a parcel may be connected to said existing line subject to the provisions of subsections (b) (1) through (5) above. All costs of said connection shall be borne by the property owner. This exception to the standard policy disallowing connections outside of the corporate limits shall be in effect only as long as said parcel continues in residential use.
(Ord. 2015-95. Passed 11-10-15.)
(a) Due to the possibility of dangerous backflow, no person, firm, corporation, or governmental entity shall attach to or withdraw water from a fire hydrant connected to the Galion Water System, or authorize anyone to withdraw water from a fire hydrant connected to the Galion Water System, except as permitted in this section.
(b) Provided proper training in their use and understanding the hazards associated with incorrect operation have been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Mayor or his designated representative, there are five (5) User Types permitted to operate a fire hydrant connected to the Galion Water System and to withdraw water therefrom, subject to the following conditions:
(1) User Type 1. This User Type consists of the Galion Fire Department and other fire departments that are called for mutual aid and that typically draw water from a public water supply into tanks that do not contain anti- corrosive chemicals and/or agents. This User Type does not require the use of a backflow prevention device. Except for the Galion Fire Department, all connections to a Galion fire hydrant must be reported to the Galion Police/Fire Dispatcher, or Fire Chief on the scene, either on radio frequency or by telephone (419-468-9111) prior to attachment to a fire hydrant and the withdrawal of water.
(2) User Type 2. This User Type consists of fire departments that typically fill tanks from streams, creeks or ponds rather than from a public water supply and/or fire departments that have tanks containing anti-corrosive chemicals or agents and/or fire departments that do not have tanks meeting the NFP 1901 standard. This User Type must use a backflow device previously approved by the Mayor or his designated representative between the hydrant and the tank. All connections by this User Type to a Galion fire hydrant must be reported to the Galion Police/Fire Dispatcher, either on radio frequency or by telephone (419-468-9111) prior to attachment to a hydrant is made.
(3) User Type 3. This User Type consist of Galion Public Works Department employees and equipment. Routine, periodic or quality driven flushing of fire hydrants does not require the use of backflow device so long as an air gap is maintained between the end of the hose and the point of use. Provided a City employee remains on site to ensure that an air gap is maintained, the filling of swimming pools by City employees does not require the use of a backflow device. Any filling of equipment (i.e. trucks, including those owned by the City) does require the use of a backflow device or an air-gap device that has been preapproved by the Mayor or his designated representative. Before any attachment by User Type 3 is made to a fire hydrant connected to the Galion Water System, the Galion Water Division Superintendent must be notified.
(4) User Type 4. This User Type includes attachment to a fire hydrant by a licensed food vendor. This type of use if for a limited amount of time and is controlled by the Galion Health Department as to the type of hose used and the backflow devices required. Before attachment is made to a fire hydrant connected to the Galion Water System, a User Type 4 must first notify the Galion Health Department.
(5) User Type 5. This User Type is for all other water use including bulk sale of water. All such other use shall occur at the fill station at the Water Treatment Plant and must be overseen by employees of the Water Treatment Plant.
In addition to the foregoing permitted uses, further exceptions may be considered by the Mayor or his designated representative, and if approved, any such exception must be authorized in writing as to the time, location and manner of attaching to a fire hydrant connected to the Galion Water System, including the type of backflow prevention device, if any.
(c) Any person, firm, corporation or governmental entity that attaches to a fire hydrant connected to the Galion Water System in violation of the terms and requirements of this section shall be guilty of a first degree misdemeanor.
(Ord. 2003-26. Passed 3-11-03.)