(A) Application. This section shall apply to all users of water of the municipal water utility.
(B) Declaration of need. Upon determining that the town’s municipal water utility is in imminent danger of a shortage of water, the governing body shall declare a water conservation emergency and establish the appropriate conservation measures and the duration thereof.
(C) Voluntary conservation. In accordance with division (G) below, users shall be requested to reduce water consumption by practicing voluntary conservation techniques. The governing body shall suggest reasonable and meaningful actions which will alleviate existing or potential water shortage.
(D) Mandatory conservation. In accordance with division (G) below, users shall be prohibited from the water uses listed below, subject to reasonable terms, times and conditions as the governing body shall determine:
(1) Sprinkling, watering or irrigating of shrubbery, trees, grass, ground covers, plants, vines or any other vegetation, with the exception of vegetable gardens;
(2) Washing of automobiles, trucks, trailers, mobile homes, railroad cars or any other type of mobile equipment on private property;
(3) Cleaning or spraying of sidewalks, driveways, paved areas or other outdoor surfaces;
(4) Washing and cleaning of any business equipment or machinery;
(5) The filling of swimming pools, wading pools and ornamental fountains; and
(6) Knowingly allowing leakage through defective plumbing. The town and its municipal water utility reserves the right to disconnect service to any user and/or customer if water leaks are not repaired.
(E) Rationing.
(1) The Town Council and its municipal water utility, hereby authorizes the implementation of the following section of this section at anytime deemed necessary by the Superintendent of the Municipal Water Utility.
(2) In addition to the mandatory conservation measures identified in division (D) above, and in accordance with division (G) below, users and/or customers of the Municipal Water Utility shall be limited to water use per the following schedule, to be determined when and if the need arises:
(a) Residential use shall be limited to ___ gallons per person per day; and
(b) Business, commercial and industrial users shall be limited to ___% of the volume of water used during the corresponding month of the preceding year. Business, commercial or industrial users that were not in business and operating in the area served by the Municipal Water Utility more than one year prior to the declaration of need shall be restricted to ___% of the average monthly volume of water used during the number of months the business, commercial and industrial user was in business and operating in the Municipal Water Utility system area.
(F) Exceptions. The governing body of the town and its Municipal Water Utility reserves the right to establish alternative rationing requirements for the following:
(1) Health care providers;
(2) A reasonable use of water to maintain adequate health and sanitary standards; and
(3) Those industrial and agricultural activities declared to be necessary for the public health and well-being.
(G) Notice. Notice of voluntary conservation measures shall be by publication in a local newspaper of general circulation or other means as deemed appropriate by the governing body. Notice shall be effective upon publication. Notice of mandatory conservation or rationing shall be by First Class United States Mail, or by other door-to-door distribution to each current user, and by electronic and print media. Notice shall be deemed effective at the conclusion of door-to-door distribution, or at 12:00 p.m. of the third day after depositing same in the United States mail.
(Prior Code, § 51.02) (Ord. 2-1988, passed 7-13-1988) Penalty, see § 51.99