941.03 TAMPERING WITH WATER SYSTEM.
(a) No person may connect to any public water line, tamper with or remove any meter, registering device or seal placed by the Water Division or insert a meter by-pass without the permission of the Director of Public Service under penalty provided in Ohio R.C. 4933.99(B). If the Division of Water finds that a Water Division seal has been broken or any by-pass inserted and there is evidence that the meter or registering device has been tampered with, water service to the unit may be terminated in accordance with Section 941.12(a), (f), (g) and (m), and shall not be turned on again until the consumer or owner of the premises pays for the estimated quantity of water which has been used and not registered, and, in addition thereto, the standard fee for turning off and the standard fee for turning on such water. Payment of the fees herein will not in any way relieve any person from criminal prosecution. Meters damaged by abuse, misuse, accident or any act of carelessness shall be repaired at the expense of the customer.
(b) No person shall operate, open or otherwise tamper with any valve, stopcock, curbcock or other device after the same has been closed for violation of any rule or regulation of the Division of Water, or unlawfully secure a supply of water through such valve, stopcock, curbcock or other device after same has been closed for the violation of any rule or regulation of the Division of Water, or in any way take water for private use unlawfully or without first having secured the necessary permit from the Bureau of Buildings, Inspections, Licenses and Permits.
(c) No person shall put filth, animal matter, chips, shavings or any other substance into any City reservoir or bathe or swim therein.
(d) No person shall open, close, adjust or interfere with a fire hydrant, valve, regulator, gauge, gate, curbcock, stopcock, meter or other regulator, operating a measuring device, or appliance in or attached to the wells, tanks, reservoirs, conduits, pipes, mains, service pipes, house pipes or other pipes or apparatus of the City water supply system, with intent to cause the escape of water or to injure or destroy such property. No person shall tap, sever, open or make unauthorized connections with a main or pipe used or intended for the transmission of water. This section does not apply to the agent or employee for the purpose of the owner or operator of the appliances referred to in this section, and does not apply to anything done by or under authority of any regularly constituted fire department. The penalty for violation of this section is not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than three hundred dollars ($300.00) or imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both.
(e) Any customer or consumer having a connection to the public water supply system who permits public water to be wasted excessively from such connection either by unnecessary use, or negligence, or who fails to prevent excessive waste, may have water service to the unit terminated in accordance with Section 941.12(a), (f), (g), and (m).
(f) No person shall damage or disturb any fire hydrant or any part thereof or take any water from such hydrant under any circumstances except an authorized agent of the Division of Water or the Fire Division or a person with a special permit from the Division of Water. In case any damage is done to a fire hydrant by any person, he shall upon demand of the Division of Water pay such damages and all cost and expense incurred by reason thereof.
(Ord. 96-079. Passed 5-7-96.)