[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:
OPEN
To open a water meter is to break the seal of the meter and/or to access internal mechanical components thereof
TAMPER
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.
WATER DISTRICT CUSTOMERS
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.