A. Application for water connections shall be made to
the Department on forms prescribed and furnished by it. the Department
may refuse to authorize a larger service pipe than reasonably required
by the premises served. Water connections and water meters shall be
installed in accordance with rules and regulations of the Department
and upon payment of the required connection fee and meter installation
fee. All meters and water connections shall be the property of the
Village. Connection fees and meter installation charges shall not
be less than the cost of materials, installation and overhead attributable
to such installations.
B. The connection fee and meter installation fee for standard size meters shall be set by the Village Council on an annual basis. Nonstandard size meter installation shall be charged at the same rate as standard size meters or the actual cost, whichever is greater. A connection fee will be established both for properties that have been special assessed for the installation of the system, as set forth in this chapter and Chapter
125, Special Assessment, and for properties that have not been special assessed for the installation of the system.
C. The Village is the owner of the water service to the
property line or service line valve.
D. There must be a shutoff valve on each side of every
water meter hooked up to the Village water supply system.
No person, other than an authorized employee
of the Department, shall turn on or off any water service. An exception
is that a licensed plumber may turn on water service for testing his
work (then it must be immediately turned off) or upon receiving a
written order from the Department. Upon written permit from the Department,
water may be turned on for construction purposes only, prior to the
granting of a certificate of occupancy for the premises, and upon
payment of the applicable charges. A licensed plumber may also turn
water service off to a property in order to work on the plumbing at
the property and when finished may turn the service back on.
All premises using water shall be metered. No
person except a Department employee shall break or injure the seal
or change the location of, alter or interfere in any way with any
water meter.
No connection shall be made to any water service
pipe between the water main and the meter, except such bypass as the
Village may install. If such unlawful connection is found, the water
connection will be cut off at the main until such unlawful connection
is disconnected and abandoned. Before the service is restored, the
owner shall pay for any expense to which the Village shall be subjected
due to the above work.
The Department shall have the right to shut
off the supply of water to any premises where the Department is not
able to obtain access to the meter. Any qualified employee of the
Department shall at all reasonable hours have the right to enter the
premises where such meters are installed for the purpose of reading,
testing, removing or inspecting them, and no person shall hinder,
obstruct or interfere with such employee in the lawful discharge of
his duties in relation to the care and maintenance of water meters.
Any damage which a meter or valve may sustain
resulting from carelessness of the owner, agent or tenant or from
neglect of either of them to properly secure and protect the meter
or valve, as well as any damage which may be wrought by frost, hot
water or steam backing from a boiler, shall be paid by the owner of
the property to the Village on presentation of a bill therefor. In
cases where the bill is not paid, the water shall be shut off and
shall not be turned on until all charges have been paid to the Village.
If any meter shall fail to register properly,
the Department shall estimate the consumption on the basis of former
consumption and bill accordingly. The meter shall also be replaced.
A consumer may request that the water meter
be tested. If the meter is found accurate, a charge as set by the
Village Council on an annual basis will be made for this test. If
the meter is found defective, it shall be repaired or an accurate
meter installed, and no charge shall be made.
A water meter shall be considered accurate if
when tested it registers not to exceed 2% more or 2% less than the
actual quantity of water passing through it. If a meter registers
in excess of 2% more than the actual quantity of water passing through
it, it shall be considered fast to that extent. If a meter registers
in excess of 2% less than the actual quantity of water passing through
it, it shall be considered slow to that extent.
If a meter has been tested at the request of
a consumer and shall have been determined to register fast, the Village
shall credit the consumer with a sum equal to the percent fast multiplied
by the amount of all bills incurred by the consumer, within the two
quarters prior to the test, and if a meter so tested is determined
to register slow, the Department may collect from the consumer a sum
equal to the percent slow multiplied by the amount of all the bills
incurred by the consumer for the prior two quarters. When the Department
on its own initiative makes a test of a water meter, it shall be done
without cost to the consumer, other than the consumer paying the amount
due the Village for water used by the property as above provided,
if the meter is found to be slow. If the meter is determined to be
fast following a test undertaken by the Department on its own initiative,
then the Village shall credit the consumer with a sum equal to the
percent fast multiplied by the amount of all bills incurred by the
consumer within the two quarters prior to the test.
No person, except an employee of the Village
or employee of the Fire Department in the performance of that person's
duties, shall open or use any fire hydrant except in case of emergency,
without first securing a written permit from the Department and paying
such charges as may be prescribed.
The Superintendent may regulate, limit or prohibit
the use of water for any purpose. Such regulations shall restrict
less essential water uses to the extent deemed necessary to assure
an adequate supply for essential domestic and commercial needs and
for fire fighting. No such regulation, limitation or prohibition shall
be effective until 24 hours after the publication thereof in a newspaper
or publication of general circulation in the Village. Any person violating
any such rule or regulation shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished
as prescribed in this chapter.
The Superintendent may make and issue additional
rules and regulations concerning the water distribution system, connection
thereto, meter installation and maintenance, connection and meter
installation fees, hydrants and water mains and the appurtenances
thereto, not inconsistent with this chapter. Such rules and regulations
shall be effective upon approval by the Village Council. The rules
and regulations now in effect shall continue until changed in accordance
with this chapter.
No person, except an employee of the Village
in the performance of that person's duties, shall willfully or carelessly
break, damage, destroy, uncover, deface or tamper with any structure,
appurtenance or equipment which is a part of the Village water distribution
system.
A. The Village of Bellevue, pursuant to Act No. 346 of
Public Acts of the State of Michigan 1968 (MCLA § 333.12721
et seq.) as amended, hereby rejects and prohibits the addition of
fluoride to the public water system of the Village of Bellevue.
B. The Department of Public Health for the State of Michigan,
or such other state department, board, commission or agency charged
with the responsibility of administering said Act, as amended, shall
be prohibited from requiring the addition of fluoride to the public
water system of the Village of Bellevue.