[HISTORY: Adopted by the Municipal Council of the City of Taunton as Rev. Ords. 1964, §§ 20-3A, 20-5, 20-6.1, 20-8 and 20-9 (Ch. 22 of the 2010 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Sewers — See Ch. 375.
Stormwater management — See Ch. 381.
[Amended 5-15-1973]
The Supervisor of Water shall, subject to the general direction and supervision of the Committee on the Department of Public Works and the Department of Public Works Commissioner, be in charge of the Taunton waterworks. The duties of said Supervisor shall henceforth include all of the duties of the Clerk of the Water Board as stated in § 426-6 of this chapter, and the position of Clerk is hereby abolished. Said Supervisor shall receive no additional compensation for assuming and carrying out the duties of the Clerk of the Water Board.
[Added 11-14-1978; amended 3-3-1980]
A. 
No person shall injure any equipment, protective covering, conduit, pipe, hydrant, or fountain in the area of the public reservoir, nor shall any unauthorized person enter upon said area. No person shall swim or otherwise enter into or cause foreign objects to be placed in the water or on the covering of the reservoir proper.
B. 
Violations of this section shall be punishable by a fine of up to $200 per offense.
[Amended 9-6-1974]
A. 
There shall be included in the Water Division an Assistant Chief Operator whose duties shall be to maintain all pumping stations, diesel and electrical pumps and equipment and the repair and maintenance of buildings under the control of the Water Division, keep necessary records and charts, take water samples and perform all duties as assigned by the Committee on the Department of Public Works.
B. 
Said Assistant Chief Operator shall be appointed by the Committee on the Department of Public Works and shall have full knowledge of the water system and supply and the ability to operate and maintain all equipment and pumps and stations and be able to supervise personnel assigned to the stations and to do related work as required by the Committee on the Department of Public Works.
[Amended 2-13-1979; 10-10-1989; 2-28-1995; 2-29-1995; 1-14-2003; 6-27-2006]
A. 
In the event that payments for water service are not received within 30 days after such charges are due, such charges shall be deemed and are hereby declared to be delinquent.
B. 
To all such delinquent charges there shall be added an additional sum as a late charge to be compiled as follows: the sum of 14% per annum on the unpaid balance computed as of the date billed.
C. 
In the event that such delinquency charges and late fees are not paid within 45 days after the expiration of the first thirty-day period, the Taunton Water Division may, under applicable Massachusetts General Laws, shut off the water service and refuse to turn it on until the bill has been paid, including a shutoff and turn-on fee.
D. 
The shutoff procedure shall be described in the Taunton Water Department's Rules and Regulations Governing Delinquent Accounts.
E. 
To avoid the shutoff of the water service, partial payments can be made or a payment plan can be arranged, with the approval of the Supervisor of Water.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
F. 
The shutoff fee shall be $25. The turn-on fee shall be $50.
G. 
The office of the Treasurer/Collector may collect water and sewer charges through a warrant system in accordance with MGL c. 60, § 16.
H. 
It shall be the policy of the Taunton Municipal Council to provide a senior citizen discount that would apply to the water and sewer rate or fee imposed by the City of Taunton. The criteria to receive the senior citizen exemption shall be as follows:
(1) 
Must be 70 years or older prior to July 1 of the fiscal year in which the exemption would apply.
(2) 
If married, have less than $36,278 in assets (do not include house) and less than $23,497 in annual income.
(3) 
If single, have less than $33,860 in assets (do not include house) and less than $19,291 in annual income.
(4) 
First-time applicants should bring:
(a) 
Birth certificate.
(b) 
Savings account (passbook; statements).
(c) 
Checking account (statements).
(d) 
Certificates of deposit.
(e) 
Rental income.
(f) 
Statement from social security and/or pensions showing income from previous calendar year.
(5) 
Bank balances are taken as of July 1 of year of application.
(6) 
The senior citizen water fee discount shall be 25%.
No person shall injure any public reservoir, conduit, pipe, hydrant, fountain, water trough, water meter or other equipment connected with the Taunton waterworks, or break and enter the same, and no person shall draw or cause to be drawn any water from, or turn on or off the water in, any such reservoir, conduit, pipe, hydrant, fountain, water trough, water meter or other equipment, or make any opening or connection therewith, without license or authority of the Committee on the Department of Public Works, except in case of fire, nor in case of fire except by direction of the officers or members of the Fire Department.
[Amended 5-25-1971[1]]
The Clerk of the Water Board shall be the recording officer of the Committee on the Department of Public Works and under the direction of the Committee on the Department of Public Works shall have the care and custody of all the books, plans, documents and other appurtenances of the office of the Board. The works in charge of the Committee on the Department of Public Works shall bear the designation of "The Taunton Waterworks" and the Clerk shall keep in a neat and methodical manner and as the Board may direct a complete set of books and shall enter therein under appropriate headings all receipts and expenditures of the waterworks. He/she shall keep suitable books wherein shall be entered the names of all persons taking water, the buildings into which entries are made and brief descriptions thereof so far as appertains to such entries, with the name of the street and the number thereof, and the amount of rates charged, and the amount and circumstances of any abatement thereof. These books shall be open always to the inspection of the Committee on the Department of Public Works, of the City Auditor and of the Municipal Council or the Committee on Finance and Salaries, or any auditor or auditors employed for the purpose by the Municipal Council. He/she shall make out and collect all bills for the use of water and all accounts and moneys due the waterworks and shall pay over all sums of money so collected or received to the City Treasurer/Collector, taking a receipt therefor. He/she shall at the time of making such payment give to the City Auditor a written statement of the amount thereof, and he/she shall at the end of each month, or as soon thereafter as may be, give to the City Auditor a written statement of the aggregate amount of all charges for water rates, services or material and of all abatements or cancellations made during the month. He/she shall see that the rules and regulations of the Committee on the Department of Public Works and of the Municipal Council relating to the use of water are strictly observed and fully enforced and shall perform such other services appertaining to his/her office as may be required of him/her by the Board or by the Municipal Council.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[Added 1-28-1982]
For purposes of these ordinances, all pumping stations, pumping equipment, wells, reservoirs, conduits, pipes, hydrants, and fountains erected and maintained upon property under the jurisdiction and control of the Taunton Housing Authority shall, upon due acceptance by the Municipal Council, be deemed a part of the Taunton waterworks as defined by this chapter and shall come under the jurisdiction of the Committee on the Department of Public Works, the Department of Public Works Commissioner, and the Supervisor of Water. All internal plumbing and water connection systems located upon such Taunton Housing Authority property shall be considered private properly for purposes of these ordinances.
[Added 7-1-1986; amended 11-10-1986; 12-6-2005; 6-26-2007; 6-16-2009]
A. 
Connection and capital improvement fee. The Supervisor of the Water Division shall assess the following charges to owners of property for initial water service connections to such property. Charges shall apply for when the account is being set up regardless of when the water pipes have been installed. Any dwelling that is converted to be sold as individual units shall have individual water meters and services for each unit.
(1) 
In all instances, all fire service piping connections shall be charged at the rate of $700 per inch of diameter of pipe. This charge shall apply regardless of whether the property is to be used for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes or otherwise.
(2) 
Whether or not there is a fire service, there shall be the following charges for new or upgraded water service:
(a) 
For all dwellings, the capital improvement fee shall be $650 per inch of diameter of pipe. Water service connection installed after the effective date of this section to multi-dwelling-unit residential property, including but not limited to duplexes, apartments, manufactured homes and condominiums, shall have individual water meters and services. Dwelling units herein referred shall mean a single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.
(b) 
For all other property, including commercial and industrial property, the charge for water service connection shall be as follow:
Capital Improvement Fee
Service Size
(inches)
Fee
1.0
$650
1.5
$975
2.0
$1,300
3.0
$1,950
4.0
$2,600
6.0
$3,900
8.0
$5,200
10.0
$6,500
12.0
$7,800
(c) 
Connection fees. Connection fees shall be based upon the dimension of the connection service in accordance with the following schedule:
Service Size
(inches)
Fee
1.0
$2,000
1.5
$3,500
2.0
$4,500
3.0
$5,500
4.0
$6,000
6.0
$7,000
8.0
$10,000
10.0
$12,500
12.0
$14,000
B. 
Minimum billing and water rates.
[Amended 1-24-2017; 6-6-2016]
(1) 
The billing rate for each connection shall be according to a fixed service charge that is based on the size of the meter serving the connection. The term "quarterly" shall mean no less than 91 days and no more than 93 days. The quarterly and monthly rates effective on January 1, 2023, and subsequent quarterly and monthly rates with their effective dates, shall be according to the following schedules:
[Amended 12-27-2022]
Fixed Fee (Quarterly)
Meter Size
January 1, 2023 - June 30, 2023 Rate
July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024 Rate
July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025 Rate
July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026 Rate
July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 Rate
July 1, 2027 - June 30, 2028 Rate
5/8"
$21.70
$22.13
$22.57
$23.02
$23.37
$23.72
3/4"
$22.73
$23.18
$23.64
$24.12
$24.48
$24.85
1"
$25.83
$26.34
$26.87
$27.41
$27.82
$28.24
1 1/2"
$29.92
$30.51
$31.13
$31.75
$32.22
$32.71
2"
$41.22
$42.04
$42.88
$43.74
$44.40
$45.06
3"
$124.46
$126.95
$129.49
$132.08
$134.06
$135.07
4"
$155.28
$158.39
$161.56
$164.79
$167.26
$169.77
6"
$227.22
$231.76
$236.39
$241.12
$244.74
$248.41
8"
$309.43
$315.62
$321.93
$328.37
$333.29
$338.29
10"
$391.64
$399.47
$407.46
$415.61
$421.84
$428.17
Fixed Fee (Monthly)
Meter Size
January 1, 2023 - June 30, 2023 Rate
July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024 Rate
July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025 Rate
July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026 Rate
July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 Rate
July 1, 2027 - June 30, 2028 Rate
5/8"
$7.23
$7.37
$7.52
$7.67
$7.79
$7.91
3/4"
$7.58
$7.73
$7.88
$8.04
$8.16
$8.28
1"
$8.61
$8.78
$8.96
$9.14
$9.28
$9.42
1 1/2"
$9.98
$10.18
$10.38
$10.59
$10.75
$10.91
2"
$13.74
$14.01
$14.29
$14.58
$14.80
$15.02
3"
$141.48
$42.31
$43.16
$44.02
$44.68
$45.35
4"
$51.77
$52.81
$53.87
$54.95
$55.77
$56.61
6"
$75.74
$77.25
$78.80
$80.38
$81.59
$82.81
8"
$103.14
$105.20
$107.30
$109.45
$111.09
$112.76
10"
$130.55
$133.16
$135.82
$138.54
$140.62
$142.73
(2) 
Three-tiered billing rates.
(a) 
All customers will be charged per 100 cubic feet (hcf) for accumulated metered water consumption (usage) in accordance with the following schedule. The usage charge shall be added to the fixed base fee on each bill. Residential customers will be billed quarterly. Industrial and commercial customers, as so determined by the Supervisor of Water, will be billed monthly.
[1] 
Step 1: for usage between (one and 30 hcf quarterly) (one and 10 hcf monthly).
[2] 
Step 2: for the incremental usage between (31 and 250 hcf quarterly) (11 and 83 hcf monthly).
[3] 
Step 3: for the incremental usage greater than (250 hcf quarterly) (83 hcf monthly).
(b) 
Effective January 1, 2023, and thereafter, the usage rates per hundred cubic feet for each step shall be as set forth in the following schedule:
[Amended 12-27-2022]
Usage Rates (per Hundred Cubic Feet)
Tier
January 1, 2023 - June 30, 2023 Rate
July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024 Rate
July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025 Rate
July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026 Rate
July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 Rate
July 1, 2027 - June 30, 2028 Rate
Step 1
$5.89
$6.00
$6.12
$6.25
$6.34
$6.43
Step 2
$8.72
$8.90
$9.07
$9.25
$9.39
$9.53
Step 3
$10.41
$10.62
$10.83
$11.05
$11.22
$11.39
[Added 6-29-1999; amended 3-28-2006]
A. 
The Municipal Council may by majority vote institute restrictions on the use of water supplied through the City of Taunton municipal water system in cases of drought or other circumstances which require the placement of restrictions on the use of water.
B. 
Such water use restrictions may include a ban on the watering of lawns, washing of cars, filling of pools and any other restriction which the Municipal Council deems appropriate.
C. 
Any person violating a water use restriction shall be issued a warning for the first violation. A second violation shall be subject to a fine of $100. Subsequent violations shall be subject to a fine of $200. Each day that a violation continues shall count as a separate violation.
D. 
After a fourth violation the water service may be shut off for failure to comply with the restrictions. It will not be turned on until after all fines and fees have been paid by bank check/money order.
E. 
This section shall be enforced by the Taunton Police Department.
F. 
If the Taunton Police Department is unable to enforce this section because of manpower or police emergencies, the Water Division will assist in documenting these violations.
G. 
Cities and towns which receive water supplied by the City of Taunton shall comply with the water restrictions with respect to usage.
[Added 2-20-2007]
A. 
Definition. Reduction meters shall be considered to be any water meter that is installed after the house meter for the purpose of metering water used for underground irrigation systems or water not entering the sewer system. The measured flow through this meter shall be deducted from the measured flow attributable to the customer's sewer user bill.
B. 
Meters. All meters shall be purchased through the Water Department to ensure compatibility with the City of Taunton metering system and will be sized according to gallons per minute needed. In the event meters are not available, the applicant may purchase a meter through the City's vendor at his cost.
C. 
Installation. A duly licensed plumber, in accordance with all local, state and federal regulations, shall do all the preliminary plumbing. The plumber may install the meter but no credit will be given until the Taunton Water Department has verified all the meter information.
(1) 
A City of Taunton plumbing permit shall be required.
(2) 
The meter shall be positioned after the house meter and nearest the irrigation system.
(3) 
The meter shall be hard piped directly to the irrigation system with no other connections other than a capped blowoff fitting.
(4) 
The meter shall be located in an area free from frost.
(5) 
The meter shall have valves located immediately before and after.
(6) 
Any meter that must be removed annually and/or subject to freezing will not be accepted.
D. 
Sprinklers.
(1) 
In accordance with federal regulations, all in-ground sprinkler systems will be required to have installed a backflow device to protect the public water supply. Upon installation, the Department must be notified so that the device can be inspected and recorded. Owners with existing and newly installed sprinkler systems are required to install and maintain operational rain shutoff devices and/or soil moisture monitoring devices on their sprinkler systems.
(2) 
If the system is purged using high-pressure air, the meter must be isolated using valves adjacent to the meter.
E. 
Before the meter is installed all moneys owed to the City must be current, water/sewer bills, property taxes, etc. If at any time money is owed there will be no sewer credit until everything is brought up-to-date; there will be no back credit.
F. 
The Taunton Water Department has the authority to inspect the meter within normal business hours. If a problem arises with the reduction meter the owner will be notified by the City of the problem. The owner is responsible for the repair or replacement of the reduction meter. No credit will be given until the meter is repaired or replaced.
G. 
If an irrigation meter is installed without a permit, credit on usage on the meter will not be issued until after the date of the permit being issued. No back credit will be issued for the usage on the meter prior to the date of the permit being pulled.
H. 
Violations and penalties.[1]
(1) 
Any owner found watering in the rain shall receive a written warning for the first offense and shall be fined $300 for second and subsequent offenses. At the time of the third offense the water will be shut off and will not be restored until all fines have been paid and working rain shutoff devices and/or soil moisture monitoring devices are inspected by the Water Department.
(2) 
Any owner or person who tampers with, alters or bypasses a meter referred to in this section shall be fined $300 for each offense. Each day upon which a violation under this section continues shall constitute a separate offense.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).