[Adopted 6-11-1974 by Ord. No. 2956]
Any property owner desiring water service must
make application on the form furnished by the Bradford City Water
Authority; said form may be signed by the owner or his authorized
agent. All applications made for a service connection and meter outside
of the limits of the City of Bradford must be approved or disapproved
by councilmanic action.
A customer is the party contracting for a supply
of water to a property as hereinafter classified, i.e.:
A. A building under one roof, owned or leased by one
party and occupied as one residence or business;
B. A combination of buildings owned or leased by one
party in one common enclosure and occupied by one family or business;
C. The one side of a double house having a solid vertical
partition wall;
D. Each side or part of a building occupied by more than
one family or business, even though the closet and other fixtures
may be used in common; or
E. Each apartment, office or suite of offices located
in a building having several apartments, offices or suites of offices
and using in common one or more means of entrance, except that an
owner of an apartment house or building accommodating families or
businesses may become responsible for all water used on the premises,
and such owner shall be considered as the customer.
No owner or tenant of any premises supplied
with water by the Authority will be allowed to supply other persons
or families or other premises except by written permit from the Bradford
City Water Authority. Customers who violate this rule may have their
water shut off after notice of five days, and it may remain so until
the Bradford City Water Authority is satisfied that the rules and
regulations will be observed.
Where more than one occupant of a premises is supplied through one common service line, any violation of the rules and regulations by any one occupant shall be deemed a violation by all, and the Bradford City Water Authority may take necessary action accordingly as provided by the rules and regulations, except that water service to the premises shall be continued until the customer has been given a reasonable opportunity to install a separate service line for each occupant in compliance with §
216-7 of this chapter.
The operation of a service stop or valve is
absolutely prohibited to anyone other than an employee of the Bradford
City Water Authority in the regular line of duty, except that a regularly
licensed plumber will be permitted to operate the same when necessary
in conjunction with his proper work on the relevant premises, but
he shall invariably leave the stop or valve in the same position as
found.
All water passing through a meter shall be charged
for at the regular rate, and no allowance will be made for excessive
consumption due to leaks or waste.
The Bradford City Water Authority shall not
be liable for any damage resulting from leaks, broken pipes or from
any other cause occurring to or within any house or building, and
it is expressly stipulated by and between the Bradford City Water
Authority and the customer that no claims shall be made against the
Bradford City Water Authority on account of bursting or breaking of
any main or service pipe or any attachment to said waterworks.
It shall be expressly understood and agreed
by and between the customer receiving service and the Bradford City
Water Authority that the Bradford City Water Authority does not assume
any liability as insurers of property or person and that the agreement
does not contemplate any special service, pressure, capacity or facility
other than the ordinary or the changing conditions of the water supply
system of the Bradford City Water Authority, as the same exist from
day to day. The Bradford City Water Authority hereby declares that
it is agreed by the customer by acceptance of service that the Bradford
City Water Authority shall be free and exempt from any and all claims
for injury or damage to persons or property on customers' premises
or to any other person or property by reason of fire, water or failure
of water supply in pressure or capacity.
[Amended 11-23-1976 by Ord. No. 2983]
A. Bills as rendered for any indicated period or service,
either special, monthly or quarterly, will show the proper charge
therefor as determined by the applicable rate schedule and also the
amount of any abatement or deduction allowed or any fee or additional
charge due and payable under the rules and regulations. Bills shall
be considered as duly rendered when delivered at, or mailed to, the
recorded address of the customer as afforded by him for that purpose
or otherwise the premises supplied; nonreceipt of a bill shall never
constitute a waiver thereof; the Bradford City Water Authority at
any time will issue a duplicate bill upon proper request, and no claim
for exemption from assessment or delayed-payment charge for any reason
whatsoever will be entertained or allowed. All bills for flat-rate
water service are due and payable on the first day of each month for
which service is furnished. No credit for vacancies will be allowed
unless the coupon is returned by the 10th of the month for which vacancy
is claimed. A service charge as established from time to time by the
Bradford Water Authority shall be made for restoring of service where
water has been turned off for the nonpayment of bills and for the
convenience of the owner working on waterlines. Payment mailed, as
evidenced by the United States Post Office mark, on or previous to
the last day of the month will be deemed by the Bradford City Water
Authority to be a payment of the bill within the month. Charges for
temporary use shall be payable on demand.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
B. The bill for repairs or replacement of damaged meter
installations or parts thereof will be rendered to the responsible
party, either occupant of premises or customer, and in case payment
of the same is not made within 30 days after presentation of the bill
the Bradford City Water Authority may shut off and discontinue the
supply of water to the premises until all proper charges are paid,
nor shall such action by the Bradford City Water Authority preclude
or stay collection of the damage bill by process of law.
C. In case the Bradford City Water Authority has been
unable for any reason to obtain the meter reading at the regular meter
reading period, the Bradford City Water Authority reserves the right
to regularly bill the customer for an estimated consumption so indicated
on the bill, which estimated consumption shall be deducted from the
recorded consumption at the subsequent meter reading period, and the
bill for the subsequent period shall be rendered accordingly.
D. Any customer, upon receipt of a bill, having reason
to doubt its accuracy shall bring or mail the bill within five days
to the Bradford City Water Authority for investigation.
[Amended 11-23-1976 by Ord. No. 2983]
A. The customer shall notify the Bradford City Water
Authority in the event of vacating of premises or closing the same
temporarily, requesting the Bradford City Water Authority to shut
off the water. In such case the meter will be read and bill rendered
accordingly; however, at the option of the Bradford City Water Authority
when shutting off the water, the meter may be removed and the account
closed as of that date. Such notification shall be in writing, delivered
at the office of the Bradford City Water Authority on forms available
at the office of the Bradford City Water Authority.
B. Complaints with regard to the character of the service
furnished or the reading of meters or of the bills rendered must be
made at the Bradford City Water Authority office, whether verbally
or in writing, and a record of such complaint will be kept by the
Bradford City Water Authority, giving the name and address of the
complainant, the date, the nature of the complaint and the remedy.
C. A fee as established from time to time by the Bradford
City Water Authority, payable in advance, shall be made for turning
on water in restoration of service after discontinuance for nonpayment
of bills or vacancies.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
D. Except for an emergency turnoff as determined by the
City, for which no charge shall be made, a service charge as established
from time to time by the Bradford City Water Authority, payable in
advance, shall be made for turning water off or on when the requested
service is to be made after regularly scheduled work hours, on weekends
or on holidays.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
E. Customers using water for steam generation are warned
not to depend upon the hydraulic or hydrostatic pressure of the Bradford
City Water Authority's supply system for supplying such boilers. The
Bradford City Water Authority will not be responsible for any accident
or damage in which such practices frequently result. Steam and hot-water
heating plants, also hot-water generators and storage tanks, shall
in all cases be provided with check valves in the water supply piping
to the same and other proper devices to prevent damage or collapse
if the water supply should be shut off or should fail for any reason
whatsoever. The Bradford City Water Authority will not in any case
be responsible for accident or damage resulting from the imperfect
installation or action of such devices or from the omission of such
installations.
F. Any authorized employee of the Bradford City Water
Authority, upon the presentation of credentials if otherwise unknown,
shall have unrestricted access at all reasonable hours to any premises
supplied with water for the purpose of reading meters, making inspection
or securing such other information as may be deemed necessary for
the proper and efficient operation of the water system.
Any person or persons requiring the extension
of a street main in the area served or to be served by the water system
out of the corporate limits shall enter a line deposit agreement with
the Bradford City Water Authority. The provisions of that agreement
should include the following:
A. The person or persons shall deposit the full estimated
cost of extending the street main with the Bradford City Water Authority.
B. The deposit will not bear interest.
C. The Bradford City Water Authority will construct or
contract to construct the extension.
D. After construction of the extension, actual costs
will be calculated and the overpayment returned or the underpayment
billed for.
E. One reimbursement will be made for each customer service
line connected to the extension set forth in the agreement, and no
reimbursements will be made after 10 years have passed from the date
of the agreement.
F. The waterline and all appurtenances thereto will become
the property of the Bradford City Water Authority upon completion.
G. The Bradford City Water Authority will operate and
maintain the extension.
H. Each line extension agreement will stand on its own
and not be incorporated with any extension in another area or adjacent
thereto.
I. The minimum size pipeline to be constructed in any
public street or right-of-way (Authority owned) will be six inches
in diameter.
J. If a main larger than six inches is required for the
depositor's requirements, then the depositor will be required to pay
for the larger pipeline.
K. If the Bradford City Water Authority requires a larger
pipeline than is needed for the extension, the Authority and/or City
will pay the difference between the size required by the depositor
and the size determined by the Bradford City Water Authority.
L. Any customer desiring water service above sea level
elevation (1,580 feet) will necessitate the installation of a pumping
station. The total cost of this installation shall be the responsibility
of the customer, and a suitable water rate for this service will be
determined by the Bradford City Water Authority at the time of installation.
[Amended 11-23-1976 by Ord. No. 2983; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions,
Art. I)]
A fee in an amount as established from time
to time by the Bradford City Water Authority for the season will be
charged for the use of the hose for any purpose unless the property
is metered. Automatic lawn or garden sprinklers and/or soakers are
prohibited unless the property is metered.
[Amended 12-23-1976 by Ord. No.
2983; 12-15-1981 by Ord. No. 3034; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions,
Art. I)]
Water rates are set by the Bradford City Water Authority. The
current schedule of water rates is available at the Authority office
or on its website.
The City reserves the right to change or amend
from time to time these rules and regulations and the rates for the
use of water.
[Adopted 8-8-2000 by Ord. No. 2956.1]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated, unless a different meaning clearly
appears from the context:
BRADFORD CITY WATER AUTHORITY
A body corporate and politic organized under the Municipality
Authorities Act of 1945 incorporated by the City of Bradford.
BUILDING MAIN
Extension from the water system of any structure to the lateral
of a main.
IMPROVED PROPERTY
Any property within the City of Bradford upon which there
is erected a structure intended for continuous or periodic habitation,
occupancy or use by human beings or animals.
INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENT
Any improved property located within the City of Bradford
and used or intended for use, wholly or in part, for the manufacturing,
processing, cleaning, laundering or assembling of any product, commodity
or article.
LATERAL
A.
Part of the water system extending from a main
to the curbline or, if there shall be no curbline, extending to the
property line or;
B.
If no such lateral shall be provided, lateral
shall mean that portion of, or place in, a main which is provided
for connection of any building main.
MAIN
Any pipe or conduit constituting a part of the water system
used or usable for water distribution purposes.
OWNER
Any person vested with ownership, legal or equitable, sole
or partial, of any improved property.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, company, association, society,
trust, corporation, municipality, municipal authority or other group
or entity.
POTABLE WATER
Water used for direct human ingestion, consumption, showering,
bathing and food preparation.
WATER SYSTEM
All facilities, as of any particular time, for production,
transmission, storage and distribution of water in the City of Bradford
owned by the Authority and leased to the City of Bradford for maintenance,
operation and use.
In the event any person shall deem the requirement
to connect as provided in this article a hardship, such person may
appeal to the City Council of the City of Bradford or the Bradford
City Water Authority for relief from such connection requirement,
which appeal shall be heard in accordance with provisions of the Pennsylvania
Local Agency Law.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate
any provision of this article commits a summary offense and, upon
conviction, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000
or to imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both. Each day that
a violation of this article continues shall constitute a separate
offense.