(A) Utility service to customer or consumer households will be disconnected or terminated (hereinafter “disconnection”) by the city only for the following reasons:
(1) Nonpayment;
(2) Emergencies, repairs and replacement of lines;
(3) At customer request, provided that the approval of both the customer and consumer of services for that service address is necessary if any service address affected by the request is a consumer; and
(4) (a) If, upon physical examination, the city obtains reasonable grounds for and has a good faith belief that R.C. §§ 4933.18 or 4933.19 have been violated by use of a jumper or other by-pass mechanism:
1. Prior to installation of check valves or backflow protection; or
2. Which results in bypassing and negating such valves or protection.
(b) While the city must otherwise satisfy the requirements of these rules, utility service may be terminated immediately upon that discovery, without notice or opportunity for hearing prior to termination. However, in such circumstances, if a customer or consumer household affected by such termination thereafter requests a hearing, and establishes that the offending condition has been remedied; utility service will be reinstated, conditioned on continuing good behavior, although the city does not thereby waive any right of prosecution otherwise granted under the law.
(B) Water service restoration shall only occur Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
(C) If it is determined that water service was restored at a service address by anyone other than City Utility Department personnel, it will be immediately disconnected by City Utility Department personnel, the meter locked-out, all past and current water bill amounts paid in full along with a $75 reconnection fee before water service will be restored. Criminal prosecution may also be considered in accordance with city ordinances and R.C. § 4933.22.
(D) (1) If water service is disconnected at any address by the city and is discovered to have been reconnected by someone other than a city employee, water service will be immediately disconnected by the city, a lock placed upon the meter, a meter reading will be immediately taken and the service account will be adjusted to include all water registered on the meter since the last reading at shutoff. The service account must be then paid in full, plus the $75 reconnection fee, before water service can be restored to the account.
(2) Except as set forth in divisions (B) and (D) above, disconnections, other than those with approval of both the customer and consumer of service, may not occur without proper notice and adequate opportunity for hearing before termination. These rules shall be complied with by all Utility Department employees. No disconnection of service shall occur except after compliance with these rules.
(Prior Code, § 5.03.21) Penalty, see § 51.99