[Amended 10-8-1990; 11-23-1992]
A.
The Village of Rothschild Water Utility shall be operated as a single
enterprise pursuant to the provisions of §§ 66.0805
and 66.0819, Wis. Stats.
B.
Such Utility shall be known as the "Village of Rothschild Water Utility"
and shall be under the management of the Village Board.
C.
The Water Utility shall be operated under the direction of the Village
Board.
D.
The service area for the Rothschild Water Utility shall be those
areas within the corporate limits of the Village of Rothschild and
those areas outside of the corporate limits for which agreements for
said service have been made as of October 8, 1990.
A.
General
(1)
Any person who shall, without authority of the Superintendent, operate
any valve connected with the street or supply mains, or open any fire
hydrant connected with the distribution system, except for the purpose
of extinguishing fire, or who shall wantonly injure or impair the
same shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof,
shall be subject to a fine of not less than $10 nor more than $100
or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 90 days, or both
such fine and imprisonment. Permits for the use of hydrants for filling
sprinkling carts apply only to such hydrants as are designated for
such use.
(2)
Water used for construction work must be covered by a written permit
which can be obtained only from the Superintendent. In no case will
any employee of the Utility turn on water for construction work unless
the contractor first presents a permit. Upon completion of the construction
work the contractor must return the original permit to the Water Department
together with a statement of the actual amount of construction work
performed.
(3)
Consumers shall not allow contractors, masons or other persons to
take water from their premises without first showing a permit from
the Department. Any consumer failing to comply with this provision
will have his water service discontinued and be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor. Upon conviction thereof he shall be subject to a fine
as set forth in the preceding section.
(4)
Consumers taking water for supplying boilers for generating steam
or for other general use and depending upon the water main pressure
for supply will do so at their own risk, and the Utility shall not
be liable for any damage because of the lack of pressure or failure
of supply.
(5)
Any officer or authorized employee of the Utility shall have the
right of access during reasonable hours to the premises supplied with
service for the purpose of inspection or for the enforcement of the
Utility's rules and regulations. The Utility will make a systematic
inspection of all unmetered water taps at least once every 12 months
for the purpose of checking waste and unnecessary use of water.
(6)
When premises are to be vacated, the Utility shall be notified in
writing at once, so that it may remove the meter and shut off the
supply at the curb cock. The owner of the premises shall be liable
to prosecution for any damage to the property of the Water Department
by reason of failure to notify the Utility of vacancy.
B.
Service rules.
(1)
Where excavating machines are used in digging sewers, all water mains
shall be maintained at the expense of the contractor.
(2)
Contractors must ascertain for themselves the existence and location
of all service pipes. Where they are removed, cut or damaged in the
construction of a sewer, the contractor must at his own expense cause
them to be replaced or repaired at once. He must not shut off the
water service pipes for any consumer for a period exceeding six hours.
(3)
Trenches in unpaved streets shall be refilled with moist damp earth
or by means of water tamping. When water tamping is used, the water
shall be turned into the trench after the first 12 inches of backfill
have been placed and then the trench shall be kept flooded until the
remainder of the backfill has been put in.
(4)
The Utility reserves the right to shut off the water in the mains
temporarily, to make repairs, alterations or additions to the plant
or system. When the circumstances will permit of sufficient delay,
the company will give notification, by newspaper publication or otherwise,
of the discontinuance of the supply. No rebate or damages will be
allowed to consumers for such temporary suspension of supply.
(5)
No persons, unless authorized by the Utility, shall be permitted
to tap or make any connection to any street main or distribution pipe.
This work shall be done in accordance with any special ordinance or
rule of the Utility.
(6)
No water shall be taken without proper permit. Parties desiring to
introduce water on their premises must make formal application to
the Water Office and sign an application card or permit constituting
a contract for water supplied and its specific use, which contract
embodies these regulations as part of the same.
(7)
Each applicant for water service shall, at the time of making application
for such service, execute and deliver to the Utility a contract for
such water service, agreeing to put in the service pipe from the curbline
to each piece of water-using property existing at that point and owned
by him where such water is desired, at the expense of such applicant,
and to commence the payment for such water service when a bill is
rendered for the same.
(8)
Any permit given for water service shall require that not more than
one dwelling house, apartment building, hotel, business house or factory
shall be served by one connection.
(9)
Whenever service pipes have to be replaced where conditions contrary
to the above rule exist, they shall be corrected.
(10)
Whenever permanent street improvements are made and conditions
contrary to the above rule exist, they shall be corrected.
(11)
Plumbers shall not connect two services to one tap, but each
building must have one distinct and separate tap and service pipe
laid not less than six feet below the surface after the street is
brought to a grade. Each service must be provided with a stop cock
and metal extension stop box outside of the premises connected to
the same. Supply pipes shall not be laid across and connecting adjoining
premises, whether owned by the same or different parties. Every service
pipe where it enters the collar shall be furnished with a stop and
waste cock so situated below the action of frost that the water can
be completely shut off and drained from the pipes when necessary to
prevent freezing.
(12)
The service pipe from the main to and including the curb cock
at the curb will be maintained and kept in repair at the expense of
the Utility. However, it is the duty of the consumer to maintain the
service pipe from the curb to the point of use, and the Utility cannot
be called upon to stand the loss of water which has not passed through
the meter but has been wasted by leakage of defective pipes and fixtures.
(13)
If a consumer fails to repair a leaky or broken pipe from curb
to the house within such time as may appear reasonable to the Superintendent
of the Utility after notification has been served on the consumer
by the Superintendent, the water will be shut off and will not be
turned on again until the repairs have been completed.
(14)
Frozen services shall be thawed out by and at the expense of
the Utility except where the freezing was caused by contributory fault
or negligence on the part of the consumer, such as reduction of the
grade or undue exposure of the piping in the building or on the consumer's
property or failure to comply with Water Department specifications
and requirements as to depth of service, lack of sufficient or proper
backfill, etc.
(15)
Following the freezing of a service the Utility shall take such
steps and issue such instructions as may be necessary to prevent the
refreezing of the same service. No charge will be made for rethawings
if the instructions are followed. In case it is necessary to allow
the water to flow to prevent refreezing the consumer must make provision
for proper disposal of the wastewater.
(16)
For the period in which the water is allowed to run the consumer
will be billed according to his meter readings but in no event to
exceed the average amount paid in the corresponding billing periods
of the previous two years. A new consumer will be charged the average
bill for other consumers of the same class receiving service under
comparable conditions.
(17)
The consumer shall protect the stop box in his terrace and shall
keep the same free from dirt and other obstructions. The Utility shall
not be liable for failure to locate a stop box and shut off water
in case of a leak on the consumer's premises.
(18)
Outside hydrants hereafter shall not be installed by consumers
unless they are connected to the pipe system of the building used
as the residence or business place of the consumer. If the use of
such hydrant produces a serious water hammer, the owner shall correct
this condition at his expense by effective means, such as the connection
of an air chamber to form an air cushion or by changing the type of
hydrant.
(19)
The water cannot be turned on for a consumer except by a duly
authorized employee of the Utility. When a plumber has completed a
job he must leave the water turned off. This does not prevent him
from testing his work.
(20)
In installing new service piping if meters are to be set, the
consumer shall, at his own expense, provide the proper connections
for the meter. Where it is possible to set meters in the basement,
a short nipple shall be inserted after the proper length. The nipple
attached to the union and coupling shall be cut to a standard length
provided by the plans of the Superintendent which may later be removed
for the insertion of the meter into the supply line.
(21)
No permit will be given to change from metered to flat-rate
service.
(22)
Meters will be furnished and placed by the Utility and are not
to be disconnected or interfered with by the consumer. All meters
shall be so located that they shall be preserved from obstructions
and allow easy access thereto for reading and inspection, such location
to be designated by the Superintendent. All piping within the building
must be supplied by the consumer. If additional meters are desired
by the consumer he shall pay for all piping and an amount sufficient
to cover the cost of maintenance and depreciation, but not less than
a minimum amount set by the Village Board.
(23)
Meters will be repaired by the Water Department and the cost
of such repairs caused by ordinary wear and tear will be borne by
the Utility.
(24)
Any damage to a meter resulting from the carelessness of the
owner of the premises, his agent or tenant, or from the negligence
of any one of them to properly secure and protect the same, including
any damage that may result from allowing a water meter to become frozen
or to be injured from the presence of hot water or steam in the meter,
shall be paid for by the consumer or the owner of the premises.
(25)
When the Utility has reasonable evidence that a consumer is
obtaining his supply of water, in whole or in part, by means of devices
or methods used to stop or interfere with the proper metering of the
Utility service being delivered to his equipment, the Utility reserves
the right to estimate and present immediately a bill for service unmetered
as a result of such interference, and such bill shall be payable subject
to a twenty-four-hour disconnection of service. When the Utility shall
have disconnected the consumer for any such reason, the Utility will
reconnect the consumer upon the following conditions:
(a)
The consumer will be required to deposit with the Utility an
amount sufficient to guarantee the payment of the consumer's bills
for Utility service to the Utility.
(b)
The consumer will be required to pay the Utility for any and
all damages to its equipment on the consumer's premises due to such
stoppage or interference with its metering.
(c)
The consumer must further agree to comply with reasonable requirements
to protect the Utility against further losses.
(26)
Section 943.20, Wis. Stats., as relating to water service, is
hereby adopted and made a part of these rules.
(27)
If a consumer demands that a test be made of his meter in addition
to the periodic or installation test, he shall pay a test fee set
by the Village Board per inch of nominal size or fraction thereof.
If the meter is found fast in excess of 2% the payment for the test
will be refunded and the usual adjustment made in the past bills.
C.
Unauthorized operation of valves and hydrants. Any person who shall,
without authority of the Superintendent, operate any valve connected
to the street or supply mains, or open any fire hydrant connected
to the distribution system, except for the purpose of extinguishing
fire, or who shall wantonly injure or impair the same shall, upon
conviction thereof, be subject to a fine of not less then $10 nor
more than $100 and the costs of the action and in default of payment
thereof may be imprisoned in the county jail until such fine and costs
are paid, not exceeding 90 days. Permits for the use of hydrants for
filling sprinkling carts apply only to such hydrants as are designated
for such use.
D.
Emergency and occasional service.
(1)
Water used for construction work must be covered by a written permit
which can be obtained only from the Superintendent. In no case will
any employee of the Utility turn on water for construction work unless
the contractor first presents a permit. Upon completion of the construction
work the contractor must return the original permit to the Water Department
together with a statement of the actual amount of construction work
performed.
(2)
Consumers shall not allow contractors, masons or other persons to
take water from their premises without first showing a permit from
the Department. Any consumer violating the provisions of this subsection
may have his water service discontinued, and, upon conviction thereof,
he shall be subject to a fine of not less than $10 nor more than $100
and the costs of the action and in default of payment thereof may
be imprisoned in the county jail for Marathon County until such fine
and costs are paid, not exceeding 90 days.
E.
Deposit and guarantee rules.
(1)
Deposits.
(a)
Renters. A deposit may be required of any renter of premises
in the Village of Rothschild and using water and/or sewer service,
in order to guarantee payment of the water and sewer bill by the renter.
(b)
Premises outside Village. Where any premises situated without
but on the outskirts of the Village of Rothschild is, with permission
of the Village Board, given water and/or sewer service, as a condition
of connecting to the Village of Rothschild water or sewer main, a
deposit shall be required from the person applying for such service
in an amount equal at least to the anticipated charges for said service
for two quarters of a year.
(2)
Guarantee. The Utility may accept, in lieu of a cash deposit, a contract
signed by a guarantor satisfactory to the Utility, whereby payment
of a specified sum not exceeding the cash deposit requirement is guaranteed.
The term of such contract shall be indeterminate, but it shall automatically
terminate as to any future charges after discontinuance of service
at the location or at the guarantor's request upon 30 days' written
notice to the Utility.
(3)
Upon termination of a guarantee contract or whenever the Utility
deems the same insufficient as to amount or surety, a cash deposit
or a new or additional guarantee may be required upon reasonable written
notice to the customer. The water service of any customer who fails
to comply with these requirements may be disconnected upon five days'
written notice.
(4)
The guarantor shall receive copies of all final discount notices
sent to the customer whose account he has guaranteed. Any due and
unpaid bill for water service may be put upon the tax roll as provided
in § 66.0809, Wis. Stats., and acts amendatory or in substitution
thereof or supplementary thereto, then in effect and shall be a lien
upon the real estate to which such water was furnished as provided
in said statute.
F.
Billing procedure.
[Amended 1-6-1969]
(1)
Unit of service. A unit of service shall consist of any aggregation
of space or area occupied for a distinct purpose, such as a residence,
apartment, flat, store, office or factory, which is equipped with
one or more fixtures for rendering water service, separate and distinct
from other users. Each unit of service shall be regarded as one consumer
and the surcharge for additional consumers on a meter assessed accordingly.
(2)
Rooming houses. Suites in houses, or apartments where complete housekeeping
functions (such as cooking) are not exercised, shall be classed as
rooming houses. Thus houses and apartments having suites of one, two,
or more rooms with bathroom facilities but without a kitchen for cooking
are classed as rooming houses.
(3)
More than one building on premises. When a consumer's premises has
several buildings, two or more supplied with service and metered separately,
the full service charge will be billed for each meter and the readings
will not be cumulated. If these buildings are all used in the same
business and are connected by the consumer, they can be metered in
one place. If the Utility, for its own convenience, installs more
than one meter, the readings will be cumulated for billing.
(4)
Payment of bills.
[Amended 6-14-1976]
(a)
Bills for metered water service are rendered quarterly for service
to the end of March, June, September and December.
(b)
A late payment charge shall be applied to the quarterly billing
if the bill rendered is not paid within 20 days after the date of
issuance of the bill.
(c)
The bill shall state the amount of the late payment charge and
the date after which the late payment charge will be applied.
(d)
The late payment charge shall be 3% of the bill, except a minimum
charge set by the Village Board shall apply.
(e)
A late payment charge shall be applied to all customer classes
and rate classifications, and any properly applied late payment charge
shall not be waived.
(f)
A late payment charge shall be applied only once to any outstanding
bill.
(g)
If a late payment charge is applied, the customer, together
with the owner of the premises, if he is not the customer, shall be
given written notice that the bill is delinquent and that unless payment
or satisfactory arrangement for payment is made within five days after
such written notice is given the bill, including the late payment
charge, shall be entered in the real estate tax roll against the premises
served as a special charge.
G.
General
penalty. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall,
upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine not exceeding $100 and
the costs of the action and in default of the payment of such fine
and costs shall be imprisoned in the county jail until such fine and
costs are paid, not exceeding 90 days.
[Amended 1-6-1969[1]]
C.
Public service.
(1)
Metered. Water service supplied to Village buildings and schools
and for other public purposes shall be metered and the regular service
rates applied.
(2)
Intermittent public service. Water used for flushing sewers, street
sprinkling, flooding rinks and pools, drinking fountains, etc., shall
be metered where meters can be set to measure the service. Where it
is impossible to meter the service, the Superintendent shall estimate
the gallons of water used, based on the pressure, size of opening,
and period of flow. The estimated quantity shall be billed at a rate
set by the Village Board for each 1,000 gallons.
D.
Private fire-protection service. Charges as set by the Village Board
will be made on an annual basis, on the first quarterly billing, according
to the size of the unmetered service lateral.
E.
Building and construction water service. When a single-family residence
or small commercial building is under construction and water is being
supplied, until a meter can be set the minimum quarterly charge will
be applied.
[Amended 4-28-1969]
A.
Reasonable regulations for the use of water for sprinkling lawns,
yards and gardens may be ordered by the Village Board at any time
such regulations are necessary in the judgment of the Village Board
to protect and preserve the water supply, fire-protection capabilities
and the health and welfare of the residents of the Village of Rothschild.
B.
Any such order of the Village Board shall be effective upon its publication
as a Class 1 notice in the Wausau Daily Record-Herald.
C.
Any person violating any order of the Village Board made pursuant
to the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, forfeit
not less than $10 nor more than $100 and in default of payment shall
be imprisoned in the county jail for not more than 30 days. Each day
of violation shall constitute a separate offense.
[Added 5-11-2021]
A.
Identification of lead or galvanized water service laterals.
(1)
Upon notice from the Village of Rothschild Water Utility ("Utility"),
any person or entity who owns, manages, or otherwise exercises control
over a property connected to the water distribution system shall allow
the Utility to inspect the private water service lateral to determine
the material of construction as authorized by Wis. Stats., § 196.171.
(2)
Upon presentation of credentials, representatives of the Utility
shall have the right to request entry at any reasonable time to examine
any property served by a connection to the public water system of
the Utility for inspection of the service line. If entry is refused,
such representatives shall obtain a special inspection warrant under
Wis. Stats., § 66.0119. Upon request, the owner, lessee,
or occupant of any property so served shall furnish to the inspection
agency any pertinent information regarding the piping system on such
property.
(3)
The Utility shall create and maintain a record of the location
of all identified lead or galvanized water service laterals in the
Village.
(4)
The Utility shall provide written notice to any person or entity
who owns, manages, or otherwise exercises control over a property
connected to the water distribution system that has been inspected
and determined to be constructed of lead or is galvanized.
B.
Owner to replace lead and galvanized service. Existing lead and galvanized
water service laterals connected to the Utility are highly recommended
to be replaced with water service laterals made of suitable material
that is approved by the Utility and at the owner's expense. Except
that any property tested by the Utility in accordance with Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources lead and copper monitoring that exceeds
the lead level established by the Environmental Protection Agency's
lead and copper rule will be required to replace the lateral in 120
days.
(1)
Affected property owners may contract with a licensed contractor
to complete the replacement; or
(2)
If grant funding is made available, then affected property owners
shall have the Utility's contractor complete the replacement.
(a)
The Utility may, as part of any water project, add an alternative
to the Utility's contract requesting unit bid prices for the
calculation of the cost for private lead or galvanized water service
lateral replacement. This will include removing the entire lateral
from the main to the inside of the house and replacing all lead or
galvanized piping with suitable material.
(b)
If available, the property owner shall select this option, and
the property owner shall be charged the entire cost over any grant
funding of the removal and replacement unless otherwise funded through
a separate program under the administration of the Utility. In addition,
all restoration shall be the responsibility of the property owner
(e.g., topsoil, concrete, steps, asphalt, bushes, and porches).
C.
Water system reconstruction.
(1)
Inspection required. The Utility water operator, or designee,
shall inspect all private connections to the public water mains at
the time that the Utility system is to be reconstructed:
(a)
Any existing private lead or galvanized water lateral shall
be considered illegal. In the event that the private water lateral
is found to contain lead or is galvanized, the Utility water operator
or designee shall immediately notify the owner, in writing, of that
fact.
(b)
Prior to the actual reconstruction of the water main and lateral
system, each property owner shall be given notice.
(c)
As the reconstruction progresses, the Utility water operator
or designee shall inspect each private water lateral connection for
the presence of lead or galvanization or, in the event inspection
had been made previously, determine the condition of the private water
connection from inspection records.
(d)
In the event that the private water lateral does not contain
lead or galvanization, the Village shall reconnect the same to the
Utility system at an appropriate point near the right-of-way line.
D.
Application and scheduling.
(1)
Owners, managers, or persons otherwise exercising control over
properties shall obtain from and submit to the Utility, in accordance
with its service rules, an application for water service which states
an intention to replace the private lead or galvanized water service
lateral.
(2)
The application for water service shall be filed no later than
one week prior to replacement to allow for the coordination of replacement
and inspection as necessary.
(3)
The Utility shall notify customers that their private lead or
galvanized water service lateral should be replaced to comply with
this section.
F.
Authority to discontinue service. As an alternative to any other
methods provided for obtaining compliance with this section regarding
replacement of the illegal private lead or galvanized water service
lateral, the Utility may, after at least 30 days of giving notice,
discontinue water service to such property served by illegal private
lead or galvanized water service laterals after reasonable opportunity
has been given to make the appropriate replacement.
