[Adopted 9-12-1978 (Secs. 18-8 through 18-13 of the 1978 Code)]
[Amended 8-8-2000]
A. 
All applications for the supply of water must be made to the Town Clerk in person, or by a duly authorized attorney or agent, by the property owner or by the tenant on an application form furnished by the Town Clerk. When accepted, such application will constitute a contract between the Town and the water user.
B. 
Where individual unit meters are required under § 68-1A(2) the property owner or tenant shall be deemed the water user and shall make application for the supply of water.
Upon acceptance of an application for water supply, the Town Clerk will issue a written permit granting the privilege of connecting to the Town water supply upon the terms set forth in this article, but connection to the Town water supply shall only be made by a properly qualified plumber who shall use such pipe fixtures and fittings as may be approved by the Town Clerk.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
Water connection fees shall be as provided in Chapter 68, Fees, Article I, Water and Sewer Connecting Fees.
[Amended 6-13-2000]
The Town shall cause water meters to be installed for all users of water, and the Town will furnish all meters, meter boxes and necessary connections, set them in place and keep them in working order. All such metering equipment shall be the property of and under control of the Town. All costs for installation are at the property owner's expense, including labor and materials. All new connections shall be limited to serving one dwelling unit, as defined in § 175-2, Definitions and word usage, per 3/4 inch tap on the main. The Town shall maintain service line to the property line. When meter is installed in building or basement, access for maintenance by Town shall be provided by property owner when required.
Water rates shall be as stated in the schedule of water rates on file in the Town Clerk's office.
[Amended 8-9-2011]
A. 
Section 15.2-923 of the Code of Virginia states that localities have the power to restrict the nonessential use of groundwater during declared water shortages or water emergencies. Section 15.2-924 of the Code of Virginia further states that a locality may adopt an ordinance restricting the use of water by its citizens for the duration of such emergency or for a period of time necessary to prevent the occurrence of a water supply emergency. Such ordinance shall apply only to water supplied by the locality for a fee or charge, and such ordinance may include appropriate penalties to prevent excessive use of water, including, but not limited to, a surcharge on excessive amounts used.
B. 
The Mayor is authorized to take special measures of prudent management to prevent a critical water shortage when a potential shortage and/or emergency condition exists in the Town's water system, and to declare drought watch, drought warning or drought emergency conditions within the Town. Drought emergency conditions may also be declared by the Town in the event of equipment failure, contamination or another non-drought-related event that causes a short-term loss of adequate water supply.
C. 
The Drought Contingency and Response Plan, that is included in the Northern Shenandoah Regional Water Supply Plan, provides guidance for evaluating the potential for, or existence of, drought conditions and the implementation of response and contingency activities. Upon a determination by the Mayor of the existence of the following conditions, the Mayor shall take the following action:
(1) 
A drought watch, drought warning, and drought emergency stage shall be declared when the drought indicators for the Town of Edinburg as set forth in the Northern Shenandoah Regional Water Supply Plan are reached.
(a) 
Drought watch stage targets increased monitoring of drought conditions and increased public awareness of the start of drought conditions. Required actions under the drought watch include notifying the public of the conditions via newspaper, Town website, public service announcement, and notices with water bills, and to request voluntary reduction in nonessential water use.
(b) 
Drought warning stage target is to increase public awareness and reduce water withdrawals by 10% through voluntary water conservation. Required actions include notifying the public of the drought warning, and requesting the voluntary reduction in the following nonessential water uses:
[1] 
Water to wash down streets, sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, service station aprons, tennis courts, other hard-surfaced areas, buildings, and structures, except as required for safety concerns;
[2] 
Water to wash automobiles, trucks, trailers, and any types of mobile equipment, except where required to meet air quality standards;
[3] 
Watering of shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, plants and other vegetation;
[4] 
Water from fire hydrants for construction purposes or any purpose other than fire suppression or public emergency;
[5] 
Water to fill or refill swimming pools;
[6] 
Customer not served drinking water in restaurants unless requested;
[7] 
Urge customers to refrain from outdoor watering with sprinklers or irrigation systems between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.;
[8] 
Implement alternate day use schedules for sprinklers and irrigation systems based on the last digit of residential or commercial address: odd-number addresses Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; even-number addresses Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; watering by hand (with cans, wands, hand-held hoses) is allowed any day of the week;
[9] 
The drought warning stage implements higher water rates for excess use. Normal water rates apply for consumption up to 10,000 gallons per billing cycle. Rates are increased by 15% for consumption above 10,000 gallons per billing cycle.
(c) 
Drought emergency stage target is to increase public awareness and reduce water withdrawals by 15%. Required actions include notifying public of the drought emergency, and implementing mandatory reduction in the following nonessential water uses:
[1] 
Water to wash down streets, sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, service station aprons, tennis courts, other hard-surfaced areas, buildings, and structures, except as required for safety concerns;
[2] 
Water to wash automobiles, trucks, trailers, and any types of mobile equipment, except where required to meet air quality standards;
[3] 
Watering of shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, plants and other vegetation (exception: customers may water first-year foundations, trees and shrubs up to two hours a day by a hand-held or soaker hose, and new planting of grass within the first 30 days up to one hour a day by any means; restrictions do not apply to locations using treated wastewater effluent for irrigation);
[4] 
Water from fire hydrants for construction purposes or any purpose other than fire suppression or public emergency;
[5] 
Water to fill or refill swimming pools;
[6] 
Customer not served drinking water in restaurants unless requested;
[7] 
Require customers to refrain from outdoor watering with sprinklers or irrigation systems between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.;
[8] 
Implement alternate day use schedules for sprinklers and irrigation systems based on the last digit of residential or commercial address: odd-number addresses Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; even-number addresses Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; watering by hand (with cans, wands, hand-held hoses) is allowed any day of the week;
[9] 
The drought emergency stage implements higher water rates for excess use. Normal water rates for over the minimum usage of 3,000 gallons are increased by 15% for consumption up to 10,000 gallons per billing cycle. Normal rates are increased by 30% for consumption above 10,000 gallons per billing cycle.
D. 
Penalties. Violations of this section when a drought emergency stage is declared may result in penalties being assessed to the customer.
(1) 
First offense: written warning.
(2) 
Second offense: $50 fine.
(3) 
Third offense: $100 fine.
(4) 
Fourth offense: $250 fine and suspension of water service.
E. 
Appeals and exceptions.
(1) 
Upon implementation of a drought emergency stage as set forth above, the Mayor shall appoint an Appeals Board consisting of three representatives from the Town administration and utility operations. The Town Attorney or designee shall serve as legal counsel to the Appeals Board.
(2) 
The Appeals Board shall be empowered to review customer applications for exemptions from the provisions of the mandatory conservation on a case-by-case basis and, if warranted, to make equitable adjustments to such provisions. The Board shall also be empowered to establish regulations governing the granting of temporary exemptions applicable to all or some of the uses of the water supply set forth. The Board shall in, deciding applications, balance economic and other hardships to the applicant resulting from the imposition of water use restrictions or allocations against the individual and cumulative impacts to the water supply resulting from the granting of exemptions.
(3) 
Individual applications shall be decided by the Board within two weeks of receipt of an application in proper form and containing necessary information.
F. 
Rescinding orders. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the Mayor from rescinding any orders issued hereunder when the conditions creating the need for such orders have abated.
G. 
The Town reserves the right to discontinue water service without notice for any of the following reasons:
(1) 
Repairs.
(2) 
Water shortage due to an equipment failure, contamination, or other non-drought-related event.
(3) 
Failure to pay any part of the monthly fees charged per dwelling unit, as defined in § 175-2, Definitions and word usage, for water, sewer and trash service on or before the penalty date shall constitute a default and be subject to discontinuation of all services until paid in full.
(4) 
Fraudulent representation in relation to consumption or service.
(5) 
Violation of contract or of any rules or regulations applicable to the water user's service.
(6) 
Where the water user's service is detrimental to service in general in such water user's immediate locality.
(7) 
Because of riots, strikes, insurrections or acts of God, or other causes of like nature.
H. 
The Town shall not be liable for damages to any person or facility for cutting off water service for any of the above reasons.
[Added 6-13-2000]
No person, firm or corporation shall turn off or cause to be turned off or on the Town water at the curb stop valve box or meter box or remove or replace a water meter or make any connection, connecting the Town water with the house service, after a meter has been removed or make any connection around a meter or otherwise disturb, deface, remove or change any portion of the Town water system, other than authorized by the Town, or one of the Town's personnel while acting in his official capacity.
[Added 6-13-2000]
Any person found guilty of violation of § 156-13 of this article shall be deemed guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor. For each day upon which a violation shall occur, it shall be deemed a separate and additional violation for the purposes of this section.
[Added 12-10-2019]
A. 
The drilling and use of water wells within the Town limits is prohibited.
(1) 
No person shall drill for or use any well designed for extracting or accessing ground, surface or any other type of water within the Town other than wells owned by the Edinburg water system.
(2) 
No person shall connect or cause to be connected to the municipal water or sewer system any well designed for extracting or accessing ground, surface or any other type of water within the Town other than wells owned by the Edinburg water system.
B. 
Any person found guilty of violation of this section shall be deemed guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor. For each day upon which a violation of this provision shall occur, it shall be deemed a separate and additional violation for the purposes of this section.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
A. 
No structure or structures of any kind will be erected, permitted or maintained within a radius of 50 feet of a well proper, whether above, upon or under the ground.
B. 
Any person violating this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than $10 nor more than $100, and each day that said structure remains within the prohibited area as herein defined shall constitute a new and separate offense to which the penalty herein prescribed will apply.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
Persons owning or occupying any land within the Town on which there is a well having a diameter greater than six inches and which is more than 10 feet deep shall keep the same covered in such a manner as not to be dangerous to human beings, animals or fowl. The construction, installation and maintenance of such covers, including the manner in which any concrete used in connection therewith shall be reinforced, shall conform to the standards of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 37, Building Construction.