Contributions in aid of construction shall not be required of individual residential customers for production, storage, treatment or transmission facilities, except that developers of property to be ultimately subdivided into five (5) or more serviceable lots may be required to provide contributions in aid of construction in amounts to furnish the development with facilities compliant with the department of state health services, city ordinances or other regulatory authority minimum design criteria for production, storage, treatment or transmission facilities. The city may require developers to install facilities which exceed the minimum requirements for a specific subdivision. Such additional requirements will be based on the city's capital improvement plan and shall be coordinated with the developer, the city engineer, the public works director and the planning and zoning committee. The city shall reimburse the developer or share in the cost to the extent of the added cost of such added requirements. This policy shall be consistent and applied in a nondiscriminatory manner.
(Ordinance 904-24 adopted 5/14/2024)
Except in cases where the customer has a contract with the utility for reserve or auxiliary service, no other water service will be used by the customer on the same installation in conjunction with the utility' service.
(Ordinance 904-24 adopted 5/14/2024)
No application, agreement or contract for service may be assigned or transferred without the written consent of the utility.
(Ordinance 904-24 adopted 5/14/2024)
It is agreed and understood that any and all meters, water lines and other equipment furnished by the utility (excepting the customer's individual service lines from the point of connection to the customer's structures on the customer's premises) is and shall remain the sole property of the utility, and nothing contained herein shall be construed to reflect a sale or transfer of any such meters, lines or equipment to any customer. All tap charges shall be for payment for the privilege of connecting to said water lines and for installation, not purchase, of said meters.
(Ordinance 904-24 adopted 5/14/2024)
(a) 
City water main in place abutting user's property.
After proper application made by the applicant, the city shall install a standard water connection at the property line as determined by the city no more than ten feet (10') in distance from the existing water main, unless the customer agrees to pay for the additional extension of the service line.
(b) 
City water main not on or abutting user's property (existing subdivisions).
In the event an applicant desires water service to property which does not currently have city water mains in place, the applicant shall pay the applicable tap fee and deposit. Any facilities so provided shall be the property of the city.
(Ordinance 904-24 adopted 5/14/2024)
The piping and other equipment past the outlet flange of the meter on the premises furnished by the customer will be maintained by the customer at all times in conformity with the requirements of the city and with the service rules and regulations of the city. The customer will bring out his service line to his property line at the point nearest the city's existing meter. No water service smaller than three-quarter inch (3/4") will be connected. The city will not provide a meter cut-off for use by the customer.
(Ordinance 904-24 adopted 5/14/2024)
The city will have the right of access to the customer's premises at all times reasonable for the purpose of installing, inspecting or repairing water mains or other equipment used in connection with its provision of water service, or for the purposes of removing its property and disconnecting lines and for all other purposes, to protect the health and welfare of its customers.
(Ordinance 904-24 adopted 5/14/2024)
(a) 
Generally.
(1) 
Use of meter.
All water sold by the utility shall be charged for by meter measurements, except where otherwise provided for by the applicable rate schedule or contract.
(2) 
Installation.
Unless otherwise authorized by the council, the utility shall provide and install and shall continue to own and maintain all meters necessary for the measurement of water to its customers.
(3) 
Type of meter.
The utility shall not furnish, set up or put in use any meter which is not reliable and of a standard type which meets industry standards; provided, however, special meters not necessarily conforming to such standard types may be used for investigation or experimental purposes.
(b) 
Records.
The utility shall keep the following records:
(1) 
Meter equipment record.
Each utility shall keep a record of all of its meters, showing the customer's address, account number and date of the last test.
(2) 
Records of meter tests.
All meter tests shall be properly referenced to the meter record provided for herein. The record of each test made on a customer's premises or on request of a customer shall show the identifying number and constants of the meter, the standard meter and other measuring devices used, the date and kind of test made, by whom made, the error (or percentage of accuracy) at each load tested, and sufficient data to permit verification of all calculations.
(c) 
Meter reading.
(1) 
Meter unit indication.
In general, each meter shall clearly indicate the gallons of water or other units of service for which charge is made to the customer.
(2) 
Schedule.
As a matter of general practice, service meters shall be read at monthly intervals, and as nearly as possible on the corresponding day of each meter reading period but may be read at other than monthly intervals if the circumstances warrant.
(d) 
Meter tests on request of customer.
The utility shall, upon the request of a customer, make (without charge, if defective) a test of accuracy of the customer's meter by a certified testing laboratory. The charge for meter testing, if the meter is found to be operating properly as defined by the accuracy standards established by the American National Standards Institute or the American Water Works Association, shall be as specified in section 13.01.003. Following the completion of any requested test, the utility shall promptly advise the customer of the date of removal of the meter, the date of the test, the result of the test, and who made the test. Records of the tests and results shall be maintained by the utility and shall be available for customer review.
(e) 
Bill adjustment due to meter error.
If any meter is found to be outside of the accuracy standards established by the American National Standards Institute, incorporated, or the American Water Works Association, proper correction shall be made of previous readings for the period of six (6) months immediately preceding the removal of such meter from service for test, or from the time the meter was in service since last tested, but not exceeding six (6) months, as the meter shall have been shown to be in error by such test, and adjusted bills shall be rendered. No refund is required from the utility except to the customer last served by the meter prior to the testing. If a meter is found not to register for any period, unless bypassed or tampered with, the utility shall make a charge for units used, but not metered, for a period not to exceed six (6) months based on amounts used under similar conditions during the period preceding or subsequent thereto, or during corresponding periods in previous years.
(f) 
Tampering with the utility system.
(1) 
Control of meters.
All meters, cutoffs, goosenecks, valves and meter boxes connected with the city's water main and service pipe, including those furnished at the expense of consumers or property owners, shall remain under the direct control of the city.
(2) 
Tampering with meters.
It shall be unlawful for any person other than those authorized by the city to connect, disconnect, damage, move or tamper with any such meter, or to turn on or off the water at the city's cutoff valve at the meter; or to open or tamper with any meter box.
(3) 
Emergency cutoff valve.
The consumer shall install and have approved an "emergency cutoff" valve no more than three feet (3') from the meter box inside of the property line at a location accessible in case of emergency and shall not use the city's cutoff valve at the meter in lieu thereof. The residential and commercial consumer shall have an approved "emergency cutoff" valve prior to connecting and/or reconnecting to the city's water system for repairs/alterations and new construction.
(4) 
Defacing, breaking into or tampering with utility property.
(A) 
Property.
It shall be unlawful for any person in any manner to deface the houses, walls, machinery or fixtures connected with or pertaining to the city utility and its system.
(B) 
Water system.
It shall be unlawful for any person to break, damage or tamper with any part of the water system of the city for any purpose whatsoever, or in any other manner maliciously interfere with or prevent the running and operation of such system and the water supply therein.
(5) 
Penalty.
Unless otherwise stated in this section, any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be deemed responsible for all damage and replacement costs of damaged items and fined for damaging city property. Fines shall be established by the city council and the replacement cost of equipment shall be the actual replacement cost.
(Ordinance 904-24 adopted 5/14/2024)
In the event any user or customer of the city's utility contacts the city after hours and requests that the water service be temporarily turned off for repairs, etc., or turned back on after a repair, etc., and does not have an emergency cutoff valve, a fee shall be charged to the user or customer for the service. This fee will be set by the city council.
(Ordinance 904-24 adopted 5/14/2024)