Source: https://ecode360.com/8978488
Timestamp: 2020-06-07 10:50:35
Document Index: 234533702

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', 'art 5', 'art 5', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 159', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184', '§ 184']

City of Batavia, NY Water
§ 184-3 Purpose.
§ 184-4 Applicability of chapter.
§ 184-5 Rules and regulations as part of contract.
§ 184-6 Application for permit.
§ 184-7 Installation of the service connection.
§ 184-8 Water main tapping fees.
§ 184-9 Property owner's responsibilities.
§ 184-10 Interruption of service; rights reserved by the City.
§ 184-11 Water shutoff.
§ 184-12 Right of entry; shutting off service for fraud or waste.
§ 184-13 Water shutoff for nonpayment of bills.
§ 184-14 Multiple users from a common service connection.
§ 184-15 Limiting or cutting off water supply.
§ 184-16 Owner's responsibility for consumption and leaks.
§ 184-17 Temporary discontinuance of use of water.
§ 184-18 Resumption of water service.
§ 184-19 Water for builder's use.
§ 184-20 Use of City water for special work.
§ 184-21 Operation of valves and fire hydrants.
§ 184-22 Meters.
§ 184-23 Access.
§ 184-24 Meter vaults.
§ 184-25 Meter bypass.
§ 184-26 Meter seals.
§ 184-27 Meter tests.
§ 184-28 Billing procedure.
§ 184-29 Water rates.
§ 184-30 Delinquent water charges.
§ 184-31 Permanent disconnection of service.
§ 184-32 Backflow prevention.
§ 184-33 Water main extensions.
§ 184-34 Street abandonments.
§ 184-35 Fire hydrant maintenance.
§ 184-36 Fire hydrant use permit.
§ 184-37 Moving fire hydrants.
§ 184-38 Unauthorized actions.
§ 184-39 No guaranties from City.
§ 184-40 Water Bureau specifications.
§ 184-41 Water rates.
Chapter 184 Water
[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Batavia 3-8-1993. Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Water Service Ordinance of the City of Batavia, New York."
The Bureau of Water and Sewerage.
The City of Batavia.
The Director of Public Works and City Engineer.
SERVICE PIPE or CONNECTION
A water pipe connected to a water main and dedicated to providing water to an individual property.
The Superintendent of Water and Sewerage.
A water pipe in a public street or right-of-way, owned by the City and available for public use.
The Bureau shall endeavor to maintain an adequate supply of pure, safe and wholesome water to the residences, commercial and industrial establishments, and also supply sufficient water within its water supply system to adequately protect the buildings within the City for fire fighting purposes and for providing favorable ratings by fire rating organizations for fire insurance for both the buildings and personal property within the City. The City may also provide water which is surplus to its needs, by contract or established rates, to other users.
In order to assess the costs of providing these services, it is necessary to account for all uses of the water so provided, by the use of meters to the fullest extent that is practical.
This chapter is therefore enacted in order that the water supply system be properly maintained, improved and extended, primarily for the benefit of the water users and taxpayers within the City.
This chapter shall be applicable to all property and water users within the City, and the terms of this chapter shall be applicable to all water users outside of the City as terms of a contract in accordance with which water is to be supplied to such outside users.
The rules and regulations set forth in this chapter shall be considered a part of the contract of any person who obtains water from the City, and every such person shall be considered as having expressed his or her consent to be bound thereby.
Any property owner wishing to install, replace, repair or enlarge a water service connection must first pay the appropriate fees as published in the Bureau's schedule of rates, rents and fees, and make an application for a water service permit. If this work involves excavation within the public right-of-way, a street opening permit must also be obtained.
The fees shall include a permit fee and a tapping fee. The costs of reviewing the application and inspecting the final installation are included in the permit fee. The required written application to the Bureau shall include a sketch showing the location and configuration of the proposed connection. The application must state fully the several and various uses for which the water is to be used. The application must be signed by the owner or his or her duly authorized agent. Upon satisfactory completion of these requirements, a permit to perform the work and no other work will be issued.
Upon completion of the permitted work, the Superintendent must be notified so that the work may be inspected prior to backfilling the trench. Water will not be supplied to the premises until all of these requirements have been met. The valve controlling the water flow into the premises shall be operated by Water Bureau personnel only.
Property owner to pay expenses. The property owner is responsible for all expenses involved in the original installation of the entire service connection from the water main into the premises served, and the replacement of the entire service connection from the curb valve into the premises except where such replacement is for the convenience of the property owner in order to increase the rate of flow, increase the size, or change the material of the water line. In such cases, the property owner is responsible for all expenses of the entire replacement from the water main into the premises. In the event that the change in material is required by federal or state mandate, the Bureau will provide the replacement of the portion between the water main and the curb valve inclusive, and the property owner will be responsible for providing the replacement of the rest of the service connection. If the service connection is larger than one inch in diameter, the valve at the water main will be considered as equivalent to the curb valve.
Connections at the water main. All taps, tees and connections into any water main shall be done only by persons or firms employed or contracted by the Bureau, except as otherwise approved by the Bureau.
Required depth. The owner receiving a permit for water service must cause such service pipe to be placed not less than four feet below the surface of the ground along its entire length from the water main to the inside face of the foundation of the building which the service pipe will provide with water.
Material requirements. All service pipes must be of type K copper material or equivalent, at least 3/4 inch in diameter, except service pipes four inches or larger in diameter may be of ductile or grey cast iron, or C-900 plastic, grade DR18 which shall be provided with an electronic tracer tape.
The fees for tapping the water main shall be in accordance with the current fee schedule, published separately as a part of the rates, rents and fee schedule.
The property owner is required to maintain the entire service pipe downstream from the curb stop. If no valve was provided within the vicinity of the curb, or if the service pipe diameter is larger than one inch, the property owner is then required to maintain the service pipe from the valve at the water main. If the service pipe does not provide a flow of water that is satisfactory to the owner due to it's size or deterioration, or if a change in material is desired, the property owner is responsible for the cost of all replacement required between the water main and the premises served, unless the change in material is required by federal or state mandate, in which case the Bureau will provide the replacement of the portion between the water main and the curb valve inclusive, and the property owner will be responsible for providing the replacement of the rest of the service connection. If the service pipe should freeze, this will be considered to be evidence that it was not installed at sufficient depth and therefore must be remedied at the property owner's expense. The service pipe must be maintained in such condition that it can withstand normal activities such as vibration of the soil as encountered in street use and maintenance, operation of valves, and the replacement of meters.
The City endeavors to use reasonable care and diligence to maintain continuous water supply throughout its distribution system, but reserves the right at any time, without notice, to shut off the water in its mains for the purpose of repairs or extensions, or for any other similar purpose, and the City shall not be liable for the deficiency or failure in the supply of water for any cause whatsoever or for any damage caused thereby or by the bursting or breaking of any mains or service pipes or any accident to the waterworks, but it is the intention of the City when practicable to give suitable notice of such shutting off to the consumer, and no deduction from the water bill will be made in consequence thereof.
The water supply to a property may be shut off by the Bureau when any of the following conditions have not been corrected after notification:
Leaking or defective service pipe.
No safe access for the water meter.
Refusal to allow access to the meter for reading at least once a year, even though remote reading facilities may be installed.
Refusal to allow access for any routine or emergency purpose.
Failure to comply with cross-connection and backflow regulations.
Failure to pay rates, rents and fees by their due dates.
An immediate shutoff, without prior notice, may be made in the event that a leak is creating a dangerous condition, such as ice, flooding or undermining, or when a backflow of contaminants into the City water supply exists. The shutoff will continue until the condition is corrected.
The water supply to a vacant and boarded-up building may be shut off by order of the Superintendent.
It is understood and agreed that the Director or any other employee of the City so authorized may enter the premises of any customer at any reasonable time to examine the pipes and fixtures, the quantity of water used and the manner of its use. In case of fraudulent representation on the part of any consumer or unnecessary waste of water, the water supply may be shut off.
Water services may be shut off by order of the Director to any premises at any time after water bills have been transferred to the tax list.
A notice of shutoff shall be mailed to the owner of the premises, at the owner's last known address, shall be mailed or delivered to each tenant of the premises and shall be posted in at least two conspicuous places on the premises. Such notice shall state that water service will be shut off unless all delinquent water bills are paid and shall state that a hearing may be had by the owner to contest the validity of the water charges in question or to show an error in the statement of the delinquency. Such notice shall also give the name, job title, address and telephone number of a Bureau employee who may be contacted to arrange a hearing. The notice shall state a deadline of at least 10 days after the mailing and posting of the notice, by which the hearing must be requested or shall be deemed waived.
If no hearing is requested in writing by the deadline date stated in the notice, then the Director may proceed to cause the water service to be terminated.
If a hearing is requested on or before the deadline date by an owner of the premises, a hearing shall be scheduled before a hearing officer appointed by the Director. The applicant may be accompanied by any other persons and may present at the hearing any information, testimony and documentation by which to support the claim. The hearing officer shall make a report to the Director and the Director shall decide whether any error was made in the water billing and whether water service shall be discontinued. The decision of the Director shall be mailed to the applicant. If the final decision of the Director is to terminate water service, his decision shall state when termination will occur, and such termination date shall not be less than 10 days after the mailing of the decision.
Any person aggrieved by the action of the Director shall have the right to appeal to the City Manager. Such appeal shall be taken by filing a request within 14 days after notice of the action complained of has been mailed to such person's last known address, together with a written statement setting forth fully the grounds for the appeal. The City Manager shall set a time and place for the hearing on such appeal and notice of such hearing shall be mailed to the applicant at his or her last known address at least five days prior to the date set for the hearing. The decision and order of the City Manager shall be final and conclusive.
If and when all delinquent bills are paid, the water shall be turned back on by the Bureau and a fee shall be charged in accordance with the published schedule of rates, rents and fees.
A single water service providing water to a building which has a single ownership may have installed more than one meter in accordance with plans approved in advance by the Superintendent, in order to accommodate an equal number of dwelling units. This type of installation requires a covenant between the owner and the City obligating the owner or his successors to install separate services at any future date when the ownership of the dwelling units should be separated.
All meters must be installed as close as practical to the point of entry of the service pipe and the meters must be installed within one foot of each other.
When water shall be supplied to more than one party through a single service connection, the bill for all water charges will be made to the owner of the premises located at the site of the service connection, and in the event that the water service must be shut off for any of the reasons enumerated in § 184-11, the shutoff may proceed notwithstanding one or more of the parties may have paid their proportion to such owner or any other party.
If the owner desires a duplicate bill to be sent to the tenant, he may enter into a covenant with the City which will entail an extra fee in accordance with the published schedule of rates, rents and fees.
When water shall be supplied to more than one party through a single service connection and it is necessary to shut off the water supply for any of the reasons enumerated in § 184-11, each party has the opportunity to correct the deficiency, or install a separate service pipe to his premises.
The City shall have no responsibility for water piping within private property.
The City reserves the right to limit the amount of water furnished to any consumer when circumstances warrant such action, although no limit may be stated in the application or permit for such use, or the City may entirely cut off the use for any manufacturing purpose or any use for supplying power at any time by giving reasonable notice to the consumer of such intended action.
The owner of the premises to which water is supplied shall be chargeable with all water taken from the City mains, and if leaks occur in the service lines between the curb stop and the meter, the Superintendent may estimate the amount of the water lost by such leaks and charge the same to the owner of the premises.
Any property owner wishing to temporarily discontinue the use of the water supply must request a shutoff by the Bureau. However, such a request cannot be honored without a prior notice to the tenants of at least 60 days, if by so doing, the premises would be rendered uninhabitable in violation of the building code. Such notice would not be required for shutoffs for short periods as needed for repairs.
When the supply of water to a property is turned back on by the Bureau after being turned off, a turn-on fee will be charged in accordance with the published schedule of rates, rents and fees.
No person shall take water from the City without a builder's permit for every separate job. When any person desires to use the City water on any premises for building purposes of any description, the owner of such premises or his or her agent having such premises in charge must, before using City water for such purpose, make a regular application at the water office for permission therefor, and shall pay for the same in accordance with the published schedule of rates, rents and fees.
No person shall use the City water for flushing sewers, settling earth in ditches or any similar purpose without permission from the Director and paying for the same in advance.
No person shall tamper with or operate any valve in the public water system which is located within the public streets or rights-of-way except under the direction of the Superintendent, and no person shall tamper with or operate any fire hydrant within the public streets or rights-of-way except under the direction of the Director or a representative of the Fire Department.
Purpose. It is the Superintendent's obligation to account for all water consumption, and proper metering is an integral part of the necessary program.
Authority. The Superintendent will be the final authority on all metering installations.
Use required. No water service shall be provided to any customer, except through an appropriate meter installation as approved by the Superintendent in advance of construction.
Service connection. There must be a separate service pipe connection to the water main for each meter and such installation may only supply a single contiguous property under one ownership, unless a covenant has been executed in accordance with § 184-14 of this chapter.
Meter source.
All meters shall be supplied by the Bureau. This will include only the meter itself and not any peripheral facilities such as meter setting, backflow prevention devices or detector check valves.
In those cases where a meter was installed recently in accordance with previous regulations and the property owner furnished the meter at his own expense, no meter service charges shall be levied for six years following the date of the installation of the meter.
Meter ownership. Water meters at all times remain the property of the City. Water meters as installed shall be sealed into the service pipe, and no one other than the Bureau's representative shall install or remove a meter or remove a meter seal.
Meter maintenance. Water meters shall be maintained by the Bureau. Meters shall be installed by the Bureau and removed and replaced by the Bureau as needed in order to perform necessary maintenance. The cost of installing, maintaining and periodically replacing the meter shall be included in a monthly meter service fee in accordance with the published schedule of rates, rents and fees. The Superintendent may choose to leave a meter in place when it's accuracy has been questioned until it's accuracy has been tested.
Rates, rents and fees. Customers will be charged the basic meter maintenance fee plus charges for the amount of water consumed. In addition, fire service connections will be charged standby fees. These will all be in accordance with the published schedule of rates, rents and fees.
Electrical grounding. The property owner shall provide and maintain a permanently bonded electrical grounding strap for each meter setting as specified by the National Electrical Code of the Board of Fire Underwriters.
Damage to meters. After the meter has been installed, it is the responsibility of the owner to provide adequate protection to prevent damage to the meter. Any damage which such meter may sustain resulting from the carelessness of the owner, agent or tenant or from the neglect of any of them to properly secure and protect the same, or any damage that may result from allowing the meter to become frozen or to be damaged by hot water or steam getting back from a boiler, or for any other cause shall necessitate the replacement of the meter at the expense of the property owner.
Calculated consumption charges.
Where any of the following conditions are discovered to exist in an active water service, water consumption charges may, at the discretion of the Superintendent, be calculated.
The metered consumption on the premises for either a prior or subsequent period of time, at the discretion of the Director, may be used as the basis on which to calculate consumption for the period of time for which the above-listed condition existed. A calculated bill shall be issued, covering the period of time for which the above-listed condition existed or as permitted by state law, whichever is the shorter period of time.
Estimated bills. If a meter reader cannot gain access to the meter for a scheduled reading, an estimated bill may be issued, based upon past metered consumption. Estimated bills shall be escalated beyond past consumption by 20% in order to provide for the possibility of a leak having developed. If a valid meter reading is obtained subsequent to the issuance of an estimated bill, the original amount of the estimated bill shall be adjusted as necessary to reflect the actual consumption. No adjustment shall be made to any late charges which have accrued against the original estimated bill. If no subsequent valid meter reading is obtained, the estimated bills, including all late charges, shall stand as originally issued.
The owner and tenant shall provide ready, safe and convenient access to the meter so that it may be frequently read and examined by the agents or employees of the Bureau.
Where a building is located more that 75 feet from the street or where more than one building may be supplied from a single meter installation, the Director may require that the meter be housed in a small, heated accessory building, or a hotbox, or underground vault outside the building but inside the property line, instead of inside the building. The Director may also require that the meter be installed in such a vault in the event that he deems that the meter will not be safe and secure if it is located within the building or that access by the meter reader or maintenance person would be difficult or unsafe. The choice of type of structure shall be at the Superintendent's discretion.
A bypass around all meters, two inches and larger, shall be installed by the owner, unless additional service connections supply the premises in such a manner that the meter can be shut down without affecting the supply to the premises during maintenance and/or repairs. The design of the bypass shall be submitted to the Director for his approval prior to installation. The Director may require a meter to be installed in the bypass by and at the expense of the owner. Every bypass shall have a valve which shall be sealed closed and opened only by Bureau personnel. No connections shall be made to the bypass.
If a seal on a valve, meter or other fitting is broken, it shall be presumptive evidence that the water consumption has not been properly registered on the meter and the consumption may be estimated as defined in § 184-22L. If a seal is broken, it shall be resealed by the Bureau and the property owner shall be charged a fee for resealing the meter in accordance with the published schedule of rates, rents and fees. No fee shall be charged if the seal was broken accidentally and the Bureau is notified promptly.
Upon request by a property owner or at the Bureau's initiative, meters may be tested by the Bureau or by a third party. The property owner may witness the test, if he or she should so desire. The test results shall be presumptive evidence of whether the meter is and has been functioning properly. If the test results indicate accuracy within current American Water Works Association limits, the owner shall be charged for the test in accordance with the Bureau's published schedule of rates, rents and fees, if the test was done at the owner's request. If the test results do not meet American Water Works Association accuracy limits, the meter shall be replaced at no cost to the owner, there shall be no charge for the test, and the most current water bill for the most recent billing period shall be adjusted as necessary, either up or down, to compensate for the meter error.
All meters for properties located within the City and subject to City taxes will be listed under the name of the owner of the property and all charges in connection with such property will be billed to the owner of the property and if delinquent and unpaid on March 1 of each year, shall become a lien upon the property and included in the following tax assessment.
The rates, rents and fees for water consumed, as well as for other services by the Bureau will be published as part of the budget each year.
[Amended 10-10-2006 by L.L. No. 4-2006[1]]
Water bills shall be rendered periodically. Each bill shall include all current charges plus any delinquent and late charges from the previous bill. A late charge shall be added to the entire amount of each bill, including all delinquent amounts and late charges from previous periods that are not paid by the due date. This will be referred to as balance forward billing. Bills shall be rendered periodically until paid or added to taxes. The amount of the late payment charge shall be equal to 10% of the delinquent balance for charges which are billed quarterly and monthly plus a 1% late payment charge for every month thereafter. In addition, a $20 processing fee shall be added to the total delinquent balance when the delinquent balance becomes a lien as defined in § 184-28.
Editor's Note: This local law provided that said amendment shall become effective with the water consumed 10-11-2006 as billed on and after 1-1-2007.
When any person obtains a permit for the demolition of a building, that person shall be required to pay, in addition to any other fees charged, a water disconnection fee, which the Building Bureau will collect, as published in the schedule of rates, rents and fees, to compensate the Water Bureau for the costs of permanently disconnecting the water service pipe from the water main.
In the event that a water service pipe meets current specifications for a new installation and the property owner indicates that he wishes to reuse the connection for a new building at a later date, the service pipe may be retained for a period of up to two years, provided that the owner has paid the fee at the time of the demolition, for abandonment, if so required. In the event that the service connection is reused within the two-year period, the abandonment fee, as originally charged, will be refunded. It is not reused within that period, it shall be abandoned and the fee retained.
If a property owner causes a new or enlarged water service to be installed, any old service or services which will not be used must be permanently disconnected at the water main. The permanent disconnection of any such service must be performed by the Bureau after payment of a service disconnection fee by the property owner in accordance with the published schedule of rates, rents and fees. All costs of such a procedure shall be borne by the property owner.
If an unused service pipe is leaking or has not been used during the preceding two-year period, the Bureau may permanently disconnect the service without a charge to the property owner. The City has no obligation to maintain any unused water service or to reconnect it in the event that the water main is replaced.
Approved backflow prevention devices must be installed where required in order to meet the requirements of the New York State Health Department regulations as specified in Part 5, 1.31 of the New York State Sanitary Code. Such backflow prevention devices must be installed in accordance with plans and specifications approved by the State Health Department and by the Director of Public Works and City Engineer, prior to installation. All costs of installation and maintenance must be borne by the property owner.
The Bureau may at any reasonable time inspect any facility in order to determine if a hazard exists due to an actual or potential cross-connection between the water system and any potential source of contamination. In any case where the Superintendent deems such hazard to exist, he may require the property owner to install an approved backflow prevention device in every service line to the facility for which a potential hazard exists. Such devices shall be installed at or as near to the service connection as may be required by the Superintendent.
All backflow prevention devices shall be tested at least once a year by a tester certified by the New York State Department of Health in accordance with Part 5, 1.31 of the New York State Sanitary Code and the results of the test submitted to the Superintendent.
If a required backflow prevention device is not installed or tested on schedule as required by the State Health Department, the supply of water to the premises may be shut off by the Bureau until compliance is gained.
The Director of Public Works is authorized to enter into restrictive covenant agreements with various commercial and industrial facilities regarding the installation of backflow prevention devices on their real property. These agreements shall allow backflow prevention devices to be installed in a main building with a meter at the property line as long as there are no taps between the meter and the main building, while requiring that if a tap is installed between the meter and the main building, then backflow prevention devices must be removed to the property line. These agreements shall be binding upon all successors to the property and may be dischargeable by the Director of Public Works whenever such backflow prevention devices are no longer required by law or ordinance for said property. The agreements shall contain such additional terms and conditions as the Director of Public Works deems to be appropriate.
Water mains may be extended within rights-of-way dedicated for street purposes, provided that the installation is in accordance with plans approved in advance by the Superintendent and all costs of the project are reimbursed by the applicant, or the project is in accordance with a local improvement ordinance that results in a local improvement assessment.
Whenever a street containing a water main is abandoned by the City, the owner of the former street bed must submit to the Superintendent for his approval plans for either abandoning the main or converting it to a private water service. If the Superintendent finds that such plans are adequate, he shall approve them. All necessary work shall be done by and at the expense of the property owner.
In recognition of the critical requirement for reliable hydrant availability so that they will not fail when needed for fire fighting purposes, they will be maintained by the Water Bureau. However, they will continue to be tested and painted annually by the Fire Department.
An application may be made to the Superintendent for a permit to take water through a fire hydrant of the City for a reasonable purpose. If such a permit is granted, a nozzle, a meter, a wrench and a reduced pressure zone backflow device will be provided by the Bureau and all water taken from the hydrant shall be taken through such nozzle, meter and reduced pressure zone backflow prevention device. The nozzle, meter wrench and reduced pressure zone backflow prevention device shall be returned to the Bureau upon expiration of the permit. No hydrant permit shall be issued for longer than one month, but such permit may be renewed on a monthly basis. No hydrant permit will be issued for the purpose of filling swimming pools or for any other use which the Superintendent deems to be a potential hazard or nuisance.
A monthly fee shall be charged for each hydrant permit and a refundable deposit shall be required for each nozzle, meter, wrench and reduced pressure zone backflow prevention device taken, pursuant to the published schedule of rates, rents and fees. In addition, the applicant shall pay for the water consumed in accordance with the regular metered consumption rates set forth in the published schedule of rates, rents and fees. The applicant will also be charged for any repairs necessitated by such use of the hydrant, nozzle, meter, wrench or reduced pressure zone backflow prevention device.
Fire hydrants may be moved by the Bureau only in the event the Superintendent determines that a hydrant is an obstruction or a safety hazard and only upon payment by the applicant of the required fees, pursuant to the published schedule of rates, rents and fees. In the event that the move would place the hydrant in front of a different property, permission would be required from the owner of that property, as well.
No person shall take water or permit water to be taken from the City's water distribution system other than through a metered service or by permit through a hydrant. No person shall open a City hydrant or valve to obtain water except those with written authorization from the Superintendent or those City employees who are required to operate such equipment as part of their normal work duties. No person shall allow an unauthorized connection before a backflow prevention device. No person shall remove or tamper with the meter in a service, or open the bypass valve in a service, or otherwise cause water to be delivered to any premises which does not properly register on a meter. No person shall accept water knowing that the water consumption has not been properly registered on a meter. No person shall take or accept water without paying for it.
If a bypass valve has been opened or if the meter has been removed or tampered with or if some other condition is found to exist in a water service which would permit the delivery of water to the premises without the proper registry thereof on a meter, it shall be presumptive evidence that the person or persons who accepted or received the use or benefit of the water did so with the knowledge of the illegal condition. In such case the water consumption for that period shall be calculated, based upon the highest consumption recorded during any period during the previous three years or by other means to be determined by the Director.
No person shall cause damage to a hydrant or meter. All meters are and remain the property of the City. No person shall remove a meter from a service where it is installed without authorization. No person shall retain possession of a meter belonging to the City.
Violation of any of the provisions of this section shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding $250 or imprisonment not exceeding 15 days, or by both fine and imprisonment, or by a penalty not less than $25 nor more than $500 to be recovered by the City in a civil action. Penalties imposed by this section shall be in addition to any other criminal penalties imposed by law.
Water pressure. The City makes no guaranty as to water pressure and may change pressures as necessary. In the event that the pressure in any individual service is inadequate and the installation of a pump is necessary, the pump shall be installed, operated and maintained by and at the expense of the property owner. Such pumps must be approved by the Superintendent prior to installation.
Nontoxic impurities. The City makes no guarantee that its water will be free at all times of rust or other nontoxic impurities. Any property owner or occupant, either residential, commercial or industrial, who requires water of high purity is responsible for the installation and expense of any necessary filters or treatment equipment.
The Director is hereby authorized and directed to promulgate water system specifications governing the materials, size and design of water services, meters, valves and other fittings and to amend them from time to time. The current water system specifications shall be on file in the office of the Superintendent and shall be available upon request.
[Last amended 3-9-2009 by L.L. No. 2-2009[1]]
[Amended 2-22-2010 by L.L. No. 2-2010; 3-1-2011 by L.L. No. 2-2011; 2-27-2012 by L.L. No. 1-2012; 3-25-2013 by L.L. No. 2-2013; 3-10-2014 by L.L. No. 1-2014; 3-9-2015 by L.L. No. 1-2015; 3-14-2016 by L.L. No. 1-2016; 3-13-2017 by L.L. No. 2-2017; 3-12-2018 by L.L. No. 1-2018; 3-11-2019 by L.L. No. 1-2019[2]]
City: $5.49 per 1,000 gallons.
Town served directly by the City, building and hydrants: $7.04 per 1,000 gallons.
Editor’s Note: This local law provided that it would become effective with the water consumed 4-1-2019 as billed on and after 6-1-2019.
Bulk rate at water plant fill station: $7.35 per 1,000 gallons; cards: $12.50 each.
[Amended 2-22-2010 by L.L. No. 2-2010; 3-1-2011 by L.L. No. 2-2011; 2-27-2012 by L.L. No. 1-2012; 3-25-2013 by L.L. No. 2-2013; 3-10-2014 by L.L. No. 1-2014; 3-9-2015 by L.L. No. 1-20153-14-2016 by L.L. No. 1-2016; 3-13-2017 by L.L. No. 2-2017; 3-12-2018 by L.L. No. 1-2018; 3-11-2019 by L.L. No. 1-2019[3]]
Quarterly meter service and availability charge for meters:
[Amended 2-22-2010 by L.L. No. 2-2010; 3-1-2011 by L.L. No. 2-2011; 2-27-2012 by L.L. No. 1-2012; 3-25-2013 by L.L. No. 2-2013; 3-10-2014 by L.L. No. 1-2014; 3-9-2015 by L.L. No. 1-2015; 3-14-2016 by L.L. No. 1-2016; 3-12-2018 by L.L. No. 1-2018; 3-11-2019 by L.L. No. 1-2019]
All of the above meter service charges include the required remote reading encoder systems.
Service availability fee for standby and fire service connections, § 184-22E.
Note: Where detector check valves are permitted, four-inch check valves require three-quarter-inch bypass meters, and six-inch check valves require one-inch meters; all bypass meters to be provided by the City and subject to established meter and consumption fees for water and sewer.
Street opening permit fee, § 184-6, shall be in accordance with § 159-11 of the City Code.
Tapping (connection) fees, § 184-6, includes corporation stop, curb valve and box.
Over two inches require a deposit of $350 down, and the fee will be adjusted to actual costs after the installation.
Hydrant relocation fee, § 184-37: actual cost.
Water service resumption fee: $25 during normal working hours and $75 at any other time, §§ 184-13 and 184-18.
Meter reinstallation fee: $20.
Duplicate bills addressed to tenants: $2 each, § 184-14D.
Fee for resealing a meter: $20, § 184-26.
Meter tests, § 184-27:
Permanent disconnection fee: $500, § 184-31A and C.
Hydrant use fees, payable in advance, § 184-36.
Monthly charge for hydrant use: $50.
Hydrant nozzle deposit fee: $55.
Hydrant meter deposit fee: $400.
Hydrant wrench deposit fee: $10.
RPZ backflow prevention device deposit: $600.
Quarterly capital improvement fee for meters:
[Added 2-22-2010 by L.L. No. 2-2010; amended 3-1-2011 by L.L. No. 2-2011; 2-27-2012 by L.L. No. 1-2012; 3-25-2013 by L.L. No. 2-2013; 3-10-2014 by L.L. No. 1-2014; 3-9-2015 by L.L. No. 1-2015; 3-14-2016 by L.L. No. 1-2016; 3-13-2017 by L.L. No. 2-2017; 3-12-2018 by L.L. No. 1-2018; 3-11-2019 by L.L. No. 1-2019]
Third-party turnoff notice: $25.