Whoever intentionally, by any means or device, prevents water from passing through any meter belonging to the town or used in connection with the supply of water to any consumer by said town to register the amount of water passing through said meter, or intentionally prevents a meter from duly registering the quantity of water supplied, or in any way interferes with its proper action or just registration, or without the consent in writing of the water superintendent intentionally diverts any water from any pipe or pipes of the town or otherwise intentionally uses, or causes to be used, without the consent of the town, any water produced or distributed by the town, or any person who retains possession of or refuses to deliver any meter or other appliance loaned to him/her by the town for the purposes of furnishing water through the town, shall for every such offense be fined as hereinafter provided. The presence of any device or pipes resulting in the diversion of water or prevention of its free passage and registration by the meter or diverting from the meter as above defined or resulting in the prevention of water from reaching the meter, or preventing the just registration of the meter or meters or the taking of any water except through a meter as above set forth, shall constitute prima facie evidence of knowledge on the part of the person owning or having custody and control of the room, building, place or premises where such device or pipe is of the existence thereof and knowledge of such existence to the person who would be benefited by the failure of the water to be properly metered, and shall further constitute prima facie evidence of intention on the part of such person or persons to defraud, and shall bring such person prima facie within the scope, meaning and penalties of this article.
(1992 Code, sec. 11.218; 2006 Code, sec. 13.218)