The schedule of charges and rates for water
service shall be as adopted annually or at any other time as determined
by resolution of the Town Board; except that if no action is taken
by the Board, the most recently adopted schedule shall continue in
effect.
All water supplied shall be charged for on the
basis of the amount registered on the meter or meters installed on
the consumer's premises, with a minimum charge as established by the
Town Board. Where two or more meters supply the same premises and
consumer, the consumer, in addition to the fixed charges for all meters,
shall be billed at the schedule of rates for a quantity of water equal
to the sum of the readings on all meters on the premises.
A charge shall be made, for construction purposes,
during the erection of any dwelling. This charge, which includes temporary
service and the setting of the meter, shall be a flat fee established
by the rules and regulations of the Town Board. This temporary service
terminates before the issuance of an occupancy permit for the dwelling.
Termination of the temporary service is a condition of the issuance
of the occupancy permit by the Town of Aurora Building Inspector.
The Water Department, with the approval of the
Town Board, shall determine the charges and rates in special cases
to cover unusual conditions or types of service not contemplated in
this chapter or in the charges and rates set by the Town Board for
regular service. No consumer will be allowed to supply water to other
persons or premises, and no owner or occupant shall use water from
another premises, unless specific permission has been obtained in
each case from the Water Department. The Department has the right
to require, during a temporary period of emergency, that a consumer
allow it to connect an adjacent premises to such consumer's piping;
but in such case, allowance will be made for excess water registered
on his meter.
Checks for payments of water district bills
and water charges shall be made payable to the water district. Meters
will be read and bills rendered at regular quarterly intervals. Bills
for the previous quarter shall be due and payable at the office and
on the date designated on the bill. Unpaid water charges in arrears
for 30 days or longer shall be subject to a penalty not exceeding
10% of the amount due, and the Water Department may cut off the supply
of water if such water charges are not paid within 60 days of the
date due. The Town Board may, by rules and regulations, provide for
an additional charge for restoring the service of water in addition
to the unpaid water bill.
The Water Department, upon the written request
of a property owner, will mail the water bills to the tenant or lessee
using the water, but the owner shall remain responsible for all charges
provided for in this article, together with any penalties.
All water rents, penalties and interest thereon
and all charges for tapping, connecting and disconnecting and any
other charges provided by this chapter shall be a lien on the real
property upon which the water is used, and such lien shall be prior
to every other lien or claim except the lien of an existing tax. The
Town Clerk shall annually file, by October 1, with the Town Board
and the Supervisor the amount of any such liens which have not been
paid at the time and in the manner prescribed by the Town Board and
which are more than three months in arrears, with a description of
the real property affected thereby. The Supervisor and Board of Assessors
may include such amount in the annual tax levy and transmit such statements
to the Board of Legislators, which shall levy the same upon the real
property in default.