This chapter shall be known and cited as the
"Town of Walworth Water Supply Law."
As used in this chapter, unless the context
or subject matter otherwise requires, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
APPROVED REDUCED-PRESSURE-PRINCIPLE BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE
A device incorporating two or more check valves and an automatically
operating differential relief valve located between the two checks,
two shutoff valves and equipped with necessary appurtenances for testing.
The device shall operate to maintain the pressure in the zone between
the two check valves at less than the pressure on the public water
supply side of the device. At cessation of normal flow, the pressure
between check valves shall be less than the supply pressure. In case
of leakage of either check valve, the differential relief valve shall
operate to maintain this reduced pressure by discharging to the atmosphere.
When the inlet pressure is two pounds per square inch or less, the
relief valve shall open to the atmosphere, thereby providing an air
gap in the device. To be approved, these devices must be readily accessible
for maintenance and testing and installed in a location where no part
of the valve will be submerged. The enclosure must be self-draining,
so that the large amount of water which the relief valve may vent
will be disposed of reliably without submergence of the relief valve.
This device must also be approved as a complete assembly.
AUXILIARY SUPPLY
Any water supply on or available to the premises other than
the approved public water supply.
CROSS-CONNECTION
Any unprotected connection between any part of a water system
used or intended to supply water for drinking purposes and any course
or system containing water or substance that is not or cannot be approved
as equally safe, wholesome and potable for human consumption.
OWNER/OPERATOR
The owner and/or operator of the premises on which there
is a water supply.
There shall be no connection of an approved
public water supply to a property or building in which there exists
an auxiliary supply unless there shall be properly installed an approved
reduced-pressure-principle backflow prevention device approved by
the engineer for the Town or other authorized representative of the
Town.
In the event that a property or building is
connected or an application is made for connection to the approved
public water supply system, then, in that event, the applicant shall
certify that there is no existing connection to or through the proposed
property or building to be served to an auxiliary supply. The applicant
shall furnish an existing layout of all plumbing and water supply
now or planned to be put on the premises or in the building reflecting
any and all connections to any source of water.
If, in the opinion of the engineer for the Town
or other authorized representative, a cross-connection is not feasible
or practicable to provide potable drinking water to the premises or
building, then the Town may require that a separate drinking water
system be installed.
No water service connection for an approved
public water supply to any premises shall be installed or continued
or maintained unless the water supply is protected as required by
this chapter or the applicable state regulations.
[Amended 9-1-1994 by L.L. No. 1-1994; 10-7-1999 by L.L. No.
5-1999]
Any person who shall violate any provision of
this chapter shall be guilty of a violation and, upon conviction,
shall be punished by a fine of not more than $250 or by imprisonment
for not more than 15 days, or both.
[Added 3-19-1981 by L.L. No. 3-1981]
In the event that the Town shall determine that
a meter has been disconnected or otherwise tampered with while located
within the confines of a private structure or residence, the Town
shall, in addition to any criminal or other penalties prescribed by
the law, be entitled to the following civil penalties:
A. Assessments and charges.
(1) The consumer whose premises have been served by the
tampered meter shall:
(a)
Pay an estimated water bill to be computed by
averaging the water bills of the past two years, prior to the discovery
of the meter which had been disconnected or otherwise tampered with,
and assessed as a penalty an amount equal to twice the annual average
determined to be the consumption for the premises, less any sums paid
within the seven quarters immediately preceding the discovery of the
tampered meter. If there has been a change in the facility for water
consumption on the premises during the two-year average period, then
the period of average shall be reduced to the number of quarters in
which the additional water consumption devices or instruments were
on hand.
(b)
Pay the cost of a new meter, including the cost
of installation of said meter.
(2) In the event that said assessments and charges remain
unpaid on or before the next water bill due date, the total so determined
in this subsection will be added to the taxes as if in fact said sums
were unpaid sums due for water consumed.
B. The meter removed from the premises shall be the property
of the Town of Walworth. The consumer shall not receive any credit
for the meter removed from the premises.