(a) No person, except an employee of the City in the performance of his or her duty, shall willfully or carelessly break, damage, uncover, deface, tamper, destroy or impair the usefulness of any structure, appurtenance or equipment which is part of the City water distribution system.
(b) The owner, lessee or resident of a building or unit wherein a water meter is located is responsible for its safety and shall protect this equipment from any willful or careless breakage, damage, uncovering, defacement, tampering, destruction or impairment of the usefulness of this equipment.
(c) If damage or tampering occurs which destroys or impairs, in any manner whatsoever, the usefulness of a water meter, it is presumed that such damage was caused by the owner, lessee or resident of the building or unit where the water meter is located.
(d) The Water Department is hereby authorized, for the purpose of enforcing this section, to direct representatives of the Department to issue violations to any owner, lessee or resident immediately upon discovery that the water meter to which he or she has access has been damaged or tampered with. Further, the Department is hereby authorized to issue violations to any other person who is found to have violated this section.
(1974 Code § 2.34; Ord. 269. Passed 4-26-78.)