[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Oldmans 1-4-1978 by Ord. No. 78-1 as Ch. 50 of
the 1978 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
There shall be constructed a water supply and
distribution system in the Township of Oldmans.
The Township Treasurer shall have charge of
all of the books of the water system, shall make all collections for
water rentals and issue permits, after compliance with the subsequent
provisions of this chapter and upon payment of the required fees,
for the opening of any street or for the introduction of water facilities
into any new premises or in such manner as the Township Committee
shall by ordinance direct.
All buildings located upon any street, road
or highway in which the Township water supply and distribution system
is constructed shall be required to be connected with said water supply
main.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
If, after adoption of this chapter, the owner
of any properties affected thereby shall neglect, after notice given,
to make such connection, the Township Committee may cause such connection
or installation to be made under proper supervision or award one or
more contracts for the making of such improvements.
When any such installation shall be made, a
true and accurate account of the cost and expense shall be kept and
apportioned to the property or properties thereby connected, and a
true statement of such costs, under oath, shall be forthwith filed,
after examination by the Township Committee, with the Township Clerk.
If said statement is properly made, the Township Committee shall confirm
it and file the same with the Township Tax Collector. Said Tax Collector
shall record the connection or installation charge in the same book
in which he records sidewalk and other assessments.
Every such connection or installation charge
shall bear interest and penalties from the same time and at the same
rate as assessments for local improvements in the Township where the
same is made and from the time of confirmation shall be a first and
permanent lien against the respective property or properties so connected
with the Township water supply main to the same extent as assessments
for local improvements and shall be collected and enforced in the
same manner. Every officer charged with the enforcement and collection
of assessments for local improvements is hereby charged with the same
duties in regard to the collection and enforcement of all charges
for water connections.
No such charge for water connection shall be
invalid by reason of any error or omission in stating the name of
the owner or owners of property affected by such connection or for
any other informality where such property or real estate has actually
been improved by such water connection.
The above-mentioned installation charges shall
not apply to connections extended up to the building lines of owners
who subscribe to the water service at the time of construction of
the water mains.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
A.
Upon completion of construction of the water supply
and distribution system, all applications thereafter for the introduction
of water facilities into any premises or water supply for any purposes
or for the extension of any private pipe for the conveyance of such
water or the changing of any fixture already installed must be made,
in writing, to the Township Treasurer on forms supplied by him and
shall be made at least three days before ground shall be broken for
the purpose or before work shall be commenced, and, after the owner
of the premises to be supplied or his duly authorized agent shall
have signed such application, the Township Treasurer may issue a permit
for the required supply of service, in which permit the date, the
name of the owner of the premises to be supplied and to whom issued,
the location of said premises, the name of the plumber employed to
do the work, the size and the diameter of the connecting line, the
purposes for which the water is used, the number of families occupying
the premises and the rate to be charged therefor shall be specified,
and the Township Treasurer shall retain a copy of said permit. He
shall also notify the County Engineer, where the same is along a county
road, or the Superintendent of Streets and Roads, where the same is
along a Township road, that an opening is to be made and give the
address.
B.
New service connection fee. At the time of issuing
a permit for water service, the applicant shall pay a new service
connection fee (capital connection fee as established by ordinance)
to the Township Treasurer, in addition to any installation costs or
charges for replacement of road or highway surface; except, however,
in the event that the permit is secured by an applicant who already
is serviced and the purpose of the permit is to separate two or more
services from one existing line from the main to the curb, in which
event the charge shall be 50% of the aforesaid charge for each connection
made.
[Amended 6-6-1979 by Ord. 79-2; 12-14-2016 by Ord.
No. 2016-11; 11-13-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-10]
C.
If any person or persons, corporation or corporations, plumber or plumbers shall, without a permit from the Township Treasurer, introduce a corporation stop or stopcock into any public or private pipe or form any connection or communication whatever with said pipe or break ground for that or any other similar purpose or if any person or persons, corporation or corporations, plumber or plumbers shall introduce or use a corporation stop of larger diameter or make any attachment or do anything otherwise than is specified in his or its permit, the person, corporation or plumber so offending shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty, which fines, when recovered, shall belong to the Township of Oldmans.
A.
Any person or persons who may hereafter contract for
the supply of water shall cause pipes conducting the same from the
corporation stop in the main pipe to the curb stopcock to be of copper,
and the pipes and fixtures on private premises shall be of such strength
and quality as will prevent accidents from leakage and waste of water,
and no person or persons shall attach corporation stops to pipes of
different quality from that required by this chapter. Installation
of all attachments and appurtenances used in supplying water shall
be governed by regulations established therefor by the Township Committee.
B.
If any person or persons shall open or close, without authority, any stopcocks or valves in any public or private pipe under the charge of the Township, they shall, for every such offense, be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord.
No. 97-5]
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord.
No. 97-5]
No person shall supply water from his pipes to others except on written permission from the Township Committee. Of every person so offering, the supply of the water will be stopped and the rent already paid forfeited. The person or persons so offending shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord.
No. 97-5]
The Township Committee or its authorized agent shall at all reasonable hours have free access to all parts of the premises to which water is supplied for the purpose of inspection, examination of fixtures, etc., and any person who shall resist or refuse to allow such free access shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty.
All persons who may be supplied with water from
any of said mains shall keep their own service pipe, stopcocks and
apparatus in good order and repair and protected from frost at their
own risk and expense and shall prevent all unnecessary waste of water,
and it is expressly stipulated that no claim shall be made against
the Township by reason of the breaking of any main, service pipe or
service cock or other fixtures or from damage arising from shutting
off water to repair the main or make private connections with the
same, provided that notice shall be given to persons using water for
steam purposes, if requested in writing and registered with the Township
Treasurer.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
In all cases where the water has been turned off for nonpayment of water rent or for the violation of the provisions of this chapter or of any of the rules and regulations relating to the use of water, it shall not be turned on again until all the expenses attending the turning off and on of the water, together with the rent and fine and penalty that may be due, shall be paid. If it is found that water has been turned on again without compliance with the above requirements, the person or persons so offending shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty.
Where any unnecessary waste of water proceeds
and if said waste arises from want of repair in the pipes or other
fixtures and if the owner of said premises shall neglect or refuse,
upon 24 hours' notice in writing being given, to have the necessary
repairs made forthwith, the Township Committee or its authorized agent
shall be and is hereby authorized and empowered to shut off the water
leading to such premises.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
Any person or persons who shall open or use any fire hydrant, except for the extinguishment of fire in the neighborhood, without first obtaining permission from the Township Committee therefor or shall permit any person in their employ to open or use any fire hydrant, except as aforesaid, shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty.
The Township Committee reserves the right to
change rules and regulations and the rates for the use of water from
time to time, to make special rates or contracts in all proper cases,
to shut off the water for alterations, extensions and repairs and
to stop and restrict the supply of water whenever it may be found
necessary, and the Township shall not be liable under any circumstances
for a deficiency or failure in the supply of water, whether occasioned
by shutting off water to make repairs or connections or for any other
cause whatsoever.
[Amended last 11-13-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-10]
The fee to be paid for use of water furnished by the Township
mains to premises not connected to a water meter shall be as follows:
A.
Minimum residential rate: $140 per quarter per unit.
[Amended 12-14-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-11]
B.
Minimum commercial rate (excluding three-unit owner-occupied apartments):
$140 per quarter.
[Amended 12-14-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-11]
C.
Minimum public and quasi-public rate: $140 per quarter.
[Amended 12-14-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-11]
D.
Fire service connection: $2,000 per connection per year.
E.
New service connection fee: $2,150.
F.
Water service turn-on/turn-off fee: $50 per occurrence.
No person shall use water from the supply being
provided by the Township in excessive and unnecessary quantities (including
but not limited to the watering of lawns, the washing of cars, the
use of water sprinklers, etc.) during any declared emergency in which
the use of such excess water may, in the opinion of the Township Committee,
endanger the water supply and thereby affect the public welfare. Before
any such emergency shall be held to exist, the Township Committee
shall publicly declare the same and shall publish a notice thereof
providing for such emergency period in any newspaper published or
circulated in the Township.
[Amended 12-14-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-11; 11-13-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-10]
There shall be a delinquent fee in the amount of $5 charged
to any delinquent water account commencing 30 days after the billing
date. Additionally, for each quarter billing, a delinquent fee in
the amount of $5 will be charged for every month or for a portion
of every month following the first thirty-day delinquency.
[Amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]
[Added 2-1-1989 by Ord. 89-1; amended 9-3-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5]]
No person shall use water from the supply being provided by the Township in order to irrigate or water any agricultural crops. The provisions of this section, however, shall not apply to any home garden. For the purposes of this section, "home garden" is defined as any garden with an area less than 2,500 square feet. The requirements of this section are intended to supplement and not to supersede any other regulations in this chapter. Any person who shall violate the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty.
