[CC 2012 § 18.210; cf. Ord. No. 164; Ord. No. 423]
All receipts from the sale of water shall be placed in the Water Fund, and said fund will be divided at the end of each month as determined by the Board of Aldermen in the budget each year. Monies shall be transferred for the expense of the operation and maintenance of the waterworks system to the Waterworks and Sewerage System Operation and Maintenance Fund. Additional transfers will be made to Replacement Account, Debt Service Account, and any other Accounts determined by the Board of Aldermen.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.1; Ord. No. 258; Ord. No. 426; Ord. No. 471; Ord. No. 480; Ord. No. 488; Ord. No. 492; Ord. No. 494; Ord. No. 499; Ord. No. 527; Ord. No. 531; Ord. No. 577, 6-12-2017; Ord. No. 587, 5-13-2019]
A. 
The charge for water service both inside and outside the City limits of the City of Sweet Springs, Missouri shall be thirteen dollars and thirty cents ($13.30) for the first one hundred thirty-three (133) cubic feet of water used and ten cents ($0.1000) for every cubic foot used thereafter. In addition to the above charges, one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per month shall be charged in the form of an access charge to any business or homes served by the City water but located outside of the City limits.
B. 
The new rates established by this Section shall be in effect on water bills for June 1, 2019.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.2; Ord. No. 258]
There shall be a separate charge for the reinstallation of any meter after the City has removed it which shall be equal to the minimum charge as herein provided for: fifteen dollars ($15.00)
[CC 2012 § 18.220.3; Ord. No. 367; Ord. No. 424, 31.128, 18.606]
A. 
No person, firm or corporation shall be connected with said municipal waterworks system, and receive or use water therefrom, unless said water so taken and used shall be measured by a water meter and no connections with said waterworks system shall be made unless the same be a metered connection.
1. 
The owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used for human employment, recreation, residence or other purposes, situated within the City and abutting on any street alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located access to a public water system within one hundred (100) feet of the property line, is hereby required to connect to such facilities in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter, within sixty (60) days after date of official notice to do so.
a. 
If access to the public water supply is not available, before commencement of construction of a privately owned public water system in the City's jurisdiction, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the Superintendent. The application for such permit shall be made on a form furnished by the City, which the applicant shall supplement by any plans, specifications, and other information as are deemed necessary by the Superintendent. A permit and inspection fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) shall be paid to the City at the time the application is filed.
b. 
No statement contained in this Article shall be construed to interfere with any additional requirements that may be imposed by the Public Works Superintendent.
2. 
When a public water system becomes available, customers that connect must physically disconnect from the existing private system (well), in accordance with the City's cross-connection prevention ordinance. The well shall then be properly plugged in accordance with guidelines established by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Division of Geology and Land Survey (DGS) and outlined in State regulation 10 CSR 23-3.110, as amended, unless the owner wants to keep it functional for uses other than providing drinking water. A well may only be kept if it remains physically disconnected from the public water supply's distribution system, has a functional pump, is connected to an electrical service, and is pumped at lease once in a twelve-month period. Upon connecting to the public water system, the appropriate DNR Regional Office shall be notified, in writing, that the connection/connections have been completed.
3. 
No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter or disturb any public water system or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the Superintendent.
4. 
All costs and expenses incident to the installation of the service line and connection to the public water system shall be borne by the owner. The owner shall indemnify the City from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the water service.
5. 
A separate and independent service connection shall be provided for every building.
6. 
The size, alignment, material used in the construction of new or the replacement of the existing public water system, and the methods to be used in excavating, placing of the pipe, jointing, testing, and backfilling the trench shall all conform to the requirements of the most recent edition of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), Public Drinking Water Program, Design Guide for Community Public Water Supplies. A permit to construct, issued by MDNR, will be received prior to construction, alteration, or extension of the water system.
7. 
The applicant for a public water system connection permit shall notify the Superintendent when service line is ready for inspection and connection to the water system. The connection shall be made under the supervision of the Superintendent or his/her representative.
8. 
All excavations for public water system improvements, replacements or repairs shall be adequately guarded with barricades and lights so as to protect the public from hazard. Streets, sidewalks, parkways, and other public property disturbed in the course of the work shall be restored in a manner satisfactory to the City.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.4; Ord. No. 521]
Every person, firm or corporation desiring to connect with said municipal waterworks system shall first pay to the City of Sweet Springs. The deposit shall be two hundred dollars ($200.00) for anyone renting or leasing a building or piece of property. The deposit shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00) for anyone owning or purchasing a building or piece of property. No service shall be granted until said deposit is first paid. If said water service is discontinued, and all charges for the same fully paid, said deposit shall be returned. Any delinquent charges for water service may, at any time, be taken from said deposit. No person who has a delinquent water bill shall receive water service in his or her name or anyone else's until said delinquent bill is paid. Notwithstanding the above, the deposit may be refunded, upon the request of the customer, if the customer is the owner of the property being supplied by the waterworks system, and the customer has a satisfactory credit rating with the City of Sweet Springs in regard to the payment of water and sewage bills. A "satisfactory credit rating" shall be defined as the customer having paid all water and sewage bills during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the customer's application for refund of deposit in a timely manner.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.5]
The City shall bill for water service in accordance with the rate herein established every month and said charge shall be paid by the customer and user of said water service by the 10th of the month sent, and if not paid by that time such customer shall pay an additional ten percent (10%) to be charged on the bill for failure to promptly pay the same in accordance with the terms and provisions hereof. All users that request their meter be checked for accuracy shall be billed a meter reinstallation fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00). This fee shall be waived if the meter is determined to be inaccurate.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.6; Ord. No. 441]
If any customer of water shall fail to or refuse to pay the amount due from him/her for water so used by the 20th day of the month that the water bill is sent, the water service shall be disconnected. After a water service customer is disconnected, there is hereby established a charge of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for the reestablishment of said water service. Water service shall not be restored except upon compliance with these rules and regulations and upon the payment of all back charges. No person who has a delinquent bill for water service shall be allowed to receive new service until said delinquent bill is paid in full, whether the new service is in their name or someone else's.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.7]
A. 
The water service connection is for the sole use of the water user and does not permit the extension of pipes to transfer water from one property to any other consumer.
B. 
If an emergency or specific situation should make such an arrangement advisable, it shall be done only on specific written permission of the Board of Aldermen for the duration of the emergency.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.8; Ord. No. 424]
A. 
Representative of the City Water Division shall have the right at all reasonable hours to enter upon the water customer's premises to read and test meters, inspect piping, and to perform other duties for the maintenance and operation of service, or to remove its meters, and equipment upon discontinuance of service by the water customer.
1. 
The Superintendent and other duly authorized employees of the City bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all properties for the purposes of inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, and testing in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.
2. 
While performing the necessary work on private properties referred to in this Section, the Superintendent or duly authorized employees of the City shall observe all safety rules applicable to the premises established by the company and the company shall be held harmless for injury or death to the City employees and the City shall indemnify the company against loss or damage to its property by City employees and against liability claims and demands for personal injury or property damage asserted against the company and growing out of the gauging and sampling operation, except as such may be caused by negligence or failure of the company to maintain safe conditions.
3. 
The Superintendent and other duly authorized employees of the City bearing proper credentials and identification shall be permitted to enter all private properties through which the City holds a duly negotiated easement for the purposes of, but not limited to, inspection, observation, measurement, sampling, repair, and maintenance of any portion of the public water system lying within said easement. All entry and subsequent work, if any, on said easement shall be done in full accordance with the terms of the duly negotiated easement pertaining to the private property involved.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.9]
A. 
The City will make all reasonable efforts to supply continuous uninterrupted service. However, it shall have the right to interrupt service for the purpose of making repairs, connections, extensions, or for other necessary work. Efforts will be made to notify the water customer who may be affected by such interruption, but the City will not accept responsibility for losses that may occur due to such necessary interruptions.
B. 
The City does not accept responsibility for losses that may occur due to interruption of service for any cause.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.10; Ord. No. 424]
A. 
There shall be two (2) classes of water system connection permits: for residential and commercial service, and for industrial service. In either case, the owner or his/her agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the City. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the Superintendent. A permit and inspection fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for a residential or commercial building permit and two hundred dollars ($200.00) for an industrial permit shall be paid to the City at the time the application is filed.
B. 
The City of Sweet Springs shall not be obligated to extend its main to render service, except at the discretion of the Board of Aldermen.
A. 
Lead Ban — Generally.
1. 
This Section shall apply to all premises served by the public drinking water system of the City of Sweet Springs.
2. 
This Section will be reasonably interpreted by the water purveyor. It is the purveyor's intent to ban the use of lead-based material in the construction or modification of the City's drinking water system or private plumbing connected to the City system. The cooperation of all consumers is required to implement the lead ban.
3. 
If, in the judgment of the water purveyor or his/her authorized representative, lead-based materials have been used in new construction or modifications after January 1, 1989, due notice shall be given to the consumer. The consumer shall immediately comply by having the lead-based materials removed from the plumbing system and replaced with lead-free materials. If the lead-based materials are not removed from the plumbing system, the water purveyor shall have the right to discontinue water service to the premises.
B. 
Definitions. The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this Section:
CONSUMER
The owner or person in control of any premises supplied by or in any manner connected to a public water system.
LEAD-BASED MATERIALS
Any material containing lead in excess of the quantities specified in the definition of "lead-free."
LEAD-FREE
Means:
a. 
When used with respect to solder and flux, refers to solders and flux containing not more than two tenths percent (0.2%) lead; and
b. 
When used with respect to pipes and pipe fittings, refers to pipes and pipe fittings containing not more than eight percent (8%) lead.
PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SYSTEM
Any publicly or privately owned water system supplying water to the general public which is satisfactory for drinking, culinary and domestic purposes and meets the requirements of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
WATER PURVEYOR
The owner, operator, or individual in responsible charge of a public water system.
C. 
Lead Banned From Drinking Water Plumbing.
1. 
No water service connection shall be installed or maintained to any premises where lead-based materials were used in new construction or modifications of the drinking water plumbing after January 1, 1989.
2. 
If a premises is found to be in violation of Subsection (C)(1), water service shall be discontinued until such time that the drinking water plumbing is lead-free.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.11]
There shall be no physical connection between any private water system and the water system of the City. Representatives of the City shall have the right at all reasonable hours to enter upon the water customer's premises for the purpose of inspection and enforcement of this provision.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.12]
In the event total water supply shall be insufficient to meet all the needs of the water users, or in the event there is a shortage of water, the City may pro-rate the water available among the various users on such basis as is deemed equitable by the Board, and may also prescribe a schedule of hours covering the use of water for purposes specified in such ordinance and require adherence thereto, or prohibit the use of water for certain specific purposes if at any time the total water supply shall be insufficient to meet all of the needs of all of the water customers for domestic, livestock, garden, and other purposes, and the City must first satisfy all the needs of the water customers for domestic purposes before supplying any water for livestock purposes, and must supply all the needs of the water customers for domestic and livestock purposes before supplying water for other purposes.
[CC 2012 § 18.220.13; Ord. No. 258]
The City shall not be liable for any breaking of any pipe or installation because of any excess water pressure.