(A) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to provide for the declaration of a water shortage or water emergency and to provide for the implementation of voluntary and mandatory water conservation measures throughout the city and those areas served by the city in the event a shortage is declared. The City Commission finds that availability of potable water for residential and emergency use and use by hospitals, schools and other public institutions is essential to the public health and welfare of the city and surrounding areas served by the city water system and that adoption of this subchapter is necessary to ensure continuity of water supplies during periods of water shortage.
(B) Water shortage. Whenever the City Commission finds that a shortage of water supply needed for essential uses exists, it shall be empowered to declare by resolution that a water shortage exists, and that it will encourage voluntary water conservation or impose mandatory restrictions on water use during the period of the shortage. Such a shortage shall be deemed to continue until it is declared by resolution of the City Commission to have ended. The resolution shall be published in the official city newspaper and through the general news media or any other appropriate method for making such resolutions public.
(C) Water emergencies. Whenever the Mayor or City Manager finds that a shortage of water supply needed for essential uses exists, that such a shortage is acute and that the delay required to convene for an emergency meeting of the City Commission would further endanger existing water supplies and constitute a threat to public health and safety, the Mayor or City Manager shall be empowered to declare that a water emergency exists and impose those voluntary or mandatory restrictions set forth below on water use pending a formal declaration of shortage by the City Commission. As soon thereafter as is practicable, either the Mayor or a majority of the City Commission shall call a special meeting of the City Commission to consider ratification or modification of the conservation measures imposed. The Mayor or the City Manager shall notify the individual members of the City Commission of the shortage in advance of the declaration whenever possible, and the declaration of emergency by the Mayor or City Manager shall thereafter be published to the general news media so as to inform the public of the shortage and the necessary conservation measures as soon as possible.
(D) Planned service interruptions. Whenever it is necessary to implement a service interruption to a significant portion of the water system for purposes of planned maintenance or system repair, the City Manager is hereby authorized to impose conservation measures, including but not limited to those voluntary or mandatory measures set forth in §§ 54.16 and 54.17, and shall provide such notice to the affected customers as is practicable under the circumstances and in accordance with the provisions of 54.18.
(Ord. 94-4, passed 3-7-94; Am. Ord. 2021-10, passed 12-21-20)