[Adopted as Ch. 1040 of the 1989 Codified Ordinances]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
COUNCIL
The Council of the City and any department, official or employee of the City duly authorized or appointed by Council to perform certain duties.
OWNER
The owner, agent or occupant of premises to which water is supplied.
WHOLESALE USER
A user of water from the City water system who uses 1,000,000 or more gallons per quarter.
Council may, at all reasonable hours, enter the premises where water service is established for the purpose of inspecting and making an examination of all pipes connected with the water system, or reading or removing service motors, and may require any pipe or fixture to be repaired, removed, replaced or changed where the same is defective or not in compliance with any ordinance of the City.
No person shall make a connection with, open or in any manner disturb the City water mains, water meters, pipes, conductors or other fixtures of the water system of the City, or use or permit water to be withdrawn from the mains, except in accordance with this chapter and such regulations as Council may, from time to time, establish.
Before any connection to the water system of the City is made or any excavation therefor is commenced, a permit therefor shall be first obtained from the City.
An application for a permit to connect to the water system of the City shall be made to the City Clerk in such form and detail as he or she prescribes, accompanied by the payment of charges as set forth in this chapter. Such application shall set forth such information as is necessary to enable Council to keep a record of the transaction and connection. Such connection shall be made by the owner and a plumber duly authorized or licensed by the City to make such connections within the City. All expenses incurred by reason of incorrect information given in an application shall be charged to and paid by the applicant.
A. 
Tap-in fee. A tap-in fee as set by resolution of the City Council shall be charged for each building or structure connected to the water system of the City.
(1) 
This tap-in fee shall include all of the following necessary and/or required work to provide standard tap-in service: boring work within the first 60 feet of a required boring; meter and elbow corporation; curb stop, box and rod; and saddle. All bores must be installed in a direct measure so as to be in line with the building or structure being connected to the water system.
(2) 
All costs, of both materials and labor, incurred by the City, above and beyond the aforementioned tap-in fee and work, shall be attributed to the owner, including, but not limited to, the following: concrete replacement for sidewalks, driveways and public roads and/or streets and installation over and/or under storm sewers, sanitary sewers, gas lines, cable lines or telephone lines, etc.
(3) 
Where a water tap is being provided for a water line in excess of one inch in diameter, the tap-in fee shall be multiplied by the actual line size over and above one inch.
B. 
Privilege fee. A privilege fee, in addition to the water tap-in fee, shall be charged for each building or structure served by the water system according to the unit basis schedule established for the City water privilege charge at the following rate, except that the water privilege charge for the first unit of any building or structure shall be deemed to be included in the water tap-in fee charge for such building or structure.
C. 
Waiver. Upon a finding that it would be in the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the City, and in consideration of other contributions made by a property owner or developer to the City in the development of a subdivision or industrial development, Council may waive the tap-in fee or reduce it as best determined by Council.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. A276.
[Amended 1-21-1998 by Ord. No. 360; 5-1-2002 by Ord. No. 407]
See § 254-7 of Article I of this chapter for the unit basis schedule. The unit basis for computation of any water privilege charge for water service to any building or structure not specifically set forth in the unit basis schedule shall be established by City Council in accordance with the method of computation set forth in such unit basis schedule for the establishment of water privilege charges.
All applications for connections with the water system of the City outside the limits of the City shall be accompanied by a fee as set by resolution of the City Council for a one-inch line or for lines in excess of one inch.
A. 
Before any permit required by this chapter is issued, the plumber making application therefor shall furnish the City a surety bond in a principal sum as set by resolution of the City Council, to be approved by Council, conditioned to insure the faithful and full performance of the conditions of this chapter and to indemnify the City against any loss or damage resulting from the manner of performing the work authorized by such permit.
B. 
Failure to perform work in accordance with this chapter shall subject the plumber, at the discretion of Council, to a temporary or permanent forfeiture of his or her license to do work on the City water system.
No person shall make any attachment or connection with the pipes or mains of the City water system unless he or she is a plumber duly licensed by Council to work in the City.
[Amended 7-20-2011 by Ord. No. 471]
A. 
When it is necessary to make more than one trip to make an inspection or to set a meter, an additional charge as set by resolution of the City Council will be made for each additional trip.
B. 
At the direction of the Director of Public Works, a meter may be temporarily installed for a twenty-four-hour period to turn the water on/off for a fee of $50 or as set by City Council to be deposited with the City of Rockwood prior to the installation of the meter.
A. 
Required.
(1) 
All connections with the City water system shall be through water meters.
(2) 
All water meters shall be furnished by and shall remain the property of the City.
(3) 
The City shall furnish a one-inch meter. Where a larger meter is required, the owner of the property shall pay the difference between the cost of the meter installed and a one-inch meter.
(4) 
Only one water meter shall be furnished for each service connection. Where there is more than one tenant on the premises, additional water meters may be used. In such case, the owner shall pay the cost of the additional meters and execute an agreement with the City protecting the City in treating the subject property in its entirety if it becomes necessary to enforce payment of water rates.
(5) 
No water meter shall be installed without an application therefor and approval of such application by the proper authority.
B. 
Location.
(1) 
All water meters shall be installed in dry, clean, sanitary places, perfectly accessible, with valves on both sides, and where a small leak or spilling of water will do no damage.
(2) 
No water meter or valve shall be placed in a closet or compartment which is kept locked, in a coal bin, in or under toilet room floors or under buildings, porches, show windows, cupboards or other places where there will be difficulty of access.
(3) 
Where there is a basement under a house, the water meter shall be placed in such basement, except with special approval of Council.
C. 
Installation.
(1) 
Upon approval of an application by Council, specifications for meter wells shall be furnished by the City.
(2) 
All water meters shall be installed at the expense of the owner of the premises.
(3) 
A gate valve shall be placed on each side of a water meter when such meter is installed in a basement.
(4) 
Where a water meter is to be installed outside the City, the owner shall deposit with the City, prior to installation, an amount equal to the cost of the meter.
(5) 
All pipes shall be so arranged as to allow a one-half-inch spring for setting or removing a water meter.
D. 
Responsibility of owner. The owner shall, in all cases, be responsible for damage to a water meter from frost, hot water or other cause.
E. 
Interference; tampering. No person shall interfere with or tamper with a water meter.
F. 
Removal. No person shall remove a water meter from any service connection without the prior written consent of Council.
G. 
Remote readers. All water meters shall be equipped with and connected to a remote outside water meter reader, except that such remote outside readers need not be connected to existing water meters in service on the effective date of Ordinance 132 until such time as the ownership of the property being so metered changes. A fee of as set by resolution of the City Council $20 shall be charged by the City to the property owner for equipping the owner's water meter with the required water meter reader.
H. 
Meter pit. A water meter pit shall be installed in accordance with specifications and requirements of the City on all connections with the City water system of over a one-inch inside diameter. The meter pit shall be located as close to the connection with the City water system as is practically possible inside the lot line of the property to be served or where the connection is made. The City may waive this water meter pit requirement when, in its judgment, it determines that a water meter pit in a particular location is not necessary to ensure proper metering of water service at that specific location.
A violation of any provision of this chapter shall be a municipal civil infraction, punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II.