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(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to turn the water on to any premises from the municipal water system, except by permission of the Public Works Authority. Water shall not be turned on until the plumbing has been inspected and approved by Public Works Authority or the Building Inspector and until any and all deposits and charges have been paid.
(B) The city will see that the water is turned on when all requirements for service have been complied with.
(2002 Code, § 52.08) Penalty, see § 10.99
(A) The water rates to be charged for water from the municipal water system shall be prescribed by motion or resolution adopted by the City Council and the Public Works Authority. The rates may be classified by whether the water is used by residential customers or commercial customers, by customers within or without the city and/or by other reasonable classifications.
(B) In addition to the rates charged under division (A) above, and any other fees as may be assessed under this chapter, there is hereby established a "water meter fee" to be assessed on all monthly water utility account billing statements in the amounts as follows, corresponding to the size of water meter used or required on each account, for the maintenance or replacement of water meters on all residential, commercial, or industrial accounts charged:
Meter Size | Rate Per Month |
Meter Size | Rate Per Month |
5/8 in. meter | $6.00 |
1-in. meter | $6.00 |
2-in. meter | $9.00 |
3-in. meter | $13.00 |
4-in. meter | $17.00 |
6-in. meter | $25.00 |
8-in. meter | $34.00 |
(C) Water meter fees, at the rates shown in division (B), shall be assessed in addition to charges prescribed in any water resale agreements between the Newcastle Public Works Authority and/or the City of Newcastle with any other entity or municipality where the meter used is the property of the Newcastle Public Works Authority or the City of Newcastle.
(D) In the event of use of a meter size not shown in the table in division (B) above, or in the table as amended, the monthly water meter fee charged shall be that for the meter size shown in the table that most closely corresponds to the actual meter size used.
(E) The water meter fees established herein shall not be prorated and may be adjusted by the Newcastle City Council by ordinance, or by motion or joint resolution adopted by the Newcastle Public Works Authority and the Newcastle City Council.
(2002 Code, § 52.09) (Ord. 943, passed 5-8-2023)
(A) All bills for water service shall be due and payable on the first day of the calendar month following the service month when the service was rendered. They shall become delinquent if not paid on or before the tenth day of the month in which they become due, and the service will be shut off, consistent with notice requirements.
(B) Bills rendered when service is discontinued, shall be due and payable at the time the bills are presented or sent to the customer.
(C) (1) In the event of a billing dispute involving the request of the customer to reread, test or to replace a water meter, and the prior reading is determined to be accurate, or the meter tested is determined to be accurate, or the customer requests the replacement of a meter that has been tested as accurate, the following charges shall apply and be paid by the customer:
(a) Thirty dollars for re-reading an individual meter;
(b) One hundred dollars for the testing of an individual meter; and
(c) Three hundred dollars for the replacement of an individual meter.
(2) No charge shall be made if, upon re- reading a meter, the prior reading of the customer’s meter is found to be inaccurate. Additionally, if, upon testing, the customer’s meter proves to be faulty, no charge shall be made for the testing or the replacement of the faulty meter.
(2002 Code, § 52.10) (Ord. 448-A, passed 2-14-2000; Ord. 671, passed 1-9-2012)
(A) Water may be cut off and service discontinued for any user for any of the following reasons:
(1) Violation of any ordinance or resolution provision relating to the water system, or violation of any ordinance or resolution provision or any provision of any code adopted by reference relating to water and sanitary plumbing; or
(2) Failure to pay a water bill or other proper charge in connection with the water system by the time specified by ordinance or resolution.
(B) Water may also be cut off for any act or omission in regard to the water system or sanitary sewer system, the use of water or the disposal of liquid wastes, which jeopardizes the public health or safety, creates a public nuisance or interferes with the rights of others.
(2002 Code, § 52.11)
(A) When a customer’s water service has been cut off because of delinquency or act or omission of the customer, as provided by ordinance or resolution, it may be turned on again only during normal working hours, and only when all charges have been paid or other change in the conditions justify it.
(B) A charge of $35 shall be made for turning the water on again.
(2002 Code, § 52.12)
(A) As used herein, a BACK FLOW PREVENTOR is defined as a valve or series of valves that, in the opinion of the Building Inspector or the designated representative of the Public Works Authority, will prevent the back flow of water and contaminants from a lawn sprinkler system into the water system network from which the water originally entered the lawn sprinkler system.
(B) The back flow preventor shall be placed at the beginning of the lawn sprinkler system, immediately after the system branches off the service line, and approved by the Building Inspector or the designated representative of the Public Works Authority, before the system is placed in operation.
(C) The lawn sprinkler system shall not be used for the delivery of water to any external faucet or outlet other than the lawn sprinklers themselves, and the system shall be designed and installed so that no use of the water entering the lawn sprinkler system may be had other than the release of water through the installed sprinkler heads.
(2002 Code, § 52.13)
(A) On all service pipes from the water main to the water meter, there shall be installed by, and at the cost of, the Public Works Authority, a curb stop whereby the city may shut off or turn on the flow of water through the meter.
(B) All repairs of service pipes and curb stops, when the repairs are made necessary by the acts or omissions of property owners or third persons not employed or contracted for by the Public Works Authority, shall be made by, and at the expense of, the owners of the premises served. In the event the repairs are made by the property owners, the repairs shall be approved by the Building Inspector or the designated representative of the Public Works Authority. The city may, in case of an emergency, repair any service pipe or curb stop and, if this is done, the cost of the repair work shall be repaid to the city by the owner of the premises served, according to a schedule of repairs and services adopted by the City Council and the Public Works Authority.
(2002 Code, § 52.14)
(A) Whenever an emergency exists by reason of a shortage of water due to inadequate supply, limited treatment or distribution capacity, or failure of equipment or material, the Mayor is hereby authorized to restrict or prohibit the use of water from the municipal water system.
(B) An emergency exists whenever the City Manager or the Mayor reasonably determines that the municipal water system is unable, or will within 60 days become unable, to supply the full commercial and domestic needs of the users thereof, including adequate fire protection.
(C) Upon the determination that an emergency exists, the Mayor shall issue a proclamation declaring the emergency and setting out with particularity, an order restricting use of water from the municipal system. The order may restrict water usage during certain periods of the day or week, or according to an orderly and non-discriminatory scheme, and prohibit usages not essential to public health and safety. The order may be revised from time to time as the Mayor deems necessary.
(D) (1) The proclamation required by division (C) above shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or, if there is no newspaper in which the proclamation may be published within 24 hours after the emergency arises, publication shall be by posting a copy of the proclamation in ten prominent places in the city. The emergency shall be in full force and effect upon publication.
(2) Substantial compliance with this section is sufficient to effect the emergency.
(E) Whenever a sudden or unexpected event so reduces the availability of water or water pressure as to create an immediate threat to public health or safety, notice of the proclamation may be given by any reasonable means, including electronic means. The emergency shall be in full force and effect upon the notice. If any means is other than that required in division (D) above, the proclamation shall be republished in accordance with division (D) above within 24 hours of the first notice.
(F) A duly-proclaimed emergency shall continue and the terms of the proclamation shall be in force for 30 days or until the time as the Mayor or the City Council shall cause to be published a proclamation that the emergency has ended, whichever is shorter, unless the City Council, by resolution approved by a majority of all its members, extends the proclamation.
(G) (1) Any person feeling aggrieved by a proclamation of the Mayor shall have the right to present the matter to the next regular or special meeting of the City Council, or to an emergency meeting called to discuss the water emergency. The City Council may exempt the aggrieved person, wholly or in part, from compliance with the proclamation order upon a showing that compliance creates an immediate threat to the person’s health or safety. The ruling of the City Council, by a majority vote of all its members, shall be final and binding as to the continuance of any terms of the proclamation.
(2) Until and unless the action of the Mayor is modified or revoked by action of the City Council, all water users shall be bound by the proclamation.
(H) Any person who, in any manner, directly or indirectly violates or permits others under his or her supervision, custody or control, to violate any term of a duly published proclamation, shall be guilty of an offense. Each separate day of water use in violation of the proclamation shall constitute a separate offense, and each separate prohibited use on the same day shall constitute a separate offense.
(2002 Code, § 52.15) Penalty, see § 10.99