As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
COMBINED SYSTEM
Use of an access to both the water and sewer facilities of
the City of Mendota.
COMMITTEE
The Committee on Public Works of the City of Mendota.
[Amended by Ord. No. 04-06-15A]
CONSUMER
Any person who, himself or by his employees or customers,
uses the City water furnished by the City to the premises used and
occupied by him, in whole or in part, for business purposes; or any
person who, himself or by any member of his family or by his guests,
uses the City water furnished by the City to the premises used and
occupied by himself and family, or by himself, if living alone, in
whole or in part, for dwelling purposes.
OWNER
The owner of the premises supplied with water by the City
of Mendota.
PREMISES
A.
In reference to premises used for business purposes, the one
building owned or occupied by the consumer, separated from others,
and shall not be construed to include the premises of a consumer using
and occupying more than one building for the conduct of one and the
same business; and
B.
In reference to dwelling houses, the one place of residence
and the outbuildings belonging thereto.
SUPERINTENDENT
The Superintendent of Waterworks and Sewers of the City of
Mendota.
There is hereby established an executive department of the municipal
government of the City of Mendota which shall be known as the "Waterworks
and Sewer Department," which shall be under the charge and supervision
of the Committee and the Superintendent of Waterworks and Sewers.
A. Office established. The office of Superintendent of Waterworks and
Sewers is hereby established.
B. Appointment; term of office. The Superintendent shall be appointed
by Mayor, by and with the advice, consent, and approval of the City
Council, on the first Monday in May of each year, and shall hold office
for one year and until his successor is appointed and qualified.
C. Duties. The Superintendent shall perform all the duties that are
imposed upon him by law or ordinance. It shall be the duty of the
Superintendent to have the water meters read and, under the direction
and supervision of the Committee, to employ necessary help to read
such meters, and after reading all water meters, as directed to be
done by ordinance, to file with the City Clerk the results of such
readings, with the amount shown to be due from each consumer by such
readings.
D. Waterworks. The Superintendent shall take and have full charge, care
and control of the waterworks of the City, together with the pumping
house and all machinery therein or connected therewith, all water
meters, and shall have full charge of the extension of the water mains
when ordered to be extended by the Council.
E. Waterworks maintenance fee. Commencing May 1, 2007, the Water Department
of the City of Mendota shall pay $2,140 per month to the City of Mendota
for maintenance of and for the Water Department.
[Added by Ord. No. 04-16-07]
F. Sewers. The Superintendent shall also have charge and control of
all sewers in the City, and he shall take care and see that such sewers
and all connections therewith are kept in good sanitary and serviceable
condition and that all ordinances of the City or orders of the Council
in relation thereto are enforced and carried out.
A. Cost.
(1) Application for permits to connect service pipes with any main must
be made to the City Clerk, and the following sums shall be paid for
the insertion of service cocks or valves:
(a)
For three-fourths-inch service pipe, including thirty-five-foot
average length copper tubing Type K, one corporation cock, one curb
stop, one buffalo box and tap of water main complete, the fee shall
be based on time and materials.
(b)
For one-inch service including thirty-five-foot cooper tubing
Type K, one corporation cock, one curb stop, one buffalo box, and
tap of water main complete, the fee shall be based on time and materials.
(c)
All services larger than one inch shall be established at the
time and according to prevailing prices of materials and wages scale.
(2) A water service connection charge shall be paid before any water
connection is made for new residential construction, or before any
water connection is made to established residential property where
connection to the City water system did not exist prior. Said water
service line tap charge for all connections shall be set from time
to time by the City Council.
[Amended by Ord. No. 11-06-00C]
B. Meter cost.
(1) The cost of all meters sold by the City to water consumers shall
be established from time to time through the authority of the Committee,
according to prevailing prices on materials from suppliers.
(2) Prices for meters sold by the City of Mendota Water Department to
water consumers shall be set from time to time by the City Council.
Meter sizes above one inch shall be provided at the City cost plus
freight, as established through the authority of the City Council
Committee on Public Works.
(3) All new residential construction shall have meters installed with
approved remote registers. The cost of the remote register shall be
borne by the owner. The price to be charged for the remote register
shall be established at the time of purchase, according to prevailing
prices of materials through the authority of the City Council Committee
on Public Works. The cost replacement of an old meter will be based
on the meter size less trade-in value.
C. Use of public water and sewer required where available. Every building
with an installed plumbing system and intended for human habitation
or occupancy and located adjacent to or abutting property where there
is a public water supply and sewer service shall have a connection
to that public water supply and sewer system. Every building outside
the corporate limits, but within 300 feet of the corporate water supply,
shall have a connection to the City of Mendota water system. Therefore,
no private water well supply will be allowed within the corporate
City Limits, nor within 300 feet of the corporate City limits, for
any reason.
D. Permit.
(1) No water connection shall be made by any person not authorized by
the City of Mendota, and then only after a permit has been issued
to some licensed plumber and paid for in advance. The price is to
include water tap, water meter, and remote register.
(2) Notice of intent to have service installed must be given at least
two days before excavation is to be made.
It shall be the duty of the City Clerk to keep a record of all
taps made on the water mains of the City, in a book to be provided
for that purpose, showing the location of the tap, the description
of the premises, and the date of making said tap. It shall be the
duty of the property owner to provide the City Clerk with the necessary
information for keeping such aforementioned records.
All tap and connections shall be put in under the direction
and supervision of the Superintendent, who shall see that the work
is properly done and that all the material is of a quality suitable
for the purposes for which same is used.
A. Every consumer shall have and maintain a separate and independent
tap for connection with the City water main for each building or premises
for which water is furnished, and no person shall connect his service
pipe with the service pipe of any other consumer. No such tap or connection
heretofore made shall be repaired or extended, but whenever the same
becomes in need of repair or an extension shall be made, such service
pipe shall be connected directly with the City water main in accordance
with the provisions of this article.
B. The Superintendent may permit a qualified, licensed plumber to perform
water taps within the City of Mendota, under the supervision of said
Superintendent. There shall be a fee as set from time to time by the
City Council, payable to the City of Mendota Water Department, for
inspection service provided by the Superintendent.
A. Location. All meters placed in connection with the City waterworks
system shall be set under the direction of the Superintendent in some
convenient place to be approved by the Superintendent. If outside
of the building, such meter shall be set in brick or concrete pits,
having walls eight inches thick, not less than three feet wide by
3 1/2 feet long by 4 1/2 deep brought to grade, and provided
with an iron or concrete cover not less than 18 inches in size. Suitable
steps or a ladder shall be put in place for convenience of inspection
and reading of meters where required. The location of meter pits outside
of buildings shall, as far as practicable, be between the sidewalk
and curblines. When not practicable to so place the meter pit, its
location shall be designated by the Superintendent. Provision shall
be made to keep the meter pit free from water.
B. Stop-box. In tapping City water mains, a stop-box or cut-off shall
be set on the service pipe, the top of which shall be flush with the
surface of the ground, and at the outer edge of the street sidewalk
of the premises being served.
C. Responsibility for installation. All meters shall be installed by
the owner, under the direction and supervision of the Superintendent,
at the expense of the owner.
D. Testing. All meters, before being set or reset, must be tested and
approved by the Superintendent.
E. Removal and replacement. No meter shall be removed for any purpose
from any supply pipe by any person, without obtaining a written permit
from the Superintendent to do so. When any meter is removed with the
consent of the Superintendent, it must be replaced within 10 days,
and before being replaced it must be tested and approved by the Superintendent
at the expense of the owner.
F. Any resident desiring to have a special water meter for purposes
such as watering lawns, filling swimming pools and other extensive
water use not running through the Mendota sewer system may obtain
a separate water meter from the City of Mendota. The individual requesting
said meter shall make a security deposit with the City in an amount
set from time to time by the City Council and shall be given a meter
to be installed by the resident. Upon return of the meter and payment
of the water and sewer bill in full, the City will refund the sewer
portion of the billing attributed to said meter. If the meter is undamaged,
the security deposit shall be refunded upon return of the meter.
[Added by Ord. No. 07-03-00]
A. No water from the municipal water supply shall be turned on for service
into any premises by any person but the Superintendent, or some person
authorized by him to perform this service.
B. Applications to have water turned on shall be made in writing to
the City Clerk and shall contain an agreement by the applicant to
abide by and accept all of the provisions of this chapter as conditions
governing the use of the municipal water supply by the applicant A
deposit in an amount set from time to time by the City Council shall
be made with each such application by an occupant who is non-owner
of said property, this sum to be retained by the municipality to insure
the payment of all bills. When service to the applicant at said location
is discontinued permanently, this deposit, less any amount still due
the municipality for water/sewer/garbage service, shall be returned.
When the owner of the premises is to be served, no such sum shall
be required.
[Amended by Ord. No. 05-03-04C]
[Amended by Ord. No. 05-17-99B; Ord. No. 1-21-02; Ord. No. 12-15-03; Ord. No. 07-19-10; Ord. No. 06-18-12A; Ord. No. 07-21-14]
All persons connecting or connected with the water or wastewater
system of the City or taking and using water from the City waterworks
system shall pay for such water or wastewater at rates set from time
to time by the City Council, as measured by the water meter, unless
a separate sewer meter has been installed on the premises.
A. Within the corporate limits: residential, commercial, industrial
and municipal.
(1) Water service. There shall be and there are hereby established water
service charges for the use of and for the service supplied by the
water facilities of the City of Mendota, to be paid by each user.
(2) Wastewater service.
[Amended by Ord. No. 03-07-22]
(a) Monthly customer charge shall be $14 per customer per month. The
rate per 100 cubic feet shall be $5.80.
(3) The sale of bulk water shall have the following regulations:
(a)
Semi-tractor trailers will use the designated hydrant on Bowne
Drive - Mendota Business Park. Straight trucks may use the Mendota
Water Department.
(b)
All tankers must have a four-inch minimum air gap or an approved
RPZ with current testing papers. No exceptions. This is a State of
Illinois statute.
(c)
All tankers filling at Mendota Business Park will be supervised
by Mendota Water Department personnel at a rate set from time to time
by the City Council, with a one-hour minimum charge.
(d)
All tankers will supply their own hydrant gate valve and hoses.
The hydrant will be opened to the normal open position with the gate
not to open more than halfway. This may be reduced to a one-fourth
open position by the decision of the Superintendent of Water.
(e)
Only one tanker may fill at a time.
(f)
The hours for tanker filling are between 6:30 a.m. and 2:30
p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments must be made for each and
every tank filling within the designated times. Appointments must
be made 24 hours in advance by calling the City of Mendota Water Department
at 815-539-6307.
(g)
Compensation for any damage to a hydrant or any surrounding
area will be the driver's/company's responsibility. The cost of a
new hydrant and installation is approximately $4,500 and is subject
to change.
(h)
There will be no exceptions made to any of the above regulations.
(i)
Changes to these regulations are made at the discretion of the
City of Mendota. Users may request to be notified by the Mendota Water
Department Superintendent when changes are made. A copy of the current
regulations is available at the Mendota City Clerk's office.
B. Outside the corporate limits. Each user of the water service located
outside the corporate limits shall have 100% added to the bill. Each
user of the sewer service located outside the corporate limits shall
have 50% added to the bill.
[Amended by Ord. No. 05-17-99B; Ord. No. 1-21-02; Ord. No. 06-07-10A]
A. For the
purpose of billing for metered water, sewer and garbage services,
the City of Mendota shall send bills for said services once every
month on the first day of such month via standard mail to all persons
using the services. All water, sewer and garbage service charges made
for all services shall become due and payable on or before the 15th
day of the month in which billed. No discount will be allowed.
B. If not
paid by the 15th day of the month in which billed, a penalty of 10%
of the total amount billed shall be added to the bill and collected
by the City Clerk. If any water, sewer or garbage service bill is
unpaid for more than 14 days after the due date, then service to such
delinquent costumer shall be shut off and the services shall not be
reinstated to any one of the following: the premises for which the
services have been rendered and occupied by said delinquent consumer
or any subsequent occupant of the premises or any other premises occupied
by said delinquent consumer. Such arrearages must be paid, together
with a sum during City work hours (between 7:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.)
and during non-work hours (between 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.) as set
from time to time by the City Council. Notice of shut off of services
shall be mailed or delivered by personal notice. If mailed, eight
days after mailing the services will be discontinued.
C. The City
of Mendota shall assign one or more of its personnel wherein it transacts
business with the public the duty of hearing, in person, any dispute
by an applicant, customer or user. Such personnel shall consider the
complainant's allegations and shall explain the complainant's account
and the City of Mendota's contention in connection therewith. Such
personnel shall be authorized to act on behalf of the City of Mendota
in resolving the complaint and shall be available during all business
hours for the duty hereinbefore described.
A. Write-offs.
On the first day of April each year, the City Clerk shall prepare
and submit to the City Council a list of all water and sewer service
bills which are more than six months past due. The City Council will
then determine which of these bills are deemed to be uncollectible
and authorize the City Clerk to write them off as bad debts.
B. Service
disconnection fee (voluntary). There shall be a shut-off fee and a
turn-on fee as set from time to time by the City Council for customers
requesting this service due to being away from their home for an extended
period of time.
C. Customer
callouts. There shall be a charge as set from time to time by the
City Council for customer calls for service after working hours.
D. In all cases, water and sewer bills shall be made out in the name
of the owner of the premises where the water is consumed unless otherwise
requested by the owner of the premises, in which case said bill may
be made out in the name of the occupant, but both the owner and occupant
or occupants of such premises shall in all cases be jointly and severally
liable for the payment of the water and sewer charges. In addition
to the right of the City of Mendota to pursue the collection of any
unpaid water and sewer bills through suit, the City shall also have
the right to file a lien on the premises whereon the unpaid water
and sewer charges have attached, pursuant to 65 ILCS 5/11-139-8.
E. Liens; notice of delinquency.
(1) Whenever a bill for water and/or sewer service remains unpaid for
90 days after it has been rendered, the City Clerk shall file with
the County Recorder of Deeds a statement of lien claim.
(2) The statement shall contain the legal description of the premises
served, the amount of the unpaid bill, and a notice that the City
claims a lien for this amount as well as for all charges subsequent
to the period covered by the bill.
(3) If the consumer whose bill is unpaid is not the owner of the premises
and the City Clerk has notice of this, notice shall be mailed to the
owner of the premises if his address is known to the City Clerk, whenever
such a bill remains unpaid for the period of 90 days after it has
been rendered.
(4) The failure of the City Clerk to record such lien or to mail such
notice shall not affect the right to foreclose the lien for unpaid
bills as mentioned in the foregoing subsection.
(5) Foreclosure of lien. Property subject to a lien for unpaid charges
shall be sold for nonpayment of the same, and the proceeds of the
sale shall be applied to pay the charges, after deducting cost, as
is the case in the foreclosure of statutory liens. Such foreclosure
shall be by bill in equity in the name of the City. The City Attorney
is hereby authorized and directed to institute such proceedings in
the name of the City in any court having jurisdiction over such matters
against any property for which the bill has remained unpaid for 110
days.
If a meter at any time fails to register the quantity of water
consumed, or does not register correctly, the quantity shall be determined
and the charge made as the Superintendent shall determine or the Committee
shall direct. No deductions shall be made from any bill on account
of leakage.
Whenever builders, brick masons, plasterers or contractors use
the water of the City in or about their work, the same shall be metered
and charged for at the regular rate.
No person shall make any alteration, tamper with or change in
any manner any meter, or any service pipe, cock or any attachment
or fixture pertaining thereto, without the written permission of the
Superintendent or a member of the Committee. No person shall open
or in any manner tamper or interfere with any City hydrant without
the permission of the Superintendent or some officer of the Fire Department.
In case of fire, or an alarm of fire, or while making repairs
or constructing new work, the City reserves the right to shut off
the City water for as long a time as may be necessary.
A. Hydrants, plugs, stop boxes, service pipe, stop cocks and all attachments
and fixtures pertaining thereto shall be kept in good repair and condition
by the owner or occupant of the premises upon which they are situated,
at his own expense. No claim shall be made or account of the breaking
of such water apparatus, or on account of the stoppage of the supply
of water by reason of accident to the pumping machinery or mains,
or for the necessary alteration or repair of the same. The Superintendent
or the Committee, or their agents, shall have free access at all reasonable
hours upon the premises of the consumer for the purpose of reading
the meter; or he or they may remove a meter at any time for repair
or for testing its accuracy, and when any meter shall be found incorrect
in measurement and unfit for further use, such meter shall be replaced
at once by one that is approved by the Superintendent, at the expense
of the owner thereof.
B. Abandoned water and sewer lines within the corporate limits.
[Added by Ord. No. 08-07-06A]
(1) If any water service lines are abandoned for any reason, it shall
be the responsibility of the owner of the premises which the line
is/was serving to disconnect the service from the City of Mendota
distribution system. The disconnection must be made at a corporately
owned cock or main by means of a water main clamp or end caps, whichever
is determined by the City of Mendota Water Department Superintendent.
Said disconnection shall be inspected by the Superintendent, and all
expense will be borne by the owner of the premises.
(2) If any sanitary sewer line is abandoned for any reason, it shall
be the responsibility of the owner of the premises which the line
is/was serving to disconnect said service within the sanitary sewer
easement area of the sewer collection system so as to prevent infiltration
of groundwater into the sanitary sewer system. This disconnection
shall be inspected by the City of Mendota Water Department Superintendent
and shall be at the expense of the owner of the premises.
All meters in use and connected with the City waterworks system
are hereby declared to be fixtures, and shall be set and kept in good
repair at the expense of the owner, and any meter found in need of
repair shall be removed by the Superintendent and repaired by him
at the expense of the owner for the actual cost of repairs and labor.
Whenever it may become necessary to repair the service pipe between
the City main and any meter on account of leakage or for other cause,
such repair shall be made under the supervision of the Superintendent,
who shall be notified of the same, and at the expense of the owner
for the actual cost of repairs and labor. All water main pipe shall
be made of ductile cast iron, Class 52 materials, or of a material
that is acceptable through the State of Illinois Plumbing Code, meeting
the approval of the City Engineer. All joints shall be of the mechanical
joint type unless otherwise approved by the City Engineer.
No person shall use water from any hydrant, stop cock or other
fixture without first having obtained a permit from the City Clerk.
No person, having discontinued or been shut off from the use of the
water from the City waterworks system, shall again commence the use
of such water without first having obtained a permit for so doing
from the City Clerk. No person shall turn on the supply of City water
without the permission of the Superintendent or Committee and no person
shall use water from the City waterworks system without the knowledge
or consent of the proper authorities.
All employees connected with the City waterworks, the Superintendent,
or any person authorized by him, and the Committee, or any member
thereof, shall have free access at all reasonable hours to premises
where water is furnished by the City, to make necessary examinations
and inspections.