A.
Schedule. The schedule of water rates and charges
to users within the Village established by the Village with the approval
of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission shall be on file with the
Clerk-Treasurer.
B.
Payments. The charges for water shall be due and collectible
semiannually on the first days of February and August, respectively.
Any charges due and not paid on or before February 20 and August 20,
respectively, of each year shall be subject to a penalty as determined
by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. Delinquent water charges
existing at the time of issuance of tax bills shall be added thereto
as provided by statute.
A.
Operation of valves and hydrants. No person shall,
without authority of the Utility Manager, operate any valve connected
with the street or supply mains, or open any fire hydrant connected
with the distribution system (except for the purpose of extinguishing
fire or fire training), or wantonly injure or impair the same. Permits
for the use of hydrants for filling sprinkling cans shall apply only
to such hydrants as are designated for such use.
[Amended 3-8-2005]
B.
Emergency and occasional service. No water shall be
used for construction work except pursuant to authorization from the
Utility Manager. No employee of the Utility shall turn on water for
construction work unless the owner or contractor has first presented
a permit. Upon completion of the construction work, the owner shall
pay for water consumed as determined by the Utility Manager.
C.
Inspection of premises. Any officer or authorized
employee of the Utility shall have the right of access during reasonable
hours to the premises supplied with the service for the purpose of
inspection or for the enforcement of the Utility's rules and regulations.
D.
Vacation of premises. When premises are to be vacated,
the Utility shall be notified in writing at once so that it may remove
the meter and shut off the water supply at the curb cock. The owner
of the premises shall be liable to prosecution for any damage to the
property of the Utility by reason of failure to notify the Utility
of vacancy.
[Amended 3-8-2005]
A.
Water mains and service pipes in the construction
of sewer or other trenches. Where excavating machines are used in
digging sewers and any other underground utility, all water mains
shall be maintained at the expense of the party performing the work,
which shall ascertain for itself the existence and location of all
service pipes. Where water mains are removed, cut or damaged in the
course of construction, the party performing the work shall, at its
own expense, cause them to be replaced or repaired at once. No water
service pipe shall be shut off from any consumer for a period exceeding
six hours without the consumer's consent.
B.
Settling main or service trenches. Trenches in streets
shall be refilled with appropriate compactible fill which shall be
compacted to at least 95% of its maximum dry compaction.
C.
Tapping mains. No person, unless authorized by the
Utility, shall be permitted to tap or make any connection with any
street main or distribution pipe, and the work shall be done in accordance
with the provisions of the authorization.
D.
Permit for water use; contract. No water shall be
used without a proper permit. Parties desiring to obtain water on
their premises shall make formal application and sign an application
card or permit which shall constitute a contract for the specific
use of the water supplied, and such contracts shall incorporate these
regulations by reference.
E.
Service connections.
(1)
Contract. Each applicant for water service shall,
at the time of making application for such service, execute and deliver
to the Utility a contract for such water service, agreeing to install
at the applicant's expense a pipe from the curbline to the place on
each piece of waste-using property where such water is desired and
to make payment for such water service when a bill is rendered.
(2)
Existing service connections; permits. Any permit
given for water service shall require that not more than one dwelling
house or other unit shall be served by one connection. Whenever permanent
street improvements are made or whenever service pipes are replaced
and there exist conditions contrary to the foregoing sentence, the
service shall be made to conform.
(3)
All connections to the public water mains between
the property line and the water mains shall be installed by Village
forces, Village contractor, or plumbers or contractors qualified by
the Director of Public Works for that category of construction, or
contract under the supervision of the Public Works Committee.
[Added 5-11-2004]
(4)
Service connections and other attachments to any of
the water mains shall be made in conformity with the rules and regulations
of the Public Works Committee.
[Added 5-11-2004]
F.
Laying services. Two services shall not be connected
to one tap; each building shall have a separate tap and service pipe
laid not less than four feet below the surface after the street is
brought to a grade. Each service shall be provided with a stop cock
and metal extension box outside of the premises. Supply pipes shall
not be laid across any connecting adjoining premises, whether owned
by the same or different parties. Every service pipe where it enters
the cellar shall be furnished with a stop and waste cock so situated
below the action of frost that the water can be completely shut off
and drained from the pipes when necessary to prevent freezing.
G.
Contributions from customers to cover the cost of
services from main to curb and meter installations.
(1)
Each applicant for water service shall, at the time
of application for service, pay an amount sufficient to cover the
cost of the service from main to curb.
(2)
Extra charges may be demanded to cover cost of digging
when the ground is frozen and to cover meter boxes where needed. The
sizes and type of services and meters installed shall be determined
by a representative of the Village. All services from the main to
the curb and all meters shall be owned by the Village and maintenance
and replacement thereof shall be paid for by the Village.
H.
Repairs to services. The service pipe from the main
to the curb shall be maintained and kept in repair at the expense
of the Utility. However, the consumer shall maintain the service pipe
from the curb to the point of use. If a consumer fails to repair a
leaky or broken service pipe from curb to the house within such time
as may appear reasonable to the Utility Manager after notification
has been served on the consumer by the Utility Manager, the water
shall be shut off and shall not be turned on again until the repairs
have been completed.
I.
Thawing frozen services. Frozen services shall be
thawed out by and at the expense of the Utility except where the freezing
was caused by the fault or negligence of the consumer, such as reduction
of the grade or undue exposure of the piping in the building or on
the consumer's property or failure to comply with the Utility's specifications
and requirements as to depth of service, lack of sufficient backfill
or other similar acts of neglect. Following the freezing of a service,
the Utility shall take such steps and issue such instructions as may
be necessary to prevent the freezing of the same service. No charge
shall be made for rethawing if the instructions are followed. If it
is necessary to allow the water to flow to prevent refreezing, the
consumer shall make provision for proper disposal of the wastewater.
For the period in which the water is allowed to run, the consumer
shall be billed according to his meter reading but not to exceed the
average amount paid in the corresponding billing periods of the previous
two years. New consumers shall be charged the average bill for other
consumers of the same class receiving service under comparable conditions.
J.
Turning on water. Water shall not be turned on for
a consumer except by a duly authorized employee of the Utility. When
a plumber or other workman has completed a job he shall leave the
water turned off, but this provision shall not prevent him from testing
his work.
K.
Repairs to mains.
(1)
The Utility may temporarily shut off the water in
the mains to make repairs, alterations or additions to the plant or
system. When the circumstances permit a sufficient delay, the Utility
shall notify consumers affected of the discontinuance of the supply.
No rebate or damages shall be allowed to consumers for such temporary
suspension of supply.
(2)
No claims shall be allowed against the Village on
account of the interruption of the water supply caused by the breaking
of pipes or machinery or by the stoppage for repairs or by stoppage
or recession of flow or on account of fire or other emergency, nor
shall any claims be allowed for any damages caused by the breaking
of any pipe or machinery.
[Added 5-11-2004]
L.
Installation of meters. Meters shall be installed
by the consumer's plumber and shall not be disconnected or interfered
with by the consumer. All meters shall be so located that they shall
be free from obstructions and easily accessible for reading and inspection.
The location shall be designated by the Utility. All piping within
the building shall be supplied by the consumer.
M.
Repairs to meters. Meters shall be repaired by the
Utility, and the cost of such repairs caused by ordinary wear and
tear shall be borne by the Utility. However, any damage to a meter
resulting from the carelessness or negligence of the owner of the
premises, his agent or tenant, including any damage that may result
from negligence in permitting the water in a meter to freeze or injury
to the meter caused by hot water or steam, shall be repaired at the
expense of the consumer.
N.
Surreptitious use of water. When the Utility has reasonable
evidence that a consumer is obtaining his supply of water, in whole
or in part, by means of devices or methods used to stop or interfere
with the proper metering of the utility service delivered to his equipment,
the Utility may estimate and present immediately a bill for the service
which was not metered as a result of such interference.
O.
Complaint meter tests. If a consumer demands that
a test be made of his meter in addition to the periodic or installation
test, he shall pay a test fee as set by the Village Board per inch
of nominal size or fraction thereof. If the meter is found fast in
excess of 2%, the payment for the test shall be refunded and adjustment
made in the past bills.
A.
Unit of service. A unit of service shall consist of
any space or area occupied for a distinct purpose, such as an apartment,
flat, store, office or factory, which is equipped with one or more
fixtures for rendering water service, separate and distinct from other
users. Each unit of service shall be regarded as one consumer and
the minimum surcharge for additional consumers on a meter assessed
accordingly. Where a consumer's premises have several buildings, each
supplied with a separate service and metered separately, water service
to each building shall be billed separately; the readings shall not
be cumulated. If such buildings are all used in the same business
and are connected by the consumer, they can be metered in one place.
If the Utility for its own convenience installs more than one meter,
the readings shall be cumulated for billing.
B.
Failure to read meter. Where the Utility is unable
to read a meter after two successive trials, the fact shall be plainly
indicated upon the six-month bill, the minimum charge assessed and
the difference adjusted with the consumer when the meter is again
read. (The bill for the succeeding six months shall be computed with
the cubic feet in each block of the rate schedule doubled and credit
shall be given on that bill for the amount of the minimum bill paid
the preceding month.) If the meter is damaged or fails to operate
for any reason, the Utility shall render a bill for the current period
based on an average of the last two billings, provided that the use
during that period has been normal. If the water use during the last
two periods has not been normal, the bill shall be estimated.
A.
The Village of Maple Bluff shall pay to the Village
of Maple Bluff Water Utility for fire protection services the sum
as determined by the Public Service Commission (PSC) per year to cover
the use of mains and hydrants up to and including the terminal hydrant
and connection on each line of main.
B.
For all extensions of fire protection service, the
actual cost of such extension plus an annual fee per hydrant as determined
by the PSC shall be paid to the Village by the owner of the property
benefited by such extension.
[Added 10-9-1990]
A.
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to prevent
contamination of groundwater and to protect public health, safety
and welfare by assuring that unused, unsafe or noncomplying wells
or wells which may serve as conduits for contamination or wells which
may be illegally cross-connected to the municipal water system are
properly abandoned.
B.
Applicability. This section applies to all wells located
on premises served by the Village of Maple Bluff municipal water system.
C.
MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM
NONCOMPLYING
PUMP INSTALLATION
UNSAFE
UNUSED
WELL
WELL ABANDONMENT
Definitions. As used in this section, the following
terms shall have the meanings indicated:
A system for the provision to the public of piped water for
human consumption, when such system has at least 15 service connections
or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents, owned or operated
by a city, village, county, town, town sanitary district, utility
district or public institution, or a privately owned water utility
serving any of the above.
A well or pump installation which does not comply with the
provisions of Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code, in effect at the time the
well was constructed, a contamination source was installed, the pump
was installed or work was done on either the well or 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.
A well or pump installation which is bacteriologically contaminated
or contaminated with substances in excess of the standards of Ch.
NR 109 or NR 140, Wis. Adm. Code, or for which a health advisory has
been issued by the Department of Natural Resources.
A well or pump installation which is not in use or does not
have a functional pumping system.
An excavation or opening into the ground made by digging,
boring, drilling, driving, or other methods for the purpose of obtaining
groundwater for consumption or other use.
The filling and sealing of a well according to the provisions
of Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code.
D.
Abandonment required. All wells located on premises
served by the municipal water system shall be abandoned in accordance
with the terms of this section and Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code, by
October 10, 1991, or no later than one year from the date of connection
to the municipal water system, whichever occurs last, unless a well
operation permit has been obtained by the well owner from the Village
of Maple Bluff.
E.
Well operation permit. The Village of Maple Bluff
may grant a permit to a private well owner to operate a well for a
period not to exceed five years, provided that the conditions of this
section are met. An owner may request renewal of a well operation
permit by submitting information verifying that the conditions of
this section are met. The Village of Maple Bluff, or its agent, may
conduct inspections or have water quality tests 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-Treasurer. The following
conditions must be met for issuance or renewal of a well operation
permit:
(1)
The well and pump installation meet or are upgraded
to meet the requirements of Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code;
(2)
The well construction and pump installation have a
history of producing bacteriologically safe water as evidenced by
at least two samplings taken a minimum of two weeks apart. No exception
to this condition may be made for unsafe wells, unless the Department
of Natural Resources approves, in writing, the continued use of the
well;
(3)
There are no cross-connections between the well and
pump installation and the municipal water system; and
(4)
The proposed use of the well and pump installation
can be justified as being necessary.
F.
Abandonment procedures.
(1)
All wells abandoned under the jurisdiction of this
section shall be abandoned according to the procedures and methods
of Ch. NR 112, Wis. Adm. Code. All debris, pump, piping, unsealed
liners and any other obstructions which may interfere with sealing
operations shall be removed prior to abandonment.
(2)
The owner of the well, or the owner's agent, shall
notify the Clerk at least 48 hours prior to commencement of any well
abandonment activities. The abandonment of the well shall be observed
by Village of Maple Bluff.
(3)
The abandonment report form, supplied by the Department
of Natural Resources, shall be submitted by the well owner to the
Clerk-Treasurer and the Department of Natural Resources within 10
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 as specified in § 1-4 of this Municipal Code 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 10 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.
