§ 50.010 UTILITY SERVICE; AVAILABILITY TO DEBTORS.

   The city may decline or fail or cease to furnish utility service to any person who may be in debt to the city for any reason, except ad valorem taxes and special assessments.

(1992 Code, § 41-10)

§ 50.011 UTILITY SERVICE; USE ASSUMED.

   All premises connected to any city utility service shall be assumed to be using the utility service and either the property owner or customer shall be charged therefor as long as the premises shall remain connected with the utility service.

(1992 Code, § 41-11) (Ord. 22-21, passed 2-16-2021)

§ 50.012 RIGHT OF ENTRY.

   Any authorized utility employee shall have free access at any reasonable time to all premises supplied with any city utility service for the purpose of examination in order to protect the utility services from abusive use, read any meter, install a new water meter and/or Meter Transmitting Unit (MTU), repair or replace an existing water meter and/or MTU, or for containment backflow prevention verifications.

(1957 Rev. Ords., § 14.102, Rule 22; 1992 Code, § 41-12) (Ord. 22-21, passed 2-16-2021)

§ 50.013 UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, BYPASS, OR TAMPERING.

   (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

§ 50.014 [RESERVED.]

§ 50.015 INTERRUPTION OF SERVICE.

   Customers are hereby notified that utility service may be temporarily shut off at any time due to accidents and emergency or for necessary maintenance. The city is not required to give advance notice of any shutoff. Customers who are dependent upon utility service for any purpose are advised that it is the customer's duty to take prompt precautions to prevent damages in the event of a shutoff.

(1957 Rev. Ords., § 14.102, Rule 28; 1992 Code, § 41-15) (Ord. 2314, passed 1-11-1965; Ord. 22- 21, passed 2-16-2021)