(A) No water or sewer disposal for service shall be furnished or rendered free of charge to any customer.
(B) In the event that any user fails to pay in full water or sewer charges required by this section, or to conform in any other respects to this chapter, the city shall give notice of the action or default on the part of the user. If the account is not then paid or the default corrected the water and/or sewer service to that user shall be cut off. At the expiration of the 15 day period, or at the expiration of some agreed extension beyond 15 days, the customer's service may be discontinued by the city at any time without further notice. After the physical discontinuance of any sewer service, the division of sanitary engineering of the Ohio EPA or other appropriate regulating agency shall immediately be notified of the action and the name and address of the customer.
(1) Current water or sewer service may be refused or discontinued to any customer, whether tenant or owner, for a failure to pay an unpaid water or sewer charge for which he was responsible by virtue of use of service or property ownership at any previous place of residence or ownership. This rule shall in no way reduce the responsibility of a property owner for the water or sewer charge applicable for the premises owned. Should a customer who is known to have left a bill at a previous location attempt to sign up or continue utility services for a water or sewer account, the city shall require that this past responsibility be satisfied before the new service is engaged or service continued.
(2) Current water service may be refused or discontinued to any customer or premises for failure to pay an unpaid charge of an occupant thereof, if there is reason to believe the customer is applying for water, or continuing its use in an effort to avoid paying a delinquent charge of a fellow occupant or allowing the habitation in order to avoid the charges.
(3) Water or sewer service may be refused or discontinued for failure to make repairs on a service line.
(4) Water service will be disconnected immediately upon notification of discontinuance of a service contract until a final bill is paid and a new service contract is initiated. This provision includes a refusal to supply water or sewer service to a residence or business until a previously incurred final bill or delinquency is satisfied.
(5) Any water or sewer service abandoned by the property owner shall be shut off at the water main or curb box, at the option of the Service Director, at the owner's expense.
(6) If the city finds that as a result of the customer's willful act a meter seal has been broken, or any bypass inserted, or there is other evidence that the meter has been tampered with, the water may be shut off. In such instances reconnection will not recur until a reconnection charge has been paid, the meter is established to be in proper working order, and the water and sewer bill has been paid to its current status, together with any estimated amount which may be necessary to determine as a result of the customer's tampering, and a security deposit has been posted.
(Ord. 6-96, passed 4-10-96)