[Adopted 4-23-2012 by Order No. 2012-022 (Ch. 13.04 of the 1993 Code)]
Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise, the meaning of the terms used in this article shall be as follows:
BILL
The periodic mandate by the City for the payment of water use and/or consumption, sewer use, water/sewer services, interest, and charges.
CHARGE
The mandate by the City for payment for water/sewer goods and services provided to the customer.
CITY
The City of Quincy, in the County of Norfolk in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
COMMISSIONER
The Commissioner of Public Works of the City of Quincy or his/her authorized deputy, agent or representative.
CUSTOMER
The person, individual, firm, company, partnership, association, society, corporation, group or any political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and/or any other legally defined entity listed in the Department of Public Works records as the party responsible for the payment of bills for water service to a property.
DEPARTMENT
The City of Quincy Department of Public Works located at 55 Sea Street, Quincy, Massachusetts.
ENTERPRISE FUND
A fund established by the City in accordance with MGL c. 44, § 53F 1/2.
INTEREST
The rate established by City ordinance that enables the Department to assess on overdue customer bill balances.
METER
An instrument used for measuring the quantity of water and/or sewer used by a customer.
METER READING DEVICE
Any equipment and/or appurtenance attached or otherwise connected to a meter which records and transmits the water use and/or consumption and sewer use to the Department.
MWRA
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, as enabled in Chapter 372 of the Acts of 1984.
MWRA SPECIAL ASSESSMENT
Any assessment, including but not limited to the high-strength user fee, which is assessed to the City by the MWRA but attributable to an individual water and/or sewer customer.
NEW CONNECTION
A water or sewer service which is connected into the City water and/or sewer system for a customer and/or premises/property which has not been previously connected.
PREMISES/PROPERTY
A parcel of real estate or portion thereof, including any improvements thereupon, which is determined by the Department to be a single customer for purposes of receiving, using, and paying for water use and/or consumption, sewer use, water/sewer services, interest, and charges.
TREASURER/COLLECTOR
The Treasurer/Collector of the City of Quincy or his/her authorized deputy, agent or representative.
[Amended 6-1-2020 by Order No. 2020-012]
The Commissioner shall have supervision, direction and control of the Public Works Department and shall make such rules and regulations for its governance as may be deemed necessary.
A. 
Bills shall be issued by the Department and payment shall be due and payable to the Treasurer/Collector 30 days from the date of billing.
B. 
Billing intervals for all customers shall remain unchanged from current practices. Bills shall be issued to customers on a monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly basis. Changes to the current billing interval shall be made by the Commissioner upon two weeks' notice to the customer.
A. 
The value of charges shall be recommended by the Commissioner and set by the City Council. Initial setting of or changes to the value of charges shall be valid after 14 days' public notice. This shall not affect the setting of the water and sewer rates.
B. 
The authorized list of charges which may be assigned by the Department shall be:
(1) 
Water service turn on/turn off.
(2) 
Manual meter read.
(3) 
Water meter test, meter one inch or smaller.
(4) 
Water meter test, meter larger than one inch.
(5) 
Meter freeze up.
(6) 
Damaged, tampered, or missing meter.
(7) 
Damaged, tampered, or missing meter reading device.
(8) 
Valve replacement.
(9) 
Lawn service application.
(10) 
Water service application, one inch or smaller.
(11) 
Water service application, 1 1/4 inches to three inches.
(12) 
Water service application, four inches or larger.
(13) 
Unauthorized water connection.
(14) 
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) special assessment.
(15) 
Water service line leak repair.
(16) 
Fire service application.
(17) 
Fire flow test observation and assistance.
(18) 
Fire hydrant meter application.
(19) 
Fire hydrant meter deposit, meter one inch or smaller.
(20) 
Fire hydrant meter deposit, meter larger than one inch.
(21) 
Fire hydrant meter late return.
(22) 
Fire hydrant meter service.
(23) 
Fire hydrant meter, minimum monthly usage, five-eighths-inch meter.
(24) 
Fire hydrant meter, minimum monthly usage, three-fourths-inch and one-inch meter.
(25) 
Fire hydrant meter, minimum monthly usage, meter larger than one inch.
(26) 
Unauthorized hydrant use, first offense.
(27) 
Unauthorized hydrant use, second offense.
(28) 
Cross-connection/new construction, initial survey.
(29) 
Backflow prevention device test and inspection, double check valve.
(30) 
Backflow prevention device test and inspection, reduced pressure devices (each), first five.
(31) 
Backflow prevention device test and inspection, reduced pressure devices (each), next 10.
(32) 
Backflow prevention device test and inspection, reduced pressure devices (each), 16 or more.
(33) 
Water/sewer pipe inspection, single instance.
(34) 
Water/sewer pipe inspection, multi-day.
(35) 
Denial of access to premises/property.
(36) 
Private infrastructure analysis.
(37) 
Private infrastructure repair.
(38) 
Street/sidewalk opening application.
(39) 
Water testing, customer requested.
(40) 
Final meter read.
[Added 5-7-2012]
The interest rate on past due water and sewer bills shall be set at 14% per annum, pursuant to MGL c. 40, § 21E. Any customer bills due and payable to the City, including interest thereupon, which are not paid within 60 days from their due date shall be a lien upon such premises/property in the manner provided in MGL c. 40, §§ 42A to 42F.
A. 
Meter one inch or smaller.
(1) 
The Department shall install meters and meter reading devices for all customers authorized to be connected to the City's water distribution system. The meters and the meter reading devices shall be owned by the Department. In the case of new connections to the system, the cost of the meter shall be included in the new connection application charge.
(2) 
The customer shall be responsible for protecting and securing the meter and meter reading device. Any meter or meter reading device damaged, tampered with, destroyed, or missing from its installed location shall result in the assessment of the appropriate charges.
(3) 
The customer may request a test of his meter to ensure accuracy upon payment of the applicable charge. In the event that the meter is metering the volume of water at a level above the meter's applicable AWWA accuracy standard, the applicable charge shall be refunded and the customer may request that a new meter be installed at the Department's expense. In the event that the meter is metering the volume of water at a level below the meter's applicable AWWA accuracy standard, no refund shall be given to the customer and the Commissioner may require the installation of a new meter.
(4) 
Repair and/or replacement of meters and meter reading devices which fail due to age or other cause not related to damage, tampering, or removal shall be the responsibility of the Department. The presence of instances of damage, tampering, or meter removal shall be determined by the Commissioner.
B. 
Meter larger than one inch.
(1) 
The meters and the meter reading devices shall be owned by the Department. In the case of new connections to the system, the customer to be connected shall be responsible for the purchase price of the meter and the meter reading device in addition to the connection charge. Ownership for the newly installed meter and meter reading device shall revert to the Department upon the new water service being turned on.
(2) 
The customer shall be responsible for protecting and securing the meter and meter reading device. Any meter or meter reading device damaged, tampered with, destroyed, or missing from its installed location shall result in the assessment of the appropriate charges. The charges shall include the cost of replacing and/or repairing a damaged, tampered with, destroyed, or missing meter.
(3) 
The Commissioner shall have the right to require the customer to complete a test of his meter to ensure accuracy, such requests not to occur more frequently than once per year. The customer shall be responsible for the cost of the meter test. In the event that a customer's meter tests outside of the acceptable range of accuracy, as defined within the meter's applicable AWWA standard, the Commissioner shall have the right to require the replacement of the meter at the customer's expense.
(4) 
Repair and/or replacement of meters and meter reading devices which fail due to age or other cause not related to damage, tampering, or removal shall be the responsibility of the customer. The presence of instances of damage, tampering, or meter removal shall be determined by the Commissioner.
A. 
In the event that the Commissioner has reason to believe that either the meter or meter reading device is recording/transmitting incorrect meter readings or that there may be a leak in private water mains/service lines, access to the customer's premises/property is required. Customers shall, at any reasonable time, grant the Department access to enter a customer's premises/property for the purpose of examining, removing, replacing, and/or repairing City meters, meter reading devices, pipes, service lines, fittings and parts for supplying or regulating water and of ascertaining the quantity of water consumed or supplied in accordance with MGL c. 165, § 11D.
B. 
The refusal of a customer to grant access to his premises for the purpose of examining, removing, replacing, and/or repairing City meters, meter reading devices, pipes, service lines, fittings, and parts for supplying or regulating the supply of water shall result in a fine, as identified in this article, per visit to gain access, until such access is thereby granted, not to exceed one visit per business day.
C. 
In the event that damaged, tampered, destroyed or missing meters are found, applicable charges shall be assessed. In the event that water leaks from private water pipes/service lines are found between the City main and the water meter, the Commissioner shall provide notice to the customer requiring repairs to be made to the private water pipes/service lines. If such repairs are not completed within 30 days of the notice, the Department shall have the right to enter the premises/property to make repairs. The customer shall be required to reimburse the Department for the full cost of repairs.
A. 
Upon the recommendation of the Commissioner of Public Works and with the approval of His Honor, the Mayor, the value of charges shall be set at the following:
(1) 
Water service turn on/turn off: $75.
(2) 
Manual meter read: $100 per billing interval.
(3) 
Water meter test, meter one inch or smaller: $100.
(4) 
Water meter test, meter larger than one inch: if commercial customer fails to comply with City's request to test the meter, then the City is authorized to engage a private vendor to disassemble and test the meter and charge the cost of same to commercial customer.
(5) 
Meter freeze up: $100 plus cost of meter.
(6) 
Damaged, tampered, or missing meter: $150 plus cost of meter.
(7) 
Damaged, tampered, or missing meter reading device: $175 which includes replacement of meter reading device.
(8) 
Valve replacement: $150 which includes labor, parts and valves.
(9) 
Lawn service application: $75.
(10) 
Water service application, one inch or smaller: $75.
(11) 
Water service application, 1 1/4 inches to three inches: $100.
(12) 
Water service application, four inches or larger: $150.
(13) 
Unauthorized water connection: $550 plus cost of meter.
(14) 
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) special assessment. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority billing charged to the City for high-strength user(s) shall be charged to the high-strength user(s) so identified by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
(15) 
Water service line leak repair: After notice to customer to repair a leak on the customer's property, if customer does not repair same then the City shall complete the repairs and charge the customer for the cost of said labor, materials and police detail(s).
(16) 
Fire service application: $300.
(17) 
Fire flow test observation and assistance: $250.
(18) 
Fire hydrant meter application: $75.
(19) 
Fire hydrant meter deposit, meter one inch or smaller: $500.
(20) 
Fire hydrant meter deposit, meter larger than one inch: $3,500.
(21) 
Fire hydrant meter late return: $10 per calendar day.
(22) 
Fire hydrant meter service: $100.
(23) 
Fire hydrant meter, minimum monthly usage, five-eighths-inch meter: $75 per month.
(24) 
Fire hydrant meter, minimum monthly usage, three-fourths-inch and one-inch meter: $100 per month.
(25) 
Fire hydrant meter, minimum monthly usage, meter larger than one inch: $300 minimum monthly usage.
(26) 
Unauthorized hydrant use, first offense: $1,000.
(27) 
Unauthorized hydrant use, second offense: $5,000.
(28) 
Cross-connection/new construction, initial survey: $200.
(29) 
Backflow prevention device test and inspection, double check valve: $75.
(30) 
Backflow prevention device test and inspection, reduced pressure devices (each), first five: $100.
(31) 
Backflow prevention device test and inspection, reduced pressure devices (each), next 10: $50 each.
(32) 
Backflow prevention device test and inspection, reduced pressure devices (each), 16 or more: $25.
(33) 
Water/sewer pipe inspection, single instance: $600 combined inspection.
(34) 
Water/sewer pipe inspection, multi-day: $100 per day.
(35) 
Denial of access to premises/property: $25 per visit.
(36) 
Private infrastructure analysis: cost of analysis/leak detection charged to customer.
(37) 
Private infrastructure repair: cost of repair, including labor, repair and materials.
(38) 
Street/sidewalk opening application: $75.
(39) 
Water testing: $25.
(40) 
Final meter read: $50.