The money received by the City Collector for water rates shall be paid by him to the City Treasurer.
The receipts paid into the treasury from water rents shall be appropriated as follows:
A. 
First: Specific sums shall be appropriated by the City Council for the necessary repairs, extensions and improvements of the waterworks system, also for operating and managing expenses, for the payment of officers, agents, clerks and assistants of the Watuppa Water Board.
B. 
Second: Payments of interest on the water loan, payments on account of the sinking fund of such loan, and all payments of principal of such loan shall follow the usual course of other City indebtedness.
C. 
Third: The costs and expenses incurred under Acts of 1891, c. 114, shall be paid by special appropriations of the City Council.
D. 
Fourth: The balance, if any, after the requirements in Subsections A through C of this section are met shall be maintained as surplus in the Water Department fund to the extent that it does not exceed 25% of the total annual Water Department budget. All monies in excess of such 25% shall be applied uniformly as credit on the basis of that year's charges to the water bills rendered for the next fiscal year, unless the water rates for the next fiscal year are adjusted to cause the excess to be diminished as rapidly as practicable.
E. 
Fifth: All interest accrued on unexpended Water Department bonded indebtedness shall revert to Water Department revenue surplus.
[Amended 9-24-1996 by Ord. No. 1996-30; 11-27-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-25; 7-15-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-34; 6-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-10]
The charge for water supplied by the City shall be as provided in Chapter A110, Fee Schedule, of the City Code.
[Amended 11-27-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-25; 7-15-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-34; 6-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-10; 3-24-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-4]
The user charge for metered water for customers outside the City shall be as provided in Chapter A110, Fee Schedule, of the City Code.
A. 
For the use of water in all cases not enumerated in this article, the rates shall be fixed by the Watuppa Water Board as near as may be in accordance with the rates established by this article, which rates, so determined, shall be binding upon all parties as fully as if designated in this article.
B. 
The quantity of water used in any case may be, and the Water Board may at any time require that it shall be, ascertained by meter approved by the board and placed on the premises of the person receiving water service at the latter's expense.
[Amended 3-24-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-4]
The Watuppa Water Board shall determine and assess the water rates according to the tariff of rates adopted by the City Council, and as included within intermunicipal agreements approved by the City Council, including the water used by individuals and corporations and by the City for fire and other purposes.
All persons having water pipes connected with the City water mains, directly or indirectly, through which the City water is or can be used for any other purpose than that of extinguishing fires, shall furnish and have attached to such pipes meters through which all the City water so used must pass, unless the Watuppa Water Board allows the water to be otherwise used and paid for.
[Amended 7-15-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-40]
All meters used pursuant to § 74-357 shall be of a kind approved by the Watuppa Water Board, and of sufficient size to measure all the water that may flow through the pipes on which they are placed, and be located and connected with the pipes in a place and manner satisfactory to the Administrator of Community Utilities.
[Amended 7-15-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-40]
All water meters shall be kept in a condition satisfactory to the Administrator of Community Utilities. Meters and all water piping shall be accessible to the Administrator or the agents of the Watuppa Water Board.
No meter shall be removed for any purpose except by the person authorized by the Watuppa Water Board.
Whenever any water meter in use is changed by direction of the Watuppa Water Board, it shall be at the expense of the consumer; except that when such change is part of a general repair, modification or replacement program affecting more than 10% of all meters in service in a given calendar year, the Board may, at its discretion, assign the total expense incurred by the entire program over its duration to bonded indebtedness or direct capital expense, either of which shall be paid out of general department revenues in accordance with established statutory procedures.
The annual charges for the use of the water shall be payable in advance on July 1 each year. All charges for specific supplies or supplies for fractional parts of the year shall be payable in advance, and before the water is turned on; and in all cases where the consumption of water is ascertained by meter, gauge or estimate of the Watuppa Water Board, the bills shall be rendered quarterly as far as practicable and shall be due when rendered.
[Amended 9-27-1994 by Ord. No. 1994-20; 6-20-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-12; 9-30-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-21; 7-15-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-40]
A. 
A water bill is considered delinquent 30 days after it is issued. Once it becomes delinquent, interest shall accrue on the unpaid balance at a daily rate of interest not to exceed 14% when calculated on an annual basis. If the bill with the additional interest is not paid forthwith, the Watuppa Water Board may order the water to be shut off and refuse to turn it back on for the same occupant or owner until the bill with the additional sum as provided in Chapter A110, Fee Schedule, of the City Code shall be paid.
B. 
If a water bill is delinquent as described in Subsection A of this section at the time the Assessors are preparing a real estate tax list and warrant to be committed by them to the City Collector, the Watuppa Water Board shall certify such unpaid bills to the Assessor, who shall forthwith add the amount to the unpaid bill, plus a service charge provided in Chapter A110, Fee Schedule, of the City Code for each such unpaid water bill, to the real estate tax bill of the person to whom the water is charged. In case of specific supplies for fractional parts of the year when the water has been turned on, it may be cut off immediately after notice given at the place that the charge is not paid, and may be turned on again upon payment of the charge due and damages in the sum provided for in Chapter A110, Fee Schedule, of the City Code. Unless the Water Board shall otherwise direct, the provisions of this section shall apply when two or more parties take the water through the same pipe, although one or more may have paid the portion due to him or them.
C. 
The Administrator of Community Utilities may, in his discretion, extend the dates for the payment of water bills in such cases he deems hardships under such terms and conditions as he deems to be reasonable.
When several tenants are supplied with water by a service or supply pipe in common, the owner of the property and the applicant for water shall be held responsible for the payment for all water that passes through the pipe.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 74-365, regarding statements of unpaid bills, was repealed 6-20-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-12.
[Amended 7-15-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-35]
A base meter fee shall be assessed for all water meters in the City used for water charges. The fee shall be as provided in Chapter A110, Fee Schedule, of the City Code.
[Added 8-6-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-22]
A policy shall be implemented to allow for reduction of water bills on a one-time basis for unforeseen leaks that are not caused by negligence of the property owner and that are repaired quickly by the property owner. Said policy shall be developed and implemented by the Watuppa Water Board.