The town shall have the power to:
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 ways of
the town, shall submit plans to the town and obtain written approval
upon such conditions and subject to such limitations as may be imposed
by the town. If any unauthorized main, conduit, pipe or other structure
interferes with the operation of the water, sewerage or stormwater
systems, the town may order it removed.
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 shall, upon reasonable
notice, 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 Section 1202 of the Charter. 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 considers 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.
The town may make a charge, the amount to be determined by the
Commissioners, 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 may, by ordinance, 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, institutions 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 shall have the power to extend its water or sewerage
systems beyond the town limits.
Any employee or agent of the town, while in the necessary pursuit
of official town duties with regard to the water or sewage disposal
systems operated by the town, shall have the 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 may, by ordinance, 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 shall be 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.
The existence, authority, rights, privileges, duties and obligations
of the Princess Anne Water and Sewer Authority is hereby expressly
recognized.
The town shall have the power to 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 Town Manager,
and if bills are unpaid within 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.
The provisions of this article shall not extend to any town
located in a sanitary district or special tax area or district authorized
to discharge the powers provided in this article as to the particular
powers included in the authorization.