[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Selectmen of the Town of
Winchester effective 7-15-1978; amended 5-15-1989 (§§ 85
to 99 and 101 of the prior compilation). Amendments noted where applicable.]
All water rents shall be due and payable at the office of the
Collector of Taxes and Water Rents on the first days of January and
July of each year. All rents or charges, if not paid when due, shall
constitute a lien on the premises served, and the Water Department
shall have all remedies available to it under the Connecticut General
Statutes, and specifically but not limited to those under C.G.S. § 7-239
with respect to interest, costs, attorney's fees and other charges,
all as allowed by said statutes, as they may be amended from time
to time. The right of the municipality to terminate services to individual
customers shall also be in accordance with said Connecticut General
Statutes, all as may be amended from time to time.
In all occupied premises, every private fountain, hydrant, bath,
water closet, sink or other fixture, whether used or not, will be
deemed and held as used, and will be charged for so long as such fountain,
hydrant, bath, water closet, sink or other fixture shall remain connected
with the pipes of the water works, unless the owner or occupier of
the premises shall have given written notice to the Director of Public
Works or designee of its disuse, when a disconnection will be made
at the expense of the owner and the use of the water charged for to
the time of the Superintendent receiving such notice. The charge to
the owner for shutting off said water shall be set from time to time
by the Water and Sewer Commission.
Any person desiring to have the water introduced upon premises
owned by him, or desiring to use an additional quantity or to use
it for a purpose different from that for which it has been previously
used by him, shall make written application to the Superintendent
of said water works, specifying the premises to be supplied and stating
fully the purpose for which it is to be used, and no person shall
make connection with any water main without written permission from
said Superintendent.
When an application has been granted, the applicant shall choose
a good and responsible plumber and receive from said Superintendent
a written order for said plumber to make connection to the service
pipe or make other additions, but no service pipe will be permitted
or allowed to remain on any premises where the rent is less than the
appropriate annual base rate.
The Water Works will furnish for each service one corporation
cock and connection, service pipe to the sidewalk, one stop cock,
box and cover, and will tap and connect with the main pipe and the
stop cock at the sidewalk. The Water Works only shall do the excavating
from the street main to the sidewalk or curbline at the expense of
the owner of the premises, payable in advance, at rates set from time
to time by the Water and Sewer Commission.
The owner of any premises must keep the service pipe leading
from the stop cock at the sidewalk to his premises and the pipe and
fixtures on his premises in good repair, protected from frost, and
must prevent unnecessary waste of water.
The Superintendent shall be permitted during all proper hours
to visit all places where water is introduced and shall have the right
at all times without previous notice to shut off the water for violation
of these rules. The water will not again be supplied until all arrears
of rent, expenses of shutting off and letting on are paid by the owner
of the premises, and the charge for shutting off said water and for
letting on the same shall be set from time to time by the Water and
Sewer Commission.
No person shall open or shut any public fountain, hydrant, stop
cock, water gate or blow-off attached to any water pipe belonging
to the Fire Department, except upon the instruction or permission
of the Water and Sewer Commission or Director of Pubic Works or designee;
provided, however, that this section shall not affect members of the
Fire Department when in the exercise of their duty as firemen.
The Water Works and said Superintendent, and other officers
and employees who are duly authorized, reserve the right at all times
without previous notice to shut off the water for necessary repairs,
extending or other necessary purposes of the Works, and neither the
Town nor the Water and Sewer Commission nor said Superintendent nor
any of said employees shall be responsible or liable to water-takers
for damages done thereby, or in any other manner.
Whenever a service pipe is abandoned, it shall be the duty of
the owner of property to notify the Superintendent.
No person shall supply himself or herself or his or her family
with water from the premises of a water-taker, or from a street hydrant,
and in the event that any person does so take water, he or she, as
the case may be, shall be liable to be charged with not less than
a year's rent for water so taken in addition to the criminal punishment
hereinafter provided.
No water-taker shall supply water to any other tenant, family
or person, or use it in excess or for the purposes not contemplated
in his or their application or for which they have not paid; and in
the event that they do so supply, take or use water, they will be
liable to be charged with not less than a year's rent for such water
and to have the water shut off from the premises at the discretion
of the Superintendent, and also be liable to criminal prosecution
and such punishment as hereinafter provided.
[Amended 7-27-2000]
[Amended effective 7-27-2000]
A.
Water meters shall be required on all service connections to the
Winchester Water System.
B.
Plumbers shall install such meter settings furnished by the Water
Works in a horizontal position in the house piping immediately after
the main shut-off and as near to where the service pipe enters the
building as practicable.
C.
The Water Works reserves the right to designate the size of meter
to be installed on any service and will furnish and maintain the meter
without charge. In case of loss, misuse or damage by frost, hot water
or external cause, the expense of replacement or repair will be collected
from the owner of the premises.
D.
One meter, and one meter only, will be allowed on a service pipe,
and all water supplied to the premises through that pipe, except that
used for fire protection only, must pass through that meter.
E.
The owner of the premises shall, to the satisfaction of the Superintendent,
furnish a proper place for the installation of the meter where it
will be accessible for reading and repairing during regular working
hours. In the event that such location cannot be provided just inside
the building wall and of easy access at all times for reading and
other attention, the meter will be placed at the street line near
the curb cock in a suitable housing or pit at the expense of the owner
of the premises.
F.
If the owner of the premises has reason to believe that a meter is
not registering accurately, the Water Works will test the meter if
requested by the owner of the premises so to do. If the meter so tested
is found to be registering without error exceeding the limits of error
specified by the Public Utilities Commission of Connecticut, the owner
of the premises will be charged for the expense of testing the meter.
If, however, the meter is found to be registering in excess of the
limits specified above, there will be no charge for testing, and the
owner of the premises will be given a rebate on the basis of the excess
error in registration in accordance with the rules of the Public Utilities
Commission for the period subsequent to the meter reading for the
last quarterly bill.
G.
Any owner who refuses to allow access to their premises to the Water
Works for purposes of the installation of a meter shall be subject
to a discontinuance of the water service. The discontinuance shall
continue until the meter is installed and the owner has paid for the
cost of the meter, its installation and a service charge in an amount
set from time to time by the Water and Sewer Commission.
Any person desiring to have water service extended to his premises
shall make written application therefor to the Superintendent of the
water works, which application shall be accompanied by a fee as set
from time to time by the Water and Sewer Commission, and shall state
the nature and extent of the service and usage and shall describe
the location of the premises with respect to the existing terminus
of the service nearest the premises. In the event the Board of Selectmen
shall decide not to extend the service, the fee shall be returned
to the applicant; otherwise, it shall be applied to the cost of the
extension, its maintenance and repair.
