[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Riverdale 5-4-1981 by Ord. No. 2-81; amended in its entirety 1-20-2003 by Ord. No. 1-2003. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Digging up and excavating streets and sidewalks — See Ch. 147, Art. II.
Water and Sewer Utility — See Ch. 163.
Water systems — See Ch. 179.
A. 
This chapter shall be known as the "Borough of Riverdale Water Ordinance." The rules and regulations herein ordained, wherever applicable, shall be taken to be and considered a part of the contract with every person supplied with water by the Water and Sewer Department and shall be bound hereby and by the definitions, terms and conditions and any supplements hereto and amendments hereof.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
B. 
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AGENT
The occupant, in the absence of instructions from the owner of any property or premises of his duly authorized agent to the contrary, of any property or premises, insofar as his relations to the Department may be concerned, with respect to water uses and existing services.
DEPARTMENT
The Water and Sewer Department of the Borough of Riverdale.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
ENGINEER or BOROUGH ENGINEER
The consulting engineer retained by the Borough of Riverdale as the Water Engineer.
MAINS
All pipes, other than supply pipes and service pipes, used for conveying or distributing water in the Borough.
OWNER
Any person, firm, corporation or association actually owning any property or premises, which is or can be prospectively supplied with water, or his duly authorized agent.
PREMISES
A single-family dwelling or an apartment house occupied by more than one family or a building occupied for industry, business or other purposes by one or more persons, together with the land appurtenant thereto and such outbuildings as are used exclusively in connection therewith or any part of a building with the land appurtenant thereto when sold as a separate unit.
SERVICE PIPE
The pipe extending from the curbstop into privately owned property or premises for supplying water thereto.
SUPPLY PIPE
Any pipe connected to the main and extending thence to and including the curb stop or valve at the curbline of the street.
UNIT
A room or group of rooms located within a building and leased, occupied or intended to be leased or occupied as a self-contained dwelling or commercial entity.
WATER RATES
Rates or prices to be charged for water furnished by the Department to any consumer.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
All applications for the use of Borough water from the Borough mains or distribution pipes must be made at the Water and Sewer Department office, Municipal Building. The applicant shall state fully where and in what manner the water is to be used and shall be responsible for all required construction and health permits. The Mayor and Council reserve the right to accept or reject applications for water. If an application is rejected, the reasons for the rejection will be given in writing.
A. 
The owner of any building located upon any public street in the Borough in which a public water supply main is constructed shall connect to the public water supply main within six months after notification by the Borough of the availability of the main for connection.
B. 
Where, by reason of exceptional topographic conditions or excessive distance from the building to the water supply main, or by reason of other extraordinary and exceptional conditions, the strict application of this section would result in exceptional and undue hardship upon the owner of a specific piece of property, the Mayor and Council shall have the power, upon application, to grant relief from the strict application of this section.
C. 
Once a building is connected to the public water supply system any private (unapproved) water source shall be abandoned.
The permit granted thereupon by the Borough to the licensed plumber designated, who will be recognized as the agent of the owner or applicant, shall be for the particular use applied for and no other, and when, thereafter, any further use of water or additional fixtures or service pipe is desired, a further application must be made and a permit obtained.
Water charges begin when a meter is installed and continue until notice is received giving change of ownership. All outstanding water rents and other costs must be paid in full before water service will be supplied.
Application will not be granted to supply two or more houses or buildings from the same service line. Each building must have its own service line, except by special permission of the Mayor and Council. In any case where this special permission is granted the Borough will not accept ownership of any pipes beyond the point of connection with the Borough water main. The property owner shall be responsible for maintenance of all pipes leading to the water main.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
The setting and removing of meters connected to the service line may only be done by the Water and Sewer Department or any person authorized to act in its stead. This section shall not preclude subconnection by the property owner for internal purposes.
No person shall hinder or refuse to admit any Borough official, officer, inspector, foreman or other authorized employee of the Department, upon presentation of a badge or other credentials to any premises supplied with Borough water, for the purpose of making inspection thereof, including the examination of the entire water supply and plumbing system upon such premises.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
In the event of breakage, failure, irregular pressure or accident to the Water and Sewer Department system, or any part thereof, or shutting off for extensions or repairs or other causes, or in the event of loss of water pressure in the system, the Borough shall not be liable to said customers for any damages or inconveniences resulting therefrom.
A. 
Each applicant for a service connection to the water system of the Borough of Riverdale shall pay the current connection charges at the time the application is made.[1]
[Amended 7-16-2007 by Ord. No. 10-2007; 7-21-2014 by Ord. No. 7-2014; 4-22-2015 by Ord. No. 3-2015; 10-11-2023 by Ord. No. 4-2023]
Service
(inches)
Adminstrative Charge
Meter
3/4
$150
$350
1
$250
$450
1 1/2
$400
$900
2
$500
$1,200
3
$1,000
$3,400
4
$1,200
$4,250
6
$2,100
$6,500
8
$2,500
$9,000
12
$4,500
$16,500
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 95, Art. VI, for water system connection fee.
B. 
In addition to the above charges, the applicant shall also be liable for the cost of making of a tap in the main, the furnishing of all materials from the main to and including the curb box, the water meter, and the installation of the service line from the water main to and including the curb box. All excavations, street openings, trenching and backfilling shall be done by the applicant at his own cost and expense.
C. 
The materials used, except the water meter which shall be purchased from the Borough, shall meet the approval of the Water Department of the Borough of Riverdale.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008; 9-9-2009 by Ord. No. 12-2009]
D. 
Where a water connection involves excavation in any street, either municipal, county or state, the application will not be accepted until the applicant has secured a street opening permit from the proper authorities.[2] A change in the size of the water connection shall be deemed to be a new connection to the water system.
[2]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 147, Streets and Sidewalks, Art. II, Digging Up and Excavating.
A. 
All service pipes shall be laid at least four feet below the surface of the ground at all points to ensure safety against frost. Service pipes of one inch, 1 1/2 inches and two inches shall be annealed Type K copper tubing.
B. 
Service pipe for sizes four inches, six inches and eight inches shall be A.W.W.A. specification Class 52 cement lined ductile iron.
C. 
No service shall be backfilled until inspection and approved by the Water and Sewer Department.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
D. 
All persons taking water shall keep their own service pipes, stop cocks and apparatus in good repair and protected from frost at their own expense and shall protect the meter from frost and damage at their own expense.
E. 
In case of necessity to renew the service from curb box to meter, all costs for such renewal, including trenching, street opening, fittings and pipe or tubing, are to be at the property owner's expense, and all work is to be done by the property owner under the supervision and inspection of the Water and Sewer Department. Leaks in service pipes are to be repaired at the property owner's expense. Where property owner fails to repair such leaks, the Water and Sewer Department will do so and charge the property owner for any expenses involved.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
A. 
Between each meter and the water main, a stop cock must be placed on the service pipe within one foot of the meter and an additional stop cock on the house side of the meter. No water service lines shall be introduced or used on the premises except that which passes through the meter. Meters shall be positioned where they may be readily reached for servicing and reading by the Water and Sewer Department.
B. 
The stop at the curb shall not be used by anyone except those authorized by the Water and Sewer Department. Should accidents occur necessitating the shutting off of the water, this shall be done by means of the stop cock in the service pipe immediately after it enters the house, which stop shall be a part of the plumbing of every connection with the mains.
A. 
All persons shall keep the curb boxes connected with their supply pipes in plain sight at all times, on a level with the top of the ground and free of obstructions. Violations of this section shall be corrected by the Water and Sewer Department, and the cost thereof shall be charged to the property owner.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
B. 
The applicant is responsible in preventing damage to his curb box and shall be billed for any damage done to it.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
All plumbing and other work from the curb box to the meter is subject to the inspection and approval of the Water and Sewer Department or its authorized agent. Such work shall be inspected and approved before the pipes are covered and the water turned on. The applicant is to notify the Water and Sewer Department when installation is ready for inspection.
A. 
All service connections shall be metered. If any person shall use water without a meter, he shall pay for the amount of water consumed as estimated by the Department, in addition to any penalties imposed under these rules. The Borough, upon repeated offenses, may order the water supply to be discontinued and may prefer charges in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey.
B. 
The location provided by a property owner for a water meter shall be readily accessible for reading and maintenance purposes and shall be such as to offer adequate protection against damage to the meter.
C. 
No fixture of any kind from which water might be drawn shall be placed on the street side of a meter. The meter will not be installed unless the location and facilities provided for meet the approval of the Department.
D. 
The Department, at its option, shall repair, replace or exchange water meters and the expense of such repairs, replacements or exchange, as the case may be, shall be charged to the consumer except as hereinafter provided. No person, except an employee of the Department, shall connect, disconnect or repair a water meter.
E. 
Failure of a meter to register properly shall be immediately reported to the Department. Charges for water during the period of such failures shall be computed on the basis of the average consumption over a reasonable period prior to failure.
F. 
Should the consumer feel that the meter is not registering properly, the consumer shall file a complaint with the Department, whereupon the meter will be removed and tested by the Department. If it is found to register against the consumer by more than 3%, there will be no charge for removing, repairing and resetting the meter. If, however, the meter is not found to register against the consumer by more than 3%, a charge of $50 will be made for the test. The Department shall have the right to make periodical tests of all meters at no cost to the consumer. Charges for testing of one-and-one-half-inch and larger-size meters will be determined on an individual basis per rates of on-site testing companies. An additional fee of $50 shall be paid to the Department.
G. 
The consumer shall take all proper precautions to protect the meter from injury, frost and damage from hot water or steam. The owner of the premises will be held liable for all damage or loss to the Borough from failure to properly care for and protect the meter.
H. 
All meters shall be standard meters, direct readings in gallons, and must be purchased from the Borough of Riverdale and placed under the supervision and to the satisfaction of the Water and Sewer Department or such persons as the Water and Sewer Department shall designate so that they can be easily examined and read. The Borough reserves the right to replace a meter in any building supplied with water from the mains.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
I. 
Any multifamily dwelling consisting of up to four units shall have a meter for each and every unit.
A turn-off charge of $20 shall be made for discontinuing the service. A turn-on charge of $20 shall be made when the service is restored, but in no event shall water be turned on until all water charges have been paid. Temporary discontinuance will not require the removal of the water meter.
[Amended 11-17-2003 by Ord. No. 16-2003; 4-19-2004 by Ord. No. 4-2004; 7-16-2007 by Ord. No. 10-2007; 12-15-2008 by Ord. No. 14-2008[1]; 12-20-2010 by Ord. No. 11-2010]
The following rents, rates and charges are hereby established for water supplied by the Borough.
A. 
Fixed charge.
(1) 
The fixed charge established herein shall be payable in four installments billed quarterly. The fixed charge for all residential meters shall be $80 per year. Multifamily structures without individual unit meters shall be billed $80 per year per each individual unit.
(2) 
The fixed charge for all nonresidential meters shall be based on meter size and is established as follows:
[Amended 7-21-2014 by Ord. No. 7-2014; 4-22-2015 by Ord. No. 3-2015]
Meter Size
(inches)
Fixed Annual Rate
1 1/2 and 2
$400
3 and 4
$1,232
6
$1,760
8
$2,464
12
$3,520
(3) 
User fees apply to each meter. Nondwelling and common area meters are considered nonresidential. Residential use is limited to those meters servicing a dwelling unit.
B. 
Meter charge.
[Amended 4-15-2013 by Ord. No. 4-2013; 12-16-2013 by Ord. No. 17-2013[2]]
(1) 
The meter charge for any fraction of 1,000 gallons shall be $3.90. Billing shall occur four times per year on a quarterly basis.
(2) 
Those meters serviced by the Passaic Valley Water Commission Pump House on Mathews Avenue shall also incur a surcharge of $0.60 per 1,000 gallons for electric charges related to water service.
(3) 
The meter charge for any multifamily complex with more then 20 units which are not individually metered shall be $3.40 for any fraction of 1,000 gallons. Billing shall occur four times per year on a quarterly basis.
[2]
Editor’s Note: This ordinance also provided that it take effect 1-1-2014.
C. 
All rents, rates and charges not paid within 30 days of billing shall be subject to an interest charge of 8% per annum.
D. 
The water rate for senior citizens (those persons who qualify for a senior citizen real property tax abatement) shall be $96 per year in total.
E. 
The owner of any house, tenement, building or lot shall be liable for the payment of any rents, charges and costs for the use of water by such owner or by the occupier and for the installation purchase price, repair and testing of any water meter, water service, connections, appliances or parts, and renewals thereof, heretofore or hereafter furnished by the Borough. The rent, charges and costs, including interest, shall be a lien upon such house, tenement, building or lot until paid in full.
F. 
Water shall be shut off from any house, tenement, building or lot if any required payments are more than 30 days late. Notice of the Borough's intention to shut off water shall be given to the owner or occupier of the affected premises at least 15 days prior to shutting off the water. Notice shall be given to the name and address as it appears on the account.
G. 
Where a water service connection has been permitted for a fire sprinkler system, the charge shall be $250 per quarter payable as provided above and subject to the above terms regarding late payment and discontinuance of water service.
H. 
There shall be a charge of $300 per year per hydrant connected to the public water system.
I. 
Bulk water shall be sold at a rate established by contract.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance provided that it shall take effect 1-1-2009.
Objections to bills shall be deemed waived unless made within 10 days of receipt thereof.
If any rents, charges or costs, including interest, shall remain in arrears, said item shall be a lien upon the real estate to which the water was furnished and in connection with which the charges were incurred to the same extent as taxes are a lien upon real estate in the municipality and shall be collected and enforced by the same officers and in the same manner as lien for taxes.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
No person shall obstruct free access to any public fire hydrant, or open or close or draw water therefrom without permission in writing from the Water and Sewer Department, except in case of fire, when the Chief of the Fire Department, his assistants, officers and members of the Fire Department, shall have free access to same for the purpose of extinguishing fires.
A. 
Water mains and water main extensions shall be laid only in public streets or in cases where there has been compliance with the requirements of the ordinances related to roads.
B. 
All pipe shall be laid and connected under the supervision of the Water and Sewer Department and the Borough Engineer, and the owner or applicant shall purchase and pay for all trenching, backfilling, pipe, valves, hydrants and fittings.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
C. 
Water mains shall be extended and connected only after application has been made to the Water and Sewer Department and permission granted by the Mayor and Council.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
D. 
Each application for a water main or water main extension shall be accompanied by a plan prepared by a licensed professional engineer showing the location of the proposed installation or extension.
E. 
All fees and deposits pertaining to service lines to individual buildings shall be applicable where water mains are extended and shall be borne by the owner or applicant.
F. 
All pipe shall be of a diameter designated by the Department and shall be of Class 52 cement lined ductile iron. In no case shall the pipe be of a diameter less than eight inches.
G. 
Trenching shall be done under the supervision of the Borough Engineer and shall be a minimum of two feet wide and a minimum of five feet below the grade of the road, when rough graded. It shall be clean and shall be free from cave-ins and shall be located at the direction of said Borough Engineer.
H. 
All pipe, before being lowered, must be inspected by the Borough Engineer, whose acceptance or rejection of same shall be final.
I. 
All new extensions shall be tested under the direction of the Borough Engineer. Backfilling may be done only after inspection by the Borough Engineer or his agent.
J. 
All construction must meet A.W.W.A. standards, Department of Environmental Protection standards as well as standards of the Department (available from the Borough Water Engineer).
A special permit musts be obtained for the supply of water for building purposes. A fee of $50 shall be charged for the permit, and water consumed shall be metered and billed at current water rates in effect.
Whenever the Mayor and Council shall restrict the use of water, no person, party or entity shall use water in violation of the terms of said restrictions and, for such a violation, upon conviction, shall be subject to the provisions of the § 164-27 on penalties and fines provided herein, but without the notice requirements as therein provided.
A. 
The Borough will begin a capital improvement program whereby the pipe coming from the main to the curb box, inclusive, will be replaced under the following conditions:
(1) 
The pipe was installed prior to 1975; building and/or plumbing permits or certificate of occupancy as proof exceptions: Should a pipe between the main and the curb box, inclusive, installed after 1975 burst, the customer would be covered under this capital improvement program on an emergency basis. This will have no effect on the other customers already enrolled in the program.
(2) 
Upon completion of an application, the Water and Sewer Department will review and recommend to the Mayor and Council a priority list based on a first-come-greatest-need basis.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
(a) 
Application deadline will be March 1 of each year of this program.
(b) 
If the applications do not meet the quota established by this section, additional applications will be accepted throughout the year and approved on a first-come-established-need basis.
(3) 
The Borough will provide in the Water and Sewer Department capital budget the necessary funds to finance not less than 20 applications per year based on the reimbursement schedule as provided by this section.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
(4) 
The Water and Sewer Department will reimburse each approved customer the cost of the work to be done, however, not to exceed the maximum amount as set forth in Subsection A(5) of this section. After the work has been inspected by the proper Borough officials, reimbursement will be made within 60 days of the final inspection and approval.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
(5) 
This capital improvement program is planned over the next 20 years. The reimbursement schedule will be as follows:
Years
Reimbursement per customer
1997 to 2001
$600
2002 to 2006
$700
2007 to 2011
$800
2012 to 2016
$900
(6) 
All fees and permits are the responsibility of the customer. The hiring of the contractor and/or plumber will be the responsibility of the customer. The Water and Sewer Department will not get involved in the planning, excavating, installing or any other facet of the project.
[Amended 11-3-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
(a) 
The customer's plans submitted to the proper Borough inspectors must indicate that it meets the technical specification established by this chapter.
(b) 
The contractor and the customer are liable jointly and severally for all work done, in addition to any damage done to the Water and Sewer Department's water main, pipes and valves and any other property owned by the Borough.
(c) 
The contractor and the customer will be jointly and severally responsible for repairing the road to the specifications of the Borough Engineer or anyone designated by the Borough.
(d) 
The Borough and the Water and Sewer Department will be held harmless for all work done under this program.
B. 
A fee in the amount of $50 will be payable upon the issuance of a plumbing permit. In addition, the permittee shall post a cash deposit in the amount of $1,500 to be refunded upon satisfactory completion. This deposit shall guarantee that the workmanship does not cause damage to Borough property.
C. 
An approved customer who does not take out a plumbing permit under this program by August 1 of the year in which approval was made will be dropped from the list which will allow another customer to apply.
(1) 
All work under this program must be completed by October 31 of the year in which approval was made.
(2) 
Any customer who does not secure a permit and/or does not complete the work within the time frames established under this section will not be eligible to apply until the second year after the original application was made.
(3) 
The governing body may grant an extension to a customer whose work has already begun and is expected to be completed within two weeks of the deadline.
D. 
After the completion of this capital improvement program and/or the installation of new pipes under this program, the Borough will assume total responsibility for the system from the water main to the curb box, inclusive.
Any party, person or entity who shall violate any of the terms of this chapter shall be subject, upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days or to a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both.