(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to:
(1) Connect to, turn on, turn off, or disconnect any utility service offered by the city;
(2) Remove, replace, or repair any utility equipment belonging to the city connected to any utility service offered by the city;
(3) Access, open, or tamper with any meter, water hydrant, backflow preventer, or other utility equipment belonging to the city connected to any utility service offered by the city;
(4) Bypass or otherwise engage in unauthorized metering; or
(5) Tamper with any utility service furnished by the city to consumers.
(b) For purposes of this section:
(1) TAMPER shall mean damage, alter, adjust, or in any manner interfere with or obstruct the action or operation of any meter provided for measuring or registering the amount of utility service passing through the meter, or any valve provided by the utility service offered by the city for preventing backflow of water into the supply lines, or any other devices owned and maintained by the utility service offered by the city.
(2) BYPASS shall mean the act of attaching, connecting, or in any manner affixing any pipe, wire, cord, socket, motor, or other instrument, device, or contrivance to the utility service offered by the city or any part thereof in a manner as to transmit, supply, or use any utility service without passing through an authorized meter for measuring or registering the amount of utility service.
(c) No person shall be guilty of violating this section if such person is an authorized utility employee or has been otherwise granted authority by the city.
(1957 Rev. Ords., §§ 4.405, 4.416, 4.602, 14.102, 14.502, Rules 17, 20, 23; 1992 Code, § 41-13) (Ord. 22-21, passed 2-16-2021) Penalty, see § 10.999