The word "premises" is defined to include any structure,
building, residence, house or other establishment using water; and
in the case of any lot or parcel of land on which there is more than
one structure, building, residence or house shall be considered as
separate premises and shall be metered separately; in cases where
there is a business and a residence in one building or structure or
under one roof, each such separate business quarters and residences
quarters shall be considered as separate premises, and charges shall
be made to each such separate premises for water supplied to each
such separate premises irrespective of number of, or size of, meters.
This same requirement shall apply to apartments and multiple dwelling
units, i.e., charges shall be made to each unit irrespective of number
of, size of, meters.
(Ord. 82-14, 1982)
A.
Water
System. The City of Plymouth has heretofore, since the first day of
June, 1952 and does now own and operate a municipal water system.
B.
Clerk.
The Clerk of the City of Plymouth shall be the Clerk of the municipal
water system.
(Ord. 82-14, 1982)
A.
The
City of Plymouth will furnish and install a water meter at the property
line of persons requesting water service. Before any meter shall be
installed, all service lines must complete from the City's main
to the property line, as determined by the Public Works Department.
The following schedule of costs shall be paid by persons requesting
such service connection:
|
5/8″ standard dwelling unit meter
|
$125.00
|
|
Special inspections
|
25.00
|
|
Service lines or mains
|
Time & material
|
The City shall charge the costs of time and materials
for all services in excess of the installation of the meter at the
size above set forth.
B.
Before
any water shall be delivered to any premises not receiving water service,
an application upon a form to be supplied by the City Clerk shall
be made and a deposit equal to two monthly charges, plus $25, shall
be paid to the City Clerk to be credited on the closing bill.
(Ord. 82-14, 1982; Ord. 99-03 § 1, 1999)
For services outside the City, line turn-offs and/or meters
will be placed at a point near the City limits line and all pipe lines
beyond said City limits shall be constructed and maintained by the
person or persons to whom service is rendered. Applications for all
services outside the City must be approved by the City Council. The
rate to be paid for all water service furnished beyond the City limits
shall be negotiated.
(Ord. 82-14, 1982)
Any extension of existing City water mains or line shall be
at the cost of the owner of the property to be served, and shall become
the property of the City. Extensions completed by the property owner
shall be pre-approved and inspected by the Public Works Department.
(Ord. 82-14, 1982; Ord. 99-03 § 1, 1999)
All water connections made to the water distribution system
shall be metered.
(Ord. 82-14, 1982)
Whenever a meter is determined to be inoperative, the bill for
water services shall be determined by averaging the bills for the
prior six months of metered usage. In the event that there is not
six months of prior metered service available, the bill shall be the
average of however many months prior metered service are available.
(Ord. 2002-02 § 1)
All water services must be provided with an independent shut-off
valve on the property side of the service, installed and paid for
by the user; and in order to expedite necessary replacement and repair,
the user shall provide shut-off valves in front of all faucets and
taps upon the premises served.
(Ord. 82-14, 1982)
A.
No
unauthorized person shall turn on or off, or otherwise molest, any
City-owned water line or service cock, tap or seal.
B.
No
person shall connect any pipe or instrument with any City-owned main
or pipe for purpose of taking water therefrom with intent to evade
payment therefor.
(Ord. 97-13 § 1, 1997)
A.
Every
customer of the water system shall pay a monthly service charge based
on meter size and pay for water consumed consistent with the following
rate schedule:
|
City of Plymouth Water Rate Schedule
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
FY 05-06
|
FY 06-07
|
FY 07-08
|
FY 08-09
|
FY 09-10
|
FY 10-11
|
|
Uniform Commodity Rate ($/CCF1)
|
$3.43
|
$3.43
|
$3.43
|
$3.43
|
$3.97
|
$4.61
|
|
Monthly Service Charges ($/month)
| ||||||
|
3/4″ meter
|
$1.00
|
$7.77
|
$15.60
|
$24.70
|
$28.65
|
$33.23
|
|
1″ meter
|
$1.23
|
$12.48
|
$25.47
|
$40.58
|
$47.07
|
$54.60
|
|
1 1/2″ meter
|
$1.93
|
$24.16
|
$49.94
|
$79.93
|
$92.72
|
$107.56
|
|
2″ meter
|
$2.80
|
$38.23
|
$79.42
|
$127.34
|
$147.72
|
$171.35
|
|
3″ meter
|
|
$71.08
|
$148.26
|
$238.05
|
$276.13
|
$320.32
|
|
4″ meter
|
$7.37
|
$117.99
|
$246.58
|
$396.16
|
$459.55
|
$533.08
|
|
6″ meter
|
$12.09
|
$235.18
|
$492.16
|
$791.10
|
$917.67
|
$1,064.50
|
|
Note:
| |
|
1.
|
1 CCF = 100 cubic feet = 748 gallons.
|
B.
Exemptions.
Every customer may be exempted from payment of any charge imposed
by this section upon written request of the customer to be voluntarily
disconnected from the water system and payment of a disconnection
charge not to exceed the actual cost of removing the water meter and
disconnecting from the water system. Provided, however, that exemption
of users served by a master meter shall require the disconnection
of all users served by the same master meter.
C.
Any
future new or increased fees or charges for water service may be adopted
by resolution.
(Ord. 2006-05 § 4; Ord. 2021-01 § 3)
A.
The
physical properties comprising the water system, have been, and are
in an advanced state of disrepair; the supply and quality of water
to be used for domestic purposes is not, because of a lack of proper
filtering and treatment facilities, presently or prospectively adequate
for the health, safety and general welfare of the residents of the
City of Plymouth. The reconstruction, rehabilitation and augmentation
of such water facilities will inure to the benefit of the entire City,
regardless of whether individual parcels are currently served by the
water system, provided such parcels are in proximity to the water
system and water is made immediately available to such parcels upon
demand.
In addition, such parcels benefit from the availability of fire
services regardless of whether individual parcels are currently served
by the water system, provided such parcels are in proximity to the
water system.
(Ord. 2003-03 § 2)
Monthly water bills for water services shall be due and payable on the first day of the month following the close of the billing period, and shall be delinquent if not paid within 15 days from that date. Upon delinquency, a penalty of 10% of the balance due for that billing period shall be charged. When the water service is disconnected for nonpayment of any bill, service shall not be resumed until all prior charges have been paid in full, including the late penalty plus a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) reconnection charge. Under an account established by a tenant for residential use, the City shall not seek to recover any charges or penalties for the furnishing of water to or for the tenant for the tenant's residential use from any subsequent tenant due to nonpayment of charges by a previous tenant. The term "subsequent tenant" shall not include any adult person who lived at the residence during the period that the charges or penalties accrued. Service to subsequent tenants shall not be furnished on the account of the landlord or property owner unless the property owner consents through a written agreement. This section shall not prohibit the City from recovering unpaid service charges and/or penalties assessed against tenants from property owners. The City may use any and all legal remedies available to collect unpaid charges and/or penalties from tenants and/or property owners, including, but not limited to, the procedures set forth in Chapter 13.25 of this Code related to unpaid sewer charges being placed on the tax roll.
(Ord. 82-14, 1982; Res. 91-2, 1991; Ord. 96-14 § 1, 1996; Ord. 2016-02 §
1)
The City may discontinue water service for any of the following
reasons:
A.
Delinquency
in the payment of any bill, except that residential service shall
not be discontinued for nonpayment in any of the following situations:
1.
During
the pendency of any investigation by the City of a customer dispute
or complaint,
2.
When
a customer has been granted an extension of the period for payment
of a bill,
3.
On
the certification of a licensed physician that to discontinue service
will be life-threatening to the customer and the customer is financially
unable to pay for service within the normal payment period and the
customer is willing to enter into an amortization agreement with the
City to amortize, over a period not to exceed 12 months, the unpaid
balance of any bill asserted to be beyond the means of the customer
to pay within the normal payment period;
B.
The
unauthorized taking of water or the taking of water in excess of the
amount paid for;
C.
Failure
of the customer to maintain his or her facilities in a suitable condition
to prevent waste of water;
D.
Violation
by the customer of such other City rules or regulations, as may be
hereafter specified by the City.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
A.
Prior
to any proposed discontinuance of residential service for nonpayment
of a delinquent account, and at least 19 days after the date of mailing
the City's bill for such service, the City shall mail a notice,
postage prepaid, to the customer to whom the service is billed. The
notice shall advise the customer of the delinquency and the impending
proposed discontinuance of service. Service may not be discontinued
sooner than 15 days after the City's mailing of such notice
of delinquency and intent to discontinue service.
B.
In addition to the 15 day notice referenced in subsection A of this section, the City shall make a reasonable, good faith effort to contact an adult person residing at the premises of the customer by telephone or in person at least 24 hours prior to any discontinuance of service. If telephone or personal contact cannot be made, the City shall give, by mail, in person, or by posting in a conspicuous location on the premises, a second notice of discontinuance of service, at least 48 hours prior to discontinuance.
C.
Every
notice of discontinuance of service required by this section, shall
include the following information:
1.
The
name and address of the customer whose account is delinquent;
2.
The
amount of the delinquency;
3.
The
date by which payment or arrangements for payment is required in order
to avoid the discontinuance;
4.
The
procedure by which the customer may initiate a complaint or request
an investigation concerning service or charges, unless the City's
bill for services contains a description of that procedure;
5.
The
procedure by which the customer may request amortization of the unpaid
charges;
6.
The
procedure for the customer to obtain information on the availability
of financial assistance, including private, local, State or Federal
sources, if applicable;
7.
The
telephone number of a City representative who can provide additional
information or institute arrangements for payment.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
A.
Whenever
the City furnishes residential service through a master meter in a
multi-unit residential structure, mobilehome park or farm labor camp
where the owner, manager or farm labor employer is listed by the City
as the customer of record, the City shall make every good-faith effort
to inform the residential occupants, by means of a written notice
posted on the door of each residential unit at least 15 days prior
to discontinuance, when the account is delinquent, that service will
be discontinued on a date specified in the notice. If it is not reasonable
or practical to post the notice on the door of each residential unit,
the City shall post two copies of the notice in each accessible common
area at each point of access to the structure or structures. The notice
shall also inform the residential occupants that they have the right
to become City customers, to whom service will then be billed, without
being required to pay the amount due under the delinquent account.
The notice shall also specify in plain language: (1) what the residential
occupants are required to do in order to prevent discontinuance or
reestablish service; (2) the estimated monthly cost of service; (3)
the title, address and telephone number of a representative of the
City who can assist the residential occupants in continuing service;
and (4) the address and telephone number of a legal services project
as defined in Section 6213 of the Business and Professions Code which
has been recommended by the Amador County Bar Association. The notice
shall be in English and, to the extent practical, in any other language
that the City determines is the primary language spoken by a significant
number of the residential occupants.
B.
Nothing
in this section shall require the City to make service available to
residential occupants unless each residential occupant agrees to the
City's terms and conditions of service and meets the requirements
of the City's rules and regulations. If one or more residential
occupant is willing and able to assume responsibility for the entire
account to the satisfaction of the City, or if there is a physical
means, legally available to the City, of selectively discontinuing
service to those residential occupants who have not met the requirements
of the City's rules and regulations, the City shall make service
available to the residential occupants who have met those requirements.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
A.
Whenever
the City furnishes any individually metered residential service to
residential occupants in a multi-unit residential structure, mobilehome
park or permanent residential structures in a labor camp, as defined
in Section 17008 of the Health and Safety Code, where the owner, manager
or operator is listed by the City as the customer of record, the City
shall make every good-faith effort to inform the residential occupants,
by means of a notice, when the account is delinquent, that service
will be discontinued in 10 days. The notice shall further inform the
residential occupants that they have the right to become customers
of the City without being required to pay the amount due on the delinquent
account.
B.
Nothing
in this section shall require the City to make service available to
residential occupants unless each residential occupant agrees to the
terms and conditions of service, and meets the requirements of law
and the City's rules. If one or more residential occupants is
willing and able to assume responsibility for the entire account to
the satisfaction of the City, or if there is a physical means, legally
available to the City, of selectively discontinuing service to the
residential occupants who have not met the requirements of the City's
rules, the City shall make service available to the residential occupants
who meet the requirements.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
Any residential customer: (A) who has initiated a complaint or requested an investigation, within five days of receiving the disputed bill; or (B) who has requested an extension of the payment period within 13 days of the mailing of the notice required by Section 14.08.112, of a bill asserted to be beyond the means of the customer to pay in full during the normal period for payment, shall be given an opportunity for review of the complaint, investigation or request by an appropriate City representative. The review shall include consideration of whether the customer shall be permitted to amortize the unpaid balance of the account over a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 12 months. Any complaint or investigation pursuant to this section which has resulted in an adverse determination by the City representative may be appealed to the City Council within 10 days of the adverse decision.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
If an amortization agreement is authorized by the City Council,
no discontinuance of service shall be effected for any residential
customer complying with such agreement, if the customer also keeps
the account current as charges accrue in each subsequent billing period.
If a residential customer fails to comply with an amortization agreement,
the City shall not discontinue service without giving notice to the
customer at least 48 hours prior to discontinuance of the conditions
the customer is required to meet to avoid discontinuance, but the
notice shall not entitle the customer to further investigation by
the City.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
Except in emergency situations covered by Section 14.08.119.5, at least 10 days before discontinuing nonresidential service, the City shall provide the customer with a written notice which shall specify the reason for the proposed discontinuance and inform the customer of the procedure for and the availability of the opportunity to discuss the reason for the proposed discontinuance with a City representative who is empowered to review disputes, to rectify errors and to settle controversies pertaining to such proposed discontinuance of service. The name and phone number of such representative shall be included in any such notice of proposed discontinuance given to a customer.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
The City shall make available to its residential customers who are 65 years of age or older, or who are dependent adults as defined in Welfare and Institutions Code Section 15610(b), a third-party notification service, whereby, in addition to the notification provided pursuant to Section 14.08.112, the City will attempt to notify a person designated by the customer to receive notification when the customer's account is past due and subject to discontinuance. The notification shall include information on what is required to prevent discontinuance of service. The residential customer shall make a request for third-party notification on a form provided by the City, and shall include the written consent of the designated third party. The notification does not obligate the third party to pay the overdue charges, nor shall it prevent or delay discontinuance of service.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
No water service shall be discontinued to any customer because
of any delinquency in payment on any Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday,
or at any time during which the City's business office is not
open to the public.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,
water service may be discontinued immediately without notice for any
situation which presents an immediate health hazard to the public
water system. The water service shall be locked and remain inactive
until corrective action has been approved by the City. The City shall
attempt to contact the customer by telephone and shall mail a certified
letter to the customer as soon as reasonably possible to set forth
the reasons for the emergency.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
The water charges herein specified will be charged against vacant or untenanted buildings unless written notice of the vacancy and a request for discontinuance of service is made at the office of the City Clerk, in which case Section 14.08.100 hereof would apply and the meter disconnected. In the case of apartments or multiple dwellings its minimum rate shall apply when the individual unit vacant is served by a separate meter.
(Ord. 96-14 § 2, 1996)
