The town may:
A.
Construct, operate and maintain a water system and water plant.
B.
Construct, operate and maintain a sanitary sewerage system and a
sewage treatment plant.
C.
Construct, operate and maintain a stormwater drainage system and
stormwater sewers.
D.
Construct, maintain, reconstruct, enlarge, alter, repair, improve
or dispose of all parts, installations and structures of the above
plants and systems.
E.
Have surveys, plans, specifications and estimates made for any of
the above plants and systems or parts thereof or the extension thereof.
F.
Do all things it deems necessary for the efficient operation and
maintenance of the above plants and systems.
Any public service corporation, company or individual, before
beginning any construction of or placing of or changing the location
of any main, conduit, pipe or other structure in the public way within
the town, shall submit plans to the town and to the Wicomico County
Council and obtain written approval from both upon such conditions
and subject to such limitations as may be imposed by both; the interest
of the town shall be limited to the location of such mains, conduits,
pipe or other structures in relation to the present or proposed location
of water, sewer or stormwater mains installed or to be installed by
the town.
All individuals, firms or corporations having mains, pipes, conduits or other structures in, on or over any public way in the town or in the county which impede the establishment, construction or operation of any town sewer or water main, upon reasonable notice, shall remove or adjust the obstructions at their own expense to the satisfaction of the town. If necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, the town may use its condemnation powers provided in § PC-83. Any violation of an ordinance passed under the provisions of this section may be made a misdemeanor.
The town may enter upon or do construction in, on or over any
county public way for the purpose of installing or repairing any equipment
or doing any other things necessary to establish, operate and maintain
the water system, water plant, sanitary sewerage system, sewage treatment
plant, or stormwater sewers provided for in this Charter. Unless required
by the county, the town need not obtain any permit or pay any charge
for these operations, but it must notify the county of its intent
to enter on the public way and must leave the public way in a condition
not inferior to that existing before.
The town shall provide a connection with water and sanitary
sewer mains for all property abutting on any public way in which a
sanitary sewer or water main is laid. When any water main or sanitary
sewer is declared ready for operation by the town, all abutting property
owners after reasonable notice shall connect all fixtures with the
water or sewer main. The town may require that, if it consideres[1] existing fixtures unsatisfactory, satisfactory ones be
installed and may require that all cesspools, sinkdrains and privies
be abandoned, filled, removed or left in such a way as not to injure
public health. All wells found to be polluted or a menace to health
may be ordered to be abandoned and closed. Any violation of an ordinance
passed under the provisions of this section may be made a misdemeanor.
[1]
Editor's Note: So in original. Probably should read "considers."
The town may make a charge, the amount to be determined by the
Council, for each connection made to the town's water or sewer
mains. This charge shall be uniform throughout the town, but may be
changed from year to year. Arrangements for the payment of this charge
shall be made before the connection is made.
In order to prevent any leakage or waste of water or other improper
use of the town's water system or sewage disposal system, the
town may require such changes in plumbing, fixtures or connections
as it deems necessary to prevent such waste or improper use.
The town by ordinance may provide that no water supply, sewerage
or stormwater drainage system, and no water mains, sewers, drains
or connections therewith, shall be constructed or operated by any
person or persons, firm, corporation, institution or community, whether
upon private premises or otherwise, and may provide that cesspools
or other private methods of sewage disposal shall be operated and
maintained in such a manner that they do not and will not be likely
to affect adversely the public comfort and health; and any cesspool
or other private method of sewage disposal affecting or likely to
affect adversely the public comfort and health may be deemed a nuisance
and may be abated by the town. Any violation of an ordinance passed
under the provisions of this section may be made a misdemeanor.
The town may extend its water or sewerage systems beyond the
town limits, but only under circumstances and conditions which will
not impair services to the properties within the town and which will
impose no financial burden upon the townspeople or impair its ability
to annex any unincorporated areas served.
Any employee or agent of the town, while in the necessary pursuit
of his official duties with regard to the water or sewage disposal
systems operated by the town, has a right of entry, for access to
water or sewer installations, at all reasonable hours and after reasonable
advance notice to the owner, tenant or person in possession, upon
any premises and into any building in the town or in the county served
by the town's water or sewage disposal system. Any restraint
or hindrance offered to the entry by any owner, tenant or person in
possession, or the agent of any of them, by ordinance, may be made
a misdemeanor.
No person shall do anything which will discolor, pollute or
tend to pollute any water used or to be used in the town water supply
system. Any violation of the provisions of this section is a misdemeanor.
The town, if it deems it advisable, may contract with any party
or parties, inside or outside the town, to obtain water or to provide
for the removal of sewage.
A.
The town may charge and collect such service rates, water rents,
ready-to-serve charges or other charges as it deems necessary for
water supplied and for the removal of sewage. These charges are to
be billed and collected by the Treasurer, and if bills are unpaid
after thirty (30) days, the service may be discontinued. All charges
shall be a lien on the property collectible in the same manner as
town taxes or by suit at law.
B.
All revenues from public utility operations by the city[1] shall be kept separate from other city[2] funds. These revenues shall be used for current operating
expenses of these utilities, replacement and extension of facilities
and payment of interest and principal on bonds issued for these purposes.
If these revenues are not sufficient, the deficit must be made up
from the general funds of the city.[3] In the event any utility bond issue requires that certain
revenues be segregated from other utility funds and dedicated to the
payment of principal and interest of that bond issue, a separate account
shall be maintained as required by said bond issue.
