Whenever the amount of water impounded in the
storage reservoirs supplying users of water in the city has fallen
below fifty percent (50%) of full storage capacity or whenever the
engineer in charge of water being supplied to the city shall certify
that an emergency exists in such water supply or the water of the
Passaic River is at a low ebb, the Mayor may, for the protection,
health, safety and general welfare of the citizens and residents of
the city, proclaim the existence of a water emergency and prescribe
regulations to:
A. Prohibit the use of water from the city supply for
any purpose not necessary to the health, safety and welfare of the
public.
B. Allocate and prorate the available water supplies.
C. Reduce consumption by users.
D. Prevent waste for the period of duration of such emergency.
The proclamation of the emergency shall be conclusive
of the fact of the existence of such emergency and shall be binding
upon all persons and users upon the filing of the same in the office
of the City Clerk and the publication thereof at least once in each
of the daily newspapers published and circulating in the city. The
regulations set forth in the proclamation and any subsequent regulations
made and published as aforesaid, upon filing thereof in the office
of the City Clerk, shall be deemed to have the force and effect of
regulations adopted under the authority of this Article, the same
as if specifically incorporated and set forth herein. Every owner,
lessee, tenant and occupant of any building or premises connected
with the city water supply and every user thereof under any contract,
ordinance or statute shall, upon the proclamation and promulgation
of the regulations as aforesaid, become bound thereby and by the provisions
of this Article and shall conform thereto and comply therewith in
the use of water and the maintenance of the water service connections
and equipment for the purposes thereof.
Every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or other
person in charge of any building or premises connected with the city
water supply shall admit thereto the authorized agents and employees
of the city for the purpose of inspecting the water service pipes,
fixtures and connections.
Whenever an owner shall fail or refuse to make
repairs so as to prevent the waste of water, then the city shall have
the power to make such repairs and to charge the cost thereof to the
owner in the same manner as other water charges are made, as provided
by statute.
Any person who violates any provision of this
Article or any of the regulations provided for therein shall, upon
conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand
dollars ($1,000.), by imprisonment for a term not exceeding ninety
(90) days or by a period of community service for not more than ninety
(90) days, or any combination thereof. A separate offense shall be
deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs
or continues.