A. Tampering Prohibited: It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, excepting city personnel acting in line of duty and other persons duly authorized, to tamper with, injure or destroy any part of, or thing belonging to, the water system, gas system, electric system, sewer system or any other public utility or enterprise belonging to the city. "Tamper" shall include, but not be limited to, attaching any pipe, wire, or other conduit or thing onto any utility or to turn on or off any such service, except in accordance with the ordinances of the city, or to break or deface. Nothing in this provision shall prevent a property owner, tenant or other individual from opening or closing the water meter valve at a property in cases of emergency and thereafter reclosing or reopening such valve, provided that in the event such property owner, tenant or individual damages any part of the city water system due to such act, he or she shall be responsible to remit to the city the cost to repair the damage. An emergency for the purpose of this section shall be defined as a water leak in the customer's water line of significant magnitude to cause damage to property. (Ord. 3457, 2-2-2010)
B. Violation; Deposit Required: Upon the occurrence of any act prohibited hereinabove, the person, firm, corporation or legal entity purchasing services from the city system affected shall be required, as a condition to a continuation of service from such system, to deposit with the city clerk the sum of one hundred dollars ($100.00), an amount in addition to the water meter deposit required by section 8-2-1 of this title. Upon a second such occurrence, the deposit shall be forfeited to the city and service from such system terminated after notice as provided in subsection 8-2-3B of this title unless the city council shall otherwise determine. This subsection shall not be construed to limit the liability of the violator, but an additional requirement for continuation of service. (1986 Code § 18-9; amd. 2005 Code)