(a) No person shall connect to any water line, tamper with or remove any meter or registering device placed by the City or insert a meter by-pass without the written permission of the safety/service director. If City personnel find that any by-pass has been inserted and there is evidence that the meter or registering device has been tampered with, water service to the unit may be terminated. The water 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 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 or replaced at the expense of the customer.
(b) No person shall operate, open or otherwise tamper with any valve, corporation stop, curb stop, or other device; nor in any way take water for private use unlawfully or without first having secured written permission from the safety/service director and its designated employees.
(c) No person shall tamper with, damage or disturb any fire hydrant, or any part thereof, nor take any water from such hydrant under any circumstances, without written authorization from the safety/service director. In case any damage is done to a fire hydrant by any person, s/he shall, upon demand of the Water Department, pay for such damages and all costs and expenses incurred by reason thereof.
(d) Any person who attempts to or does connect property to a water line as defined herein or a connection with such line, without written authorization from the safety/service director required herein, is hereby determined to be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not more than three hundred dollars ($300.00) for the first violation. For the second violation, a fine of one-thousand dollars ($1000.00) and loss of working permits for one year. For the third violation, an indefinite loss of working permits shall, upon conviction be imposed.
(e) Each 24-hr. period a connection in violation of this section remains connected to a water line, or a connection to such a line, shall be deemed a separate violation of this section and shall be punished in subsection (d) hereof.
(Ord. 22-36. Passed 7-13-22.)