The Director in charge of the Water Utility
is authorized to promulgate regulations from time to time to implement
the intent and purpose of this article.
The purpose of this article is to regulate and
control the use of the public water system and to establish the right
of inspection.
Unless the context specifically indicates otherwise,
the meaning of terms used in these regulations shall be as follows:
The applicant for water service at one household, business,
commercial user or industrial user, whether the owner or a tenant.
Any individual, firm, company, partnership, corporation,
association (public or private), group or society, and including the
State of New Jersey, its agencies, districts, commissions and political
subdivisions created by or pursuant to state law.
The Superintendent of the City's Water Utility or his duly
appointed deputy or authorized representative.
Any person who is connected to the public water system and
facilities of the City.
The City Water Utility under the authority and jurisdiction
of the Director in charge thereof.
A.
No person, firm or corporation shall place or cause
to be placed upon or about any fire hydrant any paint, rubbish, building
materials, fence or other obstruction of any character. No guy rope
shall be fastened to any fire hydrant nor shall any vehicle be parked
against any fire hydrant.
B.
No person, firm or corporation shall damage, tamper
with, or in any way use, open or attempt to open any fire hydrant
except for an authorized emergency use under the supervision of either
the Director of Public Safety, or the Director in charge of the Water
Utility, or their designated representative.
A.
Compliance with water rules and regulations required.
All users of the public water system shall comply with the requirements
of the written rules and regulations of the Director in charge of
the Water Utility, which regulations shall become effective upon filing
in the office of the City Clerk after the effective date of this article.
B.
Injury to or tampering with public water facilities.
No person shall maliciously, intentionally, or negligently break,
damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure, appurtenance
or equipment that is part of the public water system of the City of
Millville.
C.
Water meters. It shall be unlawful for any person
to be connected to the public water system without having a properly
installed and properly operating water meter to accurately measure
the water use of the customer.
D.
Maintenance. The customer shall be solely responsible
for all damage to water meters, whether due to freezing or any other
cause, and the meter shall be repaired or replaced at the expense
of the property owner. All persons using water shall keep water pipes
and fixtures within their premises, and the customer service pipe
to the main, in good repair and shall protect them from frost at their
own expense. The customer shall immediately notify the Superintendent
of any damage to a meter or the fact that a meter is not working as
soon as it is known by the customer.
E.
Prohibited acts. No plumber, customer or other unauthorized
person shall turn the water on or off at any corporation stop, curb
stop or meter valve, or disconnect or remove the meter without the
written consent of the Superintendent of the Water Utility, except
when emergency repairs are required.
A.
Inspection. Properly identified and authorized agents
of the Water Utility shall have the right to access to customer premises
at all reasonable hours for the purpose of reading meters, inspecting
meters, installing meters, removing meters, or repairing meters and
for examining fixtures and pipes, observing the manner for using water,
and for any other purpose which is proper and necessary in the conduct
of the operation of the Water Utility.
B.
Water meter requirements. Every water service of every description
within the City, including commercial, industrial, residential, public
and utility, shall be required to have installed on its premises a
water meter of a type as specified and approved by the Superintendent
of the Water Utility.
[Amended 7-2-2013 by Ord. No. 22-2013]
(1)
The Municipal Water Utility shall provide without cost one 5/8-inch
by 3/4-inch water meter per service, without fee. Each additional
5/8-inch by 3/4-inch meter shall be provided at a cost of $150 per
meter. Meters larger than 5/8 inch by 3/4 inch shall be available
at the following costs:
|
Size of Meter
(inches)
|
Cost of Computer Meter with Touch Read Assembly
(per meter)
| |
|---|---|---|
|
1 x 1
|
$300
| |
|
1 1/2 x 1 1/2
|
$725
| |
|
2 x 2
|
$825
|
(2)
Meters larger than two inches shall be furnished and installed by
the customer at the customer's expense, subject to the approval of
the Superintendent of the Water Utility as to the type, size and set.
C.
Calibration. Meters larger than two inches shall be
calibrated at least once very five years by the customer at the customer's
expense subject to the approval of the Superintendent as to the contractor
performing the calibration.
D.
Reporting. As soon as a customer becomes aware of
a defective water meter, defective customer service line, defective
water lateral or defective main, the customer shall notify the Superintendent
of the Water Utility forthwith.
Water meters shall be installed inside buildings,
dwellings, business or industrial establishments, in the basement,
boiler room, utility room, or other suitable location, whenever practicable.
[Amended 7-2-2013 by Ord. No. 22-2013]
A.
When such inside setting is not practicable and a meter is smaller
than one inch in size, the meter may be set at an outside location
upon the payment of an installation fee of $450 payable in advance
of installation.
B.
When such inside setting is not practicable, and the meter is one
inch in size, the meter may be set at an outside location upon the
payment of an installation fee of $500 payable in advance of the installation.
C.
When such inside setting is not practicable, and the meter is 1 1/2
inches in size, the meter may be set at an outside location upon the
payment of an installation fee of $950 payable in advance of installation.
D.
When such inside setting is not practicable, and the meter is two
inches in size, the meter may be set at an outside location upon the
payment of an installation fee of $950 payable in advance of installation.
When it is practicable to set a meter larger
than one inch in size within a building, any valve, bypass or unusual
piping that is required by the Water Utility shall be provided by
the customer at his expense.
Decision as to the practicality and suitability
of location for water meters shall be made by the Superintendent of
the Water Utility, whose decision shall be final.
At any time that the Director in charge of the
Water Utility shall declare that an emergency exists in the water
supply of the City's water system requiring specified measures for
conserving water for any and all uses and for fire protection, the
measures shall remain in effect until the Director in charge of the
Water Utility shall declare that the emergency has ended. During any
emergency, the Director in charge of the Water Utility may adopt regulations
governing the use of water as he or she shall deem necessary to conserve
water within the City. Such regulations may include restrictions on
the use of water for watering lawns, shrubbery, gardens, vegetation,
or the use of water for wetting or washing sidewalks, streets or to
be utilized in private swimming pools, or the washing of automobiles,
or any other use of water that the Director in charge of the Water
Utility may feel it necessary to regulate.
A.
The Director in charge of the Water Utility may discontinue
water service for any of the following reasons:
(1)
Misrepresentation of material facts in an application
for extension of water service.
(2)
Willful waste of water through improper or imperfect
pipes, fixtures, or other appurtenances.
(3)
Use of water for any other property or purpose different
than described in the application for water service.
(4)
Tampering with any service pipe, meter, curb stopcock
or seals, or any other appurtenance owned by the City.
(5)
Vacancy.
(6)
For the failure to pay any connection fee, installation
fee, or water user charge within 30 days of its due date.
(7)
Refusal of reasonable access to the property for purposes
of inspecting, reading, maintaining, installing, or removal of water
meters, or other purposes specified herein.
(8)
Making, or refusing to sever, any cross-connection
between a pipe or fixture carrying water furnished by the City, and
a pipe or fixture carrying water from any other source.
(9)
Failure to repair a defective meter, defective customer
service line, defective water lateral, or other defective appurtenance
within a reasonable time after written notice has been given by the
Superintendent of the Water Utility.
B.
In addition to the foregoing, the Superintendent shall
have the right to cut off the water supply temporarily to make necessary
repairs or connections in the event of a breakdown, emergency, or
for any other unavoidable cause. The Superintendent, however, will
use all reasonable and practicable measures to notify the customer
of such discontinuance of service.
C.
Disconnection and reconnection fee. The Superintendent
is authorized to charge the customer $25 for disconnection of service
and an additional $25 for reconnection of service. This fee shall
be collected in the same manner as other charges.
The customer shall be responsible for the entire
cost of the installation of the customer service line. Additionally,
the customer shall maintain the customer service line in good working
order at all times. All leaks in the service line or any other pipe
or fixture in or upon the premises owned by the customer shall be
repaired as soon as practicable. The customer shall be responsible
for notifying the Superintendent as to any maintenance work to be
performed prior to the work being commenced, and furthermore, shall
notify the Superintendent of the party engaged by the customer to
do the maintenance work. Neither the customer nor the party engaged
to do the work shall backfill any trench until the work has been inspected
and approved by the Construction Official or Plumbing Inspector or
their designated representatives. Any work or material found to be
not acceptable by the Construction Official or Plumbing Inspector
shall be removed and replaced.
A.
Notice of violation. Whenever the Director in charge of the Water Utility or the Superintendent finds that any person has violated or is violating the regulations contained in this article, or any regulation adopted pursuant to § 56-39, the Superintendent may serve upon such person written notice stating the nature of the violation and providing a reasonable time, not to exceed 30 days, for the satisfactory correction thereof.
B.
Order to show cause. If the violation is not corrected
by timely compliance, the Director in charge of the Water Utility
may issue an order directed to the offending person requiring said
person to show cause before the Public Works Committee why an order
should not be made directing any or all of the following actions to
be taken:
[Amended 4-2-2002 by Ord. No. 13-2002]
(1)
The termination of service;
(2)
The requirement that immediate installation of facilities
be made to ensure compliance; and/or
(3)
The payment of the additional cost incurred by the
Water Utility as a result of the violation.
(4)
An administrative fee of $25 shall be assessed to
cover the cost of preparing and mailing the order to show cause.
C.
Hearing. The Public Works Committee shall conduct
a hearing no sooner than 10 days after service of the order to show
cause. The Public Works Committee shall consist of the Utilities Collector
or designee, the Sewer Utility Superintendent or designee, the Water
Utility Superintendent or designee, the City Clerk or designee, and
the Chief Financial Officer or designee. A quorum of three persons
shall be required to conduct a hearing. The Public Works Committee
shall report its decision in each case to the Board of Commissioners
with a recommendation for a resolution to be adopted by the Board
at the next regularly scheduled Commission meeting after the hearing
has been completed.
D.
Violations and penalties. Notwithstanding any other
provision contained herein, the Municipal Court shall have concurrent
jurisdiction to hear alleged violations of this article. Any person
who is convicted of violating any of the provisions of this article
or regulations adopted pursuant thereto, or an order of the Board
of Commissioners lawfully issued pursuant to the provisions of this
subsection, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000, or community
service for a period not to exceed 90 days, or incarceration for a
period not to exceed 90 days, or any combination of the foregoing
in the sole discretion of the Municipal Court Judge. Each day that
a violation occurs or continues after notice has been served shall
be deemed a separate and distinct offense.
The customer shall be responsible for the entire cost of the installation of the water lateral and service pipe and replacement. The customer shall be responsible for notifying the Superintendent as to any maintenance work to be performed prior to the work being commenced, and furthermore, shall notify the Superintendent of the party engaged by the customer to perform the maintenance work. If any street or sidewalk is to be excavated within the right-of-way, the customer shall comply with the provisions contained in Chapter 61, Streets and Roads Department, of the Municipal Code. The work to be performed is subject to the inspection and approval of the Superintendent.
