[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 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.
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:
(b)
Savings account (passbook; statements).
(c)
Checking account (statements).
(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]
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.
[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.