Every person taking water from the city shall, at all reasonable times, permit the city water employee, or other officer or agent of the city, to enter his premises or buildings to examine his water pipes and fixtures, and the manner in which the water is used, and for the purposes of repairing, reading or testing the meters.
(1999 Code, sec. 90-31(l))
Water consumers are not guaranteed a specified quantity of water for any purpose whatever, and are not guaranteed any specified water pressure except as required by law.
(1999 Code, sec. 90-31(m))
No plumber or person, except an employee or agent of the city, will be allowed to turn on or off any water for the street stop cocks or to tap any street main or pipes belonging to the city, or to do any work in the street or alleys and public grounds in connection with the laying of street service connections, and in connection with their mains, without the consent of the city council or city manager.
(1999 Code, sec. 90-31(n))
It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, or cause to be removed, from the city's water system, any water without the use of an approved water metering device. No device shall be installed or any connection made which would enable the delivery of water without an approved metering device, unless prior approval is obtained from the city manager or his authorized representative.
(1999 Code, sec. 90-31(s))
No customer shall be provided and take delivery of water from the city's public water system without paying for such water in accordance with the provisions of this division. When a city department or division takes delivery of water from the city's public water system, the city shall make payment of the reasonable value thereof out of funds from sources other than the revenues of the city's public water system. For purposes of this division, "customer" shall mean any person (not including the city, its departments or divisions) who makes application to the city and is authorized to take delivery of water from the city's public water system.
(Ordinance 2017-1224, sec. 1, adopted 5/23/17)
Any customer desiring water service from the city's water system must make application to the city and, except as set forth in sections 22.02.043 and 22.02.044, pay to the city a deposit of $150.00. The amount of the deposit to be paid will be billed on the customer's initial monthly billing. The deposit shall be held by the city until such time the customer records twelve consecutive months of monthly payments with no instance of late payment, at which time the deposit shall refunded to the customer. The city shall not be obligated to pay interest on any deposit held pursuant this section unless required by state law. Upon termination of the service, any unpaid balance due for the provision of water shall be charged against the deposit with any balance of the deposit remaining, if any, refunded to the customer.
(Ordinance 2017-1224, sec. 1, adopted 5/23/17)
Deposits for customers receiving delivery of water through a water meter with a one-inch diameter pipe or larger shall be as follows:
Size of Meter
(inches)
Deposit
1.0
$200.00
1.5
$250.00
2.0
$350.00
3.0
$500.00
(Ordinance 2017-1224, sec. 1, adopted 5/23/17)
(a) 
Developments created after September 8, 1978.
In the Highland Hills subdivision and the Village Estates III subdivision and in all subdivisions created, developed or otherwise presented to the city after September 8, 1978, the charge for tapping the water mains and conveying the water up to and including the curb cocks at the property line for standard sized residential meters shall be $250.00, plus all costs and expenses for labor and materials incurred by the city, which costs include, but are not limited to, meters, meter box, couplings, tubing and excavation work necessary and proper. The charge for larger meters shall be a negotiated amount.
(b) 
Developments created before September 8, 1978.
In all developments and subdivisions which have been created, developed or otherwise presented to the city prior to September 8, 1978, the charge for tapping the water mains and conveying the water up to and including the curb cocks at the property line for standard sized residential meters shall be $330.00, plus all costs and expenses for labor and materials incurred by the city, which costs include, but are not limited to, meters, meter box, couplings, tubing and excavation work necessary and proper. The charge for larger meters shall be a negotiated amount.
(Ordinance 2017-1224, sec. 1, adopted 5/23/17)
(a) 
The monthly rates for water service shall include all current charges for wholesale water and sewer billed to the city by the Upper Trinity Regional Water District (UTRWD) as follows:
RESIDENTIAL AND SPRINKLER WATER SERVICES
(Per 1,000 gallons)
(1) 
UTRWD pass-through wholesale water charges.
A pass-through charge will be maintained as a separate item in accordance with amounts actually billed to the city by the Upper Trinity River Water District (UTRWD). In each fiscal year budget, a projected number of billings and projected total usage will be determined and used as the basis for distributing wholesale water treatment and delivery cost charged by UTRWD to the city as a rate per 1,000 gallons. The pass-through charge shall consist of: (A) a minimum monthly billing charge related to wholesale costs other than volume charges charged by UTRWD to the city; and (B) a charge per gallon related to wholesale volume charges charged by UTRWD to the city. Each year, effective with the November billing, this rate will be updated to reflect increases or decreases in rates from the city's wholesale provider, UTRWD, adjusted by a reconciliation of billed amounts compared to actual charges incurred by the city in the previous fiscal year.
(2) 
Rates.
In addition to the UTRWD pass-through charge described in subsection (1) of this section, water customer shall pay the city a fee for the receipt of water service. The rates for the provision of water service for residential, commercial, and commercial irrigation accounts are as follows:
(A) 
Residential.
Metered Usage
Water Charge
0 to 4,000 gallons
$11.00 regardless of amount used
4,001 to 50,000 gallons
Additional $3.00 for each 1,000 gallons used
>50,000 gallons
Additional $15.00 for each 1,000 gallons used
(B) 
Commercial.
Metered Usage
Water Charge
0 to 4,000 gallons
$33.00 regardless of amount used
>4,000 gallons
Additional $3.00 for each 1,000 gallons used
(C) 
Commercial irrigation.
Metered Usage
Water Charge
0 to 4,000 gallons
$33.00 regardless of amount used
4,001 to 50,000 gallons
Additional $3.00 for each 1,000 gallons used
>50,000 gallons
Additional $8.00 for each 1,000 gallons used
(b) 
A $5.00 credit shall be applied to each monthly water bill authorized by a customer to be paid to the city through an electronic draft of the customer's checking or savings account.
(c) 
A $5.00 credit shall be applied to each monthly residential water bill where the property served by the meter has qualified over-65 exemption with the county central appraisal district.
(Ordinance 2017-1224, sec. 1, adopted 5/23/17)
Unless otherwise stated in the ordinance amending the rates and charges set forth in section 22.02.046, an amendment to the rates and charges set forth in section 22.02.046 shall become effective on the first regular billing date after the effective date of the ordinance enacting such amendment.
(Ordinance 2017-1224, sec. 1, adopted 5/23/17)
(a) 
Monthly billing.
The city will read all water meters once each month and render a monthly bill for water and sewer services to each customer. The bill shall be payable by the established due date of the month in which received. The due date must be at least 15 days after the date the bills are mailed. If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or federal or state holiday on which city offices are not open for regular business, payment shall be due on the next city business day.
(b) 
Meter re-reads and testing.
Upon the request of a customer, the customer's water meter will be re-read at no charge once during any four-month period. Each additional re-read of the water meter occurring sooner than four months after a prior re-read is subject to a $25.00 charge; provided, however, if a re-reading of the meter results in a determination that the initial reading was incorrect, no charge will be assessed to the customer for the subsequent rereading.
(c) 
Meter replacement.
Replacement of meters shall be at the discretion of the director of public works. A meter will be replaced upon the written request of a customer only if the metered usage for the most recent month exceeds by not less than 50 percent the seasonal average usage for the same meter during prior periods. However, if upon testing, the meter reads accurately, the water customer is subject to the replacement cost of a new meter, or a service charge of $25.00 if the same meter is placed back into service.
(d) 
Leak adjustment.
A residential customer may be entitled to a billing adjustment following discovery of a water leak on the customer's side of the meter (such billing adjustment referred to in this subsection (d) as a "leak adjustment") subject to the following:
(1) 
Only one month's billing may be considered for a leak adjustment;
(2) 
The water use for the billing cycle during which the leak was discovered must exceed the customer's seasonal average (as determined in accordance with subsection (4), below) by not less than 100 percent;
(3) 
A written request for consideration of a leak adjustment must be received not later than 60 days following the end of the month of the billing cycle for which the leak adjustment is requested;
(4) 
The customer's seasonal average may be established by using hourly read information to determine water loss related to the leak, water use in the month immediately preceding and the month immediately following the month in which the leak was reported, the average water use for the corresponding three months of the three (3) previous years (if there is sufficient customer history), or any combination thereof;
(5) 
The customer must provide to the city proof the water leak has been repaired;
(6) 
The customer must register for leak notification through the city electronic meter read system prior to receipt of the adjustment and remained enrolled for a period of not less than two (2) years thereafter unless the customer ceases occupation of the property prior to that date or such notification service is no longer available. The city shall have the right to charge back to the customer the leak adjustment if the customer fails to remain registered for the leak notification service for the required period, in which case such amount shall become due and payable in the date of the bill on which the amount is charged back; and
(7) 
The amount of a leak adjustments (the "leak adjustment amount" will be calculated as follows:
(i) 
Water charges associated with the customer's seasonal average usage (as determined in accordance with subsection (4), above; plus
(ii) 
The wholesale water volume rate applied to the leak related usage (i.e., the billed usage exceeding the determined seasonal average usage).
The leak adjustment granted will consist of the billed water amount less the calculated leak adjusted amount.
A leak adjustment on a residential customer account may not be granted earlier than two-years after the grant of a leak adjustment on the same residential customer account.
(e) 
Resolution of disputed billed usage.
If, after reasonable efforts by the city to verify the accuracy of the meter reading and metering equipment, a customer continues to dispute the billed usage for a specific billing period, the customer may request a review hearing if the usage in question exceeds a seasonal average by not less than 50 percent and the increased usage did not result from a water leak. A review panel consisting of the finance director and city manager shall review the request by the customer and shall have authority to provide an adjustment. An adjustment made pursuant to this subsection (d) shall not exceed 50 percent of the difference of the water charges on the bill that is disputed and the amount that would have been billed for the same period based on the seasonal average usage. A customer may only receive one bill adjustment within any two-year period pursuant to this subsection (d).
(f) 
Determination of seasonal averaging.
For purposes of this section, the seasonal average may be established by using hourly reading information, metered usage in months preceding and following the period in question, the metered usage for the corresponding three months of previous years, or any combination thereof.
(Ordinance 2017-1224, sec. 1, adopted 5/23/17; Ordinance 2022-1292 adopted 3/8/22)
(a) 
Disconnection of service authorized.
The city reserves the right to suspend or terminate a customer's water service for failure to pay a water bill on or before the 25th day of the month after the bill was mailed to the customer. Payment by the customer by dishonored check shall constitute failure to pay.
(b) 
Restrictions on time of disconnection or reconnection.
The city shall not discontinue water service to any customer on a Friday or on a day preceding a legal holiday which is observed by the city. No water service shall be reconnected by the city on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday which is observed by the city, or on any other day, Monday through Friday, during the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
(c) 
Reconnection fee additional deposit.
(1) 
Each customer's request for reconnection of water service shall include consideration of the customer's payment record for the previous 24-month period and payment of the required reconnection fee. A customer whose water service has been discontinued shall be required to pay the following applicable fee for reconnection of service:
Number of Reconnection Requests Within the Preceding 24-Month Period
Reconnection Fee
1
$25.00
2
$50.00
3
$75.00
>3
$100.00
(2) 
In addition to the payment of the reconnection fee, a customer whose water service has been discontinued on three separate occasions within the preceding 24-month period shall be required to provide a security deposit equal to the customer's two highest water bills within such previous 24-month period.
(d) 
Penalty for late payment.
If a bill is not paid in accordance with the provisions of section 22.02.048, a late charge of $5.00 or ten percent of the outstanding balance, whichever is greater, but, in no case, greater than $20.00, shall be assessed.
(Ordinance 2017-1224, sec. 1, adopted 5/23/17)