The rates, rules and regulations for the City utilities shall be those on file with and approved by the Public Service Commission, which are adopted by reference in their entirety and made part of this article. Any future amendments, revisions or modifications of the Public Service Commission approved rates, rules and regulations for City utilities incorporated herein are intended to be made part of this article.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Secs. 9-1-2, Delinquent utility bills, and 9-1-3, Electric meter testing, which immediately followed this section, were repealed 1-25-2000 by Ord. No. 00-3.
A. 
It is hereby declared a rule of the Rice Lake Utility that delinquent charges for electricity, water, wastewater and garbage shall be imposed as a special charge against the property served, pursuant to W.S.A. s. 66.60(16), as amended from time to time, which statute is hereby incorporated by reference. This rule, however, shall not preclude the collection of delinquent charges by any other means permitted by law.
B. 
Prior to imposing charges as a special assessment against property served, notice of the delinquent bill shall be sent to both the customer and the property owner advising that if the bill is not paid within 30 days of the date of the notice, the bill will be placed on the property tax roll as a delinquent tax for collection. If the bill is not so paid within the 30 days allotted, it shall be placed on the property tax roll pursuant to W.S.A. s. 66.60(16)(b) and this section.
[Amended 1-25-2000 by Ord. No. 00-3; 10-13-2015 by Ord. No. 15-05]
A. 
Definition of cross-connection. A cross-connection is defined as any physical connection or arrangement between two otherwise separate systems, one of which contains potable water from the City of Rice Lake's public water system, and the other of which contains water from a private source, water of unknown or questionable safety, or steam, gases, or chemicals, whereby there may be a flow from one system to the other, with the direction of flow depending on the pressure differential between the two systems.
B. 
Unprotected cross-connections prohibited. No person, firm, or corporation may establish or maintain, or permit to be established or maintained, any unprotected cross-connection. Cross-connections shall be protected as required in Ch. SPS 382, Wisconsin Administrative Code.
C. 
Inspection. The Water Utility may inspect, or arrange for an inspection of, property served by the public water system for cross-connections. The frequency of inspections shall be established by the Water Utility in accordance with Wisconsin Administrative Code. Any unprotected cross-connections identified by the inspection shall be promptly corrected. Failure to promptly correct an unprotected cross-connection shall be sufficient cause for the Water Utility to discontinue water service to the property, as provided under Subsection F of this section.
D. 
Right of entry. Upon presentation of credentials, a representative of the Water Utility shall have the right to request entry, at any reasonable time, to a property served by a connection to the public water system for the purpose of inspecting the property for cross-connections. Refusing entry to such utility representative shall be sufficient cause for the Water Utility to discontinue water service to the property, as provided under Subsection F of this section. If entry is refused, a special inspection warrant under § 66.0119 of the Wisconsin Statutes may be obtained.
E. 
Provision of requested information. The Water Utility may request an owner, lessee, or occupant of property served by a connection to the public water system to furnish the Water Utility with pertinent information regarding the piping systems on the property. Refusing to provide requested information shall be sufficient cause for the Water Utility to discontinue water service to the property, as provided under Subsection F of this section.
F. 
Discontinuance of water for violation. The Water Utility may discontinue water service to any property wherein any unprotected connection in violation of this section exists and take other precautionary measures deemed necessary to eliminate any danger of contamination of the public water system. Water service may be discontinued, however, only after reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing under Chapter 68, Wis. Stats., except as provided in Subsection G of this section. Water service to such property shall not be restored until the unprotected cross-connection has been eliminated.
G. 
Emergency discontinuance. If it is determined by the Water Utility that an unprotected cross-connection or emergency endangers public health, safety, or welfare and requires immediate action, and if a written finding to that effect is filed with the City Clerk and delivered to the customer's premises, water service may be immediately discontinued. The customer shall have an opportunity for hearing under Chapter 68, Wisconsin Statutes, within 10 days of such emergency discontinuance. Water service to such property shall not be restored until the unprotected cross-connection has been eliminated.
A. 
Any structure hereafter built or moved within the City of Rice Lake requiring the installation of water meters shall be so constructed that the remote reading device connected to the water meter shall be located outside of the building and shall be easily accessible to the personnel of the Water Utility of the City of Rice Lake.
B. 
The Water Utility of the City of Rice Lake is hereby authorized to alter all water meters presently located inside of any building within the City of Rice Lake so that a remote reading device connected to said water meter is outside of such building in a location convenient and accessible to the personnel of the City of Rice Lake Water Utility. The cost of such alteration shall be paid for out of utility funds of the Rice Lake Water Utility.
[Amended 1-25-2000 by Ord. No. 00-3]
C. 
The Water Utility of the City of Rice Lake reserves the right to determine the type, location and number of remote reading devices required for any service.
[Amended 10-13-2015 by Ord. No. 15-04]
A. 
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to protect public health, safety and welfare and to prevent contamination of water supplies by assuring that unused, unsafe or noncompliant wells or wells which may act as conduits for contamination of groundwater or wells which may be illegally cross-connected to the municipal water system are properly maintained or properly filled and sealed.
B. 
Applicability. This section applies to all wells located on premises served by the Rice Lake Utilities municipal water system. Communities outside the jurisdiction of a supplying municipal system are also required by code, contract agreement, or utility rule to adopt and enforce equivalent ordinances within their jurisdictions for purpose stated in Subsection A above.
C. 
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
COMMUNITIES SERVED
Any jurisdiction having customers supplied by a municipal water system as retail or wholesale customers, including those outside the jurisdiction of the supplying system.
MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM
A community water system owned by a city, village, county, town, town sanitary district, utility district, public inland lake and rehabilitation district, municipal water district or a federal, state, county, or municipal owned institution for congregate care or correction, or a privately owned Water Utility serving the foregoing.
NONCOMPLIANT
A well or pump installation which does not comply with § NR 812.42, Wisconsin Administrative Code, Standards for Existing Installations, and which has not been granted a variance pursuant to § NR 812.43, Wisconsin Administrative Code.
PUMP INSTALLATION
The pump and related equipment used for withdrawing water from a well, including the discharge piping, the underground connections, pitless adapters, pressure tanks, pits, sampling faucets and well seals or caps.
SERVED BY
Any property having a water supply pipe extending onto it which is connected to the municipal water system.
UNSAFE WELL OR PUMP INSTALLATION
One which produces water which is bacteriologically contaminated or contaminated with other substances exceeding the drinking water standards of Chs. NR 140 or 809, Wisconsin Administrative Code, or for which a health advisory has been issued by the Department of Natural Resources.
UNUSED WELL
One which does not have a functional pumping system or other complying means of withdrawing water.
WELL
A drillhole or other excavation or opening deeper than it is wide that extends more than 10 feet below the ground surface constructed for the purpose of obtaining groundwater.
WELL ABANDONMENT
The proper filling and sealing or decommissioning of a well according to the provisions of § NR 812.26, Wisconsin Administrative Code.
D. 
Well abandonment required. All wells on premises served by the municipal water system shall be properly filled and sealed in accordance with Subsection F of this section by no later than 90 days from the date of connection to the municipal water system, or discovery or construction of a well, unless a valid well operation permit has been issued to the well owner by the City of Rice Lake under terms of Subsection E of this section.
E. 
Well operation permit. Owners of wells on premises served by the municipal water system shall make application for a well operation permit for each well no later than 90 days after connection to the municipal water system or date of discovery or construction of a well. The City of Rice Lake shall grant a permit to a well owner to operate a well for a period not to exceed five years, providing all conditions of this section are met. A well operation permit may be renewed by submitting an application verifying that the conditions of this section are met. The City of Rice Lake or its agent may conduct inspections and water quality tests or require inspections and water quality tests to be conducted at the applicant's expense to obtain or verify information necessary for consideration of a permit application or renewal. Permit applications and renewals shall be made on forms provided by the Clerk. All initial and renewal applications must be accompanied by a fee to be set annually by the Rice Lake Common Council. The following conditions must be met for issuance or renewal of a well operation permit:
(1) 
The well and pump installation shall comply with the Standards for Existing Installations described in § NR 812.42, Wisconsin Administrative Code, or repaired to comply with current standards. Compliance shall be verified by inspection for initial issuance of a permit and every 10 years thereafter. Inspections shall be conducted by a Wisconsin-licensed well driller or pump installer and documented on inspection report form DNR No. 3300-221, to be submitted to the Clerk.
(2) 
The well and pump shall have a history of producing safe water evidenced by a certified lab report for at least one coliform bacteria sample collected within the prior 30 days and submitted to the Clerk. In areas where the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has determined that groundwater aquifers are contaminated with substances other than bacteria, additional chemical tests may be required to document the safety of the water.
(3) 
There shall be no cross-connections or interconnection between the well's pump installation or distribution piping and the municipal water system unless approved by the utility and DNR.
(4) 
The water from the private well shall not discharge into a drain leading directly to a public sewer utility unless properly metered and authorized by the Sewer Utility.
(5) 
The private well shall have a functional pumping system or other complying means of withdrawing water.
(6) 
The proposed use of the private well shall be justified as reasonable in addition to water provided by the municipal water system.
F. 
Well filling and sealing procedures.
(1) 
All wells abandoned under the jurisdiction of this section shall be filled and sealed according to the procedures of § NR 812.26 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
(2) 
All well filling and sealing under jurisdiction of this section shall be performed by, or under the supervision of, a certified water system operator employed by Rice Lake Utilities or by a Wisconsin-licensed well driller or pump installer, per § 280.30, Wisconsin Statutes.
(3) 
The owner of the well, or the owner's agent, shall notify the clerk at least 48 hours in advance of any well abandonment activities. The abandonment of the well may be observed or verified by a representative of Rice Lake Utilities.
(4) 
A well filling and sealing report form DNR No. 3300-005, supplied by the Department of Natural Resources, shall be submitted by the well owner to the Clerk and to the Department of Natural Resources within 30 days of the completion of the well abandonment.
G. 
Penalties. Any well owner violating any provision of this section shall, upon conviction, be punished by forfeiture of not less than $50 nor more than $250 and the cost of prosecution. Each day of violation is a separate offense. If any person fails to comply with this section for more than 30 days after receiving written notice of the violation, the municipality may impose a penalty and cause the well abandonment to be performed and the expense to be assessed as a special tax against the property.