It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to make any connection to the mains or pipes of the waterworks system of the city without first making application to the city, stating fully the several and various uses for which water is wanted, giving the name of owner of the property, the number of the lot and block, name of the street and house number. Upon the payment of the tapping fee, the superintendent shall make, or have made, the necessary connections and furnish a cast-iron curb stop box and curb cock, the cost of which is included in the tapping fee, and every premises connected with any water main, or being supplied with any water from the city waterworks, shall have a separate service connection, curb stop box and curb cock. If the application is approved, a permit will be issued. All fees and charges shall be paid for at amounts and rates fixed by this article or by resolution of the governing body.
(1987 Code, ch. 10, sec. 1A; Ordinance 756 adopted 9/14/04; 2004 Code, sec. 13.101)
Any person wishing to discontinue the use of water supplies from the waterworks system must give notice thereof to the city; otherwise the charge will be entered until such notice has been given.
(1987 Code, ch. 10, sec. 1B Ordinance 756 adopted 9/14/04; 2004 Code, sec. 13.102)
It shall be the duty of all employees of the city, including officers and members of the police force, to report to the superintendent any leaks or unnecessary waste of water that may come to their attention, also any violation of this article.
(Ordinance 934, sec. 1, adopted 11/10/09; 2004 Code, sec. 13.103)
All meters, whether private or belonging to the waterworks system, shall be set by the employees of the city. If the meter gets out of order and fails to register, the consumer will be charged at the average daily consumption, as shown by the meter when in order. All water that passes through the meter shall be charged for, whether used or not.
(1987 Code, ch. 10, sec. 1D; 2004 Code, sec. 13.104)
Each consumer of water, living in a separate house, must have a separate connection and meter for each house. Provided, where a residence is not in reach of a city water main, arrangements may be made at the option of the city to secure water from another user of city water, in which case the minimum monthly ready-for-service charge shall be made for each additional residence taking water through such meter. The regular minimum, the additional minimum and all water used by such consumers shall be charged to the customer having the meter.
(Ordinance 934, sec. 2, adopted 11/10/09; 2004 Code, sec. 13.105)
(a) 
Each water and/or sewer customer shall put up a deposit which will be applied to the final bill. The amount of the deposit shall be as set forth in the fee schedule in appendix A of this code, per meter or account.
(b) 
In addition to the meter or account deposit, water/sewer customers will be charged the fees as set forth in the fee schedule in appendix A of this code.
(1987 Code, ch. 10, sec. 1F; Ordinance 756 adopted 9/14/04; Ordinance 847, secs. 1–3, adopted 11/14/06; Ordinance 934, secs. 3, 4, adopted 11/10/09; 2004 Code, sec. 13.106; Ordinance adopting 2021 Code)
(a) 
Generally.
The rates for the city-operated water supply shall be as set forth in the fee schedule in appendix A of this code.
(b) 
Rates for city facilities.
City municipal facilities/locations that have water service shall be charged at the same commercial water rates as other commercial accounts.
(Ordinance 1127, sec. 1, adopted 9/11/18; 2004 Code, sec. 13.107; Ordinance adopting 2021 Code)
(a) 
Due date; disconnection of service.
All charges for water service furnished or rendered by the city waterworks shall be due and payable on the fifteenth (15th) day of each month at the office of the water department of the city, and if not paid after the fifteenth (15th) day, the city reserves the right to cut off and discontinue water service to the premises without further notice and same shall not be reconnected and no additional water furnished until all past due accounts and charges are paid in full. Where service has been disconnected for failure to pay for services rendered, fees must be paid in accordance with subsections (c) and (d).
(b) 
Late charge.
If the water bill is not paid by the due date, the account shall be assessed a one-time late charge as set forth in the fee schedule in appendix A of this code. The delinquency charge may be waived for unforeseen circumstances such as a death, illness, serious injury or a similar circumstance where a reasonable person could not have made the payment on the due date. A request for a waiver must be made in writing to the city manager or his/her designee within five (5) days of the assessment of the late fee. A waiver may be granted provided all charges are paid in full and no delinquent balances were incurred in the past twelve months.
(c) 
Reconnection charges after delinquency.
If water service has been disconnected because of a delinquent bill, the service may not be reconnected until the following charges are paid:
(1) 
All delinquent amounts;
(2) 
Assessed delinquency charges, if any;
(3) 
Any and all additional charges incurred due to disconnect and/or damage; and
(4) 
A disconnect list processing charge in the amount set forth in the fee schedule in appendix A of this code, nonreversible once the list leaves city hall, regardless if water has actually been turned off or not.
(d) 
Payment plan.
If a water bill is large due to circumstances beyond the customer’s control, a payment plan may be set up to pay that month’s bill. The entire amount must be paid in six (6) months or less unless otherwise approved by the city manager or his/her designee. Current month balances must be paid on time during the payment plan period. If current bills are not paid, the entire balance will become due.
(e) 
Account finaled out.
A water account that has been cut off for nonpayment may be finaled out by the water billing department if no contact has been made by the customer by the 15th of the following month that the water service was disconnected for. Once finaled out, a customer must re-apply for water/sewer service and pay applicable deposits in addition to paying any past due amount from prior account(s).
(1987 Code, ch. 10, sec. 1H; Ordinance 707 adopted 6/10/03; Ordinance 847, secs. 3, 5, adopted 11/14/06; Ordinance 934, sec. 5, adopted 11/10/09; 2004 Code, sec. 13.108; Ordinance adopting 2021 Code)
The rates for tapping charges for connections with the city water mains and laterals shall be as set forth in the fee schedule in appendix A of this code.
(1987 Code, ch. 10, sec. 1I; 2004 Code, sec. 13.109; Ordinance adopting 2021 Code)
It shall hereafter be unlawful for any person or persons to do, commit or assist in committing any of the following things or acts in the city:
(1) 
To open or close any fire hydrant or stopcock connected with the waterworks system of the city, or lift or remove the covers of any gate valves or shutoffs thereof, without the permission of the superintendent, except in case of fire, and then under the direction of officers of the fire department.
(2) 
To interfere with, destroy, deface, impair, injure, or wantonly force open any gate, or door, or in any way whatsoever destroy, injure, or deface any part of any engine house, reservoir, standpipe, elevated tank, building or buildings, or appurtenances, fences, trees, shrubs, or fixtures or property appertaining to the waterworks system.
(3) 
To go upon or ascend the stairway or steps on any elevated water storage tank or standpipe of the waterworks system, except by permission of the superintendent.
(4) 
To place any telegraph, telephone, electric light pole, or any obstruction whatsoever within three feet (3') of any fire hydrant.
(5) 
To resort to any fraudulent device (i.e., jumper) or arrangement for the purpose of procuring water for himself or others from private connections on premises contrary to the city regulations or ordinances. If at any time two (2) or more such devices are found at the same location, this would result in capping the service line. To reinstate service would require all fees associated with new service and fees associated with removal of the old line be paid up front.
(6) 
To interfere with or injure any reservoir, tank, fountain, hydrant, pipe, cock, valve, or other apparatus pertaining to the waterworks system, or to turn on or off without authority the water in any street hydrant or other water fixture, or to hitch or tie any animal thereto.
(7) 
To make or permit to be made any connections with the main or service pipes of the waterworks system or to turn on or use the water of said system without first obtaining a permit therefor.
(8) 
To cover over or conceal from view any water valve box, service or meter box.
(9) 
To remove any water meter that has been placed by the city, or to in any manner change, interfere with or tamper with any water meter; provided that the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the employees of the city when acting in their official capacity.
(10) 
To turn on the water supply to any building or to any supply pipe where the supply has been turned off for the nonpayment of the monthly water charge or for the violation of any rule or ordinance governing the waterworks system.
(1987 Code, ch. 10, sec. 1J; Ordinance 847, sec. 6, adopted 11/14/06; 2004 Code, sec. 13.110)