(A) Waterworks rates and charges. There shall be established for the use of and the service rendered by the waterworks system of the town, the following rates and charges, based on the use of water supplied by the waterworks system:
(1) Metered rates:
Quantity of Water Used Per Month (Number of Gallons) | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
First 2,500 gallons | $8.77 | $9.03 | $9.30 | $9.58 |
Next 17,500 gallons | $7.70 | $7.93 | $8.17 | $8.42 |
Next 40,000 gallons | $6.56 | $6.76 | $6.96 | $7.17 |
Next 90,000 gallons | $5.49 | $5.65 | $5.82 | $5.99 |
All over 150,000 gallons | $4.38 | $4.51 | $4.65 | $4.79 |
(2) Minimum charge. Each user shall pay for a minimum charge in accordance with the following applicable size of meter installed, for which the user will be entitled to the quantity of water set out in the above schedule of rates.
Meter Size | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Meter Size | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
5/8 - 3/4 | $21.92 | $22.58 | $23.26 | $23.96 |
1 | $56.52 | $58.22 | $59.97 | $61.77 |
1-1/4 | $84.99 | $87.54 | $90.17 | $92.88 |
1-1/2 | $113.32 | $116.72 | $120.22 | $123.83 |
2 | $182.60 | $188.08 | $193.72 | $199.53 |
3 | $349.33 | $359.81 | $370.60 | $381.72 |
4 | $601.22 | $619.26 | $637.84 | $656.98 |
6 | $1,287.89 | $1,326.53 | $1,366.33 | $1,407.32 |
(3) Monthly readings. For the purpose of billing and collecting the charges for water use, the meters will be read monthly.
(4) Fire protection service.
(a) Hydrants.
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
Municipal hydrants – per hydrant –- per annum | $843.71 | $869.02 | $895.09 | $921.94 |
Private hydrants – per hydrant – per annum | $843.71 | $869.02 | $895.09 | $921.94 |
Outside corporate limit hydrant surcharge per month | $7.08 | $7.29 | $7.51 | $7.74 |
(b) Private sprinklers.
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
2-inch line | $281.68 | $290.13 | $298.83 | $307.79 |
3-inch line | $421.86 | $434.52 | $447.56 | $460.99 |
4-inch line | $619.16 | $637.73 | $656.86 | $676.57 |
6-inch line | $1,405.73 | $1,447.90 | $1,491.34 | $1,536.08 |
8-inch line | $1,499.76 | $1,544.75 | $1,591.09 | $1,638.82 |
10-inch line | $3,936.86 | $4,054.97 | $4,176.62 | $4,301.92 |
(5) Availability fee.
Meter Size | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Meter Size | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
5/8 | $650.04 | $669.54 | $689.62 | $710.31 |
1 | $1,689.86 | $1,740.56 | $1,792.78 | $1,846.56 |
1-1/4 | $2,534.79 | $2,610.83 | $2,689.15 | $2,769.82 |
1-1/2 | $3,379.72 | $3,481.11 | $3,585.54 | $3,693.11 |
2 | $5,395.25 | $5,557.11 | $5,723.82 | $5,895.53 |
3 | $10,335.34 | $10,645.40 | $10,964.76 | $11,293.70 |
4 | $17,811.50 | $18,345.85 | $18,896.23 | $19,463.12 |
6 | $38,233.19 | $39,369.89 | $40,550.99 | $41,767.52 |
(6) Equity fee. Prior to connecting to the town’s waterworks system, a customer shall be required to pay an availability fee (referred to as an equity fee) as set forth hereafter. These fees will be used by the utility in the best interests of the utility and in accordance with the utility’s policies but shall be primarily to offset the costs of future extensions, modifications, and improvements to the town’s waterworks.
(7) Connection within 90 days. Upon payment and collection of the fees established above, the customer shall have 90 days to connect to the town’s water distribution system. If a connection is not made within 90 days, then the customer shall be obligated to pay the minimum charge based upon a 5/8 to 3/4 meter size established by the town’s water rate charge ordinance.
(8) Tap/installation fee. Any and all size meters: the tap/installation fee for any and all size meters shall be the actual cost to the town, but not less than $500. The minimum fee is $500.
(B) Collections and deferred payment charges.
(1) (a) All bills shall be due and payable monthly. Bills unpaid more than 22 days following the date of billing shall include a collection charge of 10% on the first $3 of unpaid billing and 3% on the balance of unpaid billing in excess of $3. In addition, should it become necessary to employ the services of an attorney to collect any unpaid fees and charges, the customer shall pay, in addition to those fees and charges, reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.
(b) The town shall charge and collect the sum of $30 for each check not honored by the customer’s financial institution and returned to the town regardless of the reason.
(2) Service shall be disconnected by the town when the customer has become two consecutive billing months delinquent and shall not be restored until the customer has paid his or her bill, all service fees and any required deposit.
(3) Once a customer has been on the disconnect list twice in a rolling 12-month period a notice will be sent to the customer notifying the customer that if they are on the disconnect list a third time, within the rolling 12-month period, the following requirement will be imposed:
(a) Customer will be required to bring account current.
(b) Customer will be required to pay, in full, on time, every month for a consecutive 12-month period.
(c) If the requirement of division (B)(2) of this section is not met, service will be disconnected without notice and service will not be restored until the account is brought current and all service fees have been paid. Also, the 12-month period starts over.
(4) A notice will be mailed at the beginning of the month notifying a customer of their status on the disconnect list. This notice will outline the amount required to be paid and by when. Payment is due before disconnection, which is the 24th day of the month or the Monday following in case the 24th is on a Friday through Sunday. On the 23rd day of the month, or the Friday before, (in the event the 23rd falls on a Saturday or Sunday) the Street Department will post a notice on the doors of all customers who have failed to pay their outstanding bill. Anyone who receives this notice will be charged a $5 notice fee. The notice will require the customer to pay or contact the Clerk’s office with payment arrangements (signed acknowledgment by a owner if the customer requesting payment arrangements is a renter or contract purchaser) prior to 8:00 a.m. on disconnect day. For a customer who has not followed these instructions and is on the shut-off list a $30 non-compliant fee shall be charged and services will be discontinued/disconnected. Service(s) will not resume until the account is brought current and all fees/deposits have been paid.
(C) Cost of materials. Any materials furnished or provided by the town either for use by town personnel or for use by other contractors requesting materials and supplies from the utility shall be charged to the customer or contractor, as the case may be, at the town’s cost plus 15%.
(D) Adjustment. A financial analysis and rate review of the water utility shall be done in 2015 in order for the Council to determine whether an adjustment is warranted.
(E) Fees.
(2) There will be no fee to the customer for scheduled shut-offs for repair or similar service during business hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) with 24 advance hours notice to the town. In the event that notice is not properly given by the customer to the town, the customer will be charged and will pay a $25 trip fee for each trip made by the town.
(3) There will be no fee to the customer for scheduled shut-offs in connection with new construction, remodeling or renovation of an existing structure or a damaged structure during business hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) with 24 advance hours notice to the town. In the event that notice is not properly given by the customer to the town, the customer will be charged and will pay a $25 trip fee for each trip made by the town.
(4) (a) There will be a $25 trip fee for each trip made by the town for service calls made outside of business hours. The term “service” includes disconnects and reconnects and, in addition, shall be liberally construed to include, but not be limited to, visual inspections, repairs, replacement, and services of any type on any water apparatus, regardless of its location.
(b) Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. and any references to business hours in § 51.15(E) are hereby amended.
(5) A $25 reconnect charge for all seasonal reconnects.
(F) Reconnection fee.
(1) Following disconnection at the request of the customer based on an affidavit establishing no need for water facilities on real estate, which disconnection shall first be approved by the Town Council, no reconnection shall be made until payment of the tap/installation fee as established in § 51.15(A)(8) as may be amended from time to time.
(2) The Clerk-Treasurer shall be authorized to request disconnection on behalf of a customer provided the Clerk-Treasurer establishes to the satisfaction of the Town Council the following circumstances:
(a) No payments have been received by the town from or on behalf of the customer for a period of six continuous months; or
(b) There is no need for water facilities to the improvements on the real estate in the name of the customer because of abandonment of or damage to the improvements, or similar circumstances as established by the Clerk-Treasurer; or
(c) There are no improvements whatsoever on the real estate owned by the customer.
(d) In the event the Town Council approves the disconnection upon the request of the Clerk-Treasurer, no reconnection shall be made until payment of the tap/installation fee as established by § 51.15(A)(8) as amended from time to time.
(‘88 Code, § 9-2-1) (Ord. 78-3, passed 9-11-78; Am. Ord. 91-5, passed 1-6-92; Am. Ord. 98-3, passed 4-20-98; Am. Ord. 2002-12, passed 10-7-02; Am. Ord. 2004-09, passed 6-7-04; Am. Ord. 2005-08, passed 12-5-05; Am. Ord. 2006-01, passed 2-6-06; Am. Ord. 2010-10, passed 12-6-10; Am. Ord. 2013-4, passed 4-1-13; Am. Ord. 2015-2, passed 9-8-15; Am. Ord. 2015-6, passed 11-2-15; Am. Ord. 2021-1, passed 5-3-21)