The owner, person, firm or individual in charge of any building or property within or without the corporate limits of the city, which building or property is connected to the water system of the city, or to which property water service is available, shall pay to the city amounts for the use of such service as provided below. The following water rates shall be effective for bills rendered after January 1, 2023.
(A) Within the corporation.
(1) Effective January 1, 2023 there shall be a minimum charge for the first 2,500 gallons of water, based on the size of the meter installed, as follows:
Meter Size (Inches) | Rate |
Meter Size (Inches) | Rate |
3/4 and smaller | $20.27 |
1 | $33.93 |
1-1/2 | $67.62 |
2 | $108.11 |
3 | $202.82 |
4 | $338.43 |
6 | $676.43 |
8 | $1,477.59 |
10 | $2,841.55 |
(2) Additional water shall be charged for as follows: All water in excess of 2,500 gallons shall be billed at the rate of $6.47 per 1,000 gallons.
(B) Outside the corporation.
(1) The charge to users of water outside the city shall be based on a rate equal to 150% of the rate charged to customers inside the city.
(2) The City Manager shall review all applications for water service outside the city and shall only approve such applications as are in the best interests of the city in consideration of all pertinent factors including, but not limited to, such factors as:
(a) Ability of the city to serve with no adverse effect on present customers.
(b) Level of consistency with the city’s water master plan.
(c) Level of consistency with the city’s comprehensive plan and other long- range development plans and strategies of the city.
(d) Compliance with other appropriate ordinances or administrative rules and regulations.
(C) Special contracts. Where specific contracts for furnishing of water are entered into pursuant to the authorization of Council, such contracts and the rates specified therein shall take precedence over the rates shown above.
(D) Water tap-in charge.
(1) Before a property owner connects to a water line, where such line was constructed wholly or partially with city funds and where such property has not been assessed for the cost of construction or where a free tap has not been given as a consideration for an easement, such property owner shall pay a tap-in charge based on the ratio of the frontage of property served to the total cost of an eight-inch water line.
(2) (a) In addition to the assessment charge provided for in (1) above where applicable, before any new connection is made to the city water system, there shall be paid into the Water Fund for each unit to be served by each connection, a tap-in fee based on size of water meter as shown below:
Meter Size (Inches) | Tap-in Fee
|
Meter Size (Inches) | Tap-in Fee
|
5/8 | $ 3,300 |
1 | 3,300 |
1½ | 4,690 |
2 | 7,370 |
3 | 16,700 |
4 | 29,670 |
6 | 71,210 |
8 | 99,980 |
Outside the corporation: The system capacity charge (tap-in fee) to be charged for water service furnished to buildings or properties outside the city, but connected to the water distribution system of the city, shall be equal to the charge as calculated above in division (2) hereof, plus 50%. All other provisions of division (2) shall also apply to this section.
(b) The size of meter required shall be determined by the user.
(c) Where the use of a property is changed in such a way as to increase the demand for water, a tap-in charge for the new meter size shall be required. No credit shall be given for the old meter.
(3) Tap-in fees for multi-family residential housing shall be calculated based upon the number of units at minimum meter size or actual meter size, whichever fee is greater.
(4) Where an existing structure is currently served by city water and is increasing the size of the water meter, the property shall be charged the difference between the current tap-in fee value for the existing meter size and the tap-in fee for the proposed water meter size.
(E) Penalty. A penalty of 5% shall be added to all bills for which payment has not been received in the City Building by 4:30 p.m. on the due date printed on the bill.
(F) Reconnection charge. When water service is disconnected for nonpayment, there shall be the following schedule of charges for reconnection: during the normal business hours (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) a fee of $25; after normal business hours, weekends, and holidays, a fee of $50.
(G) Charges to be a lien. Each water charge levied pursuant to this chapter is hereby made a lien upon premises charged therewith. If the same is not paid within 30 days after it shall be due and payable, it shall be certified to the Auditor of Warren County, who shall place the same on the tax duplicate, with the interest and penalties allowed by law, and be collected as other municipal taxes are collected.
(H) Monthly billing. All customers shall be billed on a monthly basis.
(I) Sewer deduct meters.
(1) The Director of Service shall, at the request of any water and sewer customer and upon payment by the customer of the current associated fees, permit the installation of a deduct meter for recording such water usage that does not enter the sanitary sewer system. The metering of such water shall be accomplished after the incoming water has passed through the master meter. Backflow prevention devices shall be required per § 911.05 of the Codified Ordinances.
(2) A minimum monthly meter fee of $4.00 per month for the deduct meter shall be charged to account for costs associated with meter reading, and account management.
(3) Customers who use the public water supply for filling of swimming pools may request an adjustment to their sewer bill by notifying the Service Department prior to filling the pool. In such cases, customers will be required to provide reasonable documentation of the quantity of water used. An adjustment will be made only in cases where at least 5,000 gallons of water is used. If a site visit is required to verify usage, a $25 fee will be applied to the account.
(4) Customers can request the use of up to two temporary sewer deduct meters for a period of time no longer than three weeks for situations where short-term irrigation is required. A rental fee of $50 will be charged for the delivery and reading of the meter. A late fee of $5 per day will be charged if the meter is not returned to the Service Department by the stipulated date.
(J) Readiness to serve charge. In instances where water service has been disconnected to unoccupied properties, for which an active water, sewer, or electric utility account exists, a monthly readiness to serve charge equal to the monthly minimum water use rate based on the meter size will be charged. The purpose of this charge is to support the cost of maintaining the water mains, water meters, fire hydrants and other infrastructure of the water distribution system that remains available to serve the property.
(K) Hydrant meters. Contractors performing work within the city limits can submit an application to the Service Department requesting the use of a hydrant meter to obtain temporary water service directly from a hydrant. A deposit of $250 is required in addition to a $30 nonrefundable administrative fee. The rental of a hydrant meter is limited to a three month period. Each subsequent three month period extension requires an additional $100 fee.
(Am. Ord. 2047, passed 8-26-75; Am. Ord. 5224, passed 6-24-80; Am. Ord. 5357, passed 11-10-81; Am. Ord. 5369, passed 12-22-81; Am. Ord. 5378, passed 2-9-82; Am. Ord. 5429, passed 11-23-82; Am. Ord. 5430, passed 11-23-82; Am. Ord. 5647, passed 1-22-85; Am. Ord. 6097, passed 7-14-87; Am. Ord. 6155, passed 12-22-87; Am. Ord. 6559, passed12-11-90; Am. Ord. 7020, passed 12-13-94; Am. Ord. 7143, passed 11-28-95; Am. Ord. 7162, passed 12-26-95; Am. Ord. 7321, passed 12-10-96; Am. Ord. 8478, passed 6-25-02; Am. Ord. 8594, passed 11-26-02; Am. Ord. 8818, passed 8-26-03; Am. Ord. 9179, passed 7-26-05; Am. Ord. 9788, passed 12-9-08; Am. Ord. 2010-124, passed 12-14-10; Am. Ord. 2011-094, passed 11-21-11; Am. Ord. 2012-096, passed 12-4-12; Am. Ord. 2013-092, passed 8-27-13; Am. Ord. 2013-108, passed 11-26-13; Am. Ord. 2014-088, passed 11-11-14; Am. Ord. 2015-002, passed 1-27-15; Am. Ord. 2015-066, passed 6-23-15; Am. Ord. 2015-088, passed 9-8-15; Am. Ord. 2016-114, passed 1-10-17; Am. Ord. 2017-111, passed 11-14-17; Am. Ord. 2018-098, passed 11-27-18; Am. Ord. 2020-111, passed 11-24-20; Am. Ord. 2022-118, passed 11-9-22)