[Amended 6-26-1985 by Ord. No. 1108]
A. 
Except as otherwise specifically ordered by the City Council, the provisions set out in this chapter shall be applicable to every person who uses the City water and sewer services, receives benefits from the public drainage system, and is permitted for the installation and maintenance of private drainage systems. Every person who takes water and uses the sewers and drains in the City of Melrose shall comply with the regulations set forth herein.
B. 
This chapter shall take effect immediately upon passage, approval, and publication as provided by law.
C. 
Prior water, sewer, and drainage ordinances of the City of Melrose or parts thereof in conflict with this chapter are hereby repealed. Any provision of this chapter that is found to be unenforceable in any court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall not affect the validity of any other provision of this chapter.
[Amended 6-17-1985 by Ord. No. 1046]
All charges for water and sewer service shall be committed forthwith by the Department of Public Works (DPW) to the City Collector for collection, and, whenever charges are so committed, such Department shall file with the City Auditor a report, in writing, of the total amount of the charges in each such commitment. The Department shall forthwith give notice, in writing, to the City Auditor of every correction in and abatement of a charge for water and sewer services.
[Amended 6-17-1985 by Ord. No. 1045; 7-21-1986 by Ord. No. 1417; 7-28-1986 by Ord. No. 1455; 12-19-1988 by Ord. No. 2217; 10-19-1992 by Ord. No. 93-50]
A. 
All bills for water and sewer shall be made out and rendered by the DPW to consumers quarterly or monthly, at the choice of the customer. All quarterly bills shall be payable within 30 days and monthly bills within 21 days at the office of the City Collector.
B. 
Bills not paid within the specified timeframes shall be subject to the following:
(1) 
Demand charge of $5.
(2) 
Interest penalty of 14% from the due date.
(3) 
Lien fee of $10, to be applied only on those water and sewer bills that become lien on real estate tax bills.
C. 
Abatement procedure. A one-time water and/or sewer abatement will be considered during any ten-year period for any given customer address, upon filing of an abatement application meeting all requirements of the DPW for such request. Applications must be submitted within 45 days of the issuance date of the bill in dispute. No leak adjustments will be granted if the property has an active water leak or a known leak has not been repaired. In the event that the owner cannot determine the source or cause of unexplained high consumption, data logs will be gathered from the meter to show when water was being used. Abatement applications will only be accepted for accounts that are current, in good standing, and have a working radio meter installed. No more than two consecutive bills are eligible for an adjustment.