Water used on the following services can be
metered: bakeries, bathing establishments, bottling works, breweries,
foundries, large garages, hotels, hydraulic elevators, laundries,
livery and boarding stables, malt houses, manufacturers, milk depots,
pump houses, railroad stations, restaurants, saloons, tenement houses
(for four families or more), theaters and all other services using
large quantities of water and where it is impracticable to determine
flat rates.
The Department of Water and Wastewater reserves
the right to order a meter to be placed on any service or take out
a meter and place the consumer on a flat rate whenever, in the opinion
of the Director of the Department of Water and Wastewater, it is for
the best interests of the City so to do. This authority includes the
right to order water meters to be installed with automated radio read
devices compatible with the City of Schenectady's financial hardware
and programs.
All water passing through a meter will be charged
for, whether used or wasted.
[Amended 3-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-12]
Meters shall only be installed by the Department
of Water and Wastewater, or an authorized agent, and such installation
shall not be completed until such time as the service, service fixtures
and plumbing adjacent to the proposed location of the meter are in
good and serviceable condition. The curb box must be readily accessible,
the curb cock, stop and waste cock in good working order and any rusty
or unsafe pipes next to the proposed location of the meter replaced.
The owner, as shown on the latest assessment roll of the City, of
the premises in which the meter is to be installed shall be notified
in writing, by mail addressed to owner at such premises, of any required
repairs under this section; and if repairs are not made within 10
days, such repairs will be made by the Department of Water and Wastewater,
and the water will be shut off without notice until all expenses connected
therewith are paid to the Department of Water and Wastewater.
[Amended 3-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-12]
One meter only, not to exceed one inch in size,
will be furnished from the Department of Water and Wastewater, which
meter must be placed to cover all the fixtures connected with the
supply or service pipe and must be in a position where it can be conveniently
read. Any replacement meter or additional meters for submetering must
be furnished, installed and maintained by the owner at the owner's
own cost and expense and must be placed so as not to divert any water
from passing through the meter belonging to the City.
A.
The plumbers installing new services and house plumbing in premises listed under § 255-46, or where requested by the Department of Water and Wastewater, shall leave sufficient horizontal space next to the stop and waste cock for the installation of meters as follows:
B.
The Department of Water and Wastewater may refuse
to install a meter or allow the water to be turned on to such service
until this section is complied with.
[Amended 3-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-12]
All meters installed by the Department of Water
and Wastewater, or authorized agent, shall be installed, except in
outside settings, by regular employees of the Department of Water
and Wastewater, or authorized agent, only. Any extra expense on account
of outside settings must be borne by the owner and paid to the Department
of Water and Wastewater or the City; and in default of such payment,
the water supply may be shut off until such payment is made.
[Amended 12-27-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-23]
All meters installed by the Department of Water and Wastewater shall have check valves placed next to outlets to prevent hot water from backing through the meter. All services that are metered and require check valves to prevent hot water from backing through the meter shall be supplied, connected and fitted with such check valves, up to and including meters of one inch in size, by the Department of Water and Wastewater. Services requiring a meter over one inch in size and furnished by the property owner may be installed by the Department of Water and Wastewater; but if check valves are required, the same are to be installed by the property owner. All sizes above one inch shall have a test tee next to the outlet of the meter, the full size of the same, then the check and another valve so that the meter can be tested, at any time, in place. If the owner of a premises so desires, meters one inch or larger in size may be installed with bypasses so that meters may be removed for testing or repairs made without hindering the supply of water. The expense of such bypasses and additional work shall be borne by the owner. All such bypasses shall be locked and sealed and under the exclusive control of the Department of Water and Wastewater. (See § 255-56.)
[Amended 3-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-12]
All meters installed by the Department of Water
and Wastewater, or authorized agent, shall remain the property of
the City. Property owners in whose premises such meters are installed
will be held responsible for their safekeeping and for any damage
which said meters may sustain, resulting from carelessness of the
owner or owner's agent or tenant or from neglect of either of them
to properly secure and protect the same, including any damage that
may result from allowing said meters to become frozen or to be injured
by hot water or steam setting back through the boilers. The amount
of any such damages shall be paid to the Department of Water and Wastewater
or the City by the owners; and in default of such payment, the water
may be shut off until such payment is made.
[Amended 3-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-12]
All repairs to meters owned by the City shall
be made by regular employees of the Department of Water and Wastewater,
or authorized agent, only. Repairs due to ordinary wear will be made
free of charge, but repairs due to hot water, freezing or other external
sources must be paid for by the owner of the premises; and if a meter
is damaged beyond repair, such owner must pay for a new meter. Upon
refusal of the owner to pay for any such repairs, the water will be
shut off and not turned on again until all charges are paid.
All meters installed by the Department of Water
and Wastewater and all bypasses shall be sealed, and the seals must
not be broken by persons other than regular employees of the Department
of Water and Wastewater.
[Amended 3-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-12]
No meter shall be removed or disturbed by persons
other than regular employees of the Department of Water and Wastewater,
or authorized agent.
Meters will be read one or more times a year
by regular authorized agents of the Department of Water and Wastewater
wearing badges inscribed "Inspector, Water Works, Schenectady, N.Y."
Only parties wearing badges should be recognized. Bills shall be rendered
at such periods of the year as the Department of Water and Wastewater
may direct. When requested, meters may be read and final closing bills
may be computed. A fee of $100 shall be paid in advance by the owner
of the premises requesting said service to the Department of Water
and Wastewater.
All bills for water furnished at schedule rates
will be payable annually in advance at the office of the City Treasurer
on the first day of January, April, July and October in each year.
For an intermediate period or for a new or additional service, the
bill must be paid before the water is turned on.
[Amended 3-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-12]
Bills for metered water will be payable within
30 days of receipt of such bill at the office of the City Treasurer.
At the discretion of the Director of Water and
Wastewater, a customer may be asked to have his meter tested and/or
replaced if the age of the meter or other factors warrants it or if
the meter is suspected of inaccurate metering. Persons making complaints
about meter bills or inaccurate meters and claiming to be overcharged
can contact the Department of Water and Wastewater within 10 days
of receipt of the meter bill. The meter may be tested by making a
written request at the Department of Water and Wastewater and a deposit
of $100 or actual cost of testing, whichever is greater. If the tested
meter is found to be correct, the deposit will be retained by the
City to pay for the testing of the meter. Should the meter be found
to overregister or underregister, a proper and reasonable correction
to the bill will be made. For meters found to be overregistering,
the deposit will be returned, and reasonable correction to the bill
will be made. For meters which are found to be underregistering, the
deposit will be retained by the City and a proper and reasonable correction
to the bill will be made. The Director of Water and Wastewater or
his authorized designee is authorized to correct any charge due to
a fault in the meter or to incorrect reading of the dial but shall
have no power to reduce meter bills for any other reason whatsoever.
All special bills and charges for services rendered,
material sold or expenses incurred by the Water and Wastewater Department
in connection with the enforcement of this chapter must be paid at
the office of the City Treasurer within 30 days after a bill is rendered.
The supply of water may be shut off from the premises with reference
to which such charges become due in default of payment of such bills
or charges and until bills and charges are paid.
The Water and Wastewater Department will mail
all meter bills when due. In case of default of payment, for the period
of 30 days, of a meter bill after same is due, the Water and Wastewater
Department may shut off the water supply at the premises to which
such bills applies, until such bill is paid.
All water rents, including meter bills which shall remain unpaid at the expiration of 30 days from the due date mentioned in § 255-60, shall be delinquent and shall bear the same rate of penalty or interest as that imposed on delinquent taxes on real property within the City for each month that the same remain unpaid, the collection of which shall be enforced with the original assessment.
Where meters are installed at any premises,
the Water and Wastewater Department may cause meter rates to become
effective at such premises immediately thereupon, but such rates shall,
in all cases, become effective at such premises at the beginning of
the next water fiscal year. Where an annual flat rate has been paid
prior to such installation of a meter, the amount of such flat rate
so paid shall be offset against the amount chargeable at such flat
rate for the period preceding such installation, plus the amount of
meter bills covering the current fiscal year, and the difference so
arrived at will be refunded, or collected by meter bill, in accordance
with whether such difference is in favor of the person who paid such
rate or of the City. When meters are removed for repairs or testing,
charges for water consumed during the interim shall be approximated
in a reasonable manner.
Wherever the owner of any premises which are
supplied with water shall be charged with water supplied for services
rendered, material furnished or expense incurred by the Water and
Wastewater Department pursuant to this chapter and said charges are
not paid and the water shall be turned off on account of such nonpayment,
no application for water service for such premises need be granted
by the Department of Water and Wastewater, notwithstanding said premises
may have changed ownership, until such charge shall have been paid
in full to the City Treasurer. Further, if water service is not turned
off on account of such nonpayment, any such unpaid bills will become
a lien against the property and will be added to the City's assessment
rolls for collection.
Applications for rebates will be received by
the Department of Water and Wastewater where erroneous bills have
been rendered and paid. After verification of claim by the Department
of Water and Wastewater, the applicant, upon presentation of receipted
bills, will be allowed a refund for the current and one preceding
year.
Any owner desiring a rebate for discontinuing
the use of any fixture or fixtures upon his premises must notify the
Department of Water and Wastewater of the discontinuance of such fixture
or fixtures. No rebate need be made for any period of discontinuance
of such use less than six months after such fixture or fixtures are
discontinued.
No rebate shall be made from any water bills
under a claim that less water has been used because of a partial use
from wells or cisterns.
In case only one or several separate buildings
belonging to the same owner or owners occupy the frontage of a single
City lot and the others are located in the rear of said front building,
then permission may be granted to supply all of said buildings from
one service, but the owner will be required to give notice to the
Department of Water and Wastewater immediately after either building
becomes vacant and also immediately after it is again occupied, so
that an inspection and verification may be made, otherwise a rebate
for a nonoccupied building will not be made. A rebate will not be
made in any case for a nonoccupied building that has been vacant for
longer then six months.
No rebate from any water bill need be made when
the owner or consumer has not complied with the requirements of this
chapter in making application at the office of the Department of Water
and Wastewater for the discontinuance of the use of water; in making
application to have any fixtures disconnected or to have the water
turned off from service; in giving the notice required; in cases where
more than one dwelling on an undivided City lot is supplied from a
single service; or where the claimed overcharge in the bill is the
result of failure on his part to perform any act required by these
rules.
No rebate from any water bill will be made in
cases where the charges result from the failure on the part of the
owner or consumer to promptly repair any broken, frozen or defective
fixture or service.
Where the water is turned on at the curb, the
use of all fixtures connected with the pipes must be paid for, whether
they are in actual service or not. In case any particular fixture
is not desired for use, said fixture must be paid for until the same
is disconnected from the service by a plumber bonded with the Department
of Water and Wastewater.
[Amended 12-27-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-23; 3-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-12]
The water rates within the City shall be as
follows:
A.
General uses.
|
Annual Flat Rates Inside City
|
Rate/Year
|
|---|---|
|
For 1 family, not exceeding 10 persons
|
$93.70
|
|
For each additional family
|
$93.70
|
|
For each bathtub
|
$31.13
|
|
For each shower separate from the bathtub
|
$31.13
|
|
For each toilet inside building
|
$46.84
|
|
For each toilet outside building
|
$124.89
|
|
For each hose for sprinkling purposes, for each
25 feet of frontage and fraction thereof
|
$15.61
|
|
For each garage with water: each stall
|
$46.84
|
|
For each public toilet
|
$124.89
|
|
For each public urinal
|
$124.89
|
|
For each store, bank, office, warehouse, shop,
etc., not requiring an unusual supply of water
|
$109.29
|
|
The Director of the Department of Water and
Wastewater may establish fixed rates for uses not listed above.
| |
C.
Meter rates outside the City.
(1)
The meter rate outside the City per 100 cubic feet
shall be $2.217.
D.
Water
charges.
(2)
The minimum inside City water meter charge shall be
$111.58 per six months.
(3)
The minimum outside City water meter charge shall
be $133.24 per six months.
(4)
All consumers of City water outside the City who are
not within a duly organized water district are required to install
and maintain individual water meters at their own expense and will
be charged regular meter rates.
E.
The annual fixed rate charges established by this
section apply beginning January 1, 2014; meter rates apply to all
water consumed subsequent to the last billing date prior to January
1, 2014.
A.
Any person, firm or corporation having a swimming
pool with a capacity of over 5,000 gallons on property which is served
with City water shall pay an annual charge for the water required
to fill the pool at the rate of $25 per 1,000 gallons.
[Amended 12-27-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-23]
B.
An owner of property may apply to the Department of
Water and Wastewater for a permanent exemption from the annual charge,
provided that application is made on a form to be supplied by the
Department of Water and Wastewater.
C.
Exemption from the annual charge shall be granted
only upon verification of the following:
(1)
That the pool is of such construction that water may
not be drained without causing damage to the pool, or the manufacturer's
guaranty voids any responsibility for damage to the pool if, in fact,
the water is drained for any purpose other than repairs.
(2)
That the owner has paid for the water required for
the initial filling of the pool, whether such payment was made to
the City of Schenectady or to one in the business of supplying water.
(3)
That notice will be given to the Department of Water
and Wastewater when refilling of the pool becomes necessary because
of repairs and in any other instance in which all of the water is
removed from the pool.
