[Adopted 6-21-1999 by L.L. No. 2-1999]
A.
Having water meters in good repair and optimal working
condition is essential in order to protect the water supply, accurately
measure water usage and provide the Town of Queensbury Consolidated
Water District (the "Water District") customers with correct bills
for water usage.
B.
Tampering with or opening of water meters by unauthorized
persons may damage the water meters, allow the theft of water from
the Water District, endanger the safe water supply and/or permit excessive
use of water without regard to needs for conservation, and such actions
should be prohibited.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
To open a water meter is to break the seal of the meter and/or
to access internal mechanical components thereof
To interfere with the proper functioning of any water meter,
whether by physically manipulating the mechanical workings or by any
other means preventing it from working as intended.
Any and all consumers of water from the Town of Queensbury
Consolidated Water District.
Only Water District employees, while acting
within the scope of their duties, are authorized to open or break
the seal of water meters within the Water District.
It shall be unlawful for anyone other than an authorized user, as set forth in § 173-32 above, to tamper with, open or break the seal on any water meter.
All water must pass through a water meter before
use by any Water District customer. It shall be unlawful for anyone
to take or attempt to take water from the Water District by connecting
to the Water District water supply before the water meter or where
there is no water meter.
Town Water Department employees acting within
the scope of their duties shall be allowed access to water meters
located within a private residence during reasonable hours and to
water meters located within a commercial establishment during such
commercial establishment's hours of operation. Failure to grant immediate
access by a commercial establishment during hours of operation shall
constitute tampering with a meter, and the Town Water Department may
shut off water to such commercial establishment until such time as
it is given access during the Water Department's scheduled water meter
reading schedule and the Water Department has satisfactorily confirmed
that there has been no tampering with the water meter.
A.
Any person convicted of tampering with, opening or
breaking the seal of a water meter located within a private residence
or any person taking water from the Water District that has not passed
through a water meter within a private residence may be fined up to
$250 and incarcerated for up to 14 days, or both.
B.
Any person convicted of tampering with, opening or
breaking the seal of a water meter located within a commercial establishment
or any person taking water from the Water District that has not passed
through a water meter within a commercial establishment may be fined
up to $500 and incarcerated for up to 30 days, or both.
C.
Any person convicted of taking water from the Water
District where there is no water meter may be fined $500 and incarcerated
for up to 30 days, or both.
Sections 173-34 and 173-36C of this article shall not apply to residences located within the former West Glens Falls Water District for the first 12 months following the above effective date.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The effective date is that
date on which L.L. No. 2-1999 was filed in the office of the New York
Secretary of State.
