[Adopted 1-14-1980 by Ord. No. 5-79
as Title 5, Ch. 1, Art. B of the 1980 Code]
For the purposes of this article, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to
them by this section:
The Council of the City of Taneytown or its duly authorized
officers or agents.
[Amended 8-9-1999 by Ord. No. 8-99[1]]
The user of service receiving water at one household, apartment,
house trailer or place of business.
The City-owned piping and fixtures in or along public highways
and streets, or along privately owned rights-of-way, used for the
transmission or distribution of water to customers.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also amended
all references to "corporation" in this article to "City."
A.
All applications for water service must be made in
writing.
B.
No application for service will be accepted by the
City until the applicant has paid, or made satisfactory arrangements
to pay, all arrears and charges due by the applicant for water service
used at any premises now or heretofore occupied by the applicant in
the area served by the City.
C.
The accepted application shall constitute a contract
between the City and the applicant obligating the applicant to pay
to the City its rates as established from time to time and to comply
with the rules of the City.
D.
Applicants for service installations will be accepted
subject to there being an existing main in a right-of-way abutting
on the premises to be served.
E.
When a prospective customer has made application for
a new service or has applied for the reinstatement of an existing
service, it is assumed that the piping and fixtures on the applicant's
premises are in good condition, and the City will not be liable in
any case for any accidental breaks or leakage arising in any way in
connection with the supply of water or failure to supply the same,
or the freezing of water pipes or fixtures of the customer, nor for
any damage to the property which may result from the usage or nonusage
of water supplied to the premises.
[Amended 7-10-1989 by Ord. No. 5-89]
A.
The owner will furnish and install, at the lot owner's
sole expense, the following equipment: City stop, service pipe to
the property line, curb stop and box. All such equipment shall be
approved by the City prior to installation and by a licensed plumber
who shall be approved by the City prior to any such work being performed.
B.
Title to all services from main to property line is
vested in and the same shall at all times remain the sole property
of the City and shall not be trespassed upon or interfered with in
any respect. This property shall be maintained by the City after completion
of the work.
C.
The service pipe from the property line to the building
shall be installed at the expense of the owner of the premises. For
this installation the owner or applicant shall employ a competent
plumber to do the work. The minimum size and cover shall be the same
as that used from the main to the property line. Materials and methods
of construction shall be approved by the City, and if the service
pipe has not been installed in accordance with the City's requirements,
water will not be turned on until any defects have been remedied.
The service pipes between the property line and the building and all
piping and fixtures on or in the building of the owner or applicant
shall be maintained by him or her and the work performed by a competent
plumber in a manner satisfactory to the City.
D.
All service pipes to the building shall have a minimum
cover of three feet. Service pipe shall be "K" type copper tubing.
All service pipes shall be at least three-fourths-inch inside diameter.
E.
No service pipe shall be laid in the same trench with
gas pipe, sewer pipe or any other facility of a public service company
nor within three feet of any other excavation or fault.
F.
Every service pipe must be provided with a stop and
waste cock on the inside of the cellar or foundation wall adjacent
to the location where the pipe passes through it, easily accessible
and fully protected from freezing, and all pipes in the building must
be laid in such a way that they can be fully drained by that waste
cock.
All meters will be furnished by and remain the
property of the City and shall be installed on the property at a location
designated by the City on the delivery side of the curb cock. In the
event that the customer desires any change in the location or position
of the meter, meter box or vault, such change in location shall be
made by the City at the expense of the customer.
[Added 2-9-2004 by Ord. No. 4-2004]
A.
Prior to approving a development, the City shall require
the developer to furnish a water supply to deliver 250 gallons of
water per day for each equivalent dwelling unit and/or commercial
unit. The developer shall drill and test the well under the supervision
of the City or its agent. This testing is to develop data as to the
dependable yield and quality of the source. The City will not accept
a well for this requirement that produces fewer than 100 gallons per
minute. The developer shall provide three-phase electric service to
the site with sufficient amperage to supply the pump house. The City
will not accept a well for this requirement unless the well's quality
has been tested by a certified laboratory and no contaminant exceeds
current Safe Drinking Water Act maximum contaminant levels for inorganic
chemicals, volatile organic compounds and turbidity. The well shall
be tested within 180 days prior to preliminary development approval
and 180 days prior to final development approval by the City of Taneytown.
B.
When a well meeting the above requirements cannot
be located, the developer shall be assessed a water replacement fee
in the amount of $1,000 for each equivalent dwelling unit and/or commercial
unit; provided, however, that the City has the needed capacity in
the existing water system, as determined by the City. This fee shall
be payable prior to issuance of a building permit.
C.
COMMERCIAL UNIT
EQUIVALENT DWELLING UNIT (EDU)
Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the
following terms shall have meanings indicated:
Based on a per capita employed over a period of not more
than eight hours. Ten employees consist of one unit, each multiple
or part thereof consists of units or parts of units. The minimum unit
for commercial is one unit.
Applies to dwellings as follows:
[Amended 8-9-1999 by Ord. No. 8-99]
The schedule of rates and charges for water
service furnished by the City shall be established by the Mayor and
Council from time to time by resolution.
A.
If payment in full is not made within 30 days after
the date of the bill, the City reserves the privilege, after five
days' written notice, to discontinue rendering service. Any unpaid
bills shall be and remain a lien upon the premises served until paid
and may be collected in the same manner as taxes levied upon real
estate by the City, and bills for any service shall be directed to
the owners of the premises served.
B.
Whenever a customer desires to have his or her service
contract terminated or his or her water service discontinued, he or
she shall so notify the City in writing. Until that notice is received
by the City, the customer shall be responsible for the payment of
all service rendered by the City. A reasonable time after the receipt
of the notice shall be allowed the City to take a final reading of
the meter or meters and to discontinue service.
A.
Service may be discontinued for any one of the following
reasons:
B.
When water has been turned off from any premises for
any of the above reasons or for any other violation of the City's
rules, a charge will be made for restoring service. This charge for
restoring service shall be established and amended by resolution of
the Council.
[Amended 10-11-2004 by Ord. No. 18-2004]
A.
Curb stops shall not be used by the customer or his
or her agent for turning on or shutting off the water supply. The
control of the water supply by the customer shall be by means of a
separate stop located just inside the building wall. Curb stops are
for the exclusive use of the City.
B.
No water will be furnished to any premises where any
possibility exists of the mingling of the water furnished by the City
with water from any other source, nor will the City permit its mains
or service pipes to be connected to any piping or apparatus containing
any substance which may flow back into the City's service pipes or
mains.
C.
The customer shall not permit anyone, except an agent
of the City or someone otherwise lawfully authorized to do so, to
remove, inspect or tamper with the meter or other property of the
City on his or her premises. The customer shall notify the City, as
soon as it comes to his or her knowledge, of any injury to the City's
property.
D.
The authorized agents of the City shall have the right
of access to the premises supplied with water at all reasonable hours
for the purpose of reading meters, examining fixtures and pipes, observing
the manner of rising water and for any other purpose which is proper
and necessary in the conduct of the City's business.
E.
The City reserves the right to impose reasonable restrictions
on the use of water during periods of shortage of supply, excessive
demand or other difficulty which results in the impairment of normal
service to any group of customers.
F.
The City reserves the right to place restrictions
on customers who consume large quantities of water (swimming pools,
etc.) and thereby create conditions which prevent the City from supplying
satisfactory service to that customer or to other customers.
G.
Nothing in these rules contained shall be construed
as a guaranty or covenant or agreement of the City to give continuous
and uninterrupted service.
[Amended 8-9-1982 by Ord. No. 6-82; 8-9-1999 by Ord. No. 8-99]
Any extension of the City's water distribution
system shall be made at the expense of the developer or property owner
unless and until it is deemed to be in the best interests of the health,
safety, economics or community development of the City that the Mayor
and Council, by affirmative vote, allow other means of financing such
extension of the City's water distribution system, including but not
limited to City participation in bearing any portion of the cost of
the same.
A.
In case of accidents, breakdowns, shortage of water
supply or any causes beyond its control or because of any act or omission
on the part of the public authorities or their agents, or any of them,
or in case of the making of repairs, renewals or replacements, the
City reserves the right to shut off the water supply from any one
or any number of premises, without notice, and shall in no manner
be held responsible for any consequences of such shutoff.
B.
The City will give notice, in the manner deemed in
its discretion to be most effective, of any shutoff of the water supply
whenever and wherever the giving of such notice is practicable, but
nothing in these rules contained shall be construed to require the
giving of such notice under any circumstances.
A.
The City in no manner guarantees to furnish a proper
quantity of water for fire protection, nor does it undertake to guarantee
anything relative to any service, but it will make every effort to
maintain the efficiency of its service under all conditions. The City
will not be responsible in any manner for failure of its water supply
during a fire or at any other time.
B.
All fire hydrants or plugs, whether installed by the
City or otherwise, are to be used for fire protection purposes exclusively.
All use of fire hydrants or plugs for sprinkling, sewer flushing,
filling, sprinkling water or other carts or receptacles, for fire
drills or fire company testing, other than strictly for fire protection,
is prohibited unless any other use is permitted by the City as evidenced
by a written permit signed by the City Manager, which permit shall
be exhibited to any and all employees of the City at their request.
[Amended 8-9-1999 by Ord. No. 8-99; 12-13-1999 by Ord. No. 9-99]
C.
Permits for use of water from fire hydrants or plugs
for any purposes other than for fire protection will not be granted
by the City except in cases where such use is deemed by the City to
be urgent and other means of obtaining water are not available, but
all permits so granted shall be revocable at the pleasure of the City
in every instance and without regard or reference to any terms or
provisions in any permits to the contrary.
The City shall not provide water services outside
the corporate limits of the City.
[Added 8-14-2000 by Ord. No. 4-2000]
Any violation of this article is declared to
be a municipal infraction. The penalty for violation shall be $50
for each initial offense and $100 for each repeat offense.
[Added 11-8-2010 by Ord. No. 6-2010]
The City reserves the right to adopt, from time to time, by
resolution, such additional rules, regulations, fees and penalties
as it shall deem necessary and proper in connection with the use and
operation of the water system. Said rules, regulations, fees and penalties
shall be considered and construed as a part of this chapter.
