(a)
All property owners, their agents and tenants shall be held responsible
as consumers for loss of water due to leakage in pipes or plumbing.
If lost water is not paid for according to the rates provided therefor,
when payment is due, the water service shall be cut off by the water
utility and not turned on again until all claims are paid. In the
event of any change in tenancy in rental property where there exists,
at such time, leakage, such condition shall be corrected to the satisfaction
of the water utility before service will be restored.
(b)
If any customer shall be indebted to the water utility on any account
at his current or previous place of consumption, such service shall
be discontinued by the city until payment in full, plus any service
charge, is made.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
No plumber or any other person shall open the street curb stop
after same has been closed by the water utility without a written
permit first being obtained from the water utility.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
After water is introduced into a building or upon any premises,
the same shall not be extended by any plumber or any other person
to any other premises for additional fixtures.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
Two houses shall not be permitted to be supplied with one service
pipe where there is a water main in front of the premises, but shall
have separate service pipes, unless approved otherwise by the director
of utilities.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
The water utility reserves the right to make all repairs and
renewals of service pipes from the main to the meter, and it shall
be unlawful for any other person to repair or renew service pipes
from the main to the meter without first obtaining the written consent
of the water utility.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
All buildings used as duplexes, townhouses, shopping malls,
apartment houses, etc., shall be required to provide a separate connection
and meter with the main for each dwelling or rental unit, if each
tenant is responsible for his own water account. Upon noncompliance
with this provision, the water utility shall cut off the supply for
the entire building or any portion thereof deemed by it to be proper.
If the entire water service to a multiple-unit building is provided
through one meter and connection, the charges for water and sewer
shall be the obligation of and paid by the building owner. If payment
is to be made by the building owner through an agent, the owner shall
furnish to the city written proof of the agent’s authority prior
to initiation of utility service, or upon demand of the city.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
(a)
The right is reserved in the water utility to temporarily discontinue
and to reconnect, without notice, water supply to any and all consumers
for any of the following reasons:
(1)
Making repairs, connections, extensions, or cleaning of mains, machinery,
reservoirs or any part of said water system.
(2)
A known dangerous or hazardous condition exists for which service
may remain disconnected for as long as the condition exists, including
but not limited to, a public health nuisance as defined in sections
341.011 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, or there is reason to
believe a dangerous or hazardous condition exists and the Customer
refuses to allow access for the purpose of confirming the existence
of such condition and/or removing the dangerous or hazardous condition.
(3)
Service is connected without authority by a person who has not made
application for service or who has reconnected service without authority
following termination of service for nonpayment
(4)
In instances of tampering with the water utility’s meter or
equipment, by-passing the meter or equipment, or other diversion of
service.
(5)
The customer remits a check as payment to unlock or reconnect service,
and the check is determined to be of non-sufficient funds.
(b)
Outside of the above temporary reasons initiated by the utility,
disconnection or discontinuing of water supply shall only be permitted
for closure of a utility account. There shall be no temporary disconnection
permitted when an existing utility customer does not intend to close
the utility account. When an account is disconnected, reconnection
fees shall be paid in accordance with fee schedule adopted by the
city council and available from the city secretary.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
Unless a potentially hazardous condition exists, service shall
not be disconnected on a day, or on a day preceding a day, when personnel
of the Water utility are not available to the public for the purpose
of making collections and reconnecting service.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
The water utility may not discontinue service to a delinquent
residential customer permanently residing in an individually metered
dwelling unit when that customer establishes that discontinuance of
service will result in some person at that residence becoming seriously
ill or more seriously ill if service is discontinued. Each time a
customer seeks to avoid termination of service under this subsection,
the customer must have the attending physician call or contact the
water utility within sixteen (16) days of issuance of the bill. A
written statement must be received by the water utility from the physician
within twenty-six (26) days of the issuance of the utility bill. The
prohibition against service termination shall last sixty-three (63)
days from the issuance of the utility bill or such lesser period as
may be agreed upon by the water utility and customer’s physician.
The customer shall enter into a payment plan agreement.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
It shall be unlawful for any plumber or person, other than a
contractor employed by the water utility, to tap any street main,
make connections with the street mains or extend service pipes from
the mains to the meters, and to place a curb-stop and meter box at
the point, and all of such equipment shall be under the exclusive
control of the water utility. Said tap and service shall be paid for
by the person ordering the work done before work is commenced, according
to schedule of prices shown in the fee schedule adopted by the city
council and available from the city secretary.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
It shall be unlawful for any person except a member of the fire
department or employees of the water utility to open or use water
from a fire hydrant or to take off the cap without permission from
the water utility, except for the use of construction water with the
proper construction meter attached to the fire hydrant.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
(a)
Meter-tampering, by-passing, or diversion are strictly prohibited,
including any tampering with the water utility’s service equipment,
bypassing the same, or other instances of diversion, such as:
(1)
Removing a locking or shut-off device used by the water utility to
discontinue service;
(2)
Physically disorienting the meter,
(3)
Attaching objects to the meter to divert service or to by-pass;
(4)
Inserting objects into the meter; or
(5)
Other electrical or mechanical means of tampering with, by-passing,
or diverting service.
(b)
Photographic evidence or any other reliable and credible evidence
may be used to establish that a violation of this prohibition has
occurred and to justify appropriate action by the water utility. A
court finding of meter tampering may be used instead of photographic
or other evidence, if applicable. Violation of this prohibition may
be prosecuted to the extent allowed by law under the Texas Penal Code
28.03.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
If the water utility’s facilities or equipment have been
damaged by tampering, by-passing, installing unauthorized taps, reconnecting
service without authority, or other service diversion, a fee shall
be charged equal to the actual costs for all labor, material, and
equipment necessary for repair or replacement of the water utility’s
facilities and shall be paid before service is reestablished. . All
components of this fee will be itemized, and a statement shall be
provided to the customer. Note: Payment of this fee will not preclude
the water utility from requesting appropriate criminal prosecution
for any act resulting in equipment damage or theft of service or violating
this ordinance.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
Where water is used in the construction or repair of property
or where water has not been turned on by the water utility for construction
use on the premises, water shall not be turned on until a charge for
service is paid. The water utility reserves the right to estimate
the amount of water used.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
(a)
All water meters and meter boxes furnished by the city shall remain
at all times the property of the city, and shall be maintained and
repaired by the city and shall be replaced when rendered by the director
to be unserviceable through fair wear and tear. When replacements,
repairs, or adjustments of any meter or meter box are rendered necessary
by the act, neglect, or carelessness of the owner or occupant of any
premises, and if not paid, service shall be disconnected.
(b)
When any consumer of water is of the opinion that the meter through
which the water is supplied is incorrect for any reason, he may make
application to the water utility to have the meter examined and tested.
It is provided further that the director may require such customer
to pay a fee for removing and testing the meter. The fee for removing
and testing the water meter shall be as provided in the fee schedule
adopted by the city council and available from the city secretary.
(c)
If any meter one inch (1") or smaller shall, upon testing, have been
found to register over two percent more water than actually passed
through it, based on a series of tests over the range of flow recommended
by its manufacturer, another meter will be substituted and the fee
charged in the application for such test will be credited to the person
making the application and the account adjusted for a period not exceeding
the most recent three months’ billing period prior to such test.
If any meter one inch (1") or larger (upon examination and test) is
found to register over three percent more water than actually passed
through it, the same adjustment shall apply.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
If, in the judgment of the director, a check valve or backflow
and backsiphonage device is necessary for the safety of the water
system, he will give notice in writing to the customer to install
such device immediately. Any such device shall be of a type approved
by the director. The customer will install such approved device at
his own expense, and failure, refusal, or inability of the customer
to install such device immediately shall constitute a ground for discontinuing
water service to the premises until such device has been installed.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
All persons operating boilers, air conditioning equipment or
other water-consuming devices, which may become damaged due to the
interruption of water service, and which are supplied directly with
city water, do so at their own risk. The city shall not be liable
for any damage that may occur on account of the water being cut off
for any purpose, or on account of the breaking of any pipe or fixture
by pressure of the water from the city mains.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
It shall be unlawful to build driveways or other driving surfaces
or areas in such manner as to expose any meter or fire hydrant to
damage from traffic. Whenever the property owner requests the moving
of any meter or fire hydrant, such cost shall be the expense of the
property owner.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or resell water
from the city water utility for domestic or any other uses within
or without the city without receiving a permit to do so from the city.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
(a)
The use of any premises in the city in such manner that sewage is
allowed to accumulate or flow upon the surface of any such property,
or the discharge of sewage done in such a manner as to pollute the
surface soil, the contamination of any drinking water supply, the
infection of flies or cockroaches or the creation of any other nuisance
within the city is hereby declared a nuisance, if connection with
any line of the sanitary sewer system of the city exists which is
adequate to handle such sewage.
(b)
It shall be the duty of any persons owning or occupying improved
property within the city which can be feasibly connected to the city
sewer system to connect such property and the improvements thereon
with the city water services if the same exist in the street, alley,
or other public way or water right-or-way abutting the premises.
(c)
Where city sanitary sewer service is not available in the abutting
streets, alleys, or other public ways, or other utility rights-of-way,
but subsequently is laid therein, it shall be the duty of the owner
or occupant of such property whose sewage disposal is a nuisance as
herein defined, within one year after the same becomes available,
to connect therewith. Such connections shall be made subject to the
applicable charges provided by the then-current ordinances of the
city.
(d)
It shall be the duty of the director to notify the owner or occupant
of every building situated where there has been laid a sanitary sewer,
and where there is sufficient water service from the city’s
waterworks, to make connections with the city’s sanitary sewer.
Any such owner or occupant of any building so situated who shall fail
to make connection with the city sanitary sewer within sixty (60)
days after receipt of such notice from the director shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
(a)
No connection for a fire sprinkler or fire service shall be permitted
unless application therefor has been made and granted by the water
utility and approved by the building official of the city. In no instance
shall any connection be made with any fire sprinkler or fire service
without the written consent of the water utility. Should it be found
that any unauthorized connection has been made, or that any water
has been used from a sprinkler or fire service for any other purposes
than extinguishing a fire, or that a waste of water is permitted from
such connection through leaks in the pipes or fixtures, the water
service shall be cut off and not turned on until a meter of the size
and kind prescribed by the director shall have been furnished and
installed at the expense of the customer.
(b)
The furnishing, installation, maintenance and inspection of all meters
and services, checks, bypasses, valves, piping, and other appurtenances
necessary for the installation and operation of fire sprinkler systems
and fire services shall be the expense of the customer.
(Ordinance 2021-02 adopted 2/23/21)
