The operation of the water plant of the Borough
of Longport shall be under the supervision and control of the Water
Department of the Borough of Longport, hereinafter referred to as
the "municipality."
The supervision of said Water Department shall
be vested in the Superintendent to whom it is assigned by the Board
of Commissioners.
A.
Written application for new service connections shall be made to
the Public Works Department before any such connection shall be installed.
[Amended 12-5-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-16]
B.
All applications shall be understood to embody all
rules and regulations, as well as this chapter, pertaining to the
operation of the water plant, whether or not they are fully set forth
in this chapter.
C.
The owner of the property to be supplied, or his/her
duly authorized agent, or purchasers under contract, or mortgagees
in possession, or duly authorized receivers or trustees shall be responsible
for the installation of the sewer and water service connection from
the main to the curbline. For each and every installation, the responsible
party shall obtain a connection permit, pay the connection and meter
fees, and obtain a street opening permit prior to any construction
taking place.
[Amended 7-7-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-13]
D.
A service line will be used to supply a single customer
only, and no customer shall be supplied by more than one service line
unless agreed upon between the customer and the Borough after approval
having been given by the Borough Engineer. The "service line" shall
be defined as that portion of pipe extending from the main to the
curbline.
E.
"Customer" or "consumer," as used herein, shall be
the party contracting for service as herein classified, i.e.:
(1)
A building under one roof owned by one party and occupied
as one business or residence.
(2)
A combination of buildings owned by one party in one
common enclosure and occupied by one family or business.
(3)
One home in a series of homes separated by a partition
wall.
(4)
A building owned by one party having a number of apartments
or offices and using in common one hall and one or more means of entrance.
(5)
Each apartment of a multiple-family dwelling or apartment
house where service to individual families is desired.
F.
Water main taps and service lines. Upon installation of the approved
water service connection, the Borough shall furnish to the customer
a meter, meter pit box, cover plate, and all relevant plumbing fittings
necessary to properly install same. Once installation is complete,
the Borough of Longport shall be responsible for the maintenance and
repair of the water service connection from the existing water main
to the vertical face of the established roadway curbing. The abutting
property owner shall be responsible for the water service connection
and its appurtenances from the vertical face of the established roadway
curbing to the building. Such maintenance shall include repair and/or
replacement of service piping, curb stops, pit boxes, and lids, valves,
pit setters and/or setting horns, pack joints, water boxes and lids;
and the assurance of same that it does not constitute a danger to
the health, safety, and welfare of the general public. The Borough
shall retain ownership and maintenance of the water meter.
[Added 12-5-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-16]
G.
Sewer lateral responsibility for connection and maintenance.
[Added 12-5-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-16]
(1)
Upon installation of the approved sewer lateral, the Borough of Longport
shall be responsible for the maintenance and repair of the sewer lateral
connection from the existing sewer main to the vertical face of the
roadway curbing. The adjoining property owner shall be responsible
for the sewer lateral and its appurtenances from the vertical face
of the roadway curbing to the building. Such maintenance shall include
repair and/or replacement of lateral piping, sewer traps, tees, risers,
vents, sewer caps and lids and the assurance of same that it does
not constitute a danger to the health, safety and welfare of the general
public.
(2)
The Borough shall have the right to charge any person or business
the actual cost of repair for any damage caused to its utilities within
the Borough roadway.
A.
When a water connection previously installed and previously used has, for reasons hereinafter stated, been discontinued, a proper application must be signed as set forth in § 144-23B when water is again desired.
B.
A supply of water for building or other special purposes,
except on a lot or premises already supplied with water by meter,
must be specially applied for.
C.
All use of water other than by the customer or for
any purpose or upon any premises not stated or described in the application
must be presented by him. No owner or tenant of any premises supplied
with water by the Borough shall supply other persons or families of
other premises, except as may be stated in the application. The customer
shall be liable for the amount of water used, in conformity with the
schedule of rates of the Borough.[1]
A.
The Borough shall furnish and deliver to the premises
of the customer a meter, a meter box and cover plate, if required.
All of said supplies and materials, including the service fine or
lines, shall at all times be and remain the property of the Borough.
B.
Service connections shall conform to design standards
established by the Borough Water and Sewer Utility.
C.
All the above-listed improvements shall be subject
to inspection and approval by the Water and Sewer Utility, which shall
be notified at least 24 hours prior to the start of construction.
No underground installations shall be covered until inspected and
approved.
A.
No person or persons, except the Superintendent or
other person authorized by an official of the Borough, shall without
permission connect, cover or disconnect the meter, pipe or conduits
of the Borough or in any other manner without such permit tamper or
interfere with the meters, seals or dials thereof, pipes or conduits
or shall without permit connect with the meter, pipes or conduits
of the Borough by pipes, conduits or other instruments, for the purpose
of obtaining water.
B.
It shall be the duty and obligation of the customer
to install any new meter, remote register and accessories integral
to such installation and properly protect the same from injury, with
the customer being liable for damage to or loss of said meter(s),
remote register, accessories, etc., once installed.
A.
The Borough may refuse to connect with any customer's
piping system or furnish water through one already connected when
it is not in accordance with the plumbing rules of the Borough and
those of the water plant or when the piping system on the premises
is not at sufficient depth to prevent freezing.
B.
The Borough will not be held responsible for a resulting
inadequacy of service if customers make additions or alterations to
the equipment on their premises without notifying the Borough of the
proposed changes or additions before they are made and obtaining the
Borough's assent thereto.
C.
The Borough shall have the right of access to the
customer's premises and to all property furnished by it at reasonable
times for the purpose of reading meters or inspecting or replacing
appliances used in connection with the supply of water or for the
removal of its property at the time service is to be terminated. The
customer shall obtain or cause to be obtained all necessary permission
to enable the Borough to gain access to the appliances referred to.
Customers shall not permit access to the meter and other appliances
of the Borough except by authorized employees of the Borough or properly
qualified state or local inspectors. In case of defective service,
customers should not interfere with the apparatus belonging to the
Borough but shall immediately notify the office of the Borough.
D.
The Borough shall have the right to charge for the actual cost of
repair for any damage caused to the water meter.
[Added 12-5-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-16]
A.
The Borough undertakes only to use reasonable care
and diligence to provide a constant supply of water through its pipes
but does not undertake to render any special service or to maintain
any fixed or definite quantity of pressure. The Borough, however,
reserves the right at any time without notice to shut off the water
in its mains for the purpose of making repairs or extensions or for
other purposes in the event of the occurrence of any break, failure
or accident or injury by an act of God or the public enemy or unless
caused by its negligence.
B.
Service provided to a customer may be discontinued
for any of the following reasons:
(1)
For the use of water for any property or purpose other
than that described in the application.
(2)
For the willful waste of water through improper or
imperfect pipes, fixtures or otherwise.
(3)
For failure to maintain in good order connections,
service lines or fixtures owned by the customer.
(4)
For molesting any service pipe, meter, curb, stopcock,
seal or any other appliance of the Borough.
(5)
In case of vacancy of premises.
(6)
For neglecting to make payments or for nonpayment
for water service or any other charges accruing under the application.
(7)
For the refusal of reasonable access to property for
the purpose of inspecting or for reading, caring for or removing meters.
C.
Water service will be turned off from any premises
upon the order of the customer without in any way affecting the existing
agreement for service.
D.
When service is discontinued due to lack of occupancy,
nonpayment of bills or violations of the Borough's rights, a charge
of $25 shall be made for turning off the water.
E.
Service will be renewed when conditions under which
the service was discontinued are corrected and upon payment of all
charges provided in the schedule of rates, rules and regulations of
the Borough due from the applicant.
F.
As necessity may arise in case of breakdown or emergency
or for any other unavoidable cause, the Borough shall have the right
to temporarily cut off the water supply to make necessary repairs,
connections, etc., using all reasonable and practicable measures to
notify the customer of such discontinuance of service and the probable
duration of the discontinuance.
[Amended 3-22-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-05]
A.
Meters.
(1)
All new water service systems shall be metered at, or before, the
time that the water service is activated for use. No separate water
services or meters will be permitted for lawn sprinkler systems.
(2)
The Borough will furnish suitable water meters and read-out equipment
and, once properly installed and approved, will maintain the same.
(3)
A stopcock or gate valve shall be placed on the water service line
on the street side of and as close to the actual meter location as
possible. A suitable stopcock or valve shall also be placed on the
building side of the meter within the meter box or as permitted by
the Water and Sewer Superintendent.
B.
Lawn and landscaping sprinkler systems.
(1)
Each property containing a lawn sprinkler system connected to the
Municipal Water System shall be registered with the Municipal Building
Department and shall receive a registration number. All new lawn landscaping
sprinkler systems shall be equipped with an automatic rain sensor
device or switch that will override the irrigation cycle of the automatic
lawn sprinkler system when 1/4 inch of rain has occurred. All existing
lawn and landscaping sprinkler systems not having such automatic rain
sensor device or switch shall have such device installed and certified
and the sprinkler system registered not later than December 31, 2017.
(2)
Every lawn and landscaping sprinkler system shall contain a controller programmed in accordance with the requirements of § 144-2C, Time Restrictions.
(3)
Every property having a lawn and landscaping sprinkler system shall
provide certification from either the property owner or licensed landscaping
company maintaining the sprinkler system on behalf of the property
owner to the Building Department not later than June 1 of each year
that said system contains an automatic rain sensor device or switch
which is operational in conformance with this chapter and that the
controller has been programmed to comply with Subchapter 144-2C. Said
certification shall indicate the name of the property owner, property
address and company responsible for said maintenance of the sprinkler
system. Certifications for multiple properties from the same licensed
landscaper or maintenance company is acceptable provided that the
registartion number assigned to each property is so noted in the certification.
A.
Request tests. The Borough will make a test of the accuracy of a
water meter upon the request of a customer to the Sewer and Water
Department, provided the request is made not more than once per calendar
year. A report giving the results of such test will be provided to
the customer, and a record of such test shall also be kept on file
in the Sewer and Water Department. For this testing, the Borough will
require a payment of $100 in advance to cover the cost of personnel
required to pull said meter and perform the required flow test.
[Amended 7-7-2004 by Ord.
No. 2004-13; 3-22-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-04]
B.
Adjustment. Should the results of the flow test indicate that the
meter is within a 3% tolerance, the charge of $100 will not be refunded.
If the meter does not calibrate within the 3% tolerance or has an
error in registration, the sewer and water bill will be corrected
accordingly and the charge of $100 will be refunded to the sewer and
water account. For customers requesting to have their bill reviewed
by staff due to plumbing repairs or emergency failures at the home,
without having the meter tested, a nonrefundable charge of $25 shall
be paid in advance. Such reviews and any adjustments shall be at the
discretion of the Sewer and Water Department Supervisor.
[Amended 7-7-2004 by Ord.
No. 2004-13; 3-22-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-04]
C.
Allowable error. No water meter shall be placed in
service nor left in service if, on test, it registers more than 103%
of the water passed or less than 97% on full capacity.
D.
Registration of meter to be taken. Where water is
furnished by a meter, the quantity recorded by it shall be taken to
be the amount passing the meter, except where the meter has been found
to be registering inaccurately or has ceased to register. In such
cases, the quantity may be determined by the average registration
of the meter, when in order, or by such fair and reasonable method
as shall be based upon the best information obtainable, solely within
the discretion of the Borough.
A.
Customers will be held responsible for all charges
accruing for water service until written notice has been given to
the Borough Clerk to discontinue the supply or notice has been given
of a change of occupancy of said premises.
B.
If a bill remains unpaid for a period of 30 days after
the due date shown on the bill, notice will be mailed to the customer
that unless the bill, together with a delinquency penalty of 18% of
the amount past due, is paid within 15 days from the date shown on
the stamp of such notice, the water supply will be discontinued. When
water is turned off under such conditions, it will remain off until
the amount owed is paid in full, together with an eighteen-percent
penalty charge; or until arrangements for payment in full, with an
eighteen-percent penalty charge, have been made to the satisfaction
of the Borough and a meter reconnection charge of $25 has been paid.
[Amended 7-7-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-13; 9-22-2004 by Ord. No.
2004-23]
C.
If the customer requests the Borough to implement
a payment schedule regarding a delinquent bill, it shall be the requirement
of the customer to post 50% of the outstanding balance and interest
due prior to any approval by the Borough for a payment schedule.
D.
The delinquency penalty for nonpayment of water/sewer
bills on or before the date they become due is hereby fixed at a rate
of 18% of the amount past due, to be collected with the water/sewer
bills as they become delinquent.
[Amended 9-22-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-23]
The Board of Commissioners of the Borough of
Longport shall have authority to promulgate rules and regulations
regarding the installation, repair and maintenance of water meters,
fixtures and any other materials pertaining to the implementation
and usage of the water meter program within the Borough of Longport.
Further, the Board of Commissioners of the Borough of Longport shall
have the right to amend and/or modify these rules from time to time
in order to implement this water meter system.
A.
Rates shall be determined each year prior to the May
billing date by the Water and Sewer Utility of the Borough of Longport,
and the determination of the rate shall be posted conspicuously in
Borough Hall for view by its citizens. It should be understood that
certain facilities within the Borough of Longport shall be exempt
from the charges determined, i.e., those facilities being properties
owned and maintained by the Borough of Longport.
B.
At no time shall a second water meter be permitted on property occupied and/or used for any of the categories hereinafter referred to in Subsection C. However, if a lot shall be vacant and a meter requested to be installed on said vacant lot, then in that event, the meter shall be permitted, but there shall be no allowance for free usage of water as permitted hereinbefore in Subsection A. All charges on said meter for usage of water shall be determined from the first gallon of usage therefrom. It shall also be the obligation of the owner of said meter to pay the appropriate administrative charge that shall be affixed to each and every meter in the Borough of Longport by the Water and Sewer Utility of said Borough.
C.
The Water and Sewer Utility of the Borough of Longport
shall, on a yearly basis, review the unit designations for each of
the uses within said Borough and shall make a determination accordingly.
The number of units shall be as determined by the Longport Borough
Water and Sewer Utility Licensed Operator based on a flow usage analysis
for that structure. The unit designations shall be available for inspection
in the Borough Clerk's Office pursuant to applicable law.
[Amended 6-18-1997 by Ord. No. 97-14]
|
Structures
|
Units
|
|---|---|
|
Clubs and service organizations
|
1
|
|
Gymnasiums
|
2
|
|
Public buildings, for each 15 persons
|
1
|
|
Car washes
|
2
|
|
Service stations
|
1
|
|
Diner or restaurant, seating capacity of one
to 50
|
2
|
|
Soda fountain or luncheonette
|
1
|
|
Business establishments not otherwise classified
|
1/2
|
|
Rooming houses
| |
|
For each 10 rooms
|
1
|
|
For each additional 10 rooms or fraction thereof
|
1/2
|
|
Marinas, for each 20 boat slips
|
1
|
D.
New meter installation or service, repair and/or replacement
of previously existing meters.
(1)
Effective upon the passage of this chapter and thenceforth,
each person receiving a new meter installation or the service, repair
and/or replacement of a previously existing meter, upon receiving
said service, shall pay the reasonable value for material and labor
therefor.
(2)
Payment for the installation of new meter facilities
and service, the repair and/or the replacement of previously installed
meters shall be in advance of said work.
E.
Service to fire protection facilities.
(1)
Effective upon the passage of this chapter and thenceforth,
a person requiring private fire protection facilities shall pay for
each connection to be used exclusively for the extinguishing of fires,
in addition to the charges as set forth in this chapter for the installation
of the service connection from the main to the curb, $50 semiannually.
(2)
No additional charges shall be made for sprinkler
heads, fire hydrants or other fire-fighting facilities which may be
attached to a private fire service connection, and no charge shall
be made for water used in extinguishing fires where service is furnished
under this schedule.
(3)
The rate provided in this schedule shall be available only for service connections used exclusively for the extinguishing of fires. If the customer desires to use water for unauthorized purposes, then the service connection shall be metered in a manner to permit accurate registration of all consumption, and § 144-33A shall apply.
(4)
All charges for private fire protection service furnished
under this schedule are to be rendered quarterly or at the option
of the Borough, and such bills are due and payable in full within
30 days of the date rendered.
F.
Miscellaneous charges.
(1)
Where water is furnished for building purposes, it shall, wherever practical, be supplied through a meter, and the rates and charges to be made and the terms of payment shall be those provided as basic minimum charges as set forth in § 144-33A.
(2)
A nonrefundable charge of $25 shall be paid in advance for the property
owner to request the Sewer and Water Department to turn off the water
service during normal Public Works Department working hours, Monday
through Friday, excluding holidays. A nonrefundable charge of $25
shall also be added to the sewer and water account should the Borough
turn off the water service due to nonpayment of the sewer and water
bill or for violation under any other rules of this chapter. Under
such circumstances, the water service shall not be resumed until the
violation is eliminated and any outstanding amounts and fines, including
the charge of $25, are paid. If the water service is turned off by
the Water and Sewer Department in an emergency situation, such as
a water service break, or at the request of the customer after normal
Public Works working hours or on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, a
nonrefundable charge of $100 shall be paid in advance or charged to
the water and sewer account in the case of an emergency.
[Amended 8-19-1992 by Ord. No. 92-10; 7-7-2004 by Ord. No.
2004-13; 3-22-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-04]
(3)
A charge of $25 shall be made for turning on water
service at the request of the customer, except for the original connection.
[Amended 8-19-1992 by Ord. No. 92-10; 7-7-2004 by Ord. No.
2004-13]
(4)
A charge of $25 shall be made for inspections and
tests of meters where said inspection and test were performed at the
request of the customer and the meter was found to be accurate.
[Amended 7-7-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-13]
(5)
A charge of $25 for reconnection shall be made, payable
in advance, in addition to full minimum charges applicable where an
account is canceled and reopened the ensuing year.
[Amended 7-7-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-13]
(6)
Where an account is canceled for more than one full
calendar year, a reconnection charge of $25 shall be made in addition
to the charge for the proportionate part of the full annual minimum.
[Amended 7-7-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-13]
(7)
Any time a request is made for a special reading of
a water meter as a result of a need to supply a reading for settlement
purposes, when in fact that particular property is being transferred,
then, in that event, a fee of $25 shall be affixed for said special
reading.
[Amended 12-5-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-16]
G.
The Public Works Department is hereby authorized to issue a permit
to use a fire hydrant within the Borough of Longport to such person,
firm, or corporation as shall apply for and pay $100 per day therefor.
Such permit shall be valid for the period as stated thereon and shall
designate the location of and period of time such hydrant is to be
used, the name of the person, firm or corporation to whom such permit
shall be issued and fee paid.
[Amended 12-5-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-16]
Any person violating the provision of this chapter
shall be liable, upon conviction thereof, to a fine not to exceed
$500 or to imprisonment in the Borough or county jail for a term not
to exceed 10 days, or both.
